Every deadline, width and penalty here was read on September 23, 2026, off the city's own page or the municipal code that city hosts, and each one is quoted and linked beside the line it supports. Cities amend these ordinances between winters and several publish the deadline on a seasonal page that changes in autumn, so the link beside a line is what governs on the day.

Wisconsin Sidewalk Snow Removal: 24 Hours in Every City

Q: How wide does a cleared path have to be in Wisconsin?

Three Wisconsin cities set a width, and Green Bay sets the full paved width of such sidewalk, or not less than four feet where the footway has not been paved or duly established. 57 cities nationally publish one; the rest describe the walk rather than measure it, and the city named on each line is the one that reads the result.

Q: Does snow have to be cleared from the sidewalk or the street in Wisconsin?

The rules collected here are sidewalk rules, and the great majority of Wisconsin cities publish a second one about where the snow may go once it has been moved, most often forbidding it on the travelled part of the road. Both come off the same city pages linked below, and the Wisconsin cities that publish only the second are listed as such rather than folded in with the rest.

Q: Which cities in the country give you the least time?

St. Louis, Santa Fe, Sheridan, where the ordinance allows no hours at all. Above them, 57 of the 150 cities that count in hours give twelve hours or less, 74 give exactly a day, and 18 give more than a day. The widest gap inside a single state is Maine, from four hours to three days.

A rule, not a clock

What state law sets

Wis. Stat. 66.0907(5)

24h

What its cities allow

in every city that counts in hours

7 of 7

Cities with an ordinance

7 clear it themselves and bill

September 23, 2026

Read

4 publish a penalty

The short answer

Green Bay gives a day, and Wisconsin sets nothing above it

Wisconsin writes its statute at the city rather than the owner, telling it to clear what the owner has not and charge the property. The clock is a city's instead, and five Wisconsin cities count in hours. Nationally the deadlines run from no hours at all to three days across 150 cities, and no state legislature anywhere has put a number on it.

One of the Wisconsin cities below publishes somewhere to report a walk that has not been cleared, linked on its own line. The city that publishes the rule is the city that answers questions about it.

The city clears it7 of 7 cities with an ordinance5 counting in hours7 clear it themselves

City by city, in each city’s own words

The 7 Wisconsin cities that publish an ordinance

Five Wisconsin cities publish a count of hours, and each one below is quoted from the ordinance or the city page it was read from. A day is the commonest figure in Wisconsin as it is nationally: 74 of the 150 cities that count in hours land on exactly that.

Each card below carries what that city published and nothing else: the deadline in its own sentence, the sentence it was read from, and the width, the penalty and the wording about ice where the city printed them. The chip is a band derived from the wording for sorting, not a restatement of it.

