Janesville, WI

Every property owner in the City of Janesville whose tree or shrub stands within or overhangs a public street must keep it trimmed under Code § 34-197: lower limbs at least seven feet…

In the City of Janesville, owners must remove any ash, elm, or other tree that the City Forester finds diseased, infested, or damaged and declares a public nuisance under Sec. 22-134…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 22-207 allows homeowners to replace mowed turf with a managed natural landscape of native plants and rain gardens, as long as the area stays weed-free…

In the City of Janesville, no owner, occupant, renter, or lessee may let noxious weeds grow on property they own or control, and Sec. 22-204(b) sets a hard 12-inch cap: any weed or…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 22-208 caps residential compost bins at 125 cubic feet and five feet in height, requires them in a rear yard only, at least five feet from a property…

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…

Wisconsin has no statute banning rainwater harvesting. Under Wis. Stat. 145.01(10)(br)1, a rainwater gutter or downspout is expressly excluded from the legal definition of "plumbing"…

In the City of Janesville, Section 24-443 of the Code of General Ordinances bars making loud or raucous noise through sound amplifiers or other instruments in public streets, parks or…

In the City of Janesville, Code § 8-9 requires every dog owner, possessor or keeper to stop their dog from barking or howling in the city. The rule only reaches barking or howling that…

In the City of Janesville, new construction inside the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport Overlay Zoning District must address noise sensitivity as a condition of its zoning/building…

Janesville bans unnecessary vehicle noise from squealing tires, revving engines, loud mufflers or a modified exhaust under City Code Section 38-254, carrying a forfeiture of $50.00 to…

Sec. 16-189(a) of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances allows wood-fired recreational fires only in commercially manufactured, above-ground campfire pits fitted with a lid and…

In the City of Janesville, every owner, possessor or occupant of a regulated structure or dwelling must install and maintain approved, fully operable smoke detectors under Sec. 16-33…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 16-188 of the Code of General Ordinances bans burning rubbish, trash, leaves or debris anywhere in the city except under three narrow carve-outs for…

Sec. 16-217 of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances bans possessing, buying, storing, selling, displaying, igniting or exploding fireworks or firecrackers prohibited by the State…

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…

Wisconsin uniformly regulates propane storage, installation, and handling under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 340, adopting NFPA 58 statewide and preempting inconsistent local rules through…

Wisconsin DNR designates statewide Fire Protection Areas under Wis. Stat. § 26.11 where the agency holds primary wildfire suppression authority and enforces stricter ignition rules…

In the City of Janesville, no residential lot may keep more than four dogs and cats combined, and never more than three of either species. Sec. 8-76 of the Code of General Ordinances…

In the City of Janesville, keeping honey bees on a residential lot requires an annual license from the City Clerk-Treasurer under Sec. 8-80, plus compliance with hive counts, ten-foot…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 8-159 makes it unlawful to feed, provide or give food or any other edible item to a goose or duck, or a flock of geese or ducks, on public property or…

In the City of Janesville, Code § 8-47 bars anyone from keeping a wild, exotic or vicious animal as a pet, naming venomous and constricting snakes, tarantulas, monkeys, raccoons…

In the City of Janesville, a dog away from its owner's principal place of residence must be on a leash no longer than six feet under Code § 8-3(c), and § 8-5 flatly bars any owner from…

Janesville does not ban any dog breed by name. Instead, Code § 8-43 lets police authorities kill any dog, licensed or not, that is known or reasonably believed to be mad, vicious or…

In the City of Janesville, Code § 8-70 bars horses, goats, pigs and most livestock and poultry inside the city unless a residence is 150 feet from the nearest building, but any…

In the City of Janesville, an animal hospital or veterinary clinic is only a conditional use in the B2 Community Shopping District, requiring Plan Commission approval, but the same…

Rock County has no cat-licensing scheme, but it does adopt Wisconsin's rabies-control law for cats: an officer who has reason to believe a cat bit someone or was exposed to rabies must…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 10-27(b) requires any outdoor pool, hot tub or spa with a side wall over 30 inches to be enclosed by a fence or wall at least four feet high that cannot…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 10-27(b)(5) requires a City pool permit for any pool with a side wall greater than 30 inches high, issued through the Building Division. Sec…

