Minimum Info Required

Diggers Hotline is required by law to obtain a minimum of information

Diggers Hotline has been advised that there is no legal leeway in the minimum information that the call center must require in order to process locate requests.

In the past, some pieces of information, such as the nearest intersection road, were not given by all callers on all tickets. Diggers Hotline operators would accept some tickets with less than the required information. But now, even if something as seemingly insignificant as the nearest intersecting road is missing, an operator cannot accept the locate request. This decision was made only to ensure that Diggers Hotline is complying with the state law.

According to the state law each locate request must contain the following:

• Name of person providing notice
• Name address and telephone number of the excavator
• Specific location and description of the excavation area, including the county, place, street address, nearest intersecting road, distance and direction from the nearest intersection and marking instructions
• Description of the intended excavation activity
• Intended starting date of the excavation

Even though on many tickets some of this information may not necessarily be needed to help a locator find an excavation site, Diggers Hotline is mandated by law to require all of the above information. As a result, Diggers Hotline operators will no longer be able to accept tickets with less than the above information. The ticket will be places in ‘suspend’ mode until the proper information can be provided by the caller.

Diggers Hotline is Wisconsin's one-call center. Anyone in the state who is digging, excavating or disturbing the soil is required by law to contact Diggers Hotline at least three working days before beginning work.