Green Bay allows recreational fires in approved containers on private property. Fire pits must be at least 25 feet from structures. Open burning of yard waste prohibited within city limits. Campfires require a fire ring or pit.
Wisconsin bans all aerial and explosive consumer fireworks. Only non-explosive types legal (sparklers, snakes, smoke devices). WI Stat. §167.10.
Wisconsin uniformly regulates propane storage, installation, and handling under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 340, adopting NFPA 58 statewide and preempting inconsistent local rules through state building and fuel gas codes.
Green Bay has strict parking rules especially around Lambeau Field on game days. Winter overnight parking ban November through March for snow removal. Residential permit zones protect Lambeau Field area neighborhoods from game day overflow.
Green Bay requires vehicles parked on improved surfaces. Front lawn parking prohibited. Driveway modifications require permits.
Green Bay restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight, size, and signage limits apply. Overnight heavy truck storage prohibited.
Wisconsin law defines abandoned vehicles and authorizes removal after 48 hours on highways or public property. State statute provides uniform procedures for impoundment, notice to owners, and disposal applicable in every municipality.
Green Bay enforces maximum grass and weed height, typically 8 to 12 inches. Overgrown properties subject to code compliance action and city abatement.
Green Bay enforces weed abatement under WI Stat. §66.0407. WI DNR NR 40 governs invasive species. County enforcement also applies.
Green Bay requires dogs on leash in public. Off-leash in designated parks only. Dog licensing required statewide under WI Stat. §174.
Green Bay may allow residential beekeeping with hive limits and setbacks. Registration with WI DATCP required. WI Stat. §94.76.
Wisconsin does not preempt local breed-specific legislation. Some WI cities have breed bans. WI Stat. §174.042 covers dangerous dogs based on behavior.
Wisconsin Statute Chapter 951 prohibits animal cruelty and neglect statewide, applying uniformly to hoarding situations. Local ordinances may supplement but cannot weaken state standards for animal treatment and confinement.
Wisconsin's right-to-farm law (Wis. Stat. 823.08) and Livestock Facility Siting Law (Wis. Stat. 93.90) limit municipal authority to restrict agricultural operations and standardize permitting for livestock facilities statewide.
Wisconsin Statute Chapter 169 governs captive wildlife statewide, requiring licenses for possession of native wildlife and prohibiting harmful exotic species. The Department of Natural Resources enforces uniformly across all municipalities.
Wisconsin prohibits feeding and baiting deer and elk in counties with chronic wasting disease (CWD) under Wis. Stat. 29.614. The Department of Natural Resources enforces these restrictions uniformly across affected counties.
Green Bay regulates amplified music under the general noise ordinance. Sound amplification permits available for events. WI Stat. §947.01 applies.
Green Bay enforces quiet hours 10 PM to 7 AM in residential zones. Lambeau Field game days bring significant crowd noise to surrounding neighborhoods. The Broadway entertainment district has noise permits for events.
Green Bay considers excessive barking a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. WI Stat. §174 covers dog regulation statewide.
Aircraft noise in Wisconsin is overwhelmingly governed by federal aviation law. The FAA preempts state and local noise regulation of aircraft in flight, while Wisconsin Statute Chapter 114 governs aeronautics and limits municipal authority over airspace and airport operations.
Under Green Bay's zoning ordinance (historically Code 1984 Sec. 13.602, now codified in Chapter 13/Chapter 44 Article V Division 6 of the Code of Ordinances), fences and walls in residential areas may generally be built up to 8 feet tall. Within a required front yard or corner side yard setback, a solid fence may not exceed 3 feet, but it may be increased to 4 feet if the fence is open, decorative, ornamental fencing material that is less than 50% opaque, and to 5 feet if it is less than 20% opaque. Barbed wire and similar dangerous materials are prohibited on residentially zoned property and within 4 feet of any public street, sidewalk, or alley. A city fence permit is required before construction.
WI Stat. §90.02 to 90.14 provides line fence cost-sharing for rural/agricultural land. Urban residential fences: each owner responsible for their own.
Wisconsin enforces uniform pool barrier requirements through the Department of Safety and Professional Services. SPS 390 governs public pools and the Uniform Dwelling Code addresses residential pool fencing, preempting inconsistent local building standards for one and two-family dwellings.
