Milton, WI
Pop. 5,716 · Rock County
Most looked-up rules in Milton
The topics readers look up most across the site, as they apply in Milton.
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🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
📋 Other
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsMilton bans dogs, cats and other animals from running at large anywhere off their owner's premises unless kept under leash control, and the ordinance caps the leash itself at six feet…
Chickens & Livestock
Significant RestrictionsGeneral livestock is barred outside agriculturally zoned land, but the City of Milton lets residential property owners keep up to eight chickens, 16 quail or eight ducks (20 combined)…
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsMilton caps households at a combined total of four dogs and cats over five months old, with no more than three of either species inside that total, though animals licensed before 1999…
Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsThe City of Milton bans keeping any dangerous, wild or vicious animal as a pet under its animal control ordinance. A short list of captive-bred exceptions survives: guard dogs…
Beekeeping
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton bans honeybee hives on non-agricultural land unless the keeper obtains a city permit, caps hives at two per parcel, and imposes setbacks and a flyway barrier that…
Cat Rules
Some RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
Wildlife Feeding
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin prohibits baiting and feeding deer in counties with chronic wasting disease (CWD) or bovine TB under Wis. Stat. 29.336 and NR 10.07. The Department of Natural Resources…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a building permit before constructing, altering or remodeling a permanent swimming pool, applied for in writing to the building inspector with plans and the…
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires in-ground pools to have a four-foot fence with self-closing, self-latching gates, and above-ground pools to have a barrier extending more than three feet…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Barking Dogs
Light RestrictionsMilton makes it unlawful to keep any animal or fowl whose frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking or crowing greatly annoys or disturbs a neighborhood or a considerable number…
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bans vehicle stereos and sound systems that are clearly audible 50 feet or more from the car, and requires every engine's exhaust to run through a muffler…
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsUsing a loudspeaker or amplifying device on Milton's streets or in its parks requires a permit from the chief of police under Code § 70-4(c). The chief can only issue permits for use…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsMilton, Wisconsin's zoning code sets a maximum sound-pressure increase over ambient noise at the lot line, measured with a Type 2 ANSI-certified meter, ranging from plus 3 dBA in…
Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsMilton's general noise ban in Code § 70-4(a) prohibits any loud and unnecessary noise at any hour, and subsection (b)(3) adds a specific nighttime rule: playing a radio, phonograph or…
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsConstruction and infrastructure work that makes loud or unusual noise, pile drivers, jackhammers, excavation, demolition, is barred outside 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., seven days a week…
🚗 Parking Rules
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin limits how long a boat, camper, boat trailer, recreational trailer or work trailer can sit on a city street or in a public parking space: Code Section…
Overnight Parking
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin does not impose a single citywide overnight parking ban. Instead, Code Section 70-153 lists specific street segments, including stretches of College…
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bans parking truck tractors, semitrailers and other commercial motor vehicles weighing 12,000 pounds or more gross weight on any city street or public…
Snow Removal Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bans parking on any street or municipal lot once 1.5 inches of snow has fallen, and the ban stays in force until the street has been plowed or cleared to…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsMilton's zoning code bars parking any motor vehicle in a residential front yard except on an approved driveway, and requires that driveway to be paved. Under § 78-06.06, paved pads of…
EV Charging
Light RestrictionsThe City of Milton allows electric vehicle charging as an accessory use in every zoning district, requiring only that equipment not block pedestrian paths, that voltage and contact…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsMilton bans storing a disassembled, inoperable, unlicensed, junked or wrecked motor vehicle in the open on public or private property for more than three days, with an exception for…
Loading Zones
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Milton, Wisconsin, a vehicle cannot sit in a marked loading zone or a business-district alley unless it is actively loading, unloading, or picking up passengers with a…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bars parking within ten feet of a fire hydrant or mailbox, within four feet of a driveway or alley entrance, in a business-district alley or loading zone…
Towing & Impound Rights
