Waukesha, WI

Waukesha bans selling, exposing for sale, using, keeping, discharging or exploding fireworks citywide, allowing them only for a permitted public display run by the Fire Chief's office…

Waukesha bans outdoor burning citywide except for narrow exceptions like cooking appliances, decorative lighting or frost removal, and except for the specific residential fire pit and…

Waukesha allows residential outdoor burning between 3 p.m. and midnight in a below-ground fire pit or outdoor fireplace at least 25 feet from anything combustible, with a 3-foot flame…

Propane (LP-gas) storage is regulated statewide by Wisconsin SPS 340, which adopts NFPA 58 for container design, siting and clearances. Only the container's owner or an authorized…

Wisconsin state law (Wis. Stat. 101.145) requires a functional smoke detector in the basement, at the head of each stairway, and in or within 6 feet of each sleeping area. Landlords…

Wisconsin DNR designates statewide Fire Protection Areas under Wis. Stat. § 26.11 where the agency holds primary wildfire suppression authority and enforces stricter ignition rules…

Waukesha bans operating a sound truck, loudspeaker, radio, phonograph, calliope or any similar loud amplifier on a vehicle in streets and public places between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m., and…

Waukesha declares any noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of nearby persons a public nuisance affecting peace and safety, without setting fixed clock hours, and…

Waukesha treats an animal or fowl that habitually howls, yelps, barks or crows enough to greatly annoy or disturb a neighborhood as a public nuisance, letting the City abate the…

Waukesha bans excessive acceleration that spins tires, throws gravel, or makes a loud noise that disturbs the peace, and separately bans Jake brakes, engine brakes, or other…

Waukesha's zoning code sets numeric decibel ceilings by octave band, with a separate scale for manufacturing districts and a stricter one for every other zoning district, measured with…

Waukesha requires trees over a public street to be trimmed to a 13.5-foot clearance and trees over a sidewalk to an 8-foot clearance, under Municipal Code Sec. 3.06. The City Forester…

From May 1 through October 1, Waukesha ties lawn sprinkling to street address under Municipal Code §13.11: odd-numbered properties may water only Tuesdays and Saturdays, even-numbered…

Waukesha caps backyard compost bins at 125 cubic feet and 5 feet tall, and requires them to sit in the rear yard at least 3 feet from a property line or building. Piles that attract…

Waukesha caps grass and weeds at 8 inches on any lawn area under Municipal Code § 17.04(4)(c). Owners who prefer native plantings can register a Natural Lawn with the City's Weed…

Waukesha bans clear cutting of woodland outright in its RS-1, RS-2, and RS-3 single-family districts under Municipal Code Sec. 22.19. Everywhere else in the City, clear cutting a…

Wisconsin has no statute banning rainwater harvesting. Under Wis. Stat. 145.01(10)(br)1, a rainwater gutter or downspout is expressly excluded from the legal definition of "plumbing"…

Waukesha treats any vehicle left standing on public or private property without the owner's permission for more than 72 hours as abandoned and a public nuisance, requiring removal…

Waukesha bans street parking downtown for more than 30 minutes between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., and requires a Police Department overnight-parking permit anywhere else in the city during…

When the Mayor, Council President or Public Works Director declares a snow emergency in Waukesha, every street and alley becomes off-limits to parked vehicles until it has been…

Waukesha limits where campers, trailers and boats can sit outdoors on residential lots under Municipal Code § 17.09: they are barred from street and side yards, and watercraft over 18…

Waukesha reserves marked loading zones for trucks that are actively loading or unloading, and lets any vehicle double-park briefly on named downtown streets to load or unload, except…

Waukesha bars parking a motor vehicle on the front lawn, or on the street-yard lawn of a corner lot. Municipal Code Section 12.08 requires the vehicle to sit on a driveway or parking…

Waukesha bans parking any vehicle heavier than 10,000 pounds gross weight on city streets and alleys overnight and all weekend, so semi-trucks, box trucks and heavy equipment cannot…

Waukesha bars overnight parking on Central Business District streets between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. beyond 30 minutes, and requires an overnight-parking permit displayed in the rear…

Wisconsin caps what a towing service may charge you after a nonconsensual tow from private property. Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 319.03(1) limits removal to $150 regardless of the…

