Wisconsin County Zoning — Wis. Stat. § 59.69 (WI)
Tracked preemption from the Wisconsin overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
1929-01-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:WI
Other Wisconsin preemptions
Wisconsin Livestock Facility Siting — Wis. Stat. § 93.90 + ATCP 51 (CAFO preemption)Wisconsin Nonmetallic Mining (Frac Sand) Reclamation — Wis. Stat. Ch. 295 + NR 135Lower Wisconsin State Riverway — Wis. Stat. § 30.40 et seq.Wisconsin Local Historic Preservation — Wis. Stat. § 44.44 (Certified Ordinance)Fort McCoy / Volk Field AICUZ + Military Influence Area — federal/local coordinationWisconsin Brownfield Response / Spill Law — Wis. Stat. § 292.11 + DNR RR ProgramWisconsin Farmland Preservation — Wis. Stat. Ch. 91Wisconsin Tax Increment Law (TIF) — Wis. Stat. § 66.1105
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
county.has_adopted_county_zoning_ordinance == TruePreempted fields
2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
review_type | require | county_zoning_applies_in_towns_only | §59.69 countywide zoning applies in unincorporated towns only (no effect in cities/villages) and only in towns that approve the ordinance by town-board resolution per §59.69(5)(c). |
conditional_use_review | require | substantial_evidence_standard | §59.69(5e) — CUP substantial-evidence standard for county zoning mirrors §62.23(7)(de). |
Citation
Authority source
Wis. Stat. § 59.69; 2017 Wis. Act 67
Research notes
Counties may adopt countywide zoning that applies in towns (not cities/villages). Town opt-in is mandatory under §59.69(5)(c). Substantial-evidence CUP applies. As of 2026, most non-metropolitan Wisconsin counties operate §59.69 ordinances.