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsMilton requires a City of Milton Room Tax Permit and a nonrefundable administrative fee before it issues an annual short-term rental license. The license fee amount itself is set by…
Short-Term Rental Permits
Significant RestrictionsMilton bars operating a short-term rental more than ten nights per license year without a city short-term rental license, on top of a state Tourist Rooming House license and a…
Occupancy Limits
Some RestrictionsMilton caps short-term rental occupancy at whichever is less: the number licensed by the State of Wisconsin, or two guests per bedroom plus two more. The zoning code also sets a…
Night Caps
Some RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Some RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Outdoor Burning
Significant RestrictionsOpen burning, outdoor burning and refuse burning are banned everywhere in the City of Milton, Wisconsin unless Section 50-33 specifically permits it. Even permitted yard-debris burning…
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Some RestrictionsRecreational fires in the City of Milton, Wisconsin must be confined to a barrel, fire ring or fire pit, and a bonfire needs fire-chief approval. Non-campfire open burning has to sit…
Smoke Detectors
Some RestrictionsMilton has no standalone smoke-alarm ordinance. Instead, City Code § 10-81 adopts the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (Wis. Admin. Code Chs. SPS 320-325, 327-328) by reference for…
Fireworks
Significant RestrictionsRock CountyRock County adopts Wisconsin's fireworks statute, Wis. Stat. § 167.10, in full by ordinance and raises the maximum penalty to a $1,000 forfeiture. Possessing or using anything that…
Brush Clearance
Some RestrictionsRock CountyWisconsin 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…
Propane Storage
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin uniformly regulates propane storage, installation, and handling under Wis. Admin. Code SPS 340, adopting NFPA 58 statewide and preempting inconsistent local rules through…
Wildfire Zones
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin DNR designates statewide Fire Protection Areas under Wis. Stat. § 26.11 where the agency holds primary wildfire suppression authority and enforces stricter ignition rules…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsMilton allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot under City of Milton Code of Ordinances Sec. 78-03.28(1), capped at 750 square feet. The owner must occupy either the…
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsA shed or storage building in the City of Milton can sit in the side or rear yard setback, but not the front, only if it is no taller than 16 feet and no larger than 120 square feet…
Tiny Homes
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin'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…
💼 Home Business
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Some RestrictionsMilton limits in-person sales at a home occupation to by-appointment clients only, under City of Milton Code Sec. 78-03.28(5)(o). Walk-in retail traffic is not allowed; the ordinance…
Signage Rules
Significant RestrictionsMilton bars any exterior evidence of a home occupation, which functions as a no-signage rule for home-based businesses, under City of Milton Code Sec. 78-03.28(5)(e). The permit…
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsMilton's zoning ordinance lets residents run a home occupation inside their dwelling under City of Milton Code Sec. 78-03.28(5), capped at 20 percent of finished floor area or 300…
Cottage Food Operations
Some RestrictionsRock CountyWisconsin 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…
Home Daycare
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Home Kitchen Operations
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Weed Ordinances
Some RestrictionsMilton caps grass and weeds at one foot: § 26-71 makes it every property owner's duty to mow noxious weeds and grasses across their premises, including terraces and adjoining…
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Significant RestrictionsIt is unlawful to damage or remove a public tree in Milton without the public works director's written permission under § 26-78(a). On private property, a tree the director finds…
Tree Trimming
Some RestrictionsOwners and occupants must keep trees along Milton streets pruned to a 15-foot clearance over the street or alley and eight feet over any other public place. Section 26-76 puts the…
Water Restrictions
Some RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
Rainwater Harvesting
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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"…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsMilton, Wisconsin exempts fences from the building permit requirement that applies to structures generally, but a permanent fence still needs zoning administrator review and approval…
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsMilton, Wisconsin's zoning code caps residential fences at 4 feet in a front or street yard and 6 feet in a side or rear yard for most districts, rising to 8 feet in side and rear…
Material Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bans a long list of fence materials, including rope, wire products, cut or broken glass, plywood, and corrugated metal panels, and restricts barbed wire…
Neighbor Fence Rules
Some RestrictionsRock CountyWisconsin'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…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Flood Zones