Sheds in Green Bay are detached residential accessory structures regulated under Section 44-590 and Table 44-4 of the Green Bay Municipal Code. Sheds under 50 square feet are exempt from a building permit but must still meet zoning. Detached sheds in one- and two-family districts must sit behind the principal building (or in the side yard not abutting a street) with a 4-foot side and 4-foot rear setback (2-1/2 feet on narrow lots), a 55-foot front setback, and at least 3 feet between accessory structures.
The City of Green Bay regulates accessory dwelling units under Chapter 44 of the Code of Ordinances (Zoning), adopted under the city's zoning authority in Wis. Stat. Sec. 62.23. Following a December 2025 rewrite of the zoning code (the first major update since approximately 2006), accessory dwelling units are allowed in all residential districts with an approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP). An ADU on the same parcel as a single-family, two-family duplex, or two-family semi-detached dwelling provides complete independent living facilities for one family consistent with the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code. With an approved CUP, the ADU does not count as an additional accessory structure for the lot.
Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code (Wis. Stat. ch. 101 and SPS 320-325) sets statewide construction standards for one- and two-family dwellings, including tiny homes built as permanent dwellings. Local governments cannot impose stricter building code standards than the UDC.
Short-term rentals in Green Bay must comply with the citywide overnight parking ban from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. under Section 40-29(I) of the Green Bay Municipal Code. Section 44-1580(j)(1)(c) requires every STR lease to include language requiring guests to comply with Green Bay parking ordinances. Wisconsin Statute 66.1014 preserves local parking authority even though it caps how restrictively Green Bay can regulate the rental itself.
Short-term rentals in Green Bay must comply with Section 27.203 of the Green Bay Municipal Code, which prohibits unreasonably loud noise and treats any A-weighted sound exceeding 80 dB(A) measured from neighboring property as presumptively unreasonable. Daytime hours run 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and nighttime hours run 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Section 44-1580(j)(12) makes a tenant noise disturbance an STR permit violation enforceable against the host.
Wisconsin state room tax is 5% (WI Stat. §77.98). Green Bay levies additional local room tax. Platforms auto-collect in many jurisdictions. Total 10 to 14% typical.
Green Bay regulates but cannot ban STRs under WI Act 59 (2017). DATCP tourist rooming house license may be required. WI Stat. §66.1014.
Brown County does not publish a county-wide STR occupancy cap. Maximum guest counts are governed by the property's state Tourist Rooming House license under Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 72, set during the Brown County Public Health pre-inspection.
Green Bay requires building permits for pools, spas, and hot tubs. WI Uniform Dwelling Code governs. Inspections required.
Green Bay requires pool barriers to prevent unsupervised child access. Minimum 48-inch height. Self-closing, self-latching gates. WI Stat. §145.17.
Green Bay enforces pool safety requirements including anti-entrapment drain covers (VGB Act), barriers, and depth markers. WI Stat. §145.17 governs.
Green Bay allows home occupations as accessory use in residential zones. Home occupation permit required. WI cottage food law applies for home bakers.
Wisconsin allows home producers to sell certain non-hazardous foods directly to consumers without a license under the Pickle Bill and baked-goods rulings. State law sets uniform sales caps, labeling, and product limits.
Wisconsin requires state licensing or certification for any home caring for four or more unrelated children. The Department of Children and Families administers uniform standards that preempt conflicting local rules.
The City of Green Bay participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and regulates floodplain development through Article XIII (Floodplain Overlay District) of its zoning code, adopted under Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30 and the minimum standards of Wis. Admin. Code Chapter NR 116. Primary flood sources are the Bay of Green Bay, the Fox River, the East River, and Mahon Creek. FEMA issued updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Brown County that became effective May 9, 2023, and these are the maps now used to delineate Special Flood Hazard Areas. New residential structures are prohibited in the regulatory floodway, and floodplain development requires zoning approval before any building permit is issued.
Wisconsin's NR 115 sets minimum shoreland zoning standards along navigable waters, and the Public Trust Doctrine protects Great Lakes shores. Counties must adopt rules at least as strict as NR 115 statewide.
Wisconsin requires erosion control practices on construction sites under NR 151 and SPS 321. State standards apply uniformly, and one- and two-family dwelling sites follow Department of Safety and Professional Services rules.
Wisconsin's NR 151 sets statewide performance standards for construction site and post-construction stormwater runoff. DNR administers WPDES permits, and local programs must meet or exceed state minimums.
Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 115 sets uniform impervious surface coverage limits for shoreland properties statewide. Counties must adopt these standards, typically capping coverage at 15 percent, with mitigation allowing up to 30 percent in certain circumstances.
