Business Licensing & Operations in Wausau, WI (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Wausau, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Wausau requires every adult bookstore, adult novelty store or adult video store to hold a City-issued adult-oriented establishment license under Wausau Municipal Code § 5.18.030 before opening, with a 90-day grace period for businesses already running when the chapter took effect, and violations draw a $50-to-$300 forfeiture.
Adult Business License Rules Wausau
Significant RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 5.18.010, 5.18.030(a), 5.18.120
It is a lawful purpose of the Common Council of the City to enact regulatory ordinances protecting and promoting the general welfare, health and safety of its citizens. The Common Council deems it necessary to require licensing and regulation of adult-oriented establishments, namely, adult book stores ... (a)No person, firm or corporation shall operate, conduct, maintain or own an adult-oriente...
Massage Establishments
Wausau requires anyone practicing massage or bodywork therapy in the city to hold a current Wisconsin state license under Wis. Stat. ch. 460, and its own ordinance, Wausau Municipal Code § 5.50.020, makes it a separate municipal offense to work, advertise or employ someone without that license.
Massage Therapist License Wausau, WI
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 5.50.020(a)-(b), 5.50.040
(a)No person may provide massage therapy or bodywork therapy, designate himself or herself as a massage therapist or bodywork therapist or masseur or masseuse, or use or assume the title "massage therapist and bodywork therapist" or "massage therapist" or "bodywork therapist" or "masseur" or "masseuse" ... unless the person holds a valid, unexpired licensed issued by the State of Wisconsin purs...
Tobacco Retail License
Wausau requires a City Clerk retailer license under Wausau Municipal Code § 5.30.020 before selling cigarettes or tobacco products, bars selling tobacco or e-cigarette and vapor devices to anyone under 18 (§ 5.30.040(c)), and keeps vending machines at least 500 feet from any school (§ 5.30.040(h)).
Tobacco & Vape Retailer License Wausau
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 5.30.020, 5.30.040(c), 5.30.040(h), 5.30.050(b)
No retailer shall in any manner, or upon any pretense, or by any device, directly or indirectly sell, expose for sale, possess with intent to sell, exchange, barter, dispose of or give away any cigarettes or tobacco products to any person not holding a license as herein provided or a permit under Wis. Stats. §§ 139.30 to 139.44 or 139.79, without first obtaining a license from the City Clerk. ....
Secondhand Dealers
Wausau requires anyone buying and reselling used goods or secondhand jewelry, or operating a dealer mall or flea market, to hold a City license under Wausau Municipal Code ch. 5.52, separate from the pawnbroker license, and to hold every purchased item at least ten days before reselling it.
Secondhand Dealer License Rules Wausau
Significant RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 5.52.040, 5.52.055(a), 5.52.140(a)
No person may operate as a pawnbroker, secondhand article dealer, secondhand jewelry dealer or secondhand article dealer mall or flea market in the City unless the person first obtains a pawnbroker, secondhand article dealer, secondhand jewelry dealer or secondhand article dealer mall or flea market license under this chapter. ... (a)The owner of any premises or land upon which two or more pers...
Pawnbrokers
Wausau licenses pawnbrokers through the City Clerk under Wausau Municipal Code ch. 5.52, requiring a $2,500 surety bond and daily electronic transaction reports to the Police Department before anyone may lend against pledged property in the city, and pledgers get a minimum 60-day window to redeem an item.
Pawnbroker Licensing Rules in Wausau
Significant RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 5.52.030, 5.52.070(b), 5.52.130
Pawnbroker means any person who engages in the business of lending money on the deposit or pledge of any article or purchasing any article with an expressed or implied agreement or understanding to sell it back at a subsequent time at a stipulated price. ... (b)The applicant provides to the City Clerk a bond of $2,500.00 with not less than two sureties for the observation of all municipal ordin...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Wausau flatly bars vehicle and motor repair as a home occupation. Municipal Code § 23.03.28(4)(m) excludes 'the sales or repair of large appliances, vehicles, or motors' from the list of activities a home-based business may perform, alongside manufacturing and equipment rental.
Home Auto Repair Ban in Wausau
Heavy RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 23.03.28(4)(m)
(m)The home occupation shall not involve manufacturing; processing; the sales or repair of large appliances, vehicles, or motors; commodity or equipment rental; care, grooming, breeding, or keeping of animals; or construction of equipment and machinery. Restaurants, taverns, clubs, amusement or entertainment establishments, or uses that dispatch persons other than the occupant of the residence ...
Looking for Marathon County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Wausau city rules.
Business Licensing & Operations in Marathon County →