Milwaukee County, WI Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- County Director of Public Works
- Eligible applicants
- Public taxing entities only
- Covered roads
- County arterial highways under §68.01
- Local sign-off
- Municipal police approval required first
- Restoration duty
- Permittee restores roadway at own cost
Summary
Milwaukee County requires a public-way permit to close a county highway for a special event, but only public taxing entities may apply: a neighborhood block party on a local street goes through the municipality instead.
(1)No individual or group(s), public or private entity(s) may hold a special event in any public way unless a permit for the purpose has been obtained from the director of public works.(2)Granting of permits. Upon application for a permit to hold a special event and payment of fees established by the director of public works, the director may issue a permit for the special event. The permit shall state the name of the agency, the nature, purpose, duration and extent of the special event. Permit applications shall be in the form and contain such additional information as required by the director of public works.(3)Only public taxing entities may apply for and obtain a special event permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 112).
Full Breakdown
Milwaukee County Code § 67.06 authorizes the director of public works to issue a permit closing a "public way", defined in § 67.01 as a county arterial highway listed in § 68.01, for a special event. Eligibility is narrow: subsection (3) limits applicants to "public taxing entities," so individual residents, HOAs, and private groups cannot obtain this permit directly. Applications require a traffic control, parking, and barricading plan that the police department of the village or city hosting the event must approve before the county will act on it, and the permittee must restore the roadway and sign an indemnification clause. A residential block party on an ordinary local street falls outside county jurisdiction and is a municipal permit matter instead.
Violations & Fines
Occupying a public way for an event without this permit, or as an ineligible applicant, is enforceable under Chapter 67's general forfeiture clause: fifty to five hundred dollars per violation plus enforcement costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a homeowner get a Milwaukee County permit for a block party?
What roads does this county permit cover?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Milwaukee County
Compare Milwaukee County to another location·View the Wisconsin special events & permits overview
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