In the City of Janesville, a family day care home caring for up to eight children is a permitted use by right in the R1 Single-Family and Two-Family Residence District under Code §…

Janesville bars any exterior sign or visible evidence of a home-based business. Sec. 42-275(a)(3) requires that the exterior of the home or yard show no display or evidence of the home…

Janesville's home occupation ordinance bars any home-based business from generating extra traffic or parking demand for the neighborhood. Sec. 42-275(a)(5) forbids transacting business…

Home occupations are allowed in any Janesville dwelling unit, but Sec. 42-275 caps the business area at 25 percent of the home's gross floor area, requires the use to stay inside the…

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…

Wisconsin has never created a microenterprise home kitchen permit, and it has no exemption that lets you cook meals in your own kitchen and sell them. Wis. Stat. § 97.30(2)(a) requires…

In the City of Janesville, no person may erect or maintain barbed wire or an electric fence on residential property under Code § 42-356(h)(4)c. Opaque metal fencing, chicken wire…

In the City of Janesville, a fence permit from the Building Division is required before installing, constructing, erecting, placing or replacing any fence under Code § 42-356(a), with…

Janesville requires a fence permit before installing almost any fence and caps height by yard and district: four feet for semi-transparent front-yard fences, six feet along interior…

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…

In the City of Janesville, driveways and off-street parking areas must be surfaced with a dustless, all-weather material like asphalt, concrete or brick under Code § 42-359(b)(1), and…

A Janesville loading zone is curbside space where City Code Section 38-28 bars anyone from parking, stopping or leaving a vehicle standing for any purpose unless the vehicle is…

A curb painted yellow in Janesville is an official no-parking marker in its own right. City Code Section 38-29 states that a curb painted yellow, solidly or intermittently, counts as…

Janesville bars parking any large vehicle over 20 feet long or 12,000 pounds gross vehicle weight on a residential street for more than two consecutive hours under City Code Section…

On-street parking in Janesville must sit parallel and headed the same direction traffic moves, per City Code Section 38-338, and Section 38-336 bars parking within four feet of any…

When Janesville's Director of Public Works declares a Winter Weather Emergency, City Code Section 38-343 bars parking on any street until the snow, sleet or freezing rain there has…

Janesville lets homeowners keep camping and recreational equipment such as boats, travel trailers and motor homes on private residential property under Zoning Code Section…

In the City of Janesville a motor vehicle left in one spot on public property over 48 hours, or on private property without the occupant's permission for more than an hour, is an…

The courthouse parking lots in Janesville, the seat of Rock County government, close to all parking between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless the police department gives specific permission…

Wisconsin caps what a towing service may charge you after a nonconsensual tow from private property. Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1) limits removal to $150 regardless of the…

In the City of Janesville, a detached garage or accessory building must sit at least five feet from any other building on the lot and comply with district setbacks under Code § 42-362…

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…

In the City of Janesville's R1 District, a bed and breakfast with one to four boarders is a permitted use, but hosting five to eight boarders requires a conditional use permit and caps…

Janesville's zoning code has no Airbnb-style short-term rental ordinance. A home that rents rooms for pay is instead classified as a bed and breakfast establishment. One to four…

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…

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…

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…

In the City of Janesville, Sections 18-107 and 18-121 of the Housing Regulations put extermination duties on owners and occupants alike. Occupants clear rodents and vermin from…

In the City of Janesville, Section 24-509 of the Code of General Ordinances bars anyone under 17 from congregating, loitering or wandering in public streets, parks, playgrounds and…

In the City of Janesville, city parks close to the public between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under Code of General Ordinances Section 26-17, and several named parks shut down even…

In the City of Janesville, anyone selling cigarettes, tobacco or vaping products at retail must hold a City of Janesville retail cigarette and tobacco product license. The ordinance…

In the City of Janesville, a secondhand article dealer or secondhand jewelry dealer must hold a City license before buying or reselling used goods. Purchased items must be held on the…

