Dodge County, WI Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Dodge County Code § 12.03(2)
- Trigger
- 1,000+ people, 18+ consecutive hours
- Application deadline
- 60 days before the event
- Issuing office
- County Clerk / Law Enforcement Committee
- License fee
- $100.00 per day
- Violation deposit
- $1,000.00 ($1,397.50 total)
- Bond
- $1.00 per person, max crowd size
Summary
Dodge County requires a County Clerk-issued license, applied for at least 60 days in advance, before anyone may organize an actual or anticipated assembly of 1,000 or more people expected to last 18 or more consecutive hours, on public or private land in the unincorporated county.
No person shall permit, maintain, promote, conduct, advertise, act as entrepreneur, undertake, organize, manage or sell or give tickets to an actual or reasonably anticipated assembly of 1,000 or more people which continues or can reasonably be expected to continue for 18 or more consecutive hours, whether on public or private property, unless a license to hold the assembly has first been issued by the County Clerk, application for which shall be made at least 60 days in advance of the assembly.
Full Breakdown
03(2), amended by County Ordinance #631, bars any person from permitting, maintaining, promoting, conducting, advertising, acting as entrepreneur, undertaking, organizing, managing, or selling or giving tickets to an actual or reasonably anticipated assembly of 1,000 or more people that continues or can reasonably be expected to continue for 18 or more consecutive hours, whether on public or private property, unless a license has first been issued by the County Clerk. Applications must be filed at least 60 days before the event. 00 per person for the maximum crowd size, filed with the Clerk.
03(7) exempts permanently established places of worship, stadiums, arenas and similar venues (up to 250 people over normal seating capacity) and fairs on established fairgrounds. 01(2).
Violations & Fines
Holding an assembly in violation of § 12.03 is deemed a public nuisance that may be enjoined or abated by court action. The county's citation schedule lists a $1,000.00 cash deposit for failing to obtain a large-assembly license or violating a license condition, totaling $1,397.50 once court costs, the 26% penalty surcharge and other statutory fees under § 30.04(4) are added. Absent a deposit, the general penalty in § 30.04(1) governs, with forfeitures up to $1,000.00 for a first offense and up to $2,000.00 for a repeat offense within a year, plus jail exposure for nonpayment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every outdoor event in Dodge County need a county license?
How far in advance must a large-assembly license be requested?
What happens if an event goes ahead without the required license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dodge County
Compare Dodge County to another location·View the Wisconsin special events & permits overview
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