Portage County, WI Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Overnight ban hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
- Covered lots
- Courthouse, Annex, 1039 Ellis St.
- Daytime permit window
- 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Enforcing agency
- Portage County Sheriff's Office
- Permit term
- 5 years
- Replacement permit fee
- $5.00
Summary
Portage County bars parking in its own Courthouse, Annex and 1039 Ellis Street lots in Stevens Point between 11:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. under Code § 2.1.4(2)(c). County and City employees with a displayed permit are exempt. The rule covers only those three named County lots; unincorporated Portage County towns carry no separate on-street overnight parking ban in the county code.
(1)Designated parking lot areas.(a)The parking section provisions in this Code apply to the following County parking lots: the Courthouse parking lot, bordered by Church Street and Plover Street adjacent to the County-City Building/ County Courthouse at 1516 Church Street; the Annex parking lot, bordered by Arlington Place and Strongs Avenue adjacent to the Annex Building at 1462 Strongs Avenue; the 1039 Ellis parking lot, bordered by Arlington Place and Water Street adjacent to the 1039 Ellis Street Building, hereafter referred to as the County parking lots. ... (c)No person shall park or leave standing any motor vehicle in the County parking lots between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. The prohibition in this subsection shall not apply to County and City employees for legitimate work-related purposes and who have obtained a regular or temporary parking permit and have visibly displayed such permit within their motor vehicle.
Full Breakdown
Section 2.1.4 sets a full parking regime for the three County-owned lots: the Courthouse lot at 1516 Church Street, the Annex lot at 1462 Strongs Avenue, and the 1039 Ellis Street lot. Beyond the 11:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. overnight ban, daytime parking between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. also requires a displayed permit, and disabled spaces require valid disability plates or a placard. The County Clerk issues permits, which run for a five-year term ending each December; initial employee permits are free, while replacement or additional permits cost $5.00.
The Clerk of Courts and County Clerk may also issue no-cost temporary permits for jurors, vendors and others with County or City business. The Portage County Facilities Management Department installs and maintains the signs and marked spaces. The Portage County Sheriff's Office is the enforcing agency and issues citations meeting the content requirements of Wis. Stats. § 66.0113. Vehicle ownership creates a legal presumption that the registered owner is responsible for a parking violation, and the Sheriff or a designee may tow a violating vehicle, with towing and storage charges billed to the owner before release. The county enacted this section under Wis. Stats. §§ 59.01 and 59.52(24), applying the motor vehicle definition in Wis. Stats. § 340.01(35).
Violations & Fines
Citations for a Section 2.1.4 violation carry the forfeiture and additional amounts set in the Citations chapter and Appendix A, Bond Schedule § 2.16.2 (parking prohibitions). The Sheriff or a designee may tow the vehicle, and the owner must pay all towing and storage charges before the vehicle is released; the county is not liable for towing damage absent its own negligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Portage County ban overnight street parking in the towns?
Who is exempt from the overnight ban?
What happens if my car is towed from a County lot?
How much do parking permits cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portage County
How Portage County compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Portage County to another location·View the Wisconsin parking rules overview
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