In the City of Janesville, a pawnbroker must hold a City license and post a $1,000.00 bond with at least two sureties before lending against pledged goods. Pawned items must sit on the…

In the City of Janesville, operating a massage establishment requires a separate City license from any individual massage technician license, unless Wisconsin's Chapter 460 preemption…

In the City of Janesville, no adult oriented establishment or adult entertainment establishment can operate without an annual license from the City Clerk-Treasurer under Code § 4-3…

The City of Janesville authorizes the Janesville Police Department and contracted towing services to immobilize, tow, impound and dispose of unregistered motor vehicles found on a…

Janesville bans vehicle and motor repair as a home occupation outright. Sec. 42-275(a)(8)k lists vehicle and motor repair among the uses prohibited from operating out of a residence…

Rock County requires anyone operating a tattoo or body piercing establishment to hold an establishment license issued by the Rock County Public Health Department. No license issues…

In the City of Janesville, hotel keepers, motel operators and other persons furnishing accommodations to the public must collect an 8 percent room tax on the retail rate for rooms…

In the City of Janesville, installing or altering electrical wiring, fire alarm systems or life-safety circuits needs a permit from the Electrical Inspector under Code of General…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 10-10 requires a Building Division permit before anyone erects, alters, enlarges, moves or demolishes a building or structure, or builds a new parking…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 10-16 requires inspections under Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters SPS 320 and 361, including a mandatory occupancy inspection before any building…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 10-53 adopts the Janesville Plumbing Code and the Wisconsin Plumbing Code, SPS 381-387, by reference for every plumbing installation. Sec. 10-55…

In the City of Janesville, anyone engaged in door-to-door solicitation must register with the City Clerk, pay a non-refundable fee, and hold a valid solicitor permit approved by the…

In the City of Janesville, solicitors may not call at any dwelling between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. except by appointment, and a posted "No Peddlers" or "No Solicitors" sign bars a…

In the City of Janesville, non-motorized food carts cannot use public bike trails or sidewalks at all, under Code § 12-166(l)(5), except within the B5 and B6 downtown zoning districts…

In the City of Janesville, every mobile food vending vehicle and non-motorized cart must be licensed under Code § 12-166(d) before it can sell anything in the City. Fees run $250.00…

In the City of Janesville, licensed mobile food vending vehicles may sell full menus only in conservancy, commercial or industrial zoning districts, limited to frozen treats in…

In the City of Janesville, land-disturbing construction activity needs an erosion and sediment control permit from the Director before work starts, per Code § 10-171(a). The site plan…

In the City of Janesville, post-construction stormwater management under City Code § 32-99 applies to any site disturbing one acre or more, with exemptions for low-imperviousness sites…

In the City of Janesville, the Floodplain Overlay District created by Article XIV of Chapter 42 divides every mapped floodplain into a Floodway, a Floodfringe and a General Floodplain…

In the City of Janesville, 'flood protection elevation' means two feet of freeboard above the regional flood's water surface profile, and any new house built in the Floodfringe…

Janesville has no standalone boat dock permit ordinance. Piers, docks, walkways and trail bridges built on pilings are a permitted use, not a conditional use, inside the…

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…

In the City of Janesville, the Building Official can order any old, dilapidated or unsafe building, fence, billboard or sign to be razed or repaired under Code § 10-241(a). Owners have…

City Code § 34-59 gives every occupant, and every owner of an unoccupied lot, 12 hours after a snowstorm ends to clear the abutting sidewalk and the near half of connecting crosswalks…

In the City of Janesville, owners of vacant land cannot use the natural-landscaping exception to skip mowing: Sec. 22-207(b)(5) flatly bars natural lawns and natural landscaping on…

Anyone holding a parade, run, walk or bicycle event on a public street in the City of Janesville needs written permission from the Chief of Police under Code § 34-175. The Police…

In the City of Janesville, a sidewalk cafe on public terrace or sidewalk property is allowed only in the B5 Central Business and B6 Central Service zoning districts, under Code §…

