Sauk County, WI Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Sauk County, WI, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Sauk County Health Department
- Covers
- Hotels, motels, tourist rooming houses countywide
- State code adopted
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72
- Application review
- 30 days to approve/deny (Sec. 29.008)
- Penalty
- $25-$200 forfeiture per day (Sec. 29.014(3))
Summary
Sauk County Code § 29.015 requires anyone operating a hotel, motel, or tourist rooming house, the category covering short-term rentals rented for under 30 days, to follow the county's licensing rules in both incorporated and unincorporated Sauk County. Sec. 29.016 folds in the state's ATCP 72 rooming-house code, and the stricter rule controls.
Sec. 29.015. - Applicability. The provisions of this subchapter shall apply to operator of any hotel, motel, or tourist rooming house in both the incorporated or unincorporated areas of Sauk County. ... Sec. 29.016. - Regulations, rules, and laws adopted by reference. The applicable laws, rules, and regulations as set forth in Wis. Stats. chs. 68, 97 and Wis. Stats. § 66.0417, and Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72, are incorporated in this regulation by reference and they shall be construed, read, and interpreted as fully set forth in this ordinance until amended, and then shall apply as amended. The expressed provisions of this ordinance shall control where more restrictive. ... Sec. 29.017. - Non-compliance. Non-compliance with the provision of this ordinance, Wis. Stats. ch. 97, and Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72, will be cause for enforcement under Subchapter III of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Sauk County Code Chapter 29, Subchapter IV, governs short-term lodging under the umbrella term 'tourist rooming house,' which the adopted-by-reference state definitions under Sec. 29.016 tie to sleeping accommodations offered to tourists or transients for less than 30 continuous days, the same footprint as a typical vacation rental. Sec. 29.015 makes the subchapter apply to any operator of a hotel, motel, or tourist rooming house anywhere in Sauk County, inside or outside city and village limits. Sec. 29.016 incorporates Wis. Stats. chs. 68 and 97, Wis.
Stats. § 66.0417, and Wis. Admin. Code ch. ATCP 72, the state's lodging-establishment rule, directly into the county ordinance, but makes clear that Sauk County's own, more restrictive terms control whenever they differ from the state minimum. The actual license comes from Sec. 29.010: 'The issuance of licenses shall be governed by this ordinance and applicable state regulations as adopted by reference,' and an operator applies on Health Department forms under Sec. 29.008, with the department required to approve or deny a complete application within 30 days.
Sec. 29.011 then requires the license be posted prominently where the public can see it. A short-term rental operator who runs a tourist rooming house without going through this licensing process, or who ignores the ATCP 72 standards folded in by Sec. 29.016, is treated under Sec. 29.017 as noncompliant and referred to the Subchapter III enforcement path in Sec. 29.012 through Sec. 29.014, which covers citations, forfeitures, and license suspension.
Violations & Fines
An unlicensed tourist rooming house, or one that ignores the state ATCP 72 standards folded into Sec. 29.016, is subject to enforcement under Sec. 29.012: the Health Officer can inspect the property, order corrections, and refer the case for a citation with the Sec. 29.014(3) forfeiture of $25.00 to $200.00 per day, and the Health Officer can suspend or revoke the operating license until the property is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a short-term rental count as a 'tourist rooming house' under Sauk County's code?
Where does the actual licensing requirement come from?
Does state law or county law control if they conflict?
What happens if I operate without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sauk County
How Sauk County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Sauk County to another location·View the Wisconsin short-term rentals overview
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