Kenosha County, WI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 16, Environmental Health/Food Ordinance
- Rodent control section
- §16.05.070(6)
- Enforcing agency
- Kenosha County Division of Health
- General penalty
- $100 to $500 forfeiture per violation
- Non-payment consequence
- Up to 30 days in county jail
- Applies to
- Licensed food and beverage establishments only
Summary
Kenosha County requires every licensed food and beverage establishment to run effective, ongoing measures to keep insects, rodents and other vermin off the premises, and to keep the exterior grounds free of trash and garbage that draw them. The Division of Health enforces it through routine inspection.
(2) No person shall manufacture, prepare for sale, offer, store, distribute or sell food unless it is securely protected from filth, insects, rodents, dust, or contamination or unclean, unhealthful or insanitary conditions. ... (6) Control of Insects, Rodents and Other Animals. Effective measures and programs shall be employed to control the presence of insects, rodents, and other vermin on the premises. (7) Exterior Premises. Premises on which food establishments are located shall be well drained and kept in a clean and orderly condition, free from accumulations of trash, garbage, and other sources of contamination.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 37 (2026), passed March 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 16 of the Municipal Code of Kenosha County, the county's Environmental Health/Food Ordinance, sets the rodent-control standard that applies to every food and beverage establishment operating under a county license, from restaurants and taverns to produce stands. 070(6) requires "effective measures and programs" to control insects, rodents and other vermin on the premises, not a one-time fix but an ongoing program the operator must maintain between inspections. The same section backs that up on two sides: subsection (2) bars anyone from manufacturing, preparing, storing, distributing or selling food unless it is "securely protected from filth, insects, rodents, dust, or contamination," and subsection (7) requires the exterior premises to be "well drained and kept in a clean and orderly condition, free from accumulations of trash, garbage, and other sources of contamination" because uncontrolled exterior debris is the usual rodent draw.
040(2). 100. org/FeeSchedules. Because this standard sits inside the Food and Beverage Establishment division, it governs licensed premises, not general residential pest complaints; a homeowner with a rodent problem outside a licensed food operation is not reached by this section.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 16, including the rodent and vermin control requirement, is punished under the general penalty at Section 16.01.130(1): a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $500 per violation plus the cost of prosecution, including court costs and reasonable attorney fees. If the forfeiture and costs go unpaid, the violator can be jailed in the county jail until payment, capped at 30 days. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, so an uncontrolled rodent condition left unabated accrues daily exposure. The Health Officer can also deny, suspend or revoke the establishment's license under Section 16.01.100 independent of any court action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule cover rodents in a private home in Kenosha County?
What must a licensed restaurant or tavern do about rodents?
What happens if an inspector finds a rodent problem at a licensed establishment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha County
Compare Kenosha County to another location·View the Wisconsin public health rules overview
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