Rock County, WI Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Rock County Code § 3.302
- Trigger
- 1,500+ people for 8+ consecutive hours
- License fee
- $100 per day and location
- Application deadline
- At least 30 days in advance
- Bond required
- $5 per attendee at maximum capacity
- Penalty
- $1,000 to $10,000 fine, per day
Summary
Rock County requires a County Board license for any assembly of 1,500 or more people lasting 8 or more consecutive hours, on public or private land, under Sec. 3.302. The application is due at least 30 days ahead, costs $100 per day and location, and the licensee must supply water, toilets, medical staff, security, parking, and a $5-per-person bond before the event can proceed.
No person shall permit, maintain, promote, conduct, advertise, act as enterpreneur, undertake, organize, manage, or sell or give tickets to an actual or reasonably anticipated assembly of 1,500 or more people which continues or can reasonably be expected to continue for 8 or more consecutive hours, whether on public or private property, unless a license to hold the assembly has first been issued by the County Board of Supervisors of the County of Rock, application for which must be made at least 30 days in advance of the assembly. ... A separate license shall be required for each day and each location in which 1,500 or more people assemble or can reasonably be anticipated to assemble; the fee for each license shall be $100. ... A license shall permit the assembly of only the maximum number of people stated in the license. ... The license shall not permit such assembly to be held or conducted outside the hours of 9:00 o'clock A.M. to 6:00 o'clock P.M.
Full Breakdown
Rock County's "Large Assemblies" ordinance, Sec. 307, is the county's public-assembly and special-event license, adopted so that events drawing more people than the area's normal health, sanitary, fire, police, and utility services can handle get the same protection. Sec. 302 requires a license from the County Board of Supervisors for any actual or reasonably anticipated gathering of 1,500 or more people expected to continue for 8 or more consecutive hours, whether the site is public or private. The application must be filed at least 30 days before the event, and the county charges $100 per license, with a separate license required for each day and each location.
Before the Rock County Clerk, the designated issuing agent, will issue the license, Sec. 303 requires the organizer to line up potable water, sex-separated toilets, solid-waste disposal, physicians and nurses, lighting, free parking, telephone lines, camping facilities if the event runs overnight, security guards, fire protection, and a bond of $5 per attendee filed with the county clerk. Sec. 305 gives the county 20 days to process a compliant application, and Sec. 306 lets the license be revoked if any condition stops being met. The chapter exempts regularly established places of worship, stadiums, and similar permanent venues holding assemblies that don't exceed their normal seating capacity by more than 250 people, and it exempts government fairs on established fairgrounds.
Sec. 307 makes violating the license conditions a public nuisance and sets a fine or forfeiture of $1,000 to $10,000, with each day of violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Holding an unlicensed large assembly, or violating any condition of an issued license, is a public nuisance under Sec. 3.307 and can be stopped by court injunction. Convicted organizers face a fine or forfeiture of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, so a multi-day unlicensed event can multiply the exposure quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size event needs a Rock County assembly license?
How much does a large assembly license cost in Rock County?
How do I apply for a large assembly permit in Rock County?
Are any venues exempt from Rock County's assembly license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock County
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