101 local rules on file · Pop. 179 · Rock County
Showing ordinances that apply to Hanover, WI
Hanover is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 179 in Rock County, Wisconsin. Because Hanover is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Rock County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Rock County may have different rules.
Wisconsin has no statewide ADU mandate. Rock County only zones consenting unincorporated towns under Wis. Stat. 59.69; inside Janesville, Beloit and villages, ADU rules are municipal. Confirm with your town or city before adding an in-law unit.
A carport is an accessory structure. Rock County sets no separate carport ordinance; it must meet your town, village or city zoning setbacks and, in county-zoned towns, the location and height limits under Wis. Stat. 59.69.
Rock County has no single garage-conversion ordinance. Turning a garage into living space creates a dwelling unit subject to your town, village or city zoning plus the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code for habitable-space standards.
In Rock County's unincorporated towns, accessory buildings like sheds must meet the district's yard setbacks. In the Town of Union's A-1 district, accessory buildings need a 10-foot side setback and buildings top out at 35 feet.
Wisconsin has no statewide tiny-home law. Whether a tiny house is allowed in Rock County depends on your town, village or city zoning and whether it sits on a permanent foundation meeting the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code.
Rock County sets no countywide fence-height limit. General zoning inside cities (Janesville, Beloit), villages, and the unincorporated towns is municipal, so your town or city ordinance controls fence height. The county only administers shoreland, floodplain, airport-overlay, and land-division zoning.
Wisconsin's line-fence law governs shared fences between neighbors. Where adjoining land is farmed or grazed, both owners must maintain the partition fence in equal shares under Wis. Stat. 90.03. Rock County sets no separate boundary-fence rule; disputes go to the town fence viewers.
Rock County imposes no countywide restriction on fence materials such as barbed wire, chain link, or electric fencing. Any prohibited-material rules come from your city, village, or town zoning. Wisconsin's line-fence statute actually recognizes barbed and electric farm fences.
There is no countywide Rock County fence permit. Whether you need a permit and what it costs is set by your city, village, or unincorporated town. In mapped shoreland or floodplain areas, county zoning permits can apply to structures near navigable water.
Wisconsin defines a 'legal and sufficient fence' by statute: a fence must be at least 50 inches high with its bottom no more than 4 inches from the ground. Wis. Stat. 90.02 lists the acceptable fence types. Rock County adds no countywide fence-construction standard.
Rock County has no countywide retaining-wall ordinance. Height thresholds, engineering, and permits are set by your city, village, or unincorporated town building code. Walls near navigable water may trigger county shoreland permits and erosion-control review.
Common materials (wood, vinyl, chain link, aluminum) are generally allowed; there is no countywide Rock County material standard. Wisconsin's line-fence statute lists eight acceptable constructions for farm boundary fences. Residential material choices follow your city or town code.
Rock County regulates dogs mainly through licensing and dangerous-animal rules under Wis. Stat. Ch. 174. Habitual barking is treated as a noise nuisance by the cities and towns, and can trigger Wisconsin's disorderly-conduct law.
Rock County sets no countywide quiet-hours schedule. Loud or annoying noise is handled by each city or town plus Wisconsin's disorderly-conduct law. In Janesville, making unnecessary and annoying noise is prohibited at any hour.
Rock County has no countywide construction-hours limit. Cities and towns set their own daytime windows. Janesville does restrict aircraft used for construction, barring helicopter or aircraft construction work between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Neither Rock County nor Wisconsin sets a leaf-blower decibel limit or time restriction. Leaf-blower noise is governed by local nuisance rules. In Janesville, it must not become 'unnecessary and annoying noise' under section 9.42.020.
Rock County sets no numeric decibel limit, and Wisconsin has no statewide dB standard. Noise is judged by a nuisance test: whether it is 'unnecessary and annoying' or 'loud or raucous,' as in Janesville's Municipal Code 9.42.020.
Aircraft-in-flight noise is regulated by the FAA, not Rock County. Locally, Janesville bans helicopter or aircraft use for construction between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. under Municipal Code section 9.42.025.
Rock County has no countywide amplified-sound ordinance. In Janesville, using sound amplifiers to emit loud or raucous noise in public streets, parks, or places is prohibited under Municipal Code section 9.42.020.
