Madison MGO §31.043 treats garage sale signs as temporary noncommercial signs, limited to 6 sq ft, with up to 2 off-premises signs allowed for 3 days. No signs on utility poles, street signs, or in the right-of-way per Wis. Stat. §86.19. Must remove within 24 hours of sale.
Garage and yard sale signs are regulated in Madison under MGO §31.043 as temporary noncommercial signs. A homeowner may post one on-premises sign up to 6 square feet and typically up to 2 off-premises directional signs on private property with the owner's permission, for no more than 3 consecutive days per sale. Placement in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, traffic signs, or lampposts violates Wisconsin Statute §86.19 (signs within highway right-of-way) and local codes. Fitchburg, Middleton, Sun Prairie, Verona, Stoughton, and Monona enforce similar rules. Madison generally limits residential garage sales to 3 sales per year per property (per MGO §7.09) to prevent de facto retail operations. Signs must be removed within 24 hours after the sale ends. Commercial printing of yard signs with business names may trigger commercial sign regulations.
Sign on utility pole or in ROW: removed by DPW, $25-$50 fine per Wis. Stat. §86.19. Signs not removed within 24 hours: $25 per day per sign. Exceeding 3 sales per year: code enforcement citation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Dane County, WI
Dane County municipalities regulate leaf blowers under local noise ordinances. Wisconsin has no statewide gas blower ban. Madison General Ordinance 24.04 imp...
Dane County, WI
Madison enforces a citywide Alternate Side Parking rule (MGO §12.76) from March 15 to March 14 annually between 1:00 AM and 7:00 AM. Fitchburg, Middleton, Ve...
Dane County, WI
EV charger installations in Dane County are governed by the Wisconsin DSPS Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) and state electrical code SPS 316 based on NEC Article...
Dane County, WI
Dane County municipalities allow wood (cedar, treated pine), vinyl, wrought iron, chain-link, and composite fencing. Madison General Ordinance §28 zoning spe...
Dane County, WI
Wisconsin UDC SPS 390 and the state-adopted ISPSC require all residential pools and spas to be surrounded by a minimum 48-inch barrier with self-closing, sel...
Dane County, WI
Smoke detector requirements in unincorporated Dane County are set by Wisconsin state law, not the county. Wis. Stat. §101.645 requires functional smoke detec...
See how Dane County's garage sale signs rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.