Provo, UT Local Ordinances Guide

Provo is a mid-sized city in Utah County, Utah, with about 115000 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 142 ordinances across 42 categories that affect daily life in Provo.

Public Conduct

Public Marijuana Use: Provo makes it unlawful to knowingly possess marijuana or any other controlled substance anywhere in the city, public or private, unless it comes from a valid prescription. There is no carve-out for personal-use amounts consumed in public; officers can cite under the city code as well as state law..

Also covered: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Provo for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Adult Entertainment: Provo confines every sexually-oriented business to its SOB Overlay Zone and bars it from operating within 1,000 feet of a residential zone, church, public park, library, or school. A business license under Code Chapter 9.60 is required on top of the zoning restriction..

Also covered: Secondhand Dealers (moderate), Pawnbrokers (moderate), Towing Companies (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Provo for details.

Special Events & Permits

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés: Provo only allows sidewalk cafes where the underlying zone permits them, under a revocable City license: tables must leave 6 feet of clear sidewalk, hours run no earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than midnight, and the whole setup has to come off the right-of-way every year outside the March 1 to October 31 season..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (moderate), Block Party Permits (moderate), Parade Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Provo for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Provo levies a 1.5% innkeeper revenue tax on gross rental income from any motor court, motel, hotel, inn, or similar public accommodation renting rooms for stays of less than 30 days. The tax is separate from the state transient room tax and is collected by the City Treasurer, with a credit allowed against the operator's Title 6 business license tax..

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: Provo City Code 9.32.090 bars trucks rated 1.5 tons or more (or licensed over 18,000 lbs gross) from parking on residential public streets for more than 2 hours (8 hours absolute max) except while actively loading or unloading..

Also covered: Preferential Parking Districts (restrictive), Snow Removal Parking Rules (moderate), Abandoned Vehicles (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Provo for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Provo zoning does not allow cannabis retail at all; it only permits cannabis production establishments (cultivation, processing, testing labs) as principal uses, and even then confines them to the A1.10 agricultural subzone and industrial zones like Freeway Industrial..

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: In Provo's R1 zone, homes need a 23-foot front setback from the back of curb (or 14 feet behind the sidewalk, whichever is greater), a 20-foot rear yard, and 10-foot side yards totaling at least 20 feet combined..

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

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Provo runs parkway tree planting through the Forestry Division under Code 9.20.090. New homeowners must pay a public tree fee, get an occupancy permit, and prep the parking strip with irrigation and turf before the City will plant a tree there..

Also covered: Heritage & Protected Trees (limited). See the full tree protection guide for Provo for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone going door-to-door in Provo to sell goods, services, or subscriptions must first register with the City Licensing Officer and carry a certificate. Registration requires a criminal background check, and solicitors may only knock between 9:00 a.m.

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

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: Provo City Code 8.02.080 makes it unlawful to possess, sell, barter, or keep any wild animal within city limits. Only zoos, shelters, vet hospitals, labs, and circuses may hold one, and only with escape-proof enclosures..

Also covered: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (limited), Pet Groomer Rules (moderate), Coyote Management (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Provo for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: New buildings in Provo's DT1, DT2, GW, WG, and ITOD downtown zones must meet City Code Section 14.34.295 design standards: minimum storefront glass, pedestrian entrance spacing, prohibited siding materials, and roof pitch rules. The Planning Commission can require stricter conditions or approve an equivalent alternative arrangement..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Provo for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: Provo requires every mobile food business, food trucks and trailers alike, to hold a City business license before operating, plus fire, health and insurance documentation. Vending in the public right-of-way is limited to specific commercial and industrial zones and to no more than three days in a seven-day period..

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

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Provo makes it unlawful for anyone who owns, controls, or operates a structure used for human occupation to allow it to be occupied while infested with insects or rodents, backed by the City's separate junk and nuisance abatement powers..

Home Business

Signage Rules: Provo City Code Section 14.41.040 prohibits any sign or advertising on the premises of a home occupation except a permitted nameplate, and bars any display visible from the exterior. Under the cross-referenced sign rules in Section 14.38.050, a home occupation nameplate is limited to a small wall-mounted nameplate..

Also covered: Home Daycare (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate). See the full home business guide for Provo for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Provo requires a short-term rental business license under Provo City Code Chapter 6.33; the city only permits STRs in eight commercial and mixed-use zones, not in residential or agricultural zones. Utah Code 10-8-85.4(4) expressly authorizes the city to require this license..

Also covered: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate), Insurance Requirements (moderate), Host Platform Liability (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for Provo for details.

Building Safety

Childcare Center Rules: A Child Day Care Center in Provo needs a Conditional Use Permit and must meet Section 14.34.250(7)(b)'s building, licensing, site-plan, and fencing standards before it can open, including International Building Code compliance and a six-foot fence around the outdoor playground..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Scaffold & Sidewalk Shed (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Provo for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Provo lets residents run a garage sale without a temporary use permit, but only for up to five days total per calendar year. Go over that and the exemption disappears, meaning Community Development can require a temporary use permit under Chapter 14.35 instead..

Code Violation Reporting

Common Violations: Provo Code Enforcement can cite 29 specific conditions as public nuisances, from junk vehicles and graffiti to overgrown weeds, unsecured trash and deteriorated buildings, without needing a separate ordinance for each type of eyesore..

