Sauk County, WI Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Closing hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. nightly
- Enforcing agency
- Sheriff's Dept. / LRE Dept.
- Penalty
- $10-$100 forfeiture plus costs
- Exception
- thru-road vehicle traffic
- Camping curfew
- no setup/teardown 11pm-6am (Sec. 10.13(7))
Summary
Every county park and parkway in unincorporated Sauk County closes nightly at 11:00 p.m. and reopens at 6:00 a.m. under Sauk County Code Sec. 10.14, with no exceptions except through-road traffic and events the Land Resources and Environment Department has authorized in writing.
(a)Except for the vehicular traffic moving upon "thru" roadways, and except when the Director or their designee published general permission to use all or certain parks or parkways, the parks and parkways shall be closed each night between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following morning, and no person shall remain therein during said hours; provided that the Director or their designee may from time to time, in all or any of the parks or parkways, publish or post-closing hours different from the above, or discontinue closing hours, as in the exercise of the judgment of the committee may appear reasonable and necessary.(b)In case of an emergency, or when in the judgment of the Director or their designee, the public interest demands it, any portion of the parks and parkways or buildings therein may be closed to the public, or to designated persons until permission is given to return.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10.14 of the Sauk County Code closes every park and parkway each night between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and bars anyone from remaining inside during that window; the only carve-out covers vehicles passing straight through on thru roadways. The Director of the Land Resources and Environment Department, which runs the county park system, can post different closing hours for a specific park or cancel the curfew entirely when it appears reasonable, and under subsection (b) can close any portion of a park or building outright during an emergency or whenever the public interest requires it, locking out the general public or named individuals until permission to return is given.
Camping enforces its own overnight limit too: Sec. 10.13(7) bars a camping party from setting up or taking down a camping unit between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., tying the campground schedule to the same overnight window. Sheriff's deputies and Land Resources and Environment staff enforce the closing-hours rule under Sec. 10.16: an officer can arrest a violator without a warrant and bring them before a court, and can enter any building, structure or enclosure inside a park, including space leased for private use, to do so. Enforcement runs by citation or civil forfeiture, with the Sauk County Corporation Counsel authorized to prosecute.
Violations & Fines
Anyone caught in a county park after the 11:00 p.m. curfew, or who otherwise defies the closing-hours order, faces a forfeiture of not less than $10.00 nor more than $100.00 plus court costs under Sec. 10.16(c), and can be arrested on the spot and taken before a Sauk County court. A camper who sets up or breaks down a tent or camping unit inside the curfew window risks the same citation under Sec. 10.13(7).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stay in a Sauk County park after 11 p.m.?
Does the curfew apply to roads through the park?
What happens if a park ranger catches someone after hours?
Can a park post different hours than 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sauk County
Compare Sauk County to another location·View the Wisconsin curfew laws overview
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