Rock County has no countywide outdoor-music ordinance. Cities and towns control it through nuisance rules and event permits. In Janesville, loud or raucous outdoor amplified sound in public places is barred under 9.42.020.
Rock County sets no vehicle-noise decibel limit. Loud mufflers and exhaust are governed statewide by Wis. Stat. 347.39, which requires an adequate muffler that prevents excessive or unusual noise. Cities add local nuisance rules.
Rock County zones unincorporated towns and can address industrial nuisances there, but sets no countywide industrial dB limit. Cities like Janesville regulate factory noise through nuisance and zoning rules, backed by state disorderly-conduct law.
Wisconsin room tax is municipal, not county. Rock County levies no countywide room tax; a city, village, or town room tax (up to 8%) may apply, plus Wisconsin sales tax on lodging under one month. Confirm the rate with your municipality.
Rock County has no countywide STR permit. Wisconsin requires a state DATCP tourist rooming house license for any rental operated more than 10 nights a year, plus any local license your city, village, or town requires.
Rock County sets no countywide occupancy cap for short-term rentals. Limits come from state tourist rooming house rules (ATCP 72) and local zoning. Tourist rooming houses are defined as lodging with four or fewer keyed units.
Registration is handled by the state, not Rock County. Operators get a DATCP tourist rooming house license, and if a town caps rental days they must notify the local clerk in writing when the first rental of a 365-day period begins.
Rock County has no countywide STR parking rule. Parking is governed by local zoning and municipal ordinances. Cities like Janesville and Beloit, and county-zoned towns, may set off-street parking conditions through licensing or conditional use.
Wisconsin has no statewide decibel limit. Rock County noise enforcement runs through local nuisance ordinances and the state disorderly conduct law. Short-term rental guests must follow the same quiet and nuisance rules as any resident.
Rock County sets no night cap. Wisconsin lets a city, village, or town cap rentals of more than 6 but fewer than 30 consecutive days at no fewer than 180 days per year, and those days may be required to run consecutively.
Rock County imposes no primary-residence requirement for short-term rentals. Wisconsin's Right to Rent law limits how far any subdivision can restrict rentals, though local day caps may effectively favor part-year, owner-occupied use.
Rock County has no STR insurance mandate, and Wisconsin sets none statewide. Standard homeowner policies often exclude commercial rental use, so hosts should carry short-term rental or landlord coverage. Some cities may require proof of liability insurance.
Rock County requires no host to be on site during a short-term rental. Wisconsin law does not mandate host presence, and its Right to Rent statute limits how far a local government can restrict unhosted whole-home rentals.
Rock County has no county-wide fire-pit code; rules are set by your town, city or village. In the unincorporated towns, small recreational fires must be confined in a ring, barrel or pit, constantly attended, and follow town burn-permit rules and Wisconsin DNR burn restrictions.
Small backyard cooking, ceremony and recreational fires are generally allowed in Rock County towns if contained in a ring, barrel or pit and constantly attended, but open burning of yard debris is otherwise prohibited under DNR NR 429 without a permit and safe weather.
Wisconsin DNR generally prohibits open burning except for narrow exceptions in NR 429.04, and you must burn under safe weather, hold any required DNR/town burn permit, and never burn garbage, plastics, rubber or oily material. Rock County towns add their own permit rules.
Statewide, Wis. Stat. 101.145 requires working smoke detectors in the basement, at each stairway head on every floor, and in or near each sleeping area of every home and rental unit. Owners install them; occupants maintain them and must report failures in writing.
Wisconsin is restrictive: sparklers, snakes, caps and small novelties are legal, but anything that leaves the ground or explodes is legally 'fireworks' and needs a local user's permit. No county-wide fireworks code; your city, village or town issues permits.
Wisconsin has no defensible-space wildfire law, but Wis. Stat. 66.0407 requires every landowner to destroy noxious weeds (Canada thistle, leafy spurge, field bindweed and locally designated weeds) on their land. Removal by open burning must still follow DNR NR 429 rules.
Rock County sets no separate propane ordinance; storage follows Wisconsin's gas-systems code (SPS 340) and NFPA 58. Typical rules place a 125-to-500-gallon above-ground tank at least 10 feet from any building and property line, with larger tanks set back farther.
