What Alexandria Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Alexandria is a mid-sized city in Alexandria City, Virginia, with about 159000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 116 ordinances across 37 categories that affect daily life in Alexandria.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Alexandria's home occupation rules ban signage outright. Zoning Ordinance Section 7-301(E) states no sign shall advertise the presence or conduct of a home-based business, applying to every home occupation permitted under Section 7-300, from tutoring to consulting to a home office..

Also covered: Cottage Food Operations (permissive), Home Daycare (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Alexandria for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Trimming: Alexandria property owners must trim trees, shrubs and other vegetation that overhangs or interferes with a public street, sidewalk or other public property. The City Manager can order corrective trimming within 7 to 30 days, and a serious hazard can be cut back on just four hours' notice..

Also covered: Weed Ordinances (moderate), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Alexandria for details.

Drone Rules

Recreational Drones: Alexandria sits inside the FAA's Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) and Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) around Reagan National (DCA). Recreational drone flights are prohibited under any circumstances; all UAS operations require federal authorization..

Short-Term Rentals

Repeat Violator Strikes: Two or more permit-requirement violations bar an Alexandria short-term rental property from reapplying for a year. Three violations of the same city law, or five of separate laws, in a permit year is grounds to revoke or deny the STR permit, under Zoning Ordinance Sec.

Also covered: Short-Term Rental Permits (moderate), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate), Occupancy Limits (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Alexandria for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Shared E-Scooter Rules: Alexandria caps shared e-scooter and e-bike fleets citywide under a permit program run by the transportation department. Operators need insurance, a surety bond, and a business license, and the city can designate no-park or reduced-speed zones for public safety..

Also covered: Bike Lane Rules (moderate), Red-Light Cameras (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Alexandria for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parklets: Alexandria allows parklets in the public right-of-way only under a permit reviewed by the Director of T&ES and requirements set by the Traffic and Parking Board, per City Code Sec. 5-2-29(b)(1)c.

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (moderate), Park Event Permits (moderate), Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Alexandria for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: Alexandria requires every food truck vendor to hold an annual food truck vendor permit from the city manager, on top of a business license, health permit and any fire prevention permit needed. Vending is limited to 7:00 a.m.

Also covered: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (moderate), Vending Zones (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Alexandria for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Alexandria requires periodic building-code inspections of residential rental units inside designated East and West rental inspection districts. Owners must arrange initial and follow-up inspections, and no unit may be rented out without a current certificate of compliance..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (limited). See the full rental inspections guide for Alexandria for details.

Noise Ordinances

Leaf Blower Rules: Alexandria bans gas-powered leaf blowers and leaf vacuums outright at all times under City Code § 11-5-4(16)(a); other power lawn and garden equipment, including electric blowers, is restricted to Table II hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Also covered: Quiet Hours (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate), Barking Dogs (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Alexandria for details.

Building Safety

Building Inspections: Alexandria's building code requires every permit holder to notify the building official at least 24 hours before any inspection, and to give written notice within 14 days if a contractor is discharged or the work is suspended or abandoned, under City Code Sec. 8-1-11..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Electrical Permits (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Alexandria for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Alexandria's BPOL license tax sorts every business into a class, professional services, financial services, retail and wholesale merchants, contractors and more, and taxes each class at its own per-$100-of-receipts rate under City Code Secs. 9-1-71 through 9-1-88, with a $50 flat minimum below $100,000 in receipts..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Alexandria requires every door-to-door peddler, canvasser or solicitor to obtain a certificate of registration from the police department before working the city's streets. The $10 application fee funds a background investigation, and the chief of police can deny or revoke the certificate for a criminal record or fraud..

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Placing anything in the public right-of-way in Alexandria, from steps to planters to signs, requires an encroachment permit from the Director of T&ES under Sec. 5-2-29.

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Alexandria for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Alexandria can force the repair, or acquire and repair, blighted or derelict property under City Code Article I. A building vacant, boarded up, and disconnected from utilities for more than six months is derelict; owners get a 90-day deadline to submit a demolition or renovation work plan or face class 2 misdemeanor charges..

Also covered: Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Alexandria for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Alexandria bans the storage, sale, possession, or discharge of any fireworks within the city limits: including sparklers. Violations are Class 1 misdemeanors punishable by up to a $2,500 fine and/or 12 months in jail..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (restrictive), Outdoor Burning (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Alexandria for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping any waste on property, in city waters, or into a sanitary sewer or stormwater system without a permit is unlawful under City Code Sec. 11-13-2.

Also covered: Collection Schedule (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Bulk Item Disposal (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Alexandria for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: City Code Sec. 11-6-2 requires every building in Alexandria to be ratproofed, kept free of rats, and maintained in a ratproof and rat-free condition, with owners obligated to repair any break in ratproofing on their own initiative.

Also covered: Food Handler Certification (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Alexandria for details.

Parking Rules

RV & Boat Parking: Alexandria bans parking any trailer in any zone except under narrow exceptions, and limits recreational vehicles in residential zones to one per lot, unoccupied, parked behind the front building line. Zoning Ordinance Sections 7-1101 and 7-1102 set length caps of 25 feet in the R-8, R-12, and R-20 zones and 20 feet in all other residential zones..

Also covered: Driveway Rules (moderate), Street Parking Limits (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Alexandria for details.

Hurricane Preparedness

Flood Elevation: Alexandria requires new construction and substantially improved buildings in the FEMA-mapped Zone A or AE floodplain to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, to at least one foot above the base flood elevation before the Department of Code Administration will issue a permit..

