Marathon County, WI Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max sales
- 4 per year
- Max duration
- 3 days per sale
- Who may hold sale
- Owner or authorized firm
- Applies in
- Towns under county zoning only
Summary
Marathon County's zoning code caps garage, yard, estate, and in-home sales at four per year, three days each, in the unincorporated towns where county zoning applies.
Shall be limited to a maximum of four sales per year, with a maximum duration of three days per sale.
3. All temporary signs advertising the yard sale must be removed on the last day of the sale. No signs shall be located or placed in the public right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 59).
Full Breakdown
Marathon County Zoning Code § 17.204.55(A)(2) limits garage, yard, estate, and in-home sales to a maximum of four sales per year with each sale lasting no more than three days. The rule sits in the zoning code's development standards for specific land uses, so it only binds unincorporated land in towns that adopted the county's general zoning ordinance under Wis. Stat. § 59.69: it does not reach property inside Wausau, Mosinee, Rothschild, or any other incorporated city or village, each of which sets its own sale rules. Sales are further restricted to the property owner or a firm conducting an estate/in-home sale on the owner's behalf.
Violations & Fines
Enforced as a zoning-ordinance violation under § 17.807: the Zoning Administrator investigates and issues a notice of violation, and the Corporation Counsel may prosecute for a forfeiture plus costs, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Wausau or Mosinee?
How many yard sales can I hold per year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marathon County
Compare Marathon County to another location·View the Wisconsin garage & yard sales overview
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