Rock County is not in a designated wildfire hazard zone and Wisconsin has no defensible-space law, but the DNR sets daily fire-danger ratings and burn restrictions. Southern Wisconsin grasslands can reach very high fire danger in spring, when burn permits are suspended.
Rock County has no single countywide RV or boat parking rule. In unincorporated towns that adopted county zoning, storage standards apply; many towns bar unregistered RVs, campers, and boats from open residential lots. Inside Janesville, Beloit, and villages, the city or village sets the rule.
Rock County has no countywide rule barring commercial trucks or trailers from residential streets or driveways. Cities, villages, and the unincorporated towns' zoning codes decide whether semis, box trucks, and heavy commercial vehicles may be parked in residential areas.
Rock County does not set a countywide oversized-vehicle parking limit for residential areas. Whether large RVs, buses, or heavy trailers may be parked on a lot or street is decided by your town, city, or village. County trunk highways carry posted weight and size limits.
Rock County itself does not regulate everyday street parking on local roads. Wisconsin state law bans parking on the left side of a two-way highway and parking against a posted sign. Time limits, meters, and residential permits are set by your city, village, or town.
Wisconsin law makes an abandoned vehicle a public nuisance and lets the Rock County Sheriff or a local officer tow it. A vehicle left unattended without permission for more than 48 hours (or a shorter time set locally) is deemed abandoned, and the owner pays all towing and impound costs.
Rock County has no countywide ordinance governing home EV chargers or parking at charging stations. Installing a home charger follows the state electrical code and your municipality's building-permit process. Wisconsin law protects EV drivers from being blocked at public chargers.
Rock County has no countywide overnight on-street parking ban. Overnight and winter parking restrictions are set by each city, village, and town. Watch for local snow-emergency and alternate-side rules, especially in Janesville and Beloit from November through March.
Rock County has no countywide rule on how you park in your own driveway. Driveway surface, width, and access standards come from town or municipal zoning. New driveways connecting to a county highway need a county access permit.
Rock County does not designate on-street loading zones on local roads. Loading and unloading zones are marked and enforced by cities and villages under state authority. On county trunk highways the county may restrict stopping and standing.
Rock County does not paint or regulate colored parking curbs on local streets. Curb markings and their meaning are established by cities and villages. Residents may not paint public curbs themselves; only the road authority may mark a curb.
Rock County has no countywide breed ban. Wisconsin regulates dogs by behavior, not breed, and Rock County's own animal rules follow that. Some Wisconsin cities elsewhere restrict pit bulls, but no breed-specific ban applies countywide here.
Whether you can keep chickens or livestock depends on local zoning. In unincorporated towns the Rock County zoning ordinance (Wis. Stat. 59.69) controls; villages like Footville and Orfordville allow up to six hens per dwelling. Cities set their own limits.
Rock County has no single exotic-pet ordinance, but most municipalities ban wild or exotic animals as pets. Janesville prohibits keeping any wild, exotic, or vicious animal; Evansville and Town of Beloit restrict constrictor snakes over six feet, primates, and big cats.
Wisconsin requires cats, like dogs, to be vaccinated against rabies. Rock County does not license cats countywide, and at-large or nuisance cat rules are set by each municipality. Owners remain responsible for damage or nuisance their cats cause.
Wisconsin law lets any officer capture a dog off its owner's premises and not under control. Rock County licenses dogs; leash enforcement is set by your city, village, or town (Janesville, Beloit, etc.), not a countywide leash law.
Rock County sets no countywide beekeeping ordinance. Hives are allowed on agricultural land and are governed by local zoning in the towns (Wis. Stat. 59.69) and by each city or village. Wisconsin's right-to-farm law protects established apiaries.
Rock County sets no countywide numeric pet limit. Caps on the number of dogs or cats per household are set by each city, village, or town. The county's role is dog licensing and enforcement, not a household pet cap.
Wisconsin's cruelty statute (Ch. 951) makes it illegal to keep animals without proper food, water, and shelter, which is how hoarding is enforced. Rock County uses these state cruelty laws plus municipal pet limits; there is no separate county hoarding ordinance.
Livestock is allowed on agricultural land under the Rock County zoning ordinance (Wis. Stat. 59.69) in consenting unincorporated towns, and is generally prohibited in residential zones. Cities and villages set their own livestock limits. Right-to-farm law protects established farms.
