Racine County, WI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Racine County Code § 16-147
- Landowner presumption
- Adjoining owner presumed responsible
- Mailbox exception
- No permit needed if compliant
- Trash exception
- Within 24 hours of pickup
- Penalty range
- $20 to $1,000 forfeiture per day
Summary
County trunk highway rights-of-way in Racine County cannot be blocked with landscaping, crops, debris, or altered grades without a written permit from the public works department, under Sec. 16-147.
No person may place, maintain, or allow any obstruction in a right-of-way other than those specifically permitted by this article or by other laws.
(2) This section does not apply to garbage, refuse, or recycling placed in the right-of-way within twenty-four (24) hours of a scheduled pickup by a local municipality.
(c) Cultivation and landscaping.
(1) No person may cultivate, plant, harvest, or maintain, trees, shrubs or agricultural crops within a right-of-way without having first obtained a written permit from the department.
(2) No person may cultivate, plant, or maintain grasses, flowers, or other vegetable plants in any manner that obstructs the visibility of the highway by highway users.
(3) This section does not apply to maintenance work being performed within the highway right-of-way by or for a utility under permits issued in compliance with Racine County Code of Ordinances or Racine County policies.
(d) Mailboxes and newspaper tubes.
(1) Mailboxes and newspaper tubes are hereby authorized within a right-of-way without a written permit under policies and standards adopted by the public works committee.
(2) Mailboxes which fail to comply with this section are deemed obstructions and are subject to correction order and removal under provisions of this article.
(e) Alteration of grade.
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
Sec. 16-147 bars placing or maintaining any obstruction, stones, fences, posts, landscaping, crops, trees, shrubs, or debris, in a county trunk highway right-of-way unless specifically permitted. Cultivating, planting, or maintaining trees, shrubs, or crops there needs a written permit, and vegetation may never block a highway user's visibility. Altering a ditch or embankment's depth or grade also needs a permit. Mailboxes and newspaper tubes are allowed without a permit if they meet public works committee standards; garbage set out within 24 hours of scheduled pickup is exempt. The adjoining landowner is presumed responsible for a violation unless clear evidence points to someone else. This applies to county trunk highways under county jurisdiction, not town, city, or village streets.
Violations & Fines
The public works department issues a correction order requiring removal within 30 days; noncompliance under Sec. 16-172 carries a forfeiture of $20 to $1,000 plus costs per violation, with each day treated as a separate offense, and a court can order removal at the violator's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant shrubs or store landscaping materials in the county road right-of-way in Racine County?
Who is responsible if something in the right-of-way causes a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
Compare Racine County to another location·View the Wisconsin sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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