What Madison Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Madison is a mid-sized city in Dane County, Wisconsin, with about 270000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 144 ordinances across 41 categories that affect daily life in Madison.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Madison's Building Inspection Division Director is ordinance-bound to conduct systematic inspections of buildings, structures and land to enforce the Minimum Housing Code, with fees charged for follow-up compliance inspections that don't resolve a violation order..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Madison for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Madison General Ordinances § 10.19 makes it unlawful to dump rubbish or refuse in any street, alley or public place, and bars dumping brush, yard waste or other refuse on private lawns, terraces or dumpsters without the owner's permission. Public-property dumping draws forfeitures up to $2,000..

Also covered: Collection Schedule (limited), Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Recycling Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Madison for details.

Animal Ordinances

Pet Store Rules: Madison bars every retail pet store from selling, bartering or otherwise transferring cats or dogs under MGO § 23.65, adopted December 2025. Stores may still host shelters or rescues to showcase adoptable animals for free, so long as the store takes no ownership stake or fee, and stores may not board dogs overnight..

Also covered: Pet Groomer Rules (moderate), Chickens & Livestock (moderate), Bird Protection (strict). See the full animal ordinances guide for Madison for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parklets: Madison's version of a parklet is the Roadway Cafe Expansion License, an add-on that lets a licensed sidewalk cafe extend seating into a parking lane (also called a 'Streatery'), but only alongside a separate Roadway Cafe Permit issued under MGO § 10.30, plus $1 million in liability insurance..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (moderate), Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (moderate), Block Party Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Madison for details.

Parking Rules

Towing & Impound Rights: Madison regulates the non-consensual tow in two layers. Sec.

Also covered: Preferential Parking Districts (restrictive), Overnight Parking (moderate), Snow Removal Parking Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Madison for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Madison regulates outdoor lighting on every residential and commercial site in the city under Sec. 29.36, MGO.

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Madison for details.

Building Safety

Lead Paint: Anyone painting or remodeling a Madison building built before 1978 must follow lead-safe work practices: no open-flame burning, machine sanding or abrasive blasting without HEPA-filtered controls, sealed windows and plastic sheeting during work, and 11-by-8-inch warning signs posted at the job site..

Also covered: Elevator Maintenance (moderate), Carbon Monoxide Detectors (moderate), Building Inspections (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Madison for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Madison makes single-family occupants responsible for exterminating pests, vermin, or rodents in their own unit, but shifts that duty to the owner if the unit wasn't clean at move-in or the building isn't rodentproof, under MGO § 27.07(2)(d)..

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Sidewalk Repair: Madison General Ordinances § 10.09 adopts Wisconsin's sidewalk-repair statute, Wis. Stat.

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Madison for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Once a project trips the permit thresholds in Chapter 37, Madison requires an engineer-sealed stormwater management plan under MGO § 37.09 that documents runoff-control measures, pre- and post-construction peak flow calculations, and a named party responsible for long-term maintenance..

Also covered: Boat Dock Permits (restrictive), Vehicle Idling Restrictions (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Madison for details.

Home Business

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits: Madison lets residents run a home occupation inside their dwelling without a separate permit, but Sec. 28.151, MGO caps it tightly: only household members may work there, no on-site wholesaling or vehicle repair, and no more than 25% of one floor's area.

Also covered: Home Daycare (moderate), Signage Rules (limited), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Madison for details.

Public Conduct

Public Alcohol Use: Madison bans possessing an open container of alcohol or drinking on any public street, sidewalk or alley citywide. The only carve-outs are a Street Use Permit picnic license or a licensed sidewalk cafe: there is no general public-drinking allowance..

Also covered: Loitering Rules (moderate), Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (restrictive), Public Marijuana Use (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Madison for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Madison's Urban Forestry Section, under the City Forester, controls all planting of street trees in the terrace between sidewalk and curb under MGO § 10.10. New street tree installation is billed to the abutting property through a formal notice-and-hearing special assessment, while the City covers ongoing maintenance and replaces diseased or destroyed trees at no charge..