Rock County has no blanket countywide wildlife-feeding ban, but deer and elk feeding is regulated statewide, and nuisance-feeding of wild animals is addressed by local codes. Attracting wildlife that becomes a nuisance can trigger municipal enforcement.
Rock County sets no general tree-trimming permit for private yards. The main county-level limit is on shoreland: near navigable water, cutting trees and shrubs is restricted under Wisconsin's NR 115 shoreland-protection standards. Elsewhere trimming is a municipal matter.
Rock County itself sets no countywide maximum grass height. Turfgrass mowing limits are a city or village matter (Janesville, Beloit, etc.), not county code. State law only compels destruction of noxious weeds, not routine lawn mowing.
Wisconsin law makes destroying noxious weeds mandatory statewide: every landowner must destroy Canada thistle, leafy spurge, field bindweed and other designated weeds. Towns, villages and cities may appoint a weed commissioner who can destroy weeds and bill the cost.
Rock County does not ban native or naturalized landscaping, but the mandatory noxious-weed duty still applies. Near navigable water, native shoreland buffers are actively encouraged under NR 115. Any grass-height limits come from your municipality.
Rock County has no general private-property tree-removal permit. The binding county-level restriction is near water: within 35 feet of the ordinary high water mark, clear-cutting trees and shrubs is prohibited and other removal needs a county permit under NR 115 shoreland zoning.
Collecting rainwater is legal in Wisconsin and Rock County sets no barrier to rain barrels. There is no state permit for a basic downspout rain barrel used for outdoor, non-potable purposes. Some cities add setup conditions.
Rock County encourages waste reduction and does not ban backyard composting. Wisconsin bans yard waste from landfills, so composting is favored. Nuisance conditions like odor or vermin are handled by municipal property-maintenance rules.
Rock County sets no countywide lawn-watering schedule. The state does not require a permit to water a lawn or private garden. Odd/even or drought watering limits, when they exist, come from your city or water utility, not the county.
Rock County has no countywide ordinance regulating artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any coverage or stormwater conditions, is decided by your city, village or town zoning, not the county.
Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code does not regulate outdoor residential pools, so no county pool permit exists. Permits are set by your town, city, or village. In unincorporated towns the county's zoning site permit governs where the pool sits.
Wisconsin's enforceable pool safety code (SPS 390) applies to public and semi-public pools, covering barriers, warning markers, and depth signage. Backyard-pool safety is left to local ordinance; the county sets no residential pool safety standard.
No county-wide residential pool fence rule exists; barriers are set by your town, city, or village. Wisconsin's statewide barrier standard (SPS 390.18) applies to public and semi-public pools: a barrier at least 5 feet high with self-closing, lockable gates.
Private residential hot tubs are not covered by Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, so Rock County sets no rule; check your town, city, or village. Public and semi-public spas must meet state SPS 390, including barrier and safety requirements.
Above-ground pools are not regulated by Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code, so there is no county rule. Your town, city, or village decides on permits and barriers. In unincorporated towns, county zoning setbacks apply to where the pool is placed.
In Rock County's unincorporated towns, a home occupation is allowed only as a conditional use that stays incidental to residential use and adds no external alteration changing the home's residential character. Cities and villages set their own home-business zoning.
Wisconsin lets home producers sell non-hazardous baked goods directly to consumers without a license (the 2017 Kivirist ruling), and sell home-canned high-acid pickles and preserves under the 'pickle bill' up to $5,000 a year at farmers' markets and community events.
In Rock County's unincorporated towns a home occupation is a conditional use, so a conditional use permit from the Plan Commission and Town Board may be required. Cities and villages issue their own home-occupation approvals. The county administers town zoning under Wis. Stat. 59.69.
Rock County town zoning ordinances tightly limit business signage. A home occupation, kept incidental to the residence, may not add external alterations changing residential character. Where a lighted sign is allowed for certain uses, town codes cap it around 24 square feet.
Family child care is licensed or certified by the state (DCF), not Rock County. A home caring for 4 to 8 children needs a state license; 3 or fewer children can be certified. Local zoning in your town, city, or village governs whether the home use is allowed.
