Home › Wisconsin › Wis. Stat. 97.18(4)
Wisconsin · Wis. Stat. 97.18(4)
Quote checked October 14, 2026 Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.
“The serving of colored oleomargarine or margarine at a public eating place as a substitute for table butter is prohibited unless it is ordered by the customer.”
“The serving of oleomargarine or margarine to students, patients or inmates of any state institutions as a substitute for table butter is prohibited, except that such substitution may be ordered by the institution superintendent when necessary for the health of a specific patient or inmate, if directed by the physician in charge of the patient or inmate.”
“Any person who violates any provision of this section may be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 or imprisoned not more than 3 months or both; and for each subsequent offense may be fined not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned in the county jail not less than 6 months nor more than one year.”
“History: 1971 c. 125; 1973 c. 90; 1975 c. 41; 1977 c. 289 ss. 3m, 11; Stats. 1977 s. 97.18; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 1995 a. 225; 1997 a. 35; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2013 a. 374; 2015 a. 55, 242.”
The earliest year in this note is 1971. That's the earliest year the note prints. It doesn't establish when this wording was enacted, took effect or first appeared.
Our reading
In a Wisconsin restaurant, the butter pat is supposed to be butter. Colored margarine can stand in for table butter there when the customer orders it, and not otherwise. A neighboring subsection says state institutions can't swap margarine for butter for students, patients or inmates either, except when the superintendent orders the substitution for the health of a specific patient or inmate, at the direction of that patient's or inmate's physician.
Written by Silly Rules from the quoted text above. It's a plain reading, not legal advice. We haven't researched how courts read this section or how often anyone enforces it.
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Every quote on this site was matched against its official page on October 14, 2026. Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.