Business Licensing & Operations in Sun Prairie, WI (2026)
5 verified business licensing & operations rules for Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Sun Prairie caps sexually oriented adult entertainment businesses at three citywide licenses at any one time and bars anyone from opening or running one without a license from the city first, under Code §§ 5.68.030(A) and 5.68.050(F); applicants also need proof the site is properly zoned before a license issues.
Sun Prairie Adult Entertainment Business License
Significant RestrictionsSun Prairie Code of Ordinances § 5.68.030(A), § 5.68.050(F)
Except as provided in subsection D. of this section, from and after the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived, no adult oriented establishment shall be operated or maintained within the corporate limits of the city without first obtaining a license issued by the city to operate such establishment. ... F.Number of Licenses. No more than three annual licenses issued u...
Massage Establishments
Sun Prairie makes it unlawful for anyone other than a massage therapist or bodyworker licensed by the State of Wisconsin under Wis. Stat. § 440.98 to practice massage on any premises in the city, effectively adopting the state's professional licensing requirement as a local prohibition under Code § 5.40.020.
Sun Prairie Massage Establishment License Rule
Some RestrictionsSun Prairie Code of Ordinances § 5.40.020
It is unlawful for any person, other than a state licensed "massage therapist" or "bodyworker," as these terms are defined in Section 440.98, Wisconsin Statutes, as this provision may be renumbered or amended, to engage in, conduct or carry on, or to permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on the practice of massage upon any premises in the city.
Tattoo & Body Modification
A tattoo or body-piercing shop in the City of Sun Prairie needs a conditional use permit and can only open in the SC, UC or CC commercial zoning districts. Section 17.16.100(R) bars new shops within one thousand feet of another tattoo or body-piercing establishment, payday lender or pawn shop, fixes narrow business hours, and forbids loitering on the premises.
Sun Prairie Tattoo & Body Piercing Shop Zoning
Significant RestrictionsSun Prairie Code of Ordinances § 17.16.100(R)
R.Tattoo or Body Piercing Establishment. Description: Establishments as contained in Chapter HFS 173, Wisconsin Administrative Code, entitled Tattooing and Body Piercing, and Sections 252.23 and 252.24, Wisconsin Statutes as currently enacted and as may be amended in the future ... 3.Conditional use regulations (SC, UC, CC):a.Tattoo or body piercing establishments shall not be located within on...
Tobacco Retail License
Selling any tobacco product, tobacco paper, or wrapper in Sun Prairie requires a $100 annual license from the city clerk under § 5.28.010, and no retailer may sell, exchange, or even give away tobacco products without one. Licenses run July 1 through June 30 and can be revoked for chapter violations.
Sun Prairie Tobacco Retail License
Some RestrictionsSun Prairie Code of Ordinances § 5.28.010
No person, firm or corporation shall in any manner, directly or indirectly, upon any premises, or by any device sell, exchange, barter, dispose of, or give away, or keep for sale any tobacco product, tobacco product paper or tobacco product wrappers, or any substitute therefor, without first obtaining a license as hereinafter provided. ... Tobacco product license shall be applied for by April 1...
Pawnbrokers
Sun Prairie requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker, secondhand article dealer or secondhand jewelry dealer to hold a city license, post a $1,000 bond with at least two sureties, and give customers a minimum 60-day window to redeem pledged items before they can be sold, under Code § 5.52.010.
Sun Prairie Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsSun Prairie Code of Ordinances § 5.52.010
D.License. No person, firm or corporation may operate as a pawnbroker, secondhand article, or second hand jewelry dealer in the city without first obtaining a license under this chapter. ... b.With respect to an applicant for a pawnbroker's license, the applicant provides to the governing body a bond of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), with not less than two sureties, for the observation of al...
Looking for Dane County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sun Prairie city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Dane County →