Waukesha caps detached sheds and accessory buildings at one story and 720 square feet total, dropping to 150 square feet if the house already has an attached garage, per Municipal Code…

A guesthouse in unincorporated Waukesha County can never be leased or rented for human occupancy: Sec. 3.20 limits it to occasional occupancy by the homeowner's guests, caps it at one…

Unincorporated Waukesha County towns allow an in-law unit as a conditional use in Residential, Agricultural, B-1 and B-2 districts, but it is capped at 1,000 square feet and two…

Waukesha County town zoning effectively blocks most tiny homes: any single-family dwelling must have 1,100 sq ft overall floor area (850 sq ft on the first floor), and…

Waukesha treats a state-licensed Family Day Care Home caring for up to eight children as a permitted principal use in RS-1 single-family districts, no conditional use permit needed…

Waukesha allows home occupations and professional home offices in any residential district without a conditional use permit, as long as the business stays clearly secondary to the…

A Waukesha home business cannot noticeably increase traffic in a residential neighborhood, and any parking the business generates has to be handled off the street, not in the yard…

Home occupations and home offices in Waukesha may display exactly one sign: unlighted, no larger than one square foot, and mounted flat against the building. No freestanding…

Wisconsin, not Waukesha County, sets cottage-food rules. Non-hazardous home baked goods may be sold direct to consumers without a license. Home-canned high-acid foods (pickles) can be…

Wisconsin has never created a microenterprise home kitchen permit, and it has no exemption that lets you cook meals in your own kitchen and sell them. Wis. Stat. § 97.30(2)(a) requires…

Waukesha requires owners to keep dogs under physical control at all times off their own property; a dog is deemed running at large unless leashed or confined, and dogs are barred from…

Waukesha does not require dogs or cats to be spayed or neutered, but the only pig breed residents may keep, the Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig, must be spayed or neutered before the owner…

Waukesha bans retail pet stores from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits anywhere in the city. Adopted as Ordinance 2022-7 to discourage large-scale commercial breeding, Municipal Code…

Waukesha requires a two-year Community Development Department permit for every beekeeping location, caps hive counts by parcel size, and confines hives to rear yards at least 10 feet…

Waukesha allows permitted backyard chickens only, capped at four per parcel (six on lots over an acre), bans roosters, and requires enclosed coops set back 25 feet from neighboring…

Waukesha bans keeping poisonous or constrictor snakes, non-human primates, big cats, bears, wolves, coyotes, hyenas, alligators and other named wild or dangerous species as pets, with…

Waukesha caps dogs over 3 months at two per dwelling unit, cats over 6 months at two per household, and limits any combined mix of cats, dogs, pot-bellied pigs and Nigerian Dwarf goats…

Waukesha caps household cats at two over 6 months old and requires an annual license once a cat turns 5 months, obtained the same way the state requires dog licensing; running-at-large…

Waukesha allows animal hospitals, veterinary services, and animal boarding as a permitted principal use in its B-5 Community Business District under Municipal Code Sec. 22.37, but…

Unincorporated Waukesha County does not ban any dog breed. Instead, under Sec. 14-453 through 14-459 of the County Code, the Administrative Officer investigates bite and attack…

Waukesha County protects wildlife inside its parks by banning any disturbance of a bird's nest. Sec. 14-158(c) makes it unlawful to take, catch, kill, hunt, trap, pursue or otherwise…

Wisconsin prohibits baiting and feeding deer in counties with chronic wasting disease (CWD) or bovine TB under Wis. Stat. 29.336 and NR 10.07. The Department of Natural Resources…

Waukesha caps an unengineered retaining wall at four feet under Municipal Code Sec. 22.17, the Preservation of Topography section. A taller wall needs a registered engineer, architect…

Waukesha bans barbed wire and electric fences almost everywhere: they are allowed only in the T-1 Temporary zoning district and only to contain livestock. Non-residential security…

The City of Waukesha regulates fences in residential districts under Section 22.58 of the Municipal Code, adopted under the city's zoning authority at Wis. Stat. Sec. 62.23(7)…

The county treats a fence as excluded from its "Structure" definition, so no county zoning permit is required for an ordinary fence in unincorporated towns. Fences within 75 feet of a…

Boundary-fence disputes in Waukesha County are governed by Wisconsin's partition-fence law, not the county. On adjoining farm or grazing land, both owners must build and maintain the…