Green Bay
13h to 24h
within 24 hours after such snow or ice has fallen or accumulated thereon
The lessee, occupant of the first or ground floor, or person having charge of a building, or if there is no lessee, occupant, or person having charge, the owner of each parcel of real estate in the City abutting or bordering upon any street, avenue, highway, or other public place shall remove or cause to be removed all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of or adjacent to such premises to the full paved width of such sidewalk within 24 hours after such snow or ice has fallen or accumulated thereon, provided, where footways or sidewalks have not been paved or duly established, snow and ice shall be removed to a width of not less than four feet from that portion of the street or way which is used in common as a footway.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the lessee, occupant of the first or ground floor, or person having charge of a building, or if there is no lessee, occupant, or person having charge, the owner of each parcel of real estate
- Width the full paved width of such sidewalk, or not less than four feet where the footway has not been paved or duly established
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Green Bay Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-14
- Published by Department of Public Works, City of Green Bay
Sec. 34-14 Snow removal, Green Bay Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Kenosha
13h to 24h
within twenty-four (24) hours of the day following a snow fall
The responsible party shall remove and clear away or cause to remove or clear away all snow and ice from sidewalks within twenty-four (24) hours of the day following a snow fall
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner, occupant or party in charge of the property abutting or fronting a sidewalk, whether they be a person, partnership, corporation, joint stock company or syndicate
What it says about ice
provided that when ice has so formed on any sidewalk that it cannot be removed, then the persons herein before referred to shall cause said ice from remaining and presenting a hazard to the users of the sidewalk by use of sand, abrasive material or any product designed to prevent ice from forming or to remain in its form and not to be injurious to the health and safety of the public
- Penalty $20.00 for a first violation in a calendar year, $40.00 for the second and third, $60.00 for the fourth and every violation after that, doubled if not paid within seven days
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Kenosha Code of General Ordinances 5.11
- Published by Department of Public Works, City of Kenosha
5.11 Sidewalks and Alleys to be Kept Clean by Responsible Party, Kenosha Code of General Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
La Crosse
13h to 24h
within 24 hours after the snow or ice has fallen or accumulated thereon
The owner in charge of any building or parcel of land abutting or fronting upon a paved public sidewalk or crosswalk shall remove and clear away all snow and ice within 24 hours after the snow or ice has fallen or accumulated thereon
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner in charge of any building or parcel of land abutting or fronting upon a paved public sidewalk or crosswalk
What it says about ice
provided, that when ice has so formed upon any sidewalk that it cannot be removed, the owner shall keep the same sprinkled with sand or other suitable substances in such manner as to prevent the ice from being dangerous, until such time as it can be removed, and then it shall be promptly removed
- Penalty a forfeiture of no less than $75.00 for a first violation and not less than $100.00 for the second and any subsequent violation within a two year period, plus costs of prosecution and assessments
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section La Crosse Code of Ordinances Sec. 40-8, penalty at Sec. 40-1
- Published by City Engineer's Office, City of La Crosse
Sec. 40-8 Snow, ice and debris removal, La Crosse Code of Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Milwaukee
13h to 24h
within 24 hours after the snow or ice has ceased to fall
The owner, occupant or person in charge of any real property abutting or fronting upon a paved public sidewalk or crosswalk shall remove and clear away all snow and ice on the entire paved surface within 24 hours after the snow or ice has ceased to fall.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner, occupant or person in charge of any real property abutting or fronting upon a paved public sidewalk or crosswalk
What it says about ice
Whenever ice has so formed on any sidewalk that it cannot be removed, then the persons responsible for snow and ice removal under this subsection shall prevent the remaining ice from presenting a hazard to the users of the sidewalk by applying sand, abrasive material or any product that melts ice to the entire paved surface.
- Width the entire paved surface
- Penalty a special charge of $75, an additional special charge of $100 for a condition left in violation, and $125 on a subsequent failure in the same calendar year
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Milwaukee Code of Ordinances 116-8
- Published by Department of Public Works, City of Milwaukee
Chapter 116, Use of Public Ways and Places, Milwaukee Code of Ordinances, Office of the City Clerk, read September 23, 2026 Where the city takes reports
Racine
13h to 24h
within 24 hours after such snow or ice shall have fallen or accumulated thereon
The owner of each parcel of real estate in the city abutting or bordering upon any street or other public place shall remove or cause to be removed all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front, along the side of, or adjacent to such premises to the full paved width of such sidewalk within 24 hours after such snow or ice shall have fallen or accumulated thereon.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner of each parcel of real estate in the city abutting or bordering upon any street or other public place
What it says about ice
In the case of snow and ice on the sidewalk which shall be frozen so hard that it cannot be removed without damage to the sidewalk, the owner of every parcel of real estate shall within the time specified in this section cause the sidewalk abutting or adjacent to such premises to be strewn and kept strewn with sand or some other suitable material, and shall, as soon thereafter as the weather shall permit, thoroughly clean such sidewalk.
- Width the full paved width of such sidewalk
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Racine Municipal Code Sec. 82-109
- Published by Department of Public Works, City of Racine
Sec. 82-109 Snow removal, Racine Municipal Code, read September 23, 2026
Madison
By the clock
not later than 12:00 noon of the day after the snow or ice has accumulated on the sidewalk
The owner of each lot or part of lot shall remove all snow and ice upon the sidewalk abutting the premises which they own not later than 12:00 noon of the day after the snow or ice has accumulated on the sidewalk, regardless of the source of accumulation.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner of each lot or part of lot
What it says about ice
Provided that when ice has so formed upon any sidewalk that it cannot be removed, then the owner shall keep the same effectively sprinkled with sand or other suitable substance in such manner as to prevent the ice from being dangerous, until such time as the ice can be removed, and then the ice shall be promptly removed.
- Penalty a forfeiture of not less than $20 nor more than $50 for a first offense and not less than $30 nor more than $100 for any subsequent offense, with each day a separate offense
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Madison General Ordinances 10.28
- Published by Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development, City of Madison
10.28 Snow and Ice to be Removed from Sidewalks, Madison General Ordinances, read September 23, 2026
Wausau
No clock
The ordinance requires the walk cleared and names no time by which.
The owner of property abutting on any sidewalk shall, without notice and at all times, keep such abutting sidewalk clean and free of debris, dirt, sweepings, obstructions and clear of snow and ice, and shall not deposit or place any sweepings or debris or other foreign matter upon the same.
Whose duty it is, as the ordinance puts it
the owner of property abutting on any sidewalk
- If it is not done the city may clear it and charge the property
- Section Wausau Municipal Code 12.28.050, with city removal at 12.52.030
- Published by Sidewalk Inspector, City of Wausau
12.28.050 Cleaning of sidewalks, Wausau Municipal Code, read September 23, 2026

What Wisconsin itself did

The Wisconsin statute, and what it does not do

Wisconsin sets no statewide deadline for a property owner. The statute instead directs a city board of public works to clear any sidewalk the abutting owner or occupant has not cleared, levy that expense against the property as a special tax, and it separately allows the city to impose a fine.