Wisconsin Statute § 59.692 and Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 115 establish uniform statewide shoreland zoning standards including setback requirements from navigable waters. Counties must adopt these minimum standards, and municipalities cannot impose more restrictive shoreland setbacks.
Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) under Wis. Stat. § 101.65 sets statewide construction standards for one and two-family dwellings. While zoning height limits remain local, structural standards including height-related requirements are uniform and preempt conflicting municipal building codes.
Wisconsin has no legal recreational or medical marijuana dispensary program. State law prohibits cannabis sales, so no municipality can authorize dispensary operations through zoning ordinances.
Wisconsin prohibits all marijuana cultivation, including for personal use. Growing any cannabis plant is a felony under state controlled substances law. No municipality may authorize home cultivation.
Wisconsin commercial drone operators follow FAA Part 107 and state preemption under Wis. Stat. 114.045. Local governments cannot impose competing flight rules, though state privacy and surveillance statutes apply.
Wisconsin Statute 114.045 preempts most local drone regulation, reserving authority to the state and FAA. Recreational pilots must follow federal Part 107 hobbyist rules and Wisconsin's drone-privacy criminal statute.
Wisconsin Statute 104.001 expressly preempts cities, villages, towns, and counties from establishing a minimum wage higher than the state minimum, ensuring uniform wage rules across Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Statute 103.10 and 104.001 preempt local paid sick leave ordinances, blocking cities and counties from requiring private employers to provide paid time off beyond state and federal mandates.
Wisconsin preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under Wis. Stat. 103.007, ensuring statewide uniformity for employer scheduling practices and forbidding municipal advance-notice mandates.
Wisconsin issues shall-issue concealed weapon licenses to qualified residents age 21+ who complete training, pass a background check, and pay required fees, with statewide preemption preventing local rules.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0409 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, barring cities, villages, towns, and counties from enacting ordinances stricter than state law on possession, transportation, sale, or registration of firearms and ammunition.
Wisconsin permits adults at least 18 who are not prohibited persons to openly carry firearms in public without a permit, with statewide preemption blocking local restrictions on lawful open carry.
Wisconsin Statute 941.23 makes carrying a concealed handgun in a vehicle without a CCW license a misdemeanor, while open carry and licensed concealed carry inside vehicles are lawful statewide subject to limited prohibited zones.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0104 and Act 317 prevent municipalities from limiting landlord-tenant relationships beyond state law, including any local just-cause eviction requirement. Eviction grounds and procedures are governed exclusively by Wis. Stat. ch. 704 and ATCP 134.
Wisconsin Statute 66.1015 expressly prohibits any city, village, town, or county from regulating the amount of rent or fees charged for residential rental units. The preemption is total, with narrow exceptions for government-owned housing and voluntary agreements.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0104 limits how cities can require rental property registration and inspection. Programs must target districts with documented blight or code issues, and inspection fees are capped between roughly $75 and $150 depending on inspection type.
Wisconsin's Working Lands Initiative under Statute 91 establishes farmland preservation zoning districts, certifies county and local plans, and offers income tax credits to farmers in certified agricultural enterprise areas.
Wisconsin Statute 823.08 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, requiring courts to dismiss claims unless the farm substantially threatens public health or safety.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0419, enacted by 2015 Act 17, preempts cities, villages, towns, and counties from regulating, banning, or imposing fees on auxiliary containers including plastic bags, cups, and bottles.
Wisconsin's auxiliary container preemption law in Statute 66.0419 prevents municipalities from banning or restricting expanded polystyrene foam takeout containers, leaving any restriction to state legislation.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0419 preempts cities and counties from regulating plastic straws, stirrers, and similar single-use items, and the state has not adopted a statewide straw-on-request rule.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0401 applies to homeowners associations and condo associations, preempting deed restrictions and covenants that prohibit or significantly impair solar energy systems on owner property.
Wisconsin Statute 66.0401 broadly preempts municipalities and counties from restricting solar and wind energy systems unless restrictions serve specific public health, safety, or aesthetic exceptions defined by state law.
Wisconsin Statute 134.66 prohibits selling, giving, or furnishing cigarettes, tobacco, or vapor products to any person under 21 years of age and requires retailers to verify age via valid ID before sale.
Wisconsin has not enacted a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or vapor products; sales of menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes remain lawful under Wis. Stat. 134.66 subject to age and licensing rules.
Wisconsin regulates electronic vaping devices under its tobacco statutes, requiring retailer licenses, age-verification, and excise taxes on vapor products, with state law preempting most local retail rules under 134.66.