In the City of Janesville, a civic or special event organizer who wants more than one mobile food vendor at a private-property event must notify the Building and Development Services…

In the City of Janesville, Section 26-10 of the Code of General Ordinances makes park facilities and structures available to civic groups, organizations or individuals on a reservation…

Dumping refuse in a Janesville street, alley, sidewalk or on public property is banned outright under Code § 34-342, covering filth, ashes, dirt, debris, straw, paper and litter, plus…

The City of Janesville bans leaves on any street or highway before October 1 or after the City's fall leaf collection has passed that street under Code § 34-341(a). Grass clippings and…

In the City of Janesville, collection carts must face the street immediately adjacent to the curb, gutter or pavement edge and cannot go out before 24 hours ahead of pickup or after…

The City of Janesville runs a mandatory recycling program under City Code §§ 30-93 and 30-94: every occupant of a single-family, two-to-four-unit, multi-family or nonresidential…

Beyond what must be separated, City Code § 30-96 requires that separated recyclables in the City of Janesville stay clean and free of contaminants like food residue, oil, grease…

In the City of Janesville, residents must set out solid waste and recyclables no earlier than 24 hours before their scheduled collection day and before 7:00 a.m. on collection day…

City Code § 34-60 bars displaying or storing merchandise or personal property on any Janesville sidewalk without Council authorization, except in the B5 and B6 downtown zoning…

A Janesville business owner may extend a canopy, marquee or awning over the public sidewalk under City Code § 34-61, but § 10-28 requires at least 10 feet of clearance for canopies and…

In the City of Janesville, Section 24-333(b)(4) of the Code of General Ordinances bans smoking anywhere on City premises, including any building, parking ramp or lot, park or trail the…

In the City of Janesville, Section 24-215 of the Code of General Ordinances makes it unlawful to intentionally show bare buttocks, genitals or female nipples in a public place, defined…

In the City of Janesville, Section 24-449 of the Code of General Ordinances bars remaining in a group or crowd on public streets, sidewalks, doorways, crossings or bridges once a…

In the City of Janesville, Section 24-595 of the Code of General Ordinances bars possessing marijuana unless it was obtained from, or under a valid prescription from, a practitioner…

In the City of Janesville, drinking or carrying an alcoholic beverage for immediate consumption on streets, sidewalks, parks, public parking lots, school property or other public…

In the City of Janesville, Code § 38-611 bans skateboarding on any street, sidewalk, or public property within a defined downtown zone and on all City parking lots, with City-owned…

Sec. 16-189(a) of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances confines wood-fired outdoor cooking, such as a smoker or grill, to a portable, commercially manufactured cooking device used…

Sec. 16-189(b) of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances lets residents run gas-fed grills and propane cooking devices if the equipment is listed by an agency such as Underwriters…

Sec. 18-103 of the Janesville Housing Regulations sets minimum conditions every occupied dwelling and its premises must meet, covering exterior upkeep, structural soundness and…

Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.17 sets the pre-eviction notice. For nonpayment of rent on a month-to-month tenancy or a lease of one year or less, the landlord gives a 5-day notice to pay or…

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…

Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.05(2) lets a landlord enter only on advance notice and at reasonable times to inspect, repair, or show the unit. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2) makes that…

Under Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.19, either the landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy with at least 28 days' written notice. If rent is payable on a basis less…

Wisconsin prohibits rent control statewide. Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 bars every city, village, town, and county from regulating the amount of rent charged for a residential rental unit…

Wisconsin Statute 66.0104 bars municipalities from requiring rental registration or licensing and limits inspection programs to designated districts with blight or code problems…

Wisconsin sets no statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. After a tenancy ends, the landlord must mail or deliver the deposit, less lawful deductions, within 21…

Wisconsin recognizes three adverse-possession tracks. The default under Wis. Stat. Sec. 893.25 is 20 years of uninterrupted possession with no written instrument. Sec. 893.26 shortens…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 22-204(a) names 24 specific plants as noxious weeds regardless of how tall they grow, including buckthorn, Canada thistle, garlic mustard, purple…

