Parking Rules in Wausau, WI (2026)
9 verified parking rules for Wausau, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Wausau's zoning definition of 'recreational vehicle' covers boats along with travel trailers and motor homes, and section 23.06.06(23)(c) lets an RV or boat sit in a residential yard like a passenger vehicle. It cannot go in a front or corner side yard unless on a driveway, and units over 30 feet face a seven-day outdoor limit in any 30 days.
Wausau RV and Boat Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 23.01.23, 23.06.06(23)(c)
Recreational vehicle: A term encompassing any type of vehicle used primarily for recreational pleasure. Examples include but not limited to travel trailers, motor homes, boats, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, etc. ... (c)A recreational vehicle (RV) associated with and customary to residential uses may be parked as if a passenger vehicle but shall not be utilized for the storage of goods, mat...
Driveway Rules
Wausau bars parking between a house and the street on single- and two-family lots except in a driveway leading to a legal parking space, and front-yard parking outside a driveway is not allowed at all. Every driveway and parking surface must be paved and dust-free under Wausau Municipal Code § 23.06.06.
Wausau Front-Yard and Driveway Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 23.06.06(11)(a), (14)(c), (20)(a)
(11)Locational prohibitions for off-street parking areas.(a)On a lot containing a single family or two family dwelling unit, off-street parking shall not be located between the principal structure and a street right-of-way, except within residential driveways leading to a legal parking space. ... (c)Except for driveways leading to legal parking spaces, parking is not permitted in the front yard...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Wausau limits outdoor commercial-vehicle parking on residential lots to one vehicle per dwelling unit, and only if it is used by a resident, weighs 10,000 pounds or less, and runs under 21 feet long. Anything heavier than 10,000 pounds is barred from residential property under Wausau Municipal Code § 23.06.06(23), except recreational vehicles and motor homes in a legal parking spot.
Wausau Residential Commercial Vehicle Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 23.06.06(23)(a)-(b)
(23)Limitations on uses of residential off-street parking areas. In residential districts and on lots associated with residential uses, accessory off-street parking facilities shall be solely for the parking of passenger vehicles, which shall be regulated as follows:(a)A maximum of one commercial vehicle per dwelling unit may be parked outdoors on residential property provided that the vehicle ...
Street Parking Limits
Wausau bars parking across a marked parking line, so every vehicle must fit entirely within its painted or marked space, under Municipal Code Section 10.20.036, and separately bans parking on any boulevard, parkway or sidewalk under Section 10.20.020. Violations forfeit $20.00 for boulevard parking under the Code's general parking chapter.
Wausau On-Street Parking Line & Boulevard Rules
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code §§ 10.20.020, 10.20.036
No person shall park a vehicle on any boulevard, parkway or sidewalk in the City. The forfeiture for a violation of this section shall be $20.00. ... No person shall park any vehicle across any line or marking which has been duly designated for the parking of a single vehicle by lines painted or otherwise durably marked on the curb or the surface of the street by the Traffic Division or the Dep...
Overnight Parking
Between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., Wausau requires alternate-side parking citywide: vehicles must park on the even side of the street on even-numbered calendar days and the odd side on odd days, under Municipal Code Section 10.20.030. Several downtown blocks and seasonal zones ban overnight parking outright, and a violation forfeits $25.00.
Wausau Overnight Alternate-Side Parking Rule
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 10.20.030
(a)Between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., alternate side parking regulations shall be in effect on all streets in the City except otherwise provided in this section. All vehicles shall be parked only on the even-numbered side of the street on even-numbered calendar days, and only on the odd side of the street on odd-numbered calendar days, unless otherwise posted or exempted in this ordi...
Abandoned Vehicles
Wausau deems any vehicle, trailer or mobile home abandoned, and a public nuisance, once it sits unattended on public or private property without the owner's permission for more than 48 hours, under Municipal Code Section 10.08.040. The vehicle is then handled under Wis. Stat. Section 342.40, and violators face a forfeiture of $25 to $500 per day.
Wausau Abandoned Vehicle 48-Hour Rule
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 10.08.040
No person shall leave unattended any vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or mobile home on any public highway or public or private property, for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned. When any such vehicle has been left unattended on any public highway or public or private property within the City without the permission of the owne...
Curb Color Rules
Wausau bans painting, staining, or marking curbs, pavement, or anything else in the street right-of-way under City of Wausau Municipal Code Section 23.09.30(2)(e). The Common Council can approve an exception only after the Director of Public Works investigates a written request and recommends it favorably.
Curb Painting Ban in Wausau, Wisconsin
Significant RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code Section 23.09.30(2)(e)
(e)No person shall: paste, tape, staple, or otherwise fasten any paper or other material to, nor paint, stencil, or otherwise write or color any object, vegetation, or pavement located within any street right-of-way; nor shall any of such object, vegetation, or pavement be defaced in any manner. The only exception to these restrictions is that painting may be allowed on curbs when approved by t...
Loading Zones
Wausau requires institutional, commercial, industrial, and storage buildings to provide off-street loading space set back at least 50 feet from any residential district and 25 feet from a street intersection, sized to the building's square footage. Wausau Municipal Code § 23.06.07 also caps loading-area lighting and limits its use to loading and unloading vehicles.
Wausau Off-Street Loading Standards
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 23.06.07(5), (9), (10)
(5)Location.(a)Loading areas shall be located on the private lot and shall not be located within or interfere with any public right-of-way while in use.(b)Loading areas shall be located on the same lot as the use served.(c)For development with a gross floor area of greater than 10,000 square feet, loading areas shall not be located in a required front yard.(d)Loading areas shall be located at l...
Snow Removal Parking Rules
In Wausau, Marathon County, the Police Chief or Director of Public Works can declare a snow removal emergency under Municipal Code § 10.20.040, banning parking wherever parked cars would block plows. Officials may also post temporary odd/even restrictions on specific streets. A violation carries a $100.00 forfeiture, and cars left in the way can be towed.
Wausau Snow Removal Parking Ban
Some RestrictionsWausau Municipal Code § 10.20.040
10.20.040 - No parking during snow removal. (a)No person shall park a vehicle in any area where parking during a snow removal emergency has been prohibited. The Police Chief or Director of Public Works may declare a snow removal emergency where the parking of vehicles would impede snow removal operations.(b)The Police Chief and the Director of Public Works, and any employees within the table of...
Looking for Marathon County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Wausau city rules.
Parking Rules in Marathon County →