Moving to De Pere, WI?

De Pere enforces quiet hours from 10 PM to 7 AM. The Fox River downtown area has entertainment venues that follow sound level limits. St. Norbert College campus area has enhanced enforcement during the academic year.

De Pere considers excessive barking a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. WI Stat. §174 covers dog regulation statewide.

De Pere regulates amplified music under the general noise ordinance. Sound amplification permits available for events. WI Stat. §947.01 applies.

Wisconsin state room tax is 5% (WI Stat. §77.98). De Pere levies additional local room tax. Platforms auto-collect in many jurisdictions. Total 10 to 14% typical.

De Pere short-term rental operators must comply with Chapter 146 (Noise Ordinance), which sets daytime hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and treats 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. as nighttime. The 2024 rewrite (Ordinance 24-03) regulates noise based on lot-line A-weighted decibel limits by zone category, with stricter limits applying when sound crosses into a residential zone. STR licensure is conditioned on compliance with all local nuisance and noise rules.

De Pere short-term rentals are governed by Chapter 14 (Zoning Ordinance) parking standards, which require two off-street parking spaces per single-family or two-family dwelling unit. STRs in R1 and R2 districts may not offer more than one rental stay in 7 consecutive days, and STRs in MX1, MX2, and MX3 districts must be located above the first floor. All off-street parking surfaces must be hard-surfaced with concrete, asphalt, or brick.

De Pere regulates but cannot ban STRs under WI Act 59 (2017). DATCP tourist rooming house license may be required. WI Stat. §66.1014.

Wisconsin bans all aerial and explosive consumer fireworks. Only non-explosive types legal (sparklers, snakes, smoke devices). WI Stat. §167.10.

Outdoor burning regulated by WI DNR and local ordinance. De Pere may prohibit most open burning. Garbage burning always illegal. DNR permits required in protection areas.

De Pere requires vehicles parked on improved surfaces. Front lawn parking prohibited. Driveway modifications require permits.

De Pere restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight, size, and signage limits apply. Overnight heavy truck storage prohibited.

De Pere enforces street parking restrictions locally. Winter alternate-side parking critical. No statewide consecutive parking limit. WI Stat. §346.503 applies.

De Pere Municipal Code section 54-7 caps residential fences at 3 feet in front yards and corner side yards within the building setback, 4 feet for see-through styles on non-corner lots, and 6 feet on side and rear boundary lines. Commercial and industrial fences may reach 8 feet, and a building permit from the Building Inspector is required before installation.

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 does not preempt local breed-specific legislation. Some WI cities have breed bans. WI Stat. §174.042 covers dangerous dogs based on behavior.

De Pere requires dogs on leash in public. Off-leash in designated parks only. Dog licensing required statewide under WI Stat. §174.

De Pere may allow residential beekeeping with hive limits and setbacks. Registration with WI DATCP required. WI Stat. §94.76.

De Pere enforces weed abatement under WI Stat. §66.0407. WI DNR NR 40 governs invasive species. County enforcement also applies.

De Pere enforces maximum grass and weed height, typically 8 to 12 inches. Overgrown properties subject to code compliance action and city abatement.

De Pere allows home occupations as accessory use in residential zones. Home occupation permit required. WI cottage food law applies for home bakers.

De Pere requires building permits for pools, spas, and hot tubs. WI Uniform Dwelling Code governs. Inspections required.

De Pere requires pool barriers to prevent unsupervised child access. Minimum 48-inch height. Self-closing, self-latching gates. WI Stat. §145.17.

De Pere enforces pool safety requirements including anti-entrapment drain covers (VGB Act), barriers, and depth markers. WI Stat. §145.17 governs.

De Pere regulates sheds and other detached accessory buildings under Chapter 14 (Zoning Ordinance), which was rewritten effective January 1, 2023. A shed must be located in the rear yard, conform to the prescribed zoning district setbacks from property lines, sit at least 5 feet from any other building or structure, occupy no more than 50 percent of the required rear yard, and not exceed 850 square feet in total area. Building permits are administered by the De Pere Building Inspection Department.

De Pere regulates accessory dwellings under Chapter 14 (Zoning Ordinance) of the Municipal Code, which was comprehensively rewritten in 2022 and became effective January 1, 2023. Under the rewritten ordinance, backyard cottages and secondary suites are permitted uses in residential districts. Detached accessory buildings generally must be located in the rear yard, conform to prescribed zoning setbacks, sit at least 5 feet from any other building, occupy no more than 50% of the required rear yard, and not exceed 850 square feet total. The Planning & Zoning Division administers Chapter 14 under the city zoning authority of Wis. Stat. Sec. 62.23.

The City of De Pere participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and regulates floodplain development in conformance with Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30 and Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter NR 116, plus 44 CFR Parts 59-72. The Fox River is the principal regulated waterway through the city. The currently effective FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Brown County, which include De Pere, were adopted by the Brown County Board of Supervisors on February 15, 2023 and became effective on May 9, 2023. Development in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas requires zoning approval, and new residential structures in the regulatory floodway are prohibited under NR 116.