Rock County, WI Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Courthouse lots close
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Weekday space limits run
- 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon-Fri
- Enforced by
- Janesville Police Department
- Forfeiture range
- $3.00 to $50.00
- Source rule
- Janesville Ord. Sec. 10.44.020 (1983)
Summary
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. Rock County Ordinance Section 3.104(1) adopts this rule, plus a 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekday limit on designated spaces, directly from the City of Janesville's own parking code under a policing agreement between the two governments.
10.44.020 Courthouse parking lots--Additional restrictions. In the upper and lower courthouse parking lots, the following restrictions shall apply in addition to all others provided by this title: (A) No person shall stop, park or leave standing any vehicle in any space specifically designated for a particular person, official or type of vehicle, unless such person is that particular person or official or is driving that type of vehicle. (B) The limitations regarding parking in the courthouse parking lots shall apply only from seven-thirty a.m. until five-thirty p.m. on Monday through Friday. Such limitations shall not be applicable on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays on which the courthouse is not open for the transaction of official business. (C) The courthouse parking lots shall be closed for all purposes between ten p.m. and six a.m., except by specific permission of the police department. (Ord. 83-335 Sec.1(part), 1983).
Full Breakdown
Rock County does not run a general overnight on-street parking ban across the whole county; its overnight restriction is narrower and tied to county property. 020, because the Janesville Police Department, not a county officer, patrols the upper and lower courthouse lots under an agreement between the County and the City. Three restrictions apply there. First, no one may stop, park, or leave a vehicle standing in a space assigned to a particular official or vehicle type unless they are that person or driving that type of vehicle.
, Monday through Friday, and do not apply on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays when the courthouse is closed for business. except by the Janesville Police Department's specific permission, a rule dating to City of Janesville Ordinance 83-335, Section 1(part), adopted in 1983. 00, a modest fine compared to state highway parking penalties because it targets courthouse-lot order rather than public-road safety. Drivers who need the lot overnight, for example for an early court appearance or a scheduled event, must get permission from Janesville police in advance rather than assuming the lot is open.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a vehicle in a courthouse lot between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without the Janesville Police Department's permission, or in a reserved space outside the person or vehicle it is assigned to, is a forfeiture of not less than $3.00 nor more than $50.00 under Rock County Ordinance Section 3.104(4). The Janesville Police Department enforces the lots under its agreement with the County, not the Sheriff's Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave my car in the courthouse lot overnight in Janesville?
Does the courthouse parking restriction apply on weekends?
What is the fine for violating the courthouse parking rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock County
How Rock County compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Rock County to another location·View the Wisconsin parking rules overview
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