New Wisconsin Laws: A New Law For 2025 Fixes A Problem Neighboring Minnesota Hasn’t Had For Years

With the start of the new year, there are some new laws that go into effect in states across the country - including in Wisconsin.

There are a handful of new laws that are now in effect in Wisconsin as of the start of 2025; and one of them fixes an issue many in the Badger State might find annoying, especially if they are also familiar with how Minnesota handles the subject.

One of the significant new laws that started at the beginning of 2025 is a new law that creates a tax for those who drive electric vehicles. Depending on where you charge your EV, you may be subject to a new tax that will be used to help fund Wisconsin's ongoing road maintenance and other transportation projects.

Another notable law is one that addresses something related to Wisconsin State Park passes.

What's the new Wisconsin State Park law?

Up until the start of 2025, if you bought a Wisconsin State Park pass, it was only good through December 31 of that year.

That means if you bought your pass in January, you could get a whole year's worth of enjoyment. If you bought it in November, you could only use it for just a couple of months.

The new law changes this, following along with a policy like the one used in neighboring Minnesota for park passes.

READ MORE: These Are Wisconsin's Best-Rated & Most-Visited State Parks

As CBS 58 reports, the new Wisconsin law sets out to "ensure Wisconsinites and visitors would get their money's worth while enjoying the parks and trails".

The way that it works now in Wisconsin is much like I mentioned Minnesota handles park passes, where the pass is valid for a full 12 months from when you purchased the pass, rather than just through the end of the calendar year.

As long as I can remember, Minnesota's parks have operated this way. For many Wisconsin residents and visitors, they might be thinking "It's about time!"

The bill was introduced in 2023, but after being passed, was set to go into effect on January 1, 2025.

How do the new 12-month Wisconsin park vehicle admission passes work?

The Wisconsin DNR's website highlights that when you purchase a pass, it will be marked with the month in which it expires, which will be 12 months from when you buy it.

For example, if you buy it sometime in July 2025, it will expire in July 2026. It isn't marked by the day, so if you buy it on July 1, 2025, it will technically be good through July 30, 2026.

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There will still be daily passes available for anyone looking to enjoy a park for just one day. When you do the math, though, it might make sense for many people just to get the annual pass.

In most cases, the cost of an annual pass is only a couple of dollars more than two-day passes. If you plan as few as three visits to a Wisconsin State Park, the annual pass is the option for you!

Here's a look:

Vehicles with Wisconsin plates

• Daily pass: $13
• 12-month pass: $28

Vehicles with Wisconsin plates belonging to residents ages 65 and older

• Daily pass: $3
• 12-month pass: $13

Vehicles with out-of-state plates

• Daily pass: $16
• 12-month pass: $38

There are some other options, like additional reduced-rate passes and bus passes, which you can see on the Wisconsin DNR's website.

To buy a pass, you can purchase them in person at a state park or Wisconsin DNR service center, or you can buy them online.