Business Licensing & Operations in Portage County, WI (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Portage County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Portage County requires a $300.00 sexually oriented business license and a $100.00 employee license before an adult bookstore, cabaret, motel, theater, escort agency or similar use may operate, under Code § 2.4.4. Licensed businesses must close between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., and violations draw a $1,000.00 forfeiture.
Sexually Oriented Business License, Portage County
Significant RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 2.4.4, 2.4.6, 2.4.13, 2.4.17
(1)Business License. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a sexually oriented business in Portage County without a valid sexually oriented business license. ... (1)The initial license and annual renewal fees for sexually oriented business licenses and sexually oriented business employee licenses shall be as follows: $300.00 for the initial fee for a sexually oriented business license ...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Anyone who operates a tattoo or body piercing establishment, or personally tattoos or pierces clients, in Portage County must hold a license from the Health and Human Services Department under Sec. 4.6.4. Establishments need one license and each individual operator needs a separate operator license, both expiring every June 30.
Portage County Tattoo & Piercing License
Some RestrictionsPortage County Code § 4.6.4
No person shall operate a tattoo or body piercing establishment nor engage in the practice of tattooing or body piercing in Portage County without first obtaining the appropriate license(s) from the Department. Such license shall expire on June 30 following its issuance. The owner of a tattoo or body piercing establishment must apply for an establishment license. An individual engaged in tattoo...
Secondhand Dealers
Sec. 2.23 of the Portage County Code, which regulates pawnbrokers and secondhand shops together, defines a secondhand shop as a business buying and selling used coins, jewelry, digital media, or consumer electronics, and folds any business that buys previously used goods for resale into the chapter's pawnbroker rules.
Secondhand Shop Rules in Portage County
Some RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 2.23.1(7), 2.23.1(10), 2.23.8(4), 2.23.8(7)
To the extent that a pawnbroker's business includes buying personal property previously used, rented, leased, or selling it on consignment, the provisions of this chapter shall be applicable. ... (10)Secondhand shop means businesses that engage in the buying and selling of coins, other collectable currency, jewelry, digital media articles, and/or consumer electronics that have been previously u...
Pawnbrokers
Sec. 2.23 of the Portage County Code requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker in unincorporated Portage County to hold a $500.00 annual license from the County Clerk, post a $2,500.00 bond, and submit to a Sheriff's Office background investigation before the license issues.
Pawnbroker Licensing Rules in Portage County
Significant RestrictionsPortage County Code §§ 2.23.3, 2.23.13, 2.23.14
2.23.3 - Pawnbroker License. No person may operate as a pawnbroker in Portage County unless the person first obtains a pawnbroker license under this chapter, or from a municipality within Portage County. ... (c)The applicant provides to the County Clerk a bond of $2,500.00 with not less than two sureties for the observation of all County ordinances or state or federal laws relating to pawnbroke...
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