Burlington sits at the western edge of Racine County where three state highways (WI-36, WI-11, and WI-83) converge. The city center is a 25 mph zone nested inside 55 mph rural approaches, a configuration that produces a steady flow of speeding and stop-sign citations. We appear for Burlington drivers in the Burlington Municipal Court and in Racine County Circuit Court for any criminal traffic matter.
If the traffic stop also involved suspected impairment, pair this page with the Burlington OWI/DUI guide. For broader local criminal-defense context, see the Burlington criminal-defense page on racinelaw.com.
Burlington traffic court facts that affect the defense strategy
The first question is not just what you were cited for. It is who wrote the ticket, which court is printed on the citation, which prosecutor path applies, and whether the stop happened on a corridor where points, CDL reporting, or insurance exposure can get expensive quickly.
City of Burlington Municipal Court
Every violation of the Burlington municipal code, which the court describes as traffic, city ordinance and alcohol beverage code matters. Sheriff and State Patrol citations, and criminal traffic charges, go to the Racine County Circuit Court in Racine, or to Walworth County if the stop was south of the county line.
- Address
- 224 E. Jefferson Street, Burlington, WI 53105
- Phone
- (262) 342-1129
Hon. Kelly Iselin
Municipal court handles forfeiture-level local ordinance citations. A municipal conviction can still create DOT points, insurance consequences, and license issues.
Municipal prosecutor path
Criminal traffic, sheriff citations, and State Patrol citations move through Tricia Hanson, Racine County District Attorney.
Do not let default judgment decide it
The court operates on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, so the gap between a missed date and the next one is a fortnight rather than a day. The court office is at 224 E. Jefferson Street, which is not City Hall: the clerk answers court questions at (262) 342-1129, Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Pretrials are not automatic and are not requested on the day. The court schedules them by its own notice, so the plea you enter and how you enter it decide whether a negotiation happens at all.
Enforcement concentrates on Highway 11 and Highway 36 through town, the Highway 83 approach, and the Milwaukee Avenue corridor where speed limits step down through the commercial district.
- Highway 36 (Milwaukee Avenue) Main northeast-to-southwest arterial; speed drops from 45 to 25 mph entering the downtown grid.
- Highway 11 East-west route through Burlington connecting to Union Grove and Elkhorn.
- Highway 83 North-south route; frequently patrolled north and south of the city limits.
Official sources: City of Burlington Municipal Court
Where your Burlington ticket will be heard
City of Burlington Municipal Court hears civil traffic citations written by local Burlington police, including ordinary speeding, stop-sign and stoplight violations, equipment tickets, and seat-belt citations.
Racine County Circuit Court (730 Wisconsin Avenue) hears all criminal traffic charges and civil citations written by the Racine County Sheriff or Wisconsin State Patrol.
Check the upper-right corner of your citation for the court name before assuming which rules apply. Fines, plea options, and collateral consequences differ between the two.
Law enforcement that commonly cites in Burlington
- Burlington Police Department
- Racine County Sheriff
- Walworth County Sheriff (for citations just over the county line)
Common traffic stops in Burlington
- Highway 36 (Milwaukee Avenue), Main northeast-to-southwest arterial; speed drops from 45 to 25 mph entering the downtown grid.
- Highway 11, East-west route through Burlington connecting to Union Grove and Elkhorn.
- Highway 83, North-south route; frequently patrolled north and south of the city limits.
Burlington straddles the Racine/Walworth county line. If your citation was written by the Walworth County Sheriff or just south of town, it goes to Walworth County Circuit Court in Elkhorn rather than Racine. The difference matters. Fines, prosecutor practices, and plea options are not identical between counties. Send us a photo of your citation and we will tell you exactly where it is headed and what the realistic best outcome looks like.
Burlington-area traffic enforcement by the numbers
Verified statistics from official state and county sources.
Burlington traffic cases: who hears them
Criminal traffic charges from Burlington are heard at the Racine County Circuit Court and prosecuted by the Racine County District Attorney's office.
Sitting Racine County circuit court judges
- Hon. Wynne P. Laufenberg · Branch 1 · Chief Judge
- Hon. Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz · Branch 2
- Hon. Jessica E.H. Lynott · Branch 3
- Hon. Scott P. Craig · Branch 4
- Hon. David W. Paulson · Branch 6
- Hon. Jamie M. McClendon · Branch 7
- Hon. Faye M. Flancher · Branch 8
- Hon. Robert S. Repischak · Branch 9
- Hon. Timothy D. Boyle · Branch 10
Burlington traffic defense services
Every practice area below is flat-fee. If your citation lists an offense not shown here, call. We defend the full Wisconsin Vehicle Code.