Fitchburg, WI Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Driveway setback
- 2 ft from side/rear lot line
- Surface requirement
- Hard-surfaced (R-L, R-LM, R-M, R-H)
- Max driveway width
- Two lanes
- Front-yard parking
- Driveway only, no lawn parking
- Rural exemption
- R-R lots exempt, § 22-206(2)
- Penalty
- $100/day forfeiture
Summary
Fitchburg's R-L zoning code requires driveways to be hard-surfaced and kept at least two feet from side or rear lot lines. Parking spaces outside a driveway cannot sit in front of the house, beside it toward the street on corner lots, or anywhere in the front setback. Driveways are capped at two lanes wide except at the garage approach.
(3)Driveways cannot be closer than two feet to a side or rear lot line unless such driveway is jointly used by the adjoining landowners pursuant to an express recorded easement or other recorded document evidencing the same. Driveways must be hard surfaced.(4)Parking spaces that are in locations other than in a driveway cannot be directly in front of a dwelling structure on the front side of the lot, or between the side of the house and the street on a corner lot, or in the front setback except in the driveway. A driveway is an actively used private way and shall not be more than two lanes in width in any part of the lot except for the direct path from the garage or primary parking space to the street. Parking spaces shall not be closer than two feet from the side or rear lot lines.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30).
Full Breakdown
Under Fitchburg City Code § 22-56(3)-(4), in the R-L Low Density District a driveway must be hard-surfaced and cannot come closer than two feet to a side or rear lot line, unless a neighbor shares it under a recorded joint-use easement. Parking spaces located outside the driveway are barred from the area directly in front of the dwelling, from the strip between the house and the street on a corner lot, and from the front setback generally; only the driveway itself may occupy that space.
The city treats a driveway as an 'actively used private way' and limits its width to two lanes across the lot, except for the direct run from the garage or primary parking space to the street, and outside-driveway spaces must likewise stay two feet off the side and rear lines. The same accessory-occupancy standards in § 22-56 apply in the R-LM, R-M and R-H residential districts. The Rural Density (R-R) district gets a carve-out: § 22-206(2) says driveways there do not have to be hard-surfaced and parking spaces can sit anywhere on the property.
Compliance is checked by the zoning administrator, who issues permits and inspects land use activity under § 22-645, and a driveway or parking layout that does not match an approved plan is treated as a violation of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Violating the driveway or parking standards is a Chapter 22 zoning violation. Under § 22-648(d)(2), any person who violates or refuses to comply with a zoning provision is subject to a forfeiture of $100.00 per day. The zoning administrator investigates and can demand the condition be halted or remedied before referring the matter to the city attorney for prosecution or injunctive relief. Property owners may appeal a zoning administrator decision, or seek a dimensional variance, to the zoning board of appeals within 30 days under §§ 22-642 and 22-643(b)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my car on the front lawn in Fitchburg?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fitchburg
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Driveway Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle driveway rules.