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Madison requires a street vending license before anyone sells or offers goods, food, or services on a public highway, street, alley, sidewalk, or square. MGO § 9.13(1) reaches setting up a cart, truck or stand, preparing food for sale, or even soliciting customers, and a Basic Street Vending Annual license runs $250 a year..

Also covered: Vending Zones (restrictive), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Madison for details.

Sign Regulations

Political Signs: Madison bars placing political, commercial, or promotional advertising material on public property, public telephone booths, streets, alleys, public grounds, or the exterior of private property next to a street without a sign permit or the owner's permission, under Madison General Ordinances § 23.02. The ban explicitly reaches material tacked or stapled to trees..

Also covered: Freeway-Facing Signs (restrictive), Window Signs (moderate), Digital Billboards (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Madison for details.

Landscaping Rules

Composting: Madison caps home compost piles at 125 cubic feet and 5 feet tall unless they hold only yard waste, and any bin has to sit at least 3 feet from a property line or building, in the rear yard only. Rodent problems near a pile let Public Health Madison & Dane County step in and order abatement..

Also covered: Water Restrictions (limited), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Madison for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Madison caps single-family, two-family, and twin dwellings in the SR-C1 district at two stories and 35 feet under Madison General Ordinances § 28.035(2). Nonresidential buildings in the same district are held to 35 feet flat.

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Madison for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Madison lets a zoning lot carry one attached accessory dwelling unit or up to two detached ADUs under Madison General Ordinances § 28.151, so long as the principal building has no more than eight dwelling units total. Detached ADUs, including ones built above a garage, are capped at 25 feet in height, and units inside the main house top out at 1,000 square feet..

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), ADU Impact Fees (moderate), Tiny Homes (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Madison for details.

Noise Ordinances

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound: Madison confines amplified music and voice on city streets to two daily windows, noon to 1:30 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., under MGO § 24.04(3)(a).

Also covered: Decibel Limits (moderate), Vehicle Noise (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Madison for details.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Madison's Agricultural (A) zoning district, MGO § 28.092, protects rural land at the city's edge for continued farming while it awaits urban development, and separately backs small-scale food production, community and market gardens, inside city limits. Agricultural uses need a 5-acre minimum lot with 30/80/100-foot front/side/rear setbacks and no height cap, while any other use needs 10 acres and tops out at 5% lot coverage..

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Madison's Common Council may designate a building, structure, site, or improvement as a protected landmark when it carries significant cultural, historical, archaeological, or architectural value, triggering Landmarks Commission review and a Certificate of Approval requirement before any alteration or demolition under MGO Ch. 41..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Moratoriums: Madison has frozen new zoning certificates for data centers and telecommunications centers larger than 10,000 square feet under MGO § 28.140, adopted January 23, 2026 (ORD-26-00002). The 12-month moratorium buys the City Attorney's office and Planning Department time to draft permanent siting standards, with a narrow carve-out for facilities serving another principal use on the same lot..

Outdoor Cooking

Outdoor Kitchen Permits: Madison zoning treats outdoor grilling or smoking as an "Outdoor Cooking Operation" only when it's an accessory use of a restaurant, grocery store, catering business or similar food-service use, not a backyard-kitchen permit for homeowners. Sec.

Short-Term Rentals

Night Caps: Madison caps non-owner-occupied short-term rentals at 30 nights per calendar year under WI Stat. 66.1014 and MGO Chapter 32.

Also covered: Occupancy Limits (moderate), Short-Term Rental Permits (restrictive), Host Presence Rule (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Madison for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Minor building facade changes in Madison's Downtown Core (DC) zoning district are reviewed against the city's "Downtown Urban Design Guidelines," established by Common Council Resolution #12-00949 and administered by the Secretary of the Urban Design Commission under MGO § 33.24(4)(g)3, rather than requiring a full Urban Design Commission hearing..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Madison for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Home Cultivation: Home cannabis cultivation remains illegal in Wisconsin under WI Stat. 961.

Also covered: Buffer Zones (permissive), Cannabis Delivery Rules (strict), Personal Cultivation Limits (strict). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Madison for details.

