How Ashwaubenon Handles Public Conduct: A Practical Guide

Ashwaubenon maintains 112 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with public conduct. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Ashwaubenon falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Loitering Rules

Ashwaubenon's loitering ordinance bars idling in a public place in a way that obstructs sidewalks, streets or transit stops, or lingering at a transit stop after being told to move. Anyone who obstructs a public way must disperse when ordered by a public safety or law enforcement officer, and refusing that order is itself a separate violation.

Key details: Governing section: Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 9-1-7. Last amended: Ord. O4-1-26, April 28, 2026. Dispersal authority: any public safety or law enforcement officer. Refusing dispersal order: separate violation of § 9-1-7(C). State cross-reference: Wis. Stat. § 346.29.

Section 9-1-7 does not carry its own forfeiture schedule, so violations, including refusing an officer's order to disperse under subsection (C), are penalized under the Municipal Code's general penalty in Section 1-1-13: a forfeiture of $1 to $5,000 for a first offense plus costs of prosecution, with jail time in default of payment capped at 90 days, and greater exposure for a repeat violation within a year.

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions

Ashwaubenon extends its smoking ban beyond enclosed places to specific outdoor spots: any Ashwaubenon School District property, indoor or outdoor, any Village-owned property posted with a no-smoking sign, and near child care centers or juvenile correctional facility grounds. Violators face a $100 to $250 forfeiture per incident.

Key details: Governing section: Ashwaubenon Municipal Code § 9-1-17. Smoker penalty: $100 to $250 forfeiture per violation. Person-in-charge penalty: $100 per violation, $100/day cap. School district property: smoking banned indoors and outdoors. Pre-2009 exemption: tobacco stores/bars before June 3, 2009.

Under Section 9-1-17(E), a person who smokes at a prohibited outdoor location faces a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $250 per violation. A person in charge who violates the duty to prevent smoking under subsection (2m)(b) to (d) is separately subject to a $100 forfeiture per violation, capped at $100 total per day for all such violations on a single day, and a first-time person in charge gets a warning notice before any citation. State or local officials, or an affected party, may also seek a court injunction against repeated violations under subsection (F).

Skateboarding Rules

The Village of Ashwaubenon requires anyone under 16 to wear a CPSC-certified bicycle helmet while riding a skateboard, scooter, bicycle, unicycle or in-line skates at any public skateboard recreation facility under Village jurisdiction. Parents and guardians who knowingly let a minor skate helmetless share liability, and violations run through an escalating juvenile warning system before a forfeiture applies under Municipal Code Section 7-7-240.

Key details: Applies to: riders under 16 years of age. Where the rule applies: public skateboard recreation facility only. Helmet standard: CPSC 1203 / 16 CFR Part 1203. Maximum forfeiture: $50 under Section 7-7-242(B). Parental liability: joint and several with the minor.

A violation of Section 7-7-240 is punishable by a forfeiture of not more than $50 under Section 7-7-242(B), with the parent or legal guardian jointly and severally liable for that amount alongside the minor. For juveniles under 14, the first and second offenses draw only a warning ticket and a call to the parents; a third offense produces a citation. Records of prior violations are kept by the department to determine whether a given stop is a first, second or third offense.

The rules around skateboarding rules in Ashwaubenon lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Public Alcohol Use

Ashwaubenon bans open or unsealed alcohol containers on public streets, sidewalks, parking lots and in vehicles parked there, unless you are on the premises of a bar or restaurant holding an on-premises license. Village Code Section 3-2-107 also bans commercial pedal-pub bikes outright, with narrow carve-outs for Lambeau Field game days and permitted block parties.

Key details: Governing section: Village Code § 3-2-107. Covers: public ways, parking lots, parked vehicles. Exempt: on-premises licensed bars/restaurants. Exempt: Lambeau Field district on game days. Permit path: block parties via chief of public safety.

Violations of Article 2 of Chapter 3, which includes Section 3-2-107, draw a forfeiture under the general penalty at Section 3-2-109, set by reference to Section 1-1-13. A person under 18 who violates the article faces a forfeiture capped at $50, subject to Wis. Stat. Section 938.344 juvenile procedure. Any license or permit held by a violator may be revoked by the court, and a violation by a licensee's employee or agent counts as the licensee's own violation.

This is one of the stricter rules in Ashwaubenon's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Loud Party Ordinance

Ashwaubenon's social host ordinance holds anyone who hosts a gathering of three or more people where minors possess or drink alcohol responsible, whether or not the host supplied it. Section 3-2-110 sets a forfeiture of up to $500 for a first offense and reaches property owners, not just the person who bought the alcohol.

Key details: Governing section: Village Code § 3-2-110. Gathering threshold: 3 or more people assembled. Protected class: persons under 21 years old. Host liability: attaches even without supplying alcohol. First-offense cap: $500 forfeiture within 30 months.

Subsection (E) caps the forfeiture at $500 for a person who has not committed a previous violation of this section within the preceding 30 months. The ordinance is civil in nature, and liability attaches to the person controlling the property or hosting the gathering even when that person did not personally supply the alcohol found there.

Compared to other cities, Ashwaubenon takes a harder line on loud party ordinance. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Ashwaubenon is tougher than many cities when it comes to public conduct. Out of the 5 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Ashwaubenon, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Ashwaubenon can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.