What Farmington Hills Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Farmington Hills, Michigan may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 60 tracked ordinances across 23 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Landscaping Rules

Weed Ordinances: Farmington Hills caps noxious weeds and lawn grass at 8 inches above ground level near subdivisions, condominiums and major roads under Code Sec. 17-27.

Also covered: Tree Trimming (limited), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Special Events & Permits

Street Fair Rules: Outdoor festivals qualify as licensed "special events" under City Code § 5-102, requiring a city clerk license before setup under § 5-121. Food and beverage vendors also need a separate Oakland County Health Department permit under § 5-129(1) unless they sell only pre-packaged, ready-to-eat items..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (moderate), Block Party Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Parking Rules

RV & Boat Parking: Farmington Hills bans outdoor storage of unlicensed RVs, boats, campers and trailers in residential zones unless kept inside a fully enclosed building. Recreational equipment that qualifies for a six-month state license may sit unlicensed in a driveway or yard for up to six months before it becomes a code violation, per Sec.

Also covered: Snow Removal Parking Rules (moderate), EV Charging (limited), Abandoned Vehicles (restrictive). See the full parking rules guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Owners of single-family rental homes in Farmington Hills must register every rental with the Planning and Community Development Department before it is rented, under City Code § 7-343, and re-register every three years. A landlord who has not registered cannot lawfully collect rent from a tenant..

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Farmington Hills makes it unlawful to cause, permit or maintain any open burning of any substance unless the fire fits one of eight narrow exemptions carved out in Sec. 12-14, from single-family grills to firefighter training burns, and the fire chief holds discretionary authority to issue, deny, condition or revoke every permit-based exemption..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Sidewalk Repair: Farmington Hills places sidewalk repair squarely on the abutting property owner. Owners may not let a sidewalk fall into disrepair or become unsafe, and if the city manager finds one unsafe, the owner gets written notice and at least ten days to fix it before the city repairs it and bills the property..

Also covered: Encroachment Permits (moderate), Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Farmington Hills bans burying, dumping or using solid, hazardous or industrial special waste as fill anywhere in the city, prohibits dumping any of it into a lake or stream, and separately bars leaving hazardous waste or hot ashes at the curb for collection under Sec. 14-2..

Also covered: Dumpster Rules (moderate), Recycling Requirements (moderate), Yard Waste Collection (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Massage Establishments: Farmington Hills requires a city-issued massage therapy establishment license for every separate office or place of business under Code Sec. 16-16, plus therapist licensing under Sec.

Also covered: Tobacco Retail License (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Farmington Hills bans discharging anything but stormwater into its municipal storm drain system under the city's illicit discharge elimination program. City Code Sec.

Also covered: Vehicle Idling Restrictions (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Flood Zones (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Noise Ordinances

Barking Dogs: City Code § 6-5 makes it unlawful to keep or harbor any dog, cat, bird, or other animal whose loud or habitual barking, howling, yelping, or calling causes serious annoyance to the neighborhood or to passersby on the street, at any time of day..

Also covered: Decibel Limits (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Farmington Hills requires door-to-door solicitors for charitable, religious, or political groups to register free with the city clerk under § 20-3, while peddlers selling goods or taking orders must obtain a fee-paid license under § 20-4 that includes a criminal background check. Both credentials must be carried and shown on request..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (moderate). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Public Conduct

Public Alcohol Use: Farmington Hills bans bringing, possessing, or drinking alcoholic liquor anywhere in a city park under City Code § 19-49. The prohibition covers every public park in the city with no stated exception, and it sits alongside the city's broader liquor control ordinances in Chapter 4.

Also covered: Loitering Rules (moderate), Loud Party Ordinance (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Farmington Hills bars minors under 12 from public streets and places between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Animal Ordinances

Wildlife Feeding: City Code §§ 6-10 and 6-11 make it a civil infraction to feed pigeons, gulls, or Canada geese in groups of six or more, or to leave feed accessible to deer, anywhere in Farmington Hills. The city must issue a written warning before any citation, but songbird feeders and the § 6-11(c) exceptions are not covered..

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Chickens & Livestock (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Farmington Hills lets apartment, townhouse and condo residents keep charcoal or gas grills only on the ground level, at least eight feet from the building, and bans them outright on any balcony above ground level, a stricter standard than the exemption single-family homeowners get under the same open-burning ordinance..

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Farmington Hills bars outdoor light fixtures from spilling illumination beyond the property line onto neighboring land. Section 17-106(b)(9) makes light trespass a code violation and even reaches reflective surfaces like windows and mirrors that redirect light onto adjacent property..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Farmington Hills does not write its own numeric pool-fence dimensions. Sec.

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Farmington Hills for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Farmington Hills bans peddling and soliciting within any public right-of-way, including sidewalks, street corners, and driveways, under City Code § 20-15. The only carve-outs are limited street-and-curb charity soliciting a few days a year and licensed ice cream trucks on residential streets..

Building Safety

Building Permits: Farmington Hills does not run its own building code. City Code § 7-26 has the city assume administration and enforcement of the State of Michigan Construction Codes under the 1972 Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1501 et seq.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Farmington Hills has opted out of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act entirely: Section 18-9 prohibits every type of marihuana establishment anywhere within city limits, so there is no zoning district where a dispensary, grower or processor can legally locate..

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Farmington Hills' anti-blight article, Code Sec. 17-52, bans a list of blighting conditions on residential property, including uninhabitable fire- or storm-damaged structures, and lets the city order abatement within 10 days or place a lien for the cleanup cost..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Farmington Hills requires every property to keep accumulated solid waste in containers that are tightly covered and animal-proof and rodent-proof, and sturdy enough to handle without spilling, under Sec. 14-3 of the solid waste chapter..

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Farmington Hills inspects every registered single-family rental at least once every three years under City Code § 7-348, part of the Single-Family Rental Dwellings program adopted in 2014. Vacant rentals can be checked as often as every 180 days, and any rental can be pulled in sooner on a credible complaint..

What to Do With This Information

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