Every private swimming pool in Waukesha must be enclosed by a detached wall or fence at least four feet high, set no closer than four feet to the pool's edge, built to keep children…

Building a private swimming pool in Waukesha requires a building permit before construction starts. The zoning code also keeps pools at least ten feet from any lot line, away from…

Waukesha County sets no countywide night cap. Under Wis. Stat. 66.1014, a municipality may limit rentals of 6 to 30 consecutive days to no fewer than 180 days per year, and cannot ban…

Waukesha County sets no countywide STR permit. Statewide, anyone renting fewer than 30 days for more than 10 nights a year needs a DATCP tourist rooming house license; your city…

Waukesha County has no countywide primary-residence-only STR rule. Under Wis. Stat. 66.1014, a municipality may not prohibit renting a residential dwelling for 7 consecutive days or…

Wisconsin sets no statewide decibel limit. Noise at a Waukesha County STR is enforced through municipal noise/nuisance ordinances and Wisconsin's disorderly-conduct statute, Wis. Stat…

Waukesha County cannot levy a room tax. Under Wis. Stat. 66.0615 only municipalities (cities, villages, towns) may impose a room tax, capped at 8 percent. STRs also pay state and…

Waukesha bans skateboards and in-line skates outright in Barstow Plaza and restricts them citywide: in city parks they are legal only in areas the Park, Recreation and Forestry Board…

Waukesha bars smoking outdoors near entrances, windows and vents of any City-owned building, in city parks temporarily posted no-smoking by the Parks Department, and on any City…

Carrying an open container of beer, wine, or liquor on Waukesha streets, sidewalks, parking lots, or school and church grounds is banned under Municipal Code § 11.27. Parks are even…

Waukesha's loitering ordinance, Municipal Code § 11.05, bars loitering or prowling in a place, at a time, or in a manner not usual for law-abiding individuals when the circumstances…

Waukesha County adopts the state marijuana possession statute as a county forfeiture offense rather than a criminal charge. Under Code Sec. 13-102, a first possession violation of Wis…

Large items don't go in the regular Cart in Waukesha. Municipal Code Section 13.055(4)(c) routes anything too big to fit in a Cart, or weighing over 50 pounds, through a separate…

The City of Waukesha collects residential solid waste once a week on a set weekday, Monday through Friday, assigned by the Department of Public Works for each area of the city…

Waukesha residents cannot leave carts at the curb whenever they like. Municipal Code Section 13.055(7)(c) fixes exact windows for putting Carts and Containers out and bringing them…

Waukesha keeps its recycling stream clean by law: Municipal Code Section 13.055(7)(b) bans putting anything but Recyclables in a Recyclables Cart or Container, and bans putting Solid…

Waukesha runs its curbside recycling program as a City utility, not an opt-in service: Municipal Code Section 13.055(2) requires the Department of Public Works to provide Recyclables…

Where you put your cart matters as much as when. Municipal Code Section 13.055(5)(b) requires Carts to sit adjacent to the public street, aligned so the automated truck arm can grab…

Dumping refuse anywhere in Waukesha without the property owner's consent is flatly prohibited under Municipal Code § 11.081, adopted by Ord. 2026-3. Depositing more than five pounds or…

Placing a dumpster, dump cart, or storage container on a Waukesha street or public right-of-way requires a permit from the Public Works Department first. Municipal Code Section 6.14…

Waukesha County bars landfilling or burning yard waste without energy recovery, matching the statewide ban in Wis. Stat. § 287.07. Section 14-263(4) instead steers leaves, grass…

Waukesha requires every bicycle operated on its streets, sidewalks or alleys to carry a Police Department registration sticker and bans riding on sidewalks and public ways wherever the…

Waukesha County bans riding or parking electric scooters, along with segways, hoverboards and unicycles, on any bridle path, hiking trail, beach, playground, picnic area or…

Waukesha County lets Class 1 electric bicycles use its park trails the same as regular bikes but bars Class 2 and Class 3 electric bicycles outright. Section 14-165(a)-(b) ties the…

Wisconsin splits these two machines apart in the definitions and then treats them completely differently. A low-speed vehicle has a statewide right of the road: under Wis. Stat. s…

Waukesha makes it unlawful to lodge, camp or use as a temporary residence any City park, plaza area or municipal parking lot or ramp, treating bedrolls, sleeping bags or repeated…