In the City of Janesville, Sec. 22-206 lets residents plant gardens but keeps them out of the yard perimeter clearance, at least two feet from front, rear, and side lot lines, bans…

In the City of Janesville, the City Council gives itself exclusive control of every street tree, shrub, and other planting in streets, parks, rights-of-way, and easements under Sec…

In the City of Janesville, an off-premises sign, including one facing Interstate 90, can only go up on a parcel fronting one of eleven listed streets or highway segments under Code…

In the City of Janesville, signs on the inside of a window are exempt from the sign code's permit and size limits under Code Section 28-200, with two exceptions: window signs are…

In the City of Janesville, an off-premises sign that meets the electronic message sign definition, a digital billboard, cannot go up without a conditional sign permit from the Plan…

In the City of Janesville, political signs are exempt from the sign code's permitting, size and placement rules under Code Section 28-190. They still have to follow the chapter's…

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…

In the City of Janesville, off-premises electronic billboards cannot be illuminated brighter than necessary for adequate visibility under Code Section 28-189(d)(11)c. The Chief of…

In the City of Janesville, exterior lighting on development in office and business zoning districts must use full cut-off fixtures under Code § 42-389(5)a and stay under a…

In the City of Janesville, exterior illumination on office and business district development cannot exceed 0.5 footcandle above ambient light at any property line under Code §…

In the City of Janesville, a principal building in the R1 Single-Family and Two-Family Residence District cannot rise above two and one-half stories or 30 feet, whichever is greater…

In the City of Janesville, the R1 Single-Family and Two-Family Residence District requires a 25-foot front yard, an eight-foot side yard, and a 25-foot rear yard for every principal…

In the City of Janesville, the R1 Single-Family and Two-Family Residence District requires 25 percent of a lot's gross area kept as unpaved green area and 40 percent left as open space…

In the City of Janesville it is unlawful to camp on city park property, any public parking ramp, or other city-owned property the common council off-limits, except when the city…

In the City of Janesville a bicyclist on a roadway holds all the rights and duties of a motor vehicle operator under Code § 38-517, and sidewalk riding is unlawful in the Central…

Rock County caps e-bicycles, e-scooters and other vehicles at 15 mph on County Bike Paths that allow their use, under County Ordinance Sec. 5.02(1)(G). Riders must also comply with…

Wisconsin splits these two machines apart in the definitions and then treats them completely differently. A low-speed vehicle has a statewide right of the road: under Wis. Stat. s…

Janesville has no separate cultural monument designation. Sites of architectural, cultural or political significance are protected through the Historic Overlay District in Sec…

Rock County bans operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, in any county park without the Parks Manager's written consent, under Sec. 5.02(17)(I). The same rule also requires…

Wisconsin commercial drone operators follow FAA Part 107. Wis. Stat. 114.045 sets state no-fly zones over prisons, schools, and utilities, and local governments cannot regulate flight…

Wisconsin has a partial drone framework: local governments generally cannot regulate drone flight, but Wis. Stat. 114.045 sets state no-fly zones over prisons, schools, and utilities…

Wisconsin has no legal recreational or medical marijuana dispensary program. State law prohibits cannabis sales, so no municipality can authorize dispensary operations through zoning…

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…

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 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…

Wisconsin preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under Wis. Stat. 103.007, ensuring statewide uniformity for employer scheduling practices and forbidding…

Wisconsin Statute 66.0409 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, barring cities, villages, towns, and counties from enacting ordinances stricter than state law on possession…

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…

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…

Wisconsin requires footings and foundations to sit below the frost penetration level or at least 48 inches below adjacent grade, whichever is deeper, so 48 inches is a floor, not a…

Wisconsin's dwelling code sets minimum roof snow loads from a state zone map and does not state a ground snow load at all, which is the opposite of how most states publish the figure.

