Racine County, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Racine County Public Health Division
- Notice window
- 24 hours after determination
- Penalty
- $300-$1,000 forfeiture per day
- Scope
- Countywide except City of Racine
Summary
Racine County's health officer can placard a dwelling as a human health hazard and order it vacated within 24 hours of notice, applying countywide except the City of Racine.
if the health officer or designee determines that any dwelling or dwelling unit is a human health hazard or immediate human health hazard, the health officer or designee shall placard such dwelling and within twenty-four (24) hours thereafter serve notice ... that the dwelling is unfit for human habitation and that it shall be vacated within a reasonable time as ordered by the health officer. A dwelling is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, dangerous, unsanitary, unsafe or vermin-infested that it creates a hazard to the health or safety of the occupants or the public.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Under the county's human-health-hazard chapter, no owner or occupant may maintain a dwelling that is damaged, decayed, dilapidated, dangerous, unsanitary, unsafe or vermin-infested. When the health officer finds a dwelling is a human health hazard, the code requires placarding the structure and serving notice within 24 hours that it is unfit for habitation and must be vacated by a set deadline. This authority runs through the Racine County Public Health Division and covers all of the county except the City of Racine, which runs its own health department.
Violations & Fines
Forfeiture of $300 to $1,000 per violation, plus prosecution costs; each day of continued violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces dangerous-dwelling rules in Racine County?
What counts as a human health hazard dwelling?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
Compare Racine County to another location·View the Wisconsin property maintenance overview
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