Waukesha owners and occupants must clear sidewalk snow and ice to the full walk width within 12 hours after snowfall stops, under Municipal Code Sec. 6.12. The City can clear it for…

Any Waukesha building the Building Inspector finds dangerous from bad condition, decay or lack of fire guards must be made safe or removed under Municipal Code §16.18. If repairs would…

Waukesha's public nuisance code bans a named list of noxious weeds, including Canada thistle, ragweed and leafy spurge, on any property in the City, unimproved or not, under Municipal…

Waukesha's Chief of Police contracts out non-consent vehicle towing, storage and immobilization, and any towing company holding that contract must staff up around the clock and back…

Selling cigarettes or tobacco products in Waukesha requires a City license under state authority, costing $100.00 a year and expiring every June 30, applied for through the City Clerk…

Waukesha does not run a separate city massage-establishment license desk. Municipal Code § 8.19 instead makes it illegal for anyone to perform massage services, or to employ someone…

Waukesha requires anyone operating an adult bookstore, adult cabaret, adult motion-picture theater or similar business to obtain an Adult Oriented Establishment license from the City…

Anyone operating a pawnbroker business in Waukesha needs a City pawnbroker's license under Municipal Code § 8.03, backed by a $500 bond, before lending money against or buying back…

Waukesha requires a separate City license for anyone buying, selling or trading secondhand articles or secondhand jewelry as a business, under Municipal Code § 8.03, apart from its…

Waukesha's zoning code lists auto body and engine repair as a use specifically barred from the home occupations allowed in residential districts. A resident cannot run a repair shop…

Waukesha bars, taverns and nightclubs must keep noise from disturbing the surrounding neighborhood under Municipal Code § 9.11, the same section that sets the standing conditions on…

Waukesha caps the noise of a Mobile Food Vendor's generator at 70 dB(A) measured 50 feet away, under Municipal Code § 8.18(6)(l). Generators must be mounted on the vendor's vehicle or…

Door-to-door solicitors and transient merchants in Waukesha must register with the Police Chief, carry a photo identification card and pay a $35.00 fee, and can only knock between 10…

Mobile food vendors in Waukesha need a City permit, costing $350 a year or $40 a day, and can only operate in designated Central Business District and industrial-zone spots, on private…

Waukesha limits Mobile Food Vendors under Municipal Code § 8.18(5) to City-designated spots within the B-2, M-1, M-2, M-3, MM-1 and I-1 zoning districts, City Parks under a parks…

Waukesha bars Mobile Food Vendors from occupying any part of a public sidewalk or blocking pedestrian traffic anywhere in the city. Municipal Code § 8.18(6)(b) also caps vehicle-based…

Any gathering of 400 or more people planned for a Waukesha park needs a Special Event permit filed at least 30 days ahead, backed by $1 million in liability insurance, and reviewed by…

Anyone organizing a parade or demonstration on a Waukesha public right-of-way must file a free permit application with the City Clerk at least 5 days ahead, under Municipal Code Sec…

Carnivals, fairs, circuses and traveling shows in Waukesha need a Common Council permit under Municipal Code § 8.11, filed at least 30 days ahead with a $10 application fee plus…

Restaurants and bars in Waukesha that want to serve food or drinks outdoors on public property need a Sidewalk Café permit from the City Clerk under Municipal Code § 8.116. The permit…

A Waukesha block party needs a free permit from the City Clerk, filed at least 14 days ahead, unless it is late, in which case the fee is $25. Municipal Code Section 6.185 caps…

Waukesha requires a permit from the Electrical Inspector before any wiring for light, heat or power begins. Minor repairs under $25 in labor and material are exempt, and the City…

No plumbing work may begin in Waukesha without a permit from the Plumbing Inspector, issued only to master plumbers except for a limited owner-occupant exception. The City enforces…

Waukesha requires automatic sprinklers throughout any new day care facility licensed for 20 or more children, regardless of the building's size or construction type, and defines a…

Waukesha requires automatic fire sprinklers in new R-1 and R-2 residential occupancies under the International Fire Code, and in R-3 and R-4 occupancies under Wisconsin's SPS 362.0903…