That is the national pattern rather than a Wisconsin quirk. 13 of the 50 legislatures have a statute that touches sidewalk snow at all, 10 of those do nothing but let a city decide, and not one of them sets a deadline. The clock is a municipal ordinance everywhere in the country.

An instruction to the city, not to the owner

Wis. Stat. 66.0907(5)

Wisconsin State Legislature, Legislative Reference Bureau

writes its statute at the city rather than the owner, telling it to clear what the owner has not and charge the property

The board of public works shall keep the sidewalks of the city clear of snow and ice in all cases where the owners or occupants of abutting lots fail to do so, and the expense of clearing in front of any lot or parcel of land shall be included in the statement to the comptroller required by sub. (3) (f), in the comptroller's statement to the city clerk and in the special tax to be levied. The city may also impose a fine or penalty for neglecting to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice.

Wisconsin State Legislature, Legislative Reference Bureau, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source

What happens if it is not done

A bill or a penalty, depending on the Wisconsin city

Seven Wisconsin cities publish a rule letting the city clear the walk and put the cost on the property. That is the commoner enforcement route nationally: 102 of the 187 cities with an ordinance carry one, against 105 that publish a penalty.

Four Wisconsin cities print a penalty beside the rule, each as a dollar figure. Each is reproduced below in the words its own ordinance used.

Both routes are printed on the cards above in the sentence each was read from, because a penalty clause paraphrased is a different statement than the one the city made. Where a city publishes a page for reporting a walk that has not been cleared, that link is on its card too.

How Wisconsin compares

The same question in the other forty nine

150 cities nationally count in hours, and the counts run from no hours at all to 72. 74 land on exactly a day, 57 give twelve hours or less, and 18 give more than a day. A further 22 set a time of day or a depth of snow rather than a count of hours at all.

The bar splits those 150 cities by how long they allow, and the table beneath it orders the states by how tight their tightest city is, which is a different ranking from how much snow a state gets.

3 of 150No hours allowed
23 of 150Six hours or less
31 of 150Within twelve hours
75 of 150Within a day
18 of 150More than a day

Fifty states and 267 cities, read September 23, 2026.
State	What the legislature did	What its cities do	With an ordinance	Tightest city
Missouri	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	ImmediatelySt. Louis
Wyoming	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 3	ImmediatelySheridan
New Mexico	A cross reference	Cities count in hours	1 of 4	ImmediatelySanta Fe
Michigan	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	2hMarquette
Maryland	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	3hAnnapolis
Massachusetts	A city may	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	3hBoston
Pennsylvania	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	3hErie
Virginia	A city may	Cities count in hours	6 of 7	3hRoanoke
Connecticut	A city may	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	4hDanbury
Ohio	A city may	Cities count in hours	8 of 8	4hAthens
New York	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	4hNew York City
Maine	A city may	Cities count in hours	4 of 8	4hWaterville
Vermont	A city may	Cities count in hours	1 of 6	4hWinooski
Rhode Island	A city may	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	5hNewport
Indiana	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	6hWest Lafayette
Nebraska	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	8hFremont
New Jersey	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	8hJersey City
Utah	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	8hPark City
Iowa	Owner duty, no clock	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	10hAmes
Kansas	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	12hSalina
Delaware	Nothing found	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	12hMilford
Washington	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 4	12hSeattle
California	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	1 of 2	12hSouth Lake Tahoe
North Dakota	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	24hBismarck
Wisconsin	The city clears it	Cities count in hours	7 of 7	24hGreen Bay
Colorado	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	24hAurora
Illinois	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	24hChampaign
Minnesota	A city may	Cities count in hours	6 of 6	24hDuluth
Montana	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	24hBillings
South Dakota	A city may	Cities count in hours	5 of 5	24hWatertown
Oklahoma	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 7	24hTulsa
West Virginia	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	3 of 4	24hMorgantown
Alaska	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	2 of 3	24hSeward
Idaho	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	2 of 3	24hIdaho Falls
Texas	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	2 of 7	24hAmarillo
Arizona	Nothing at state level	Cities count in hours	1 of 5	24hFlagstaff
Oregon	Nothing at state level	Required, no time named	2 of 3	None published
Arkansas	Nothing at state level	Set by the clock or a depth	1 of 7	None published
Kentucky	Nothing at state level	Set by the clock or a depth	1 of 3	None published
Tennessee	Nothing at state level	Required, no time named	1 of 4	None published
Alabama	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Florida	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Georgia	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Hawaii	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 2	None published
Louisiana	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 6	None published
Mississippi	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
Nevada	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published
New Hampshire	A city may	No city rule found	0 of 7	None published
North Carolina	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 4	None published
South Carolina	Nothing at state level	No city rule found	0 of 3	None published

