Wis. Stat. § 905.04 — WI Code / Chapter 905 / Section 905.04
Privilege between certain health-care providers and patients.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Chiropractor” means a person licensed under s. 446.02 , or a person reasonably believed by the patient to be a chiropractor.

(b) A communication or information is “confidential” if not intended to be disclosed to 3rd persons other than those present to further the interest of the patient in the consultation, examination, or interview, to persons reasonably necessary for the transmission of the communication or information, or to persons who are participating in the diagnosis and treatment under the direction of the physician, naturopathic doctor, podiatrist, registered nurse, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist or professional counselor, including the members of the patient’s family.

(bm) “Marriage and family therapist” means an individual who is licensed as a marriage and family therapist under subch. I of ch. 457 or an individual reasonably believed by the patient to be a marriage and family therapist.

(br) “Naturopathic doctor” means a naturopathic doctor, as defined in s. 990.01 (22m) , or an individual reasonably believed by the patient to be a naturopathic doctor.

(c) “Patient” means an individual, couple, family or group of individuals who consults with or is examined or interviewed by a physician, naturopathic doctor, podiatrist, registered nurse, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist or professional counselor.

(d) “Physician” means a person as defined in s. 990.01 (28) , or reasonably believed by the patient so to be.

(dg) “Podiatrist” means a person licensed under s. 448.63 or a person reasonably believed by the patient to be a podiatrist.

(dm) “Professional counselor” means an individual who is licensed as a professional counselor under subch. I of ch. 457 , an individual who is exercising the privilege to practice, as defined in s. 457.50 (2) (s) , in this state, or an individual reasonably believed by the patient to be a professional counselor.

(e) “Psychologist” means a psychologist, as defined in s. 990.01 (31m) , or a person reasonably believed by the patient to be a psychologist.

(f) “Registered nurse” means a registered nurse who is licensed under s. 441.06 or who holds a multistate license, as defined in s. 441.51 (2) (h) , issued in a party state, as defined in s. 441.51 (2) (k) , or a person reasonably believed by the patient to be a registered nurse.

(g) “Social worker” means a social worker, advanced practice social worker, independent social worker, or clinical social worker, as those terms are defined in subch. I of ch. 457 , or an individual reasonably believed by the patient to be a social worker, advanced practice social worker, independent social worker, or clinical social worker.

(2) General rule of privilege. A patient has a privilege to refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person from disclosing confidential communications made or information obtained or disseminated for purposes of diagnosis or treatment of the patient’s physical, mental or emotional condition, among the patient, the patient’s physician, the patient’s naturopathic doctor, the patient’s podiatrist, the patient’s registered nurse, the patient’s chiropractor, the patient’s psychologist, the patient’s social worker, the patient’s marriage and family therapist, the patient’s professional counselor or persons, including members of the patient’s family, who are participating in the diagnosis or treatment under the direction of the physician, naturopathic doctor, podiatrist, registered nurse, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist or professional counselor.

(3) Who may claim the privilege. The privilege may be claimed by the patient, by the patient’s guardian or conservator, or by the personal representative of a deceased patient. The person who was the physician, naturopathic doctor, podiatrist, registered nurse, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist or professional counselor may claim the privilege but only on behalf of the patient. The authority so to do is presumed in the absence of evidence to the contrary.

(4) Exceptions.

(a) Proceedings for commitment, guardianship, protective services, or protective placement or for control, care, or treatment of a sexually violent person. There is no privilege under this rule as to communications and information relevant to an issue in probable cause or final proceedings to commit the patient for mental illness under s. 51.20 , to appoint a guardian in this state, for court-ordered protective services or protective placement, for review of guardianship, protective services, or protective placement orders, or for control, care, or treatment of a sexually violent person under ch. 980 , if the physician, registered nurse, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist, or professional counselor in the course of diagnosis or treatment has determined that the patient is in need of commitment, guardianship, protective services, or protective placement or control, care, and treatment as a sexually violent person.

(am) Proceedings for guardianship. There is no privilege under this rule as to information contained in a statement concerning the mental condition of the patient furnished to the court by a physician or psychologist under s. 54.36 (1) or s. 880.33 (1) , 2003 stats.

(b) Examination by order of judge. If the judge orders an examination of the physical, mental or emotional condition of the patient, or evaluation of the patient for purposes of guardianship, protective services or protective placement, communications made and treatment records reviewed in the course thereof are not privileged under this section with respect to the particular purpose for which the examination is ordered unless the judge orders otherwise.

(c) Condition an element of claim or defense. There is no privilege under this section as to communications relevant to or within the scope of discovery examination of an issue of the physical, mental or emotional condition of a patient in any proceedings in which the patient relies upon the condition as an element of the patient’s claim or defense, or, after the patient’s death, in any proceeding in which any party relies upon the condition as an element of the party’s claim or defense.

(d) Homicide trials. There is no privilege in trials for homicide when the disclosure relates directly to the facts or immediate circumstances of the homicide.

(e) Abused or neglected child or abused unborn child.

2m. There is no privilege for information contained in a report of child abuse or neglect that is provided under s. 48.981 (3) .

3. There is no privilege in situations where the examination of the expectant mother of an abused unborn child creates a reasonable ground for an opinion of the physician, registered nurse, chiropractor, psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist or professional counselor that the physical injury inflicted on the unborn child was caused by the habitual lack of self-control of the expectant mother of the unborn child in the use of alcohol beverages, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs, exhibited to a severe degree.

(em) School violence. There is no privilege for information contained in a report of a threat of violence in or targeted at a school that is provided under s. 175.32 (3) .

(f) Tests for intoxication. There is no privilege concerning the results of or circumstances surrounding any chemical tests for intoxication or alcohol concentration, as defined in s. 340.01 (1v) .

(g) Paternity proceedings. There is no privilege concerning testimony about the medical circumstances of a pregnancy or the condition and characteristics of a child in a proceeding to determine the paternity of that child under subch. IX of ch. 767 .

(h) Reporting wounds and burn injuries. There is no privilege regarding information contained in a report under s. 255.40 pertaining to a patient’s name and type of wound or burn injury.

(i) Providing services to court in juvenile matters. There is no privilege regarding information obtained by an intake worker or dispositional staff in the provision of services under s. 48.067 , 48.069 , 938.067 or 938.069 . An intake worker or dispositional staff member may disclose information obtained while providing services under s. 48.067 or 48.069 only as provided in s. 48.78 and may disclose information obtained while providing services under s. 938.067 or 938.069 only as provided in s. 938.78 .

History: Sup. Ct. Order, 59 Wis. 2d R121; 1975 c. 393 ; 1977 c. 61 , 418 ; 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (1) ; 1979 c. 221 , 352 ; 1983 a. 400 , 535 ; 1987 a. 233 , 264 ; Sup. Ct. Order, 151 Wis. 2d xxi (1989); 1991 a. 32 , 39 , 160 ; 1993 a. 98 ; 1995 a. 77 , 275 , 436 ; 1997 a. 292 ; 1999 a. 22 ; 2001 a. 80 ; 2005 a. 387 , 434 ; 2005 a. 443 s. 265 ; 2007 a. 53 , 97 , 130 ; 2009 a. 113 ; 2013 a. 158 ; 2017 a. 135 , 143 ; 2021 a. 22 , 130 , 131 ; 2023 a. 55 ; 2025 a. 232 .