Waukesha's Building Code folds Wisconsin's smoke and carbon monoxide detector statutes directly into City law. Municipal Code §16.01 incorporates Wis. Stat. §§101.145, 101.149, 101.61…

A Waukesha permit holder must notify the Building Inspection Division when each construction phase is ready for a code-compliance check, and the Division inspects within two business…

Waukesha requires a permit from the Department of Community Development before any construction, alteration, or demolition of a building or structure, including sheds and decks, moving…

Waukesha caps exterior lighting for parking, recreation, display and security uses at 0.5 footcandles measured at the property line, requires shielded fixtures, and bars any light…

Electronic billboard faces in Waukesha are capped at 500 nits at night and 3,000 nits during the day, and can't exceed the citywide outdoor-lighting standard in Section 22.59(1)(c)…

Waukesha's zoning performance standards cap the glow from parking lots, product displays, and security lighting at 0.5 footcandles measured at the property line, and let the City…

Waukesha's rat-control ordinance puts the burden squarely on property owners. If the Department of Community Development finds a rat harborage, an unprotected building, or an…

Waukesha imposes an 8% room tax on gross receipts from renting rooms or lodging to transients under Municipal Code Sec. 4.05, adopted under Wis. Stat. 66.0615. Retailers, including…

Waukesha restricts what can be planted in the street parkway under Municipal Code Sec. 3.06: no tree within 35 feet of a corner, a minimum 35-foot spacing between City parkway trees…

No one may build steps, platforms, fences, or other encroachments into a Waukesha street, alley, or sidewalk without Common Council consent, under Municipal Code Sec. 6.06. The Council…

Waukesha pays to replace a public sidewalk it decides needs replacing, but abutting property owners pay for the original installation and for any replacement they request themselves…

Before contractors place building material or equipment such as scaffolding, cranes, or hoisting machines on a Waukesha street, alley, or sidewalk, they must get a permit from the…

Waukesha requires every licensed rooming house to pass an annual inspection by the Community Development Department Building Division and Fire Department. The operator must schedule…

Waukesha closes its public parks and Park and Recreation Department grounds overnight under Municipal Code § 11.05(6). Nobody may be in a city park between 10 p.m. and sunrise unless…

Waukesha bars anyone under 17 from being out in public between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between midnight and 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, under Municipal Code…

Waukesha's Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 17, makes owners responsible for keeping rental structures sanitary, weathertight and structurally sound, and bars occupancy of units that…

Waukesha requires anyone operating a rooming house, a building with rooming units regularly rented to unrelated roomers, to hold a license from the City Clerk under Municipal Code §…

Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.17 sets the pre-eviction notice. For nonpayment of rent on a month-to-month tenancy or a lease of one year or less, the landlord gives a 5-day notice to pay or…

Wisconsin Statute 66.0104 and Act 317 prevent municipalities from limiting landlord-tenant relationships beyond state law, including any local just-cause eviction requirement. Eviction…

Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.05(2) lets a landlord enter only on advance notice and at reasonable times to inspect, repair, or show the unit. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.09(2) makes that…

Under Wis. Stat. Sec. 704.19, either the landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy with at least 28 days' written notice. If rent is payable on a basis less…

Wisconsin prohibits rent control statewide. Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 bars every city, village, town, and county from regulating the amount of rent charged for a residential rental unit…

Wisconsin sets no statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. After a tenancy ends, the landlord must mail or deliver the deposit, less lawful deductions, within 21…

Wisconsin recognizes three adverse-possession tracks. The default under Wis. Stat. Sec. 893.25 is 20 years of uninterrupted possession with no written instrument. Sec. 893.26 shortens…

New construction and substantially improved homes in Waukesha's Flood Fringe District must have the lowest floor built to or above the flood protection elevation, which Municipal Code…

Waukesha requires a storm water permit from the Director of Public Works before land disturbance meeting size thresholds, including any subdivision plat, new road, or site adding a…

Waukesha requires an erosion control plan for qualifying land-disturbing construction, capping sediment discharge at 5 tons per acre per year and requiring BMPs to be installed before…

The City of Waukesha participates in the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program and administers a Floodplain Zoning Ordinance adopted in 2023 in compliance with Wis. Stat. Sec. 87.30…

In unincorporated Waukesha County towns where the Shoreland Protection Ordinance applies, marinas and boat liveries cannot extend piers past the pierhead line, and total pier length…