Public Conduct

Skateboarding Rules: Riding a skateboard, moped, bicycle or other micromobility device anywhere in Alexandria's Market Square is unlawful under City Code § 6-1-4. The plaza, bounded by King Street, City Hall and the 100 blocks of North Royal and North Fairfax Streets, also bans motor vehicles, headset-free music and damaging city property..

Also covered: Public Urination (moderate), Jaywalking (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Alexandria for details.

Animal Ordinances

Breed Restrictions: Virginia law, applied in Alexandria through City Code Sec. 5-7-36, lets a court order a dog euthanized once it is proven a 'vicious dog', but Va.

Also covered: Cat Rules (moderate), Microchipping (limited), Dog Leash Laws (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Alexandria for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Alexandria regulates the Potomac River and Cameron Run floodplain through Section 6-300 of the Zoning Ordinance, which creates a Floodway District and an AE/AH Special Flood Hazard Area based on FEMA's January 11, 2024 flood maps. Within the mapped floodway, new construction, fill, and substantial improvements are barred unless an engineer certifies zero rise in flood levels..

Also covered: Stormwater Management (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Alexandria for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Alexandria requires every outdoor 'aquatic facility' regulated under City Code Chapter 11, meaning public, hotel, apartment and club pools, but not a single-family or duplex home's private pool, to be enclosed by a non-climbable perimeter fence or barrier at least six feet tall under Sec. 11-11-50, with self-latching access gates locked at least 48 inches above the ground..

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance bans billboards outright under Sec. 9-203(K): any single panel sign larger than 100 square feet that is sold, rented, or leased to someone other than the property's own business owner cannot go up anywhere in the city.

Also covered: Freeway-Facing Signs (restrictive), Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Alexandria for details.

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Alexandria protects landmark trees through its historic-tree designation in City Code § 6-2-37: the city manager may designate any tree of notable historic interest, based on age, size, species, condition or historic association, and once designated it cannot be removed without city council's approval after a public hearing..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate), Protected Tree Species (restrictive). See the full tree protection guide for Alexandria for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Alexandria sets yard setbacks zone by zone using ratios rather than flat numbers. In the R-20 single-family zone, Zoning Ordinance Section 3-106 requires two side yards on a 1:2 setback ratio with a 12-foot minimum, a rear yard on a 1:1 ratio with a 12-foot minimum, and a front yard matching the surrounding block face..

Also covered: Lot Coverage Limits (moderate), Structure Height Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Alexandria for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Alexandria bans motor vehicle repair, sales, and engine work as a home occupation outright. Zoning Ordinance Section 7-301(L) prohibits any home business from doing vehicle repairs, and Section 7-301(M) further limits residents to one commercial vehicle of one-ton capacity or less parked on the property..

Also covered: Secondhand Dealers (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive), Towing Companies (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Alexandria for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance lets homeowners add one accessory dwelling unit to a single-unit, two-unit, or townhouse property under Section 7-203. A detached ADU tops out at one-third of the principal home's first-floor area or 350 to 500 square feet, whichever is greater, capped at 20 feet in height, with no off-street parking required..

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Alexandria for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Alexandria lets a residential project increase floor area ratio, density, and height, and reduce off-street parking, through a special use permit if it dedicates housing to low- and moderate-income households. The floor area/density bump is capped at 30 percent and height at 25 feet, under Zoning Ordinance Sec.

Fence Regulations

Height Limits: On corner and through lots, Alexandria allows open and closed fences up to six feet in the secondary front yard only if they sit behind the front building wall and are set back at least two feet from the sidewalk edge (or the lot line), per Zoning Ordinance Sec. 7-1701 and 7-1702..

Also covered: Retaining Walls (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Alexandria for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance treats rooftop solar as a favored rooftop appurtenance: Section 6-403(B) lets solar energy systems rise above a building's normal height limit like any other mechanical equipment, and Section 6-403(B)(1) is the only rooftop appurtenance the ordinance exempts from the requirement to be screened or concealed behind matching exterior materials..

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Alexandria closes every public park and playground between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Noise from Specific Sources

Car Alarm Limits: Alexandria treats a malfunctioning car alarm as a public nuisance under City Code Sec. 10-8-2: once triggered, an alarm cannot sound for more than one hour, and going off more than twice in an hour or four times in 24 hours is presumed to be a false alarm.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Alexandria charges every hotel guest and short-term rental guest 6.5% of the room rental plus a flat $1.25-per-night fee under City Code § 3-2-142. Because § 3-2-141 folds short-term residential rentals defined in § 3-2-152 into the code's "hotel" definition, Airbnb and VRBO stays under 30 days owe the identical tax as a hotel room..

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Alexandria doesn't have a citywide light-trespass ordinance for private property, but it does regulate glare from public recreational lighting. Section 6-403(F) lets light poles for congregate recreational facilities and dog parks exceed the zone's normal height limit only with a special use permit, a 35-foot setback from any residential lot line, and proof the taller pole cuts spillage and glare..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Alexandria bans camping or using any public park for living accommodations under City Code § 6-1-8(a)(6). The ordinance defines camping broadly to include sleeping, laying out bedding, storing belongings, or setting up a tent, vehicle or shelter for sleeping, and makes a violation a class 4 misdemeanor..

Rental Property Rules

Rent Control: Virginia has no statute preempting local rent control; the barrier is Dillon's Rule. Since July 2026, landlords owning more than four units must give 60 days' notice of a renewal rent increase..

What to Do With This Information

Whether you are renting, buying, or renovating in Alexandria, knowing the local rules upfront saves headaches later. Dig into the individual ordinance pages linked above for the complete picture, including fines and exemptions.