Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Short-term rentals are legal in Sturgeon Bay but actively licensed and taxed as Tourist Rooming Houses under Municipal Code Chapter 9.05. To operate, a host needs three approvals: a Wisconsin DATCP tourist-rooming-house inspection and license, a lodging permit from the Door County Tourism Zone Commission, and a City of Sturgeon Bay TRH license costing $100, renewed annually with licenses expiring June 30. There is no primary-residence or owner-occupancy mandate, but the ordinance requires an owner, operator, or property manager to be reachable within a 90-minute drive of the rental to respond to issues, a proximity rule that was legally challenged and then clarified and standardized by ordinance in early 2025. Guests pay an 8% Door County room tax, raised from 5.5% effective January 1, 2022, which operators must collect and remit monthly to the Door County Tourism Zone Commission for every operating month, including zero-revenue months. Maximum occupancy is limited by septic or holding-tank capacity rather than a night cap, and there is no stated maximum nights per year. Operators must also display their Tourism Zone Commission permit number in online listings. Enforcement is classified as moderate: licensing, inspection, monthly tax filing, and the manager-proximity requirement are all conditions of legal operation, but there is no bedroom cap like Sister Bay’s.