Wisconsin's NR 115 sets minimum shoreland zoning standards along navigable waters, and the Public Trust Doctrine protects Great Lakes shores. Counties must adopt rules at least as…

Permanent window signs in Waukesha can't cover more than 40% of the window they're mounted in, and only one neon sign is allowed per window, under Municipal Code Section 27.03(12)…

Waukesha's sign code lets any property display non-commercial signs, including political messages, without a permit and without any limit on how many, under Municipal Code Section…

Off-premise digital billboards need a Billboard Sign permit from the City Planner, and Waukesha caps the total citywide at 10 signs under Municipal Code Section 27.05. Electronic faces…

Waukesha bars billboards from any street with a speed limit under 45 miles per hour and keeps them at least 400 feet from an intersection, 500 feet if the display is electronically…

Waukesha County's town zoning sign chapter does not set specific garage-sale-sign rules, and it prohibits signs in the public right-of-way that create a traffic hazard. Garage-sale…

Waukesha treats roof-mounted solar collectors as a permitted accessory use in every residential and business district, but Municipal Code Sec. 22.24 requires a registered engineer or…

Wisconsin does not merely limit what a homeowners' association may say about solar. Wis. Stat. § 236.292(2) declares that all restrictions on platted land that prevent or unduly…

In Waukesha's RS-1 Single-Family Residential District, Municipal Code Sec. 22.24 sets a thirty-five-foot street yard setback, a fifteen-foot side yard on each side, and a fifty-foot…

In Waukesha's RS-1 Single-Family Residential District, Municipal Code Sec. 22.24 caps a principal home at forty feet and any accessory building at under twenty feet, and an accessory…

In Waukesha's M-3 Limited Business and Industrial Park District, buildings, accessory structures, and surface parking and driveways cannot cover more than seventy-five percent of a lot…

Waukesha's Downtown Shopping Area and Downtown Perimeter District carry extra design controls on top of ordinary zoning: internally-illuminated projecting signs and cabinet signs are…

Waukesha's 7-member Landmarks Commission can designate a property a Landmark, Landmark Site, or Historic District if it reflects the city's cultural, political, or social history…

Waukesha lets any property hold a rummage sale, also called a garage sale, without a building permit, but the zoning code caps each sale at four consecutive days and limits a household…

For single-family homes, grilling is generally unrestricted. On multi-family premises the Town of Waukesha bans charcoal, propane and open-flame grills except on the ground floor at…

Waukesha County requires a written permit from the Parks and Land Use Department before anyone launches or lands a drone inside a county park. Section 14-161 groups unmanned aircraft…

Wisconsin commercial drone operators follow FAA Part 107. Wis. Stat. 114.045 sets state no-fly zones over prisons, schools, and utilities, and local governments cannot regulate flight…

The A-1 Agricultural District, the base zoning for most unincorporated Waukesha County farmland, permits farm uses by right but scales animal-keeping to lot size: small lots are…

Wisconsin Statute 823.08 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors, requiring courts to dismiss claims unless the farm substantially threatens…

Wisconsin has no legal recreational or medical marijuana dispensary program. State law prohibits cannabis sales, so no municipality can authorize dispensary operations through zoning…

Wisconsin prohibits all marijuana cultivation, including for personal use. Growing any cannabis plant is a felony under state controlled substances law. No municipality may authorize…

Wisconsin Statute 104.001 expressly preempts cities, villages, towns, and counties from establishing a minimum wage higher than the state minimum, ensuring uniform wage rules across…

Wisconsin Statute 103.10 and 104.001 preempt local paid sick leave ordinances, blocking cities and counties from requiring private employers to provide paid time off beyond state and…

Wisconsin preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under Wis. Stat. 103.007, ensuring statewide uniformity for employer scheduling practices and forbidding…

Wisconsin Statute 66.0409 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, barring cities, villages, towns, and counties from enacting ordinances stricter than state law on possession…

Wisconsin permits adults at least 18 who are not prohibited persons to openly carry firearms in public without a permit, with statewide preemption blocking local restrictions on lawful…

Wisconsin Statute 941.23 makes carrying a concealed handgun in a vehicle without a CCW license a misdemeanor, while open carry and licensed concealed carry inside vehicles are lawful…

Wisconsin requires footings and foundations to sit below the frost penetration level or at least 48 inches below adjacent grade, whichever is deeper, so 48 inches is a floor, not a…

Wisconsin's dwelling code sets minimum roof snow loads from a state zone map and does not state a ground snow load at all, which is the opposite of how most states publish the figure.

