Winnebago County, WI Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Temporary use permit
- Who applies
- Property owner or authorized agent
- Review time
- Up to 30 days
- Must be posted
- At the site during the sale
- No-permit fine
- $200 plus court costs
Summary
Winnebago County's zoning code lists a yard sale as a Series 18 temporary land use, so under § 23.7-291 no yard sale on land covered by the town/county code may be held without first obtaining a temporary use permit.
No temporary use as specified in the land use matrix under s. 23.8-41 shall be established without a temporary use permit.
Full Breakdown
Section 23.8-41's land use matrix classifies a yard sale (use 18.20) as a temporary use, and § 23.7-291 bars establishing any matrix temporary use without a temporary use permit. The property owner, or an authorized agent, applies to the zoning administrator, who has 30 days under §§ 23.7-293–23.7-294 to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application, and the issued permit must be posted at the site for the duration of the sale under § 23.7-295. This requirement runs only in unincorporated towns that adopted the county's general zoning ordinance under Wis. Stat. § 59.69, not inside Oshkosh, Neenah, or Menasha.
Violations & Fines
Holding a yard sale without the required permit is a citable offense under Ch. 23 § 23.14-9, a $200 fine plus court costs, and the county can pursue injunctive relief for continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to hold a yard sale in unincorporated Winnebago County?
Who issues the yard sale permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winnebago County
Compare Winnebago County to another location·View the Wisconsin garage & yard sales overview
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