Crypto ATM laws in Wisconsin: a guide for operators (2026)

Licensing in Wisconsin

No one may operate kiosks in Wisconsin without a license under ch. 217 (Wis. Stat. 217.12(2)). Ch. 217 is Wisconsin's Money Transmission Modernization law (2023 Act 267, effective 2025-01-01). Licenses are applied for through NMLS.

Regulator: Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) · License: Money transmitter license

Sources: DFI: Money Transmitter · Wis. Stat. 217.12

Wisconsin's kiosk law

2025 Wisconsin Act 226, Wis. Stat. s. 217.12. Kiosk operators need a money transmitter license; defrauded customers who report within 30 days may get a refund.

• Virtual currency kiosk operators must be licensed under Wisconsin's money transmission law.
• A customer induced into a kiosk transaction by fraud who reports it to you and to DFI or local law enforcement within 30 days may be eligible for a refund.
• Daily limit of $1,000 per customer.

Unverified: check with counsel We couldn't read Act 226 itself. Effective date and the rest of its terms aren't confirmed here.

Sources: Wisconsin DFI: money transmitters

Also in the law, and recent changes

• Act 226 was enacted 2026-04-08; a law-firm alert reports it took effect 2026-04-10, with the customer ID requirements 60 days later.
• Daily limit: no more than $1,000 in fiat currency accepted from or dispensed to a customer per day, across all your kiosks.
• Refund: on request, refund the full amount including fees if, within 30 days, the customer told you and DOJ, DFI or a law enforcement agency that the transaction was fraudulent.
• Fraud warning: a printed 'FRAUD ALERT!' notice in at least 20-point type on the front of each kiosk, also shown on screen before any other disclosure and affirmatively acknowledged by the customer.
• Identity: before the first transaction collect full legal name, date of birth, phone, residence address and email plus a copy of government ID; for every transaction verify identity and photograph the customer at the kiosk; no transactions under any name or account but the customer's own.
• Location: notify the local law enforcement agency of each kiosk's location before the first transaction there; no kiosk within 5 feet of an ATM, and the kiosk may not also function as an ATM.
• Live toll-free customer service during all hours a kiosk is operable, with the number on the kiosk; physical and electronic receipt with your contact details and the agencies for reporting fraud; a written anti-fraud policy.

Sources: Wis. Stat. 217.12 · 2025 Wisconsin Act 226 · Orrick InfoBytes: Wisconsin enacts kiosk framework (2026-04-24) (secondary)

Bills and changes to watch

• AB 471 (2025-26): would bar state agencies and local governments from restricting acceptance of digital assets as payment or self-custody; not kiosk-specific. Status not confirmed.

Practical hurdles

• A photo of the customer at every transaction and the 5-foot ATM separation may require new hardware or relocating kiosks.
• Law enforcement must be notified of each location before it goes live.
• Scam pressure context: FBI IC3 counted 242 crypto-kiosk complaints from this state in 2025 with $7,309,714 in adjusted losses (FBI notes losses may include non-kiosk transactions).

What we couldn't confirm

• The 2026-04-10 effective date and the 60-day delay for ID rules come from Orrick's alert (secondary); the Legislature's act page could not be opened directly (robots block), and the statute text came through a government-search index.
• Whether Act 226 has a fee cap (none appeared in the text we saw).