Carrying concealed weapons by law enforcement officers and by retired law enforcement officers

In addition, federal law prohibits the state from barring certain active duty or retired law enforcement officers from carrying concealed firearms. Under federal law, qualified law enforcement officers and qualified retired law enforcement officers who meet certain specified requirements may carry concealed firearms that have been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, regardless of any prohibition imposed under state law.

Federal law specifies the criteria that a person must meet to be a qualified law enforcement officer or a qualified retired law enforcement officer. To be the former, a person must 1) be employed by a government agency; 2) be a "law enforcement officer," defined under federal law as a person "authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law, and has statutory powers of arrest"; 3) be authorized by the agency to carry a firearm; 4) not be the subject of any disciplinary action by the agency; 5) not be under the influence of alcohol or another drug; 6) not be prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm; and 7) meet all standards, if any, established by the agency to qualify the person on a regular basis to use a firearm. For a person to be a qualified retired law enforcement officer, all of the following must apply: 1) the person retired in good standing from service with a government agency as a law enforcement officer, other than for reasons of mental instability; 2) before retirement, the person was regularly employed as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of 15 years or more or the person retired due to a service-connected disability after completing any applicable probationary period of service; 3) the person has a nonforfeitable right to benefits under the agency's retirement plan; 4) the person is not under the influence of alcohol or another drug;

5) the person is not prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm; and 6) during the most recent 12-month period, the person has met the state's standards for training and qualification for active duty law enforcement officers to carry firearms. Wisconsin law does not currently set or impose any standards for ongoing training and qualification for active duty law enforcement officers to remain eligible to carry firearms.

Under federal law, if a person is a qualified law enforcement officer, the prohibition contained in Wisconsin law regarding going armed with a concealed and dangerous weapon does not apply to his or her going armed with a concealed firearm if the person carries a photo ID issued by the agency for which he or she works. If the person is a qualified retired law enforcement officer, the prohibition does not apply to his or her going armed with a concealed firearm if the person carries either:

1) a photo ID issued by the agency from which the person retired as a law enforcement officer that indicates that, within the preceding 12 months, the agency has tested the person or otherwise found that he or she meets its standards for training and qualification for active duty law enforcement officers to carry the type of firearm that the qualified retired law enforcement officer is carrying concealed; or 2) both of the following: a) a photo ID issued by the agency from which the person retired as a law enforcement officer; and b) a certification issued by the state in which the person resides that indicates that, within the preceding 12 months, the state has tested the person or otherwise found that he or she meets its standards for training and qualification for active duty law enforcement officers to carry the type of firearm that the qualified retired law enforcement officer is carrying concealed. Federal law, however, specifies that the exemption for qualified law enforcement officers and qualified retired law enforcement officers does not apply if the firearm involved is a machine gun, has a silencer attached to it, or is a destructive device (such as a bomb).

Federal law also specifies that a state may 1) permit private persons or entities to bar the possession of concealed firearms on their own property; and 2) prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any state or local government property, installation, base, building, or park.

The bill regarding concealed weapons This bill codifies in the state concealed weapons statute the provisions of federal law that make the statute inapplicable to active duty and retired law enforcement officers under the circumstances specified in federal law as described above. To implement federal law, the bill also makes certain other state law prohibitions regarding the carrying of firearms inapplicable to an active duty or retired law enforcement officer if he or she is carrying a concealed firearm under those same circumstances. These include the prohibition on going armed with a handgun in a tavern, the prohibition regarding the possession, transportation, or loading of a handgun in vehicles, motorboats, and aircraft, and the prohibition on possessing a firearm that may arise in certain domestic abuse cases. (Depending on the facts, however, a person who is subject to such an injunction may, as a result of that case, also be prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm, which means that the federal law regarding the carrying of a concealed firearm would not apply.)

The bill also permits the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other state and local law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin to enable retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms in the manner provided under federal law. These agencies may issue and renew certification cards. If these agencies issue and renew certification cards, the cards must include personal information about the certification card holder such as the person's name, address, date of birth, a description of the person, and a photograph. The cards must also include the type of firearm the person is certified to carry (which cannot be a machine gun or a destructive device such as a bomb), a statement that the retired officer has met certain standards for training and qualification, and an expiration date of 12 months after the certification card is issued or renewed.

The requirement to issue or renew a certification card to a retired officer applies only if the retired officer satisfies the following criteria: 1) the officer retired from service in law enforcement in good standing for reasons other than mental instability; 2) the retired officer was employed as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of at least 15 years or retired from law enforcement due to a service-connected disability after completing any probationary period; 3) the retired officer has a nonforfeitable right to benefits under the law enforcement agency's retired plan; and 4) federal law does not prohibit the retired officer from possessing a firearm. For a law enforcement officer who was employed in Wisconsin, the law enforcement agency that employed the officer will verify the criteria before issuing or renewing the certification card. For a retired federal law enforcement officer who was employed by a law enforcement agency that is not in Wisconsin but who now resides in Wisconsin, DOJ will verify the criteria before issuing or renewing the certification card.

If a retired officer is carrying his or her valid certification card, he or she is exempt from the prohibitions against carrying a concealed weapon described above only if the following apply: 1) the retired officer is not carrying a firearm that is not designated on the card or identification, if the card or identification includes such a designation, and the firearm is not a machine gun or a destructive device and does not have a firearm silencer attached; 2) the retired officer is not under the influence of an intoxicant; and 3) federal law does not prohibit the retired officer from possessing a firearm.