Madison, WI Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Enclosed sides required
- at least 3 (citywide)
- Enclosure height
- 36–42 inches
- Max ground gap
- 6 inches
- Entrance
- min 3 ft wide, ADA-compliant
- Walkway preserved
- 6 ft citywide
Summary
Outside the State Street Mall/Capitol Concourse, MGO § 9.135(7)(b)6 requires a citywide sidewalk cafe to be enclosed on at least three sides, with the building face allowed to serve as one side, and the enclosure must still meet the height, entrance and durability rules in § 9.135(5)(b).
6.Citywide sidewalk cafes shall be enclosed on at least three (3) sides (the building face may serve as one side of the enclosure), with the choice of which side to remain open being approved on a case-by-case basis. When more than one establishment has an adjoining Roadway cafe permit under Sec. 10.30(5)(b)4. the Director may approve a cafe enclosure configuration with fewer than three (3) sides as long as each establishment's seating area is sufficiently defined. Enclosures shall also comply with the sidewalk cafe enclosure requirements of Sec. 9.135(5) herein.
Full Breakdown
135(7), on top of the general rules that apply to every sidewalk cafe. 30(5)(b)4, the Director can approve fewer than three enclosed sides as long as each business's seating area stays clearly defined. 135(5)(b): it has to sit entirely within the approved cafe footprint, stand 36 to 42 inches tall with no more than a 6-inch gap to the ground, include at least one ADA-compliant entrance at least 3 feet wide, and be built from a stable, rigid, wind-resistant frame, hanging chains or ropes don't count as an enclosure.
A citywide cafe without a Roadway Cafe Expansion must otherwise sit against the building, extend no farther than the establishment's own street frontage unless a lateral expansion is approved, and preserve the citywide 6-foot pedestrian walkway measured from the outside face of the enclosure to the curb or terrace edge. 135(3)-(4).
Violations & Fines
Operating a citywide sidewalk cafe without the required three-sided enclosure, or outside the dimensions approved in the license record, is a violation of MGO § 9.135: $200 for a first offense in a calendar year, $250 for a second, and $300 for a third or subsequent violation in the same year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need walls around my outdoor tables?
How tall must the enclosure be?
Can two neighboring restaurants share one enclosure?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
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Sidewalk Dining & Cafés in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle sidewalk dining & cafés.