Milwaukee County, WI Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard sheriff tow fee
- $50 flat fee
- Snow-emergency tow fee
- Waived entirely
- Legal basis for waiver
- Emergency powers, subsec. (7)(d)
- Storage charges
- Still owed by owner
Summary
Milwaukee County normally charges a flat $50 sheriff's department fee to tow an illegally parked vehicle, but that fee is waived when the tow happens under the county's emergency powers during a declared snow emergency.
If towing is done by the sheriff's department, the sum of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be paid for towing, except during snow emergencies when no towing fee shall be charged or assessed against the owner of such vehicle for removal necessitated under the emergency powers granted by subsection (7)(d) of this section.
9(10). - Registration record of vehicle as evidence. When any vehicle is found upon a street or highway in violation of any provision of this code regulating the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles, and the identity of the operator cannot be determined, the owner as shown by the ownership registration of the vehicle supplied by the Wisconsin director of transportation, or a comparable authority of any other state, shall be subject to appropriate penalty.
10. - Abandoned vehicles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 112).
Full Breakdown
Milwaukee County's traffic ordinance lets deputy sheriffs order a vehicle towed for parking violations on county highways and streets. Section 9(9) of the code sets the sheriff's department towing fee at a flat $50, billed to the vehicle's owner on top of storage charges. The same section carves out one exception: if the tow is necessitated by the emergency powers the county board grants under subsection (7)(d) during a declared snow emergency, the sheriff's department charges no towing fee at all. Storage costs and any third-party towing charges can still apply even when the flat fee is waived.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle blocking a county roadway during a snow emergency can still be towed and impounded. The owner is not billed the sheriff's usual $50 towing fee for that removal, but remains responsible for storage fees and any other towing costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be charged for towing during a Milwaukee County snow emergency?
What does Milwaukee County normally charge to tow an illegally parked car?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milwaukee County
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