Heavy RestrictionsMilton (NFIP CID 550026) participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Floodplain development in Rock County is regulated under Wis. Stat. §87.30 and Wis. Admin. Code NR 116…
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsChapter 79 of the Milton Code sets a two-foot freeboard above the regional flood elevation as the city's flood protection elevation. New and substantially improved homes in the…
Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsMilton requires a city permit and an erosion and sediment control plan before land-disturbing construction of one acre or more, and the plan's best management practices must cut…
Stormwater Management
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton regulates post-construction runoff under Chapter 10, Article VII, Division 2 of its municipal code. Land-disturbing construction meeting the size thresholds in Sec…
Coastal Development
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin'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…
🔧 Building Safety
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a building permit from the building inspector before any structure is erected, enlarged, altered, moved or demolished within city limits. Working without…
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a permit from the building inspector before any electric wiring or equipment is installed or altered, and all work must conform to the state electrical…
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a permit before installing or altering plumbing or drainage, work must be done by a state-licensed plumber, and everything must conform to the state…
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
No-Knock Registry
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton bars direct sellers from calling on homes between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., from calling anywhere posting a "No Peddlers" or "No Solicitors" sign, and from knocking…
Solicitor Permits
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires every direct seller, including peddlers, solicitors and transient merchants, to register with the city clerk before selling door-to-door, with a background…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsMilton requires every occupant, from single-family homes through non-residential properties, to separate 21 categories of recyclables, from lead-acid batteries to plastics No. 1…
Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsEvery residential unit in Milton, single-family through four-family, must have solid waste and recycling collected through the city's own service; there is no other lawful method of…
Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsCommercial, multi-family, institutional, mixed-use, and industrial dumpsters in Milton must sit inside a six-foot-tall enclosure that fully screens them from view, under City of Milton…
Yard Waste Collection
Some RestrictionsMilton runs a scheduled brush collection program under § 26-81: branches must be under eight inches in diameter, stacked at the curb pointing with traffic flow in piles no taller than…
Bulk Item Disposal
Some RestrictionsMilton's solid waste ordinance defines residential bulk items as furniture, mattresses, fencing, swing sets and similar backyard junk longer than four feet or heavier than 50 pounds…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsMilton residents must set garbage and recycling out curbside, keep containers under 50 pounds combined weight, return empty carts to storage within 12 hours of pickup, and cannot store…
Illegal Dumping
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton bans dumping glass, rubbish, waste, dirt, gravel or any other refuse on streets, alleys, parks, someone else's private property or into any body of water within city…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Pawnbrokers
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a common council-issued license before anyone operates as a pawnbroker within city limits. Applicants post a $1,000 bond and pass a police background check…
Secondhand Dealers
Significant RestrictionsMilton licenses secondhand article dealers and secondhand jewelry dealers as separate categories from pawnbrokers, each with its own fee under Chapter 14, Article XII. Garage sales…
Adult Entertainment
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton confines adult-oriented entertainment to a dedicated (AO) zoning district that the common council creates only case by case at a property owner's request, requiring…
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Heavy RestrictionsMilton's zoning ordinance flatly bars vehicle and motor repair as a home occupation. City of Milton Code Sec. 78-03.28(5)(n) lists 'the sales or repair of large appliances, vehicles…
Tobacco Retail License
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a license from the city clerk before manufacturing, selling, exchanging or giving away cigarettes or tobacco products, issued under the process the state…
Tattoo & Body Modification
Some RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Vending Zones
Some RestrictionsMilton mobile vendors, including food trucks, may operate on private property only with the property owner's permission, and on public property only during a permitted special event…
Food Truck Permits
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin requires all food trucks to be licensed as Mobile Retail Food Establishments under Wis. Stat. ch. 97 and ATCP 75. State licensing is uniform statewide, though local zoning…