Wisconsin bans gambling as a crime, but Wis. Stat. § 563.11(1) lets bona fide religious, charitable, service, fraternal, or veterans organizations apply to the Department of…

Wisconsin's gambling code has no carve-out for private social games. Wis. Stat. § 945.01(1) defines 'bet' and lists eight exceptions, business deals, contest prizes, bingo, pari-mutuel…

Wisconsin has no commercial sportsbook law. Wis. Stat. § 945.02 makes placing any bet a Class B misdemeanor unless it fits a listed exception, and § 945.01(1)(h), added by 2025…

Wisconsin has no comprehensive non-condo HOA act. Condominium associations get a statutory assessment lien under Wis. Stat. § 703.165 that is foreclosed like a mortgage. Non-condo HOAs…

Wisconsin condominiums run through an association of unit owners under Wis. Stat. § 703.15, which sets meeting-notice, proxy, and voting rules. Non-condo HOAs are governed as nonstock…

Wisconsin overrides anti-solar and anti-wind HOA restrictions by statute. Wis. Stat. § 236.292 voids restrictions on platted land that prevent or unduly restrict solar or wind energy…

Wisconsin protects flag display through two separate statutes, and which one applies depends on whether you own a condominium unit or a lot in a covenanted subdivision. Wis. Stat. §…

Wisconsin sets no dollar cap on association fines and requires no hearing before one is imposed. For condominiums, Wis. Stat. § 703.24(2) makes a unit owner liable for any charges…

Only Wisconsin condominium associations hold a statutory collection lien. Wis. Stat. § 703.165(3) gives the association a lien for unpaid assessments if it files a statement of…

Wisconsin runs the opposite way from states that shield owners who lease. Wis. Stat. § 703.10(3) expressly authorizes condominium bylaws to carry any restriction on the use of the…

You will not meet an OWI checkpoint in Wisconsin. Wis. Stat. § 349.02(2)(a) forbids a police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, traffic officer or motor vehicle inspector from stopping…

Wisconsin is a one-party consent state. Wis. Stat. § 968.31(2)(c) makes it lawful for a person not acting under color of law to intercept a wire, electronic or oral communication when…

Wisconsin has no general stop-and-identify offense. Wis. Stat. § 968.24 lets an officer who has first identified himself or herself as law enforcement stop you in a public place, for a…

Wisconsin is unusual in codifying the grounds for a search at all. Wis. Stat. § 968.10 says a search may be made and things seized only when it is incident to a lawful arrest, with…

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…

Wisconsin Statute 823.08 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, requiring courts to dismiss claims unless the farm substantially threatens…

Wisconsin does not merely limit what a homeowners' association may say about solar. Wis. Stat. § 236.292(2) declares that all restrictions on platted land that prevent or unduly…

Wisconsin Statute 66.0401 broadly preempts municipalities and counties from restricting solar and wind energy systems unless restrictions serve specific public health, safety, or…

Wisconsin Statute 134.66 bars selling cigarettes and tobacco to anyone under 18 and vapor products to anyone under 21. The federal Tobacco 21 law independently requires all tobacco and…

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…

Wisconsin's rule on extra lighting is a colour rule with a count attached. Wis. Stat. § 347.07(2) bars operating any vehicle on a highway displaying a colour other than white or amber…

Wisconsin never legislated dash cams, so the governing rule is the windshield rule, and Wisconsin's version is a closed list. Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 305.34(6) bars any posters…

Wisconsin has never legislated lane splitting in either direction. The phrases "lane splitting" and "between lanes" appear nowhere in chs. 340 to 351, the whole Wisconsin Vehicle Code…

Wisconsin attacks plate covers from two directions. Wis. Stat. s. 341.61 (3) makes it an offence carrying a forfeiture of up to $500 to place any substance on a plate that hinders its…

A radar detector is lawful in a private car in Wisconsin. The phrase "radar detector" appears nowhere in the Wisconsin Statutes or the Wisconsin Administrative Code, and the equipment…

Wisconsin gives ordinary drivers no studded-tire season at all. Wis. Stat. s. 347.45 (2) bans any block, stud, flange, cleat, spike or other non-rubber protuberance that projects…

Wisconsin puts its tint numbers in the Department of Transportation's equipment rules, not in the statute book. Aftermarket film on the vent and front side windows must still pass at…