Wisconsin bans gambling as a crime, but Wis. Stat. § 563.11(1) lets bona fide religious, charitable, service, fraternal, or veterans organizations apply to the Department of…

Wisconsin's gambling code has no carve-out for private social games. Wis. Stat. § 945.01(1) defines 'bet' and lists eight exceptions, business deals, contest prizes, bingo, pari-mutuel…

Wisconsin has no commercial sportsbook law. Wis. Stat. § 945.02 makes placing any bet a Class B misdemeanor unless it fits a listed exception, and § 945.01(1)(h), added by 2025…

Wisconsin has no comprehensive non-condo HOA act. Condominium associations get a statutory assessment lien under Wis. Stat. § 703.165 that is foreclosed like a mortgage. Non-condo HOAs…

Wisconsin condominiums run through an association of unit owners under Wis. Stat. § 703.15, which sets meeting-notice, proxy, and voting rules. Non-condo HOAs are governed as nonstock…

Wisconsin overrides anti-solar and anti-wind HOA restrictions by statute. Wis. Stat. § 236.292 voids restrictions on platted land that prevent or unduly restrict solar or wind energy…

Wisconsin protects flag display through two separate statutes, and which one applies depends on whether you own a condominium unit or a lot in a covenanted subdivision. Wis. Stat. §…

Wisconsin sets no dollar cap on association fines and requires no hearing before one is imposed. For condominiums, Wis. Stat. § 703.24(2) makes a unit owner liable for any charges…

Only Wisconsin condominium associations hold a statutory collection lien. Wis. Stat. § 703.165(3) gives the association a lien for unpaid assessments if it files a statement of…

Wisconsin runs the opposite way from states that shield owners who lease. Wis. Stat. § 703.10(3) expressly authorizes condominium bylaws to carry any restriction on the use of the…

You will not meet an OWI checkpoint in Wisconsin. Wis. Stat. § 349.02(2)(a) forbids a police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, traffic officer or motor vehicle inspector from stopping…

Wisconsin is a one-party consent state. Wis. Stat. § 968.31(2)(c) makes it lawful for a person not acting under color of law to intercept a wire, electronic or oral communication when…

Wisconsin has no general stop-and-identify offense. Wis. Stat. § 968.24 lets an officer who has first identified himself or herself as law enforcement stop you in a public place, for a…

Wisconsin is unusual in codifying the grounds for a search at all. Wis. Stat. § 968.10 says a search may be made and things seized only when it is incident to a lawful arrest, with…

Wisconsin Statute 134.66 bars selling cigarettes and tobacco to anyone under 18 and vapor products to anyone under 21. The federal Tobacco 21 law independently requires all tobacco and…

Wisconsin has not enacted a statewide ban on flavored tobacco or vapor products; sales of menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes remain lawful under Wis. Stat. 134.66 subject to…

Wisconsin's rule on extra lighting is a colour rule with a count attached. Wis. Stat. § 347.07(2) bars operating any vehicle on a highway displaying a colour other than white or amber…

Wisconsin never legislated dash cams, so the governing rule is the windshield rule, and Wisconsin's version is a closed list. Wis. Admin. Code § Trans 305.34(6) bars any posters…

Wisconsin has never legislated lane splitting in either direction. The phrases "lane splitting" and "between lanes" appear nowhere in chs. 340 to 351, the whole Wisconsin Vehicle Code…

Wisconsin attacks plate covers from two directions. Wis. Stat. s. 341.61 (3) makes it an offence carrying a forfeiture of up to $500 to place any substance on a plate that hinders its…

A radar detector is lawful in a private car in Wisconsin. The phrase "radar detector" appears nowhere in the Wisconsin Statutes or the Wisconsin Administrative Code, and the equipment…

Wisconsin gives ordinary drivers no studded-tire season at all. Wis. Stat. s. 347.45 (2) bans any block, stud, flange, cleat, spike or other non-rubber protuberance that projects…

Wisconsin puts its tint numbers in the Department of Transportation's equipment rules, not in the statute book. Aftermarket film on the vent and front side windows must still pass at…