🌙 Curfew Laws
Juvenile Curfew
Some RestrictionsMilton, Wisconsin bars anyone under 16 from public streets after 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends, and 16 and 17-year-olds after 11 p.m. weeknights and midnight weekends…
Park Curfew
Some RestrictionsMilton's public parks close nightly at 11:30 p.m. and reopen at 6:00 a.m.; the community house next to the parks stays open later, until 1:00 a.m. Anyone found in a city park during…
🛴 Mobility & Curb Rules
Bike Lane Rules
Light RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin requires cyclists to keep both hands on the handlebars, forbids coasting with feet off the pedals, bans parking a bike where it creates a hazard to…
E-Bike Classes
Some RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
Golf Carts & Low-Speed Vehicles
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🚷 Public Conduct
Skateboarding Rules
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bans skateboarding on state highways 59 and 26, County Highway M, High Street, part of Hilltop Drive, and the commercial stretches of Merchant Row and…
Public Marijuana Use
Significant RestrictionsPossessing marijuana anywhere in the City of Milton, Wisconsin, public or private, is a citable municipal offense under Section 50-116, drawing a $50 to $200 forfeiture for an adult…
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsMilton bans smoking outdoors on any property the city owns. Section 30-143(e) states that no person may smoke outdoors on any property owned by the City of Milton, with the sole…
Loitering Rules
Some RestrictionsStanding, sitting, loafing or loitering on a City of Milton, Wisconsin street or sidewalk is unlawful only when it blocks the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles, or blocks entry…
Public Alcohol Use
Some RestrictionsDrinking or carrying an open alcoholic or fermented malt beverage on Milton, Wisconsin streets, sidewalks, parks or public parking lots is banned under Section 50-115, with a permit…
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Repairs & Habitability
Some RestrictionsMilton's Code of Ordinances puts a binding repair duty on landlords for every residential tenancy in the City of Milton, Rock County, Wisconsin. Section 38-60 voids any lease clause…
Eviction Notice & Process
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWis. 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…
Just Cause Eviction
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin Statute 66.0104 and Act 317 prevent municipalities from limiting landlord-tenant relationships beyond state law, including any local just-cause eviction requirement. Eviction…
Landlord Entry & Notice
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWis. 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…
Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate
Some RestrictionsWisconsinUnder 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…
Rent Control
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Rental Registration
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin Statute 66.0104 bars municipalities from requiring rental registration or licensing and limits inspection programs to designated districts with blight or code problems…
Security Deposit Rules
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Sidewalk Repair
Some RestrictionsMilton Code § 66-91 puts the duty to build and perpetually maintain an abutting sidewalk on the property owner, at the owner's own cost, once the common council orders a walk laid…
Obstruction Rules
Some RestrictionsMilton Code § 66-171 bars anyone from encroaching on or obstructing any street, alley, sidewalk or public ground in the city, or letting such an obstruction sit on the public way next…
Encroachment Permits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton lets a property owner temporarily occupy a street, alley or sidewalk for construction or building-moving work through a street privilege permit under Code § 66-173…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin does not cap building footprint directly. Instead it limits total impervious surface, driveways, patios and buildings combined, to 75 percent of the lot…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsA principal house in the City of Milton's SR-7, SR-10, MH-7 and Adult-Oriented districts is capped at 35 feet under the Chapter 78 bulk table, while the Rural Holding, Intensive…
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Milton's SR-7 single-family district, principal buildings must sit back 20 feet from the front lot line, 8 feet from side lines, 20 feet from the rear line, and 15 feet…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Some RestrictionsMilton's property-maintenance code, Chapter 26 Article III, declares substandard, deteriorating structures a public nuisance and menace to property values. Section 26-35 sets…
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Some RestrictionsCity of Milton ordinance section 66-71 puts snow and ice removal squarely on the abutting property owner. Business-zoned lots must be cleared by 10:00 a.m. daily; residential…
☀️ Solar Energy
Panel Permits
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Milton requires a building permit and treats every large solar energy system as a conditional use, while a small rooftop or accessory solar array on a house carries no…
HOA Restrictions
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsMilton, Wisconsin's zoning code caps outdoor illumination at 1.0 foot-candle at the property line above ambient conditions and requires full cut-off, downward-facing fixtures citywide…