Wisconsin sidewalk snow removal questions

How long do you have to shovel your sidewalk in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin writes its statute at the city rather than the owner, telling it to clear what the owner has not and charge the property. The clock is a city's instead, and five Wisconsin cities count in hours. Nationally the deadlines run from no hours at all to three days across 150 cities, and no state legislature anywhere has put a number on it. Five Wisconsin cities publish a count of hours, and each one below is quoted from the ordinance or the city page it was read from. A day is the commonest figure in Wisconsin as it is nationally: 74 of the 150 cities that count in hours land on exactly that.

Does Wisconsin have a state law about clearing sidewalks?

Wisconsin sets no statewide deadline for a property owner. The statute instead directs a city board of public works to clear any sidewalk the abutting owner or occupant has not cleared, levy that expense against the property as a special tax, and it separately allows the city to impose a fine. The section is Wis. Stat. 66.0907(5), published by Wisconsin State Legislature, Legislative Reference Bureau. It reads: “The board of public works shall keep the sidewalks of the city clear of snow and ice in all cases where the owners or occupants of abutting lots fail to do so, and the expense of clearing in front of any lot or parcel of land shall be included in the statement to the comptroller required by sub. (3) (f), in the comptroller's statement to the city clerk and in the special tax to be levied. The city may also impose a fine or penalty for neglecting to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice.”

Will the city clear my sidewalk in Wisconsin?

Seven Wisconsin cities publish a rule letting the city clear the walk and put the cost on the property. That is the commoner enforcement route nationally: 102 of the 187 cities with an ordinance carry one, against 105 that publish a penalty. Green Bay sets it out this way: “Whenever any owner, lessee, occupant, or person having charge of any parcel of real estate fails or neglects to remove snow and ice from any such sidewalk or roof as provided in this section, the Director of Public Works may, without notice, have the ice and snow removed therefrom, keeping an accurate account of the expenses of keeping the sidewalks clear of snow and ice in all cases where owners or occupants of abutting lots fail to do so, and report the same to the Comptroller, who shall annually prepare a statement of the expenses so incurred in front of each lot or parcel of land and report the same to the City Clerk. The amount therein charged to each lot or parcel of land shall be entered by the City Clerk in the tax roll as a special tax against such lot or parcel of land, and the same shall be collected in all respects like other taxes upon real estate.”

What is the fine for not shovelling a sidewalk in Wisconsin?

Four Wisconsin cities print a penalty beside the rule, each as a dollar figure. Each is reproduced below in the words its own ordinance used. Kenosha prints $20.00 for a first violation in a calendar year, $40.00 for the second and third, $60.00 for the fourth and every violation after that, doubled if not paid within seven days: “1. Twenty dollars ($20.00) for the first violation within a given calendar year. 2. Forty dollars ($40.00) for the second and third violations within a given calendar year. 3. Sixty dollars ($60.00) for the fourth violation and every violation thereafter, within a given calendar year. 4. The above penalties shall double if not paid within seven (7) days of the date of the offense, not including the day of the offense.”

How wide does a cleared path have to be in Wisconsin?

Does snow have to be cleared from the sidewalk or the street in Wisconsin?

Which cities in the country give you the least time?

How current is this?

Sidewalk snow removal rules in every state

Wisconsin ice damsWhat builds at the eaves while the walk is being cleared, and the conditions that put it there.Wisconsin ground snow loadThe other winter number a city sets and the state usually does not, and who publishes it where.Wisconsin snowpackWhat is actually on the ground this winter, measured daily, against the years behind it.Wisconsin frozen pipesThe other thing a long cold spell does to a building, and the temperatures it starts at.

Wisconsin read September 23, 2026: the municipal code and the city published pages of the 7 cities above, and Wis. Stat. 66.0907(5). Every deadline, width, penalty and duty above links to the document it was published in and is reproduced in that document’s own wording. An hour count on this site is a sorting key derived from a city’s sentence and never a replacement for it. Councils amend ordinances on their own schedule, so the section linked beside a line is what governs on the day. What a particular property owes, and to whom, is a question for the city that published the ordinance.