Single-Use Items

Utensils-On-Request: Madison cannot mandate that restaurants provide single-use utensils only upon request, because Wis. Stat.

Also covered: Plastic Bag Rules (permissive), Plastic Straw Rules (permissive), Polystyrene Foam Rules (permissive). See the full single-use items guide for Madison for details.

Tobacco & Vaping

Tobacco Age Restrictions: Madison enforces Tobacco 21 under Wis. Stat.

Also covered: Flavored Tobacco Bans (moderate). See the full tobacco & vaping guide for Madison for details.

Employment Preemption

Minimum Wage Preemption: Wisconsin's minimum wage matches the federal $7.25 per hour. Wis.

Also covered: Paid Leave Preemption (permissive). See the full employment preemption guide for Madison for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Madison permits rooftop and ground-mount solar by right under MGO 28.151. Building and electrical permits required; typical fee $100-$300.

Fence Regulations

Retaining Walls: Madison treats any retaining wall built on City-owned or leased greenways or park land as a public nuisance unless the owner first gets a Greenway Privilege from the City Engineer under Chapter 37. This rule is narrow: it governs greenway and park-land encroachments, not retaining walls on ordinary private lots..

Also covered: Material Restrictions (moderate), Height Limits (moderate), Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Madison for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Madison bans nearly all consumer fireworks under MGO 23.05, following WI Stat 167.10 which allows cities to further restrict. Only sparklers, snakes, smoke bombs, and stationary cone fountains are permitted without a permit..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Outdoor Burning (restrictive), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Madison for details.

Privacy & Surveillance

License Plate Readers: Madison names automatic license plate readers as regulated 'Surveillance Technology' under MGO § 23.63 and requires Common Council approval before any city department buys, funds or materially changes the use of an ALPR system. Departments must detail data retention, access controls and police data-sharing in a public resolution or budget request..

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Madison's Minimum Housing Code, MGO § 27.04, sets hard habitability minimums for every rental unit: a working kitchen sink, flush toilet, lavatory and bathtub or shower connected to hot and cold water, hot water delivered at 120°F, functioning electrical service, and a heating system that keeps habitable rooms at least 67°F..

Also covered: Security Deposit Rules (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Madison for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Adult Entertainment: Madison requires a City license before anyone can operate an adult book or video store, adult motion picture theater, or adult entertainment tavern. MGO § 9.05 sets an application and screening process through the City Clerk, standards for who can hold a license, a required zoning certificate, and forfeitures up to $300 for violations..

Also covered: Secondhand Dealers (moderate), Tattoo & Body Modification (restrictive), Tobacco Retail License (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Madison for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Madison imposes a 9% room tax on hotel and short-term lodging stays under MGO Ch. 4.21, on top of Wisconsin's 5.5% sales tax, for an effective tax rate of about 14.5% on hotel rooms..

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: A vacant, unsecured building in Madison is a declared public nuisance the owner must abate by securing it, boarding openings, clearing trespassers and animal debris, and fire- or damage-hazard buildings that can't be conventionally locked must instead be fenced off entirely..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Madison for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Madison requires every public swimming pool to hold a Public Swimming Pool license before opening, issued jointly by Public Health Madison and Dane County under Sec. 7.44, MGO.

Also covered: Pool Permits (limited). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Madison for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Madison caps every yard or garage sale at four days and allows only one per property in any three-month period under Madison General Ordinances § 28.151. The zoning code's broad definition in § 28.211 covers garage, attic, rummage and moving sales alike, and the rule applies as a permitted accessory use in every residential and commercial district: no separate permit or fee required..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Madison requires anyone who goes house to house soliciting contributions, canvassing for orders, or offering goods and services to first obtain a Solicitor's Permit from the City Clerk under MGO § 9.14. Applicants submit fingerprints, a photograph, and a $110 nonrefundable investigation fee.

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Madison closes its public parks overnight. MGO § 8.21 makes it unlawful to be in most City parks between 10:00 p.m.

What to Do With This Information

This overview covers the big picture, but the details matter. Each ordinance page for Madison includes the full text, violation penalties, and frequently asked questions. Use those pages when you need specifics.