Light Trespass & Shielding
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin bans orienting an exterior fixture so its light source is visible from a neighboring lot and separately prohibits reflected glare reaching nearby…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Parade Permits
Some RestrictionsMilton requires a special event permit before anyone can hold a planned public event, whether on city property like streets, sidewalks and parks or on private premises. Applicants…
Park Event Permits
Light RestrictionsRock CountyRock County park facilities are available first come, first served unless reserved in advance under Sec. 5.02(17)(K). The Public Works Committee sets the reservation policy balancing…
🪧 Sign Regulations
Digital Billboards
Heavy RestrictionsThe City of Milton bans new billboards outright under Sec. 78-09.30(1)(c) and allows only a narrow cap-and-replace swap for non-digital billboards near Highway 26. Sec. 78-09.08 lets…
Garage Sale Signs
Some RestrictionsGarage sale signs in Milton cannot go in the street right-of-way or terrace under City of Milton Code Sec. 78-03.30(1)(e), and must follow the Yard sign category standards in Article…
Political Signs
Some RestrictionsRock CountyWisconsin 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…
🚜 Right to Farm
Agricultural Zoning Protection
Some RestrictionsThe City of Milton, Wisconsin uses its (RH-35) Rural Holding zoning district, capped at one dwelling per 35 gross acres, expressly to protect existing farm operations from encroachment…
Farm Nuisance Protection
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin Statute 823.08 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, requiring courts to dismiss claims unless the farm substantially threatens…
🛏️ Homelessness & Encampment Rules
🚁 Drone Rules
Park Drone Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsRock CountyRock 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…
Commercial Drones
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Recreational Drones
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin has no legal recreational or medical marijuana dispensary program. State law prohibits cannabis sales, so no municipality can authorize dispensary operations through zoning…
Home Cultivation
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin prohibits all marijuana cultivation, including for personal use. Growing any cannabis plant is a felony under state controlled substances law. No municipality may authorize…
💼 Employment Preemption
Minimum Wage Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Paid Leave Preemption
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Worker Scheduling Preemption
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under Wis. Stat. 103.007, ensuring statewide uniformity for employer scheduling practices and forbidding…
🔫 Firearms
Local Firearms Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin Statute 66.0409 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, barring cities, villages, towns, and counties from enacting ordinances stricter than state law on possession…
Open Carry
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Firearms in Vehicles
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
❄️ Frost Depth & Snow Load
Frost Line Depth
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Roof Snow Load
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin'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.
🎰 Gambling & Gaming
Charitable Bingo and Raffles
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Social Gambling Rules
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin'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…
Sports Betting Law
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🏘️ HOA Rules
Assessment & Dues
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Board Procedures
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
CC&R Enforcement
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Flag Display Rights
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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. §…
HOA Fines & Enforcement
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Lien & Foreclosure Limits
Some RestrictionsWisconsinOnly 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…
Rental Restriction Limits
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
⚖️ Know Your Rights
DUI Checkpoint Legality
Few RestrictionsWisconsinYou 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…
Recording Police
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Stop & Identify Laws
Light RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Vehicle Search & Consent
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🚬 Tobacco & Vaping
Tobacco Age Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Flavored Tobacco Bans
Few RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
🚗 Vehicle Equipment Laws
Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin'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…
Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Lane Splitting & Filtering
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Plate Covers & Obstruction
Significant RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Radar Detector Rules
Few RestrictionsWisconsinA 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…
Studded Tire & Chain Rules
Heavy RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…
Window Tint Limits
Some RestrictionsWisconsinWisconsin 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…