Rock County has no BBQ ordinance, but Wisconsin's fire code follows the national rule: charcoal and open-flame grills cannot be used or stored on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. One- and two-family homes and fully sprinklered buildings are exempt.
Rock County sets no smoker-specific ordinance. At single-family homes, wood and pellet smokers are allowed as legitimate cooking devices exempt from open-burning rules. In apartments, the same fire-code limits on open-flame cooking near combustible balconies apply.
General yard setbacks are set by your city, village, or town zoning. Rock County directly enforces the mandatory shoreland setback: at least 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark of navigable waters for buildings and structures, under NR 115 and the county shoreland ordinance.
Maximum lot coverage and impervious-surface limits for general zoning are set by your city, village, or unincorporated town. Rock County directly limits impervious surface only within its shoreland districts, where NR 115 caps hard-surface coverage near navigable water.
Rock County sets no countywide building-height limit for general zoning. Maximum structure height in residential and rural districts is fixed by your city, village, or unincorporated town. The county regulates height only where shoreland, floodplain, or airport-overlay zoning applies.
Rock County does not run a countywide property-blight code. Blight, junk-storage and dilapidated-building rules are set by your city, village or town (Janesville, Beloit, Edgerton, etc.). The county's role is public-nuisance abatement authority under its ordinance and Wisconsin law.
Rock County sets no countywide rule on trash-cart storage or screening. Whether bins must be stored out of view or off the street is decided by your city, village or town. In Janesville the city issues and services the carts under its municipal solid-waste program.
Rock County has no countywide garage-sale or rummage-sale ordinance. Permit needs, allowed number of sales per year, hours and sign rules are set by your city, village or town. Many Rock County municipalities limit rummage sales to a few days and a few events per year.
Wisconsin does regulate weed-choked vacant lots, but through the noxious-weed statute and municipal codes rather than a Rock County blight ordinance. Under Wis. Stat. §66.0407 the local weed commissioner can order destruction of noxious weeds on any lot and bill the owner.
Rock County has no countywide lawn-height limit, but Wisconsin's noxious-weed statute applies everywhere. Wis. Stat. §66.0407 requires landowners to destroy noxious weeds; the local weed commissioner can cut them and charge you. Tall-grass height limits are set by your city or village.
For appliances, furniture, tires and other bulky items, Rock County residents use municipal bulk pickup and the Rock County/Janesville Sanitary Landfill and drop-off sites. Janesville offers appliance, tire and metal drop-offs; disposal fees apply. The county's Clean Sweep program handles household hazardous waste.
Rock County does not run residential curbside collection. Pickup is municipal: the City of Janesville collects trash and recycling from single-family and 2-to-4-unit homes with city carts, and other cities, villages and private haulers set their own schedules. Check your municipality for your day.
Wisconsin law bans specific recyclables from the trash statewide, so Rock County residents must separate them. Wis. Stat. 287.07 prohibits disposing of aluminum, glass, steel and plastic containers, cardboard, newspaper, magazines and office paper in a landfill or incinerator.
Rock County sets no countywide bin set-out rule. When and where to place carts at the curb, and how soon to remove them, are decided by your city, village or hauler. Janesville requires carts placed at the curb on your collection day per its city solid-waste program.
Illegal dumping is a state crime everywhere in Rock County. Under Wis. Stat. 287.81, depositing solid waste on any highway, waters, or public or private property brings a forfeiture up to $500, rising to $1,000 for large items like appliances, furniture, tires or building debris.
Rock County has no general dark-sky lighting ordinance, and neither does the City of Janesville. Outdoor lighting is mainly addressed through zoning conditions and shoreland standards, not a county-wide dark-sky code.
Rock County has no county-wide light-trespass ordinance. Glare or spillover from a neighbor's outdoor lights is generally handled as a private nuisance, or under any lighting rule your specific town or city has adopted.
Wisconsin law strongly protects yard signs. During an election campaign period, no county or municipality in Rock County may regulate the size, shape, placement or content of a political sign on your residential property, except narrow traffic-safety limits.
In Rock County, garage-sale signs can't legally go in the street or highway right-of-way. Wis. Stat. 86.19 bars any sign within street limits except traffic signs, and road authorities may remove and dispose of the rest.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Rock County ordinances.