Operative Text
DHS 163.01 Authority and purpose. (1) General. This chapter is promulgated under the authority of ss. 250.04 (7), 250.041, 254.115, 254.15, 254.167, 254.172, 254.176 (1) and (3), 254.178 (2) and 254.179, Stats. (2) Activities involving target housing and child-occupied facilities. This chapter is intended to ensure that persons who perform renovation, lead hazard reduction or lead investigation activities do so safely to prevent exposure of building occupants to hazardous levels of lead. This is accomplished by requiring an individual to be trained and certified under s. DHS 163.10 before the individual performs, supervises or offers to perform or supervise renovation, specified lead hazard reduction or lead investigation activities involving target housing or a child-occupied facility or the real property on which the target housing or child-occupied facility stands. In addition, the certified individual is required to be associated with a company certified by the department under s. DHS 163.12. Subchapter III requires that a training course that is represented as qualifying any person for certification to perform renovation, lead hazard reduction or lead investigation activities be accredited by the department before the training course is offered, advertised or conducted and that training managers and principal instructors be separately approved by the department. (3) Activities involving registered lead-free property and registered lead-safe property. This chapter establishes standards for registered lead-free and registered lead-safe property, procedures for determining whether a property meets the standards, and procedures for issuing and maintaining certificates of lead-free status and lead-safe status.
Wisconsin Administrative Code § DHS 163.01 establishes the authority and overall purpose of Chapter DHS 163, which governs lead-related activities in housing and facilities where children spend time. The rule requires that anyone performing, supervising, or offering to perform renovation, lead hazard reduction, or lead investigation work in target housing or child-occupied facilities be individually trained, certified, and affiliated with a department-certified company. The chapter also sets standards for properties seeking official lead-free or lead-safe status and requires that training courses preparing workers for certification be accredited by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services before they are offered or conducted.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § DHS 163.01, property owners and managers who hire or contract for renovation, lead hazard reduction, or lead investigation work on target housing or child-occupied facilities are operating in a regulatory environment that requires all such workers to hold individual certification and be associated with a department-certified company. Compliant operators generally verify contractor credentials before work begins and retain documentation confirming that the company and its workers meet the certification requirements established under this chapter. Owners interested in obtaining a registered lead-free or lead-safe designation for their property can look to § DHS 163.01(3) for the framework governing those standards and certification procedures.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § DHS 163.01 signals that Wisconsin has established protections intended to prevent building occupants—including children—from being exposed to hazardous lead levels during renovation or lead-related work in their homes or facilities they use. Tenants living in target housing or child-occupied facilities have an interest in knowing that workers performing such activities are required to be individually certified and affiliated with a certified company under this chapter. Tenants who have concerns about whether work being performed in their home complies with Chapter DHS 163 may contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, consult a tenant-rights organization, or raise the issue as a potential violation in relevant legal or administrative proceedings.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation