Short-term rental rules · Door County (Sturgeon Bay), Wisconsin
Short-term rentals in Door County (Sturgeon Bay), explained properly.
In Sturgeon Bay, Door County's largest city, short-term rentals need a city license and a permit from the Door County Tourism Zone Commission, which administers room tax across the county's participating municipalities. The city license costs $200 per rental unit, renews annually and expires June 30, and the operator or a contracted management company must be within a 90-minute drive of the rental. Operators also need a state Tourist Rooming House license from DATCP, and stays carry 8% Tourism Zone room tax plus sales tax. Accessory dwelling units can't be rented for under seven days. Wisconsin law bars local bans on rentals of seven days or longer, but allows limits on shorter stays. Other Door County towns and villages have their own ordinances.
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At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| City license plus Tourism Zone permit | Anyone renting transiently in the City of Sturgeon Bay needs a permit from both the Door County Tourism Zone Commission and the city. The city's Tourist Rooming House license application asks for the Tourism Zone permit number, a copy of the state DATCP Tourist Rooming House license for the licensing period and proof of insurance on the property [1] [2] |
| $200 per unit annual license, expires June 30 | The city's Tourist Rooming House license costs $200 for each rental unit, renews every year and expires June 30. Renewal applications are due by June 23; a $100 late fee applies after that. The city fee schedule also lists a separate $100 Tourist Rooming House permit under Plan Commission fees. A 2025 news report put active STRs in the city at more than 100 [2] [3] [4] |
| Operator within a 90-minute drive | Under city code section 9.05, the owner/operator must live within a 90-minute drive of the rental (measured by an online mapping program) whenever it is rented, unless there is a valid contract with a management company located within that distance; applicants who can't meet this must attach a management plan. This replaced an earlier rule requiring them to live in Door, Kewaunee or Brown County [2] [4] |
| Wisconsin limits on local rules; state TRH license | Under Wis. Stat. 66.1014 (2017 Wisconsin Act 59), local governments cannot prohibit rentals of seven consecutive days or longer, but may regulate shorter stays and may cap rentals of 7 to 29 days at 180 days in a 365-day period. A one- or two-family home rented to tourists needs a state Tourist Rooming House license from DATCP ($296 a year for one unit plus a one-time $592 pre-inspection fee); a secondary source says this applies to rentals of more than 10 nights a year. Stays carry 8% municipal room tax collected by the Door County Tourism Zone, 5% state sales tax and 0.5% county sales tax [5] [6] [7] [8]Confirming |
| ADUs: 7-night minimum, 180 days a year | An accessory dwelling unit in the city may not be rented for less than seven consecutive days, may be rented no more than 180 days in any 365-day period, and the owner must notify the city clerk when the first rental in each 365-day period begins (Ordinance 1458-0225, effective February 22, 2025) [9]Confirming |
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We checked the city's 2026 Tourist Rooming House application and fee schedule (dated 9.17.26), Ordinance 1458-0225, the Common Council agenda list for March–September 2026 (agenda PDFs themselves not reviewed yet), the Door County Tourism Zone requirements and FAQ pages, and DATCP's Tourist Rooming House page. The Wisconsin statutes site and the Municode copy of the city code could not be read automatically. Watch the Common Council and the Tourism Zone Commission. Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, Ephraim, Baileys Harbor and other Door County municipalities have separate ordinances.
DATCP's revised ATCP 72 lodging rules, which cover Tourist Rooming Houses, took effect January 25, 2026, updating safety standards, terminology and inspection requirements.
Sources
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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.