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Provo requires a floodplain development permit before any construction begins in a special flood hazard area, with the lowest floor elevated at least one foot above the base flood elevation. The Floodplain Administrator enforces the standard; violators face stop-work orders and Class B misdemeanor charges..

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

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Land inside a Provo Agriculture Protection Area gets a right-to-farm shield: sound agricultural practices there cannot be treated as a public nuisance under city code, and nearby subdivisions must give buyers notice of the farming activity..

Also covered: Farm Nuisance Protection (limited). See the full right to farm guide for Provo for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Renting a dwelling in Provo for a month or longer requires a rental dwelling business license under Provo City Code 6.26.020 before any tenant moves in. One license covers every rental unit an owner controls, but it never transfers with a sale, and operating unlicensed is a Class B misdemeanor under Section 6.02.020(2)..

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

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Provo City Code 9.14.020 makes it unlawful to erect or maintain a barbed wire fence anywhere in the city, with narrow exceptions for livestock lots and a six-foot-high top strand. Concertina and razor wire are banned outright except atop fences around publicly owned facilities..

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Provo for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Provo prohibits open burning under its adopted International Fire Code (Provo City Code 9.51), with narrow exceptions. Where yard-waste burning is allowed, Utah Division of Air Quality rule R307-202 requires a valid permit from the fire authority and a National Weather Service clearing index of 500 or greater..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Wildfire Zones (moderate), Brush Clearance (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Provo for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Provo City Code 9.14.290 sets an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

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

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping solid waste anywhere in Provo other than an approved solid waste facility is a Class B misdemeanor under City Code 11.01.080, regardless of whether the property owner consented. The same section bans dumping unauthorized waste into another hauler's containers and using solid waste as landscaping or construction fill without a City Engineer permit..

Also covered: Dumpster Rules (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate), Yard Waste Collection (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Provo for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Provo ties mobile home rental dwelling licensing to a structured inspection program: Section 6.30.120 applies the citywide inspection rule in Section 6.01.070, giving a passed mobile home rental a 36-month reinspection exemption unless reasonable cause arises..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Provo City Code 9.15.010 bars any vehicle, equipment or device from blocking a sidewalk for more than five minutes, or creating a hazard for pedestrians, without a sidewalk use permit from the Police Department. Standing, sitting or piling material across a sidewalk to block passage separately violates Section 9.15.250..

Also covered: Encroachment Permits (moderate), Sidewalk Repair (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Provo for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Trimming: Provo City Code 9.20.050 makes it unlawful to plant, remove, spray, trim, prune, or cut any tree or shrub on city parking strips, parks, or other public property without first obtaining the written consent of the City Forester. Provo's Arboricultural Standards require limbs over streets to clear 13 feet and over sidewalks to clear 8 feet, and all work to follow ANSI A300 and Z133.1 standards..

Also covered: Artificial Turf (strict), Native Plants (limited), Water Restrictions (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Provo for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Provo designates historic buildings, structures, objects and sites to its Landmarks Register under City Code Chapter 16.05. Once listed, any exterior alteration, addition or demolition requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmarks Commission before the Building Official can issue a permit..

Filming & Production

Street Closures: Provo requires a City permit before anyone shoots a motion picture or video production on public streets, sidewalks or public places. The Police Department handles applications, and productions involving 300 or more people must also get a Chapter 6.20 special event permit..

Also covered: Location Permits (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Provo for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Provo declares a deteriorated, unfit-for-habitation, or partially built and abandoned building a public nuisance under City Code 7.01.020(21). The City can issue a notice of violation under Title 17.03, then assess daily civil fines and abate the structure itself if the owner does not correct it..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate), Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Provo for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Provo bans new off-premises billboards outright, but an existing billboard can convert to a digital display inside the designated Sign Overlay Zone if it meets strict brightness, spacing and message-duration limits under City Code 14.38.170..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Holiday Displays (permissive). See the full sign regulations guide for Provo for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Provo runs its own electric utility, so home solar panels need a generation license from the Department, not a zoning permit. Applicants submit a license application, wait up to 30 days for a decision, and sign a Net Metering Agreement before connection..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Provo City Code Chapter 9.18 bans camping or sleeping on public property, sidewalks and rights-of-way without authorization. City agents may remove an unlawful campsite and its contents when notice is ignored, property is abandoned, or health and safety are at risk, following set disposition rules..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Zoning & Siting: Provo confines data centers to a DC Overlay Zone that can only be layered onto Light Manufacturing (M1) or Planned Industrial Commercial (PIC) land, requires a 200-foot buffer from schools, parks and homes, and forces non-evaporative cooling with zero cooling-water discharge to city sewers..

Also covered: Data Center Noise Limits (moderate), Crypto Mining Rules (permissive). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Provo for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Any outdoor lighting plan Provo requires, for everything except one- and two-family dwellings, must certify the fixtures are fully shielded, cutoff types that keep light from spilling above a 90-degree horizontal plane, and parking-lot lights must specifically be shielded to stop direct illumination from crossing onto a neighbor's property..

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

Mobility & Curb Rules

Shared E-Scooter Rules: Provo bars any company from renting out shared micromobility devices, e-scooters included, on city streets unless it operates under a contract with Provo itself, per City Code 9.32.170(7). Riders also can't use two specific downtown sidewalk stretches at all, and property owners can post their own no-ride signs elsewhere..

Also covered: E-Bike Classes (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Provo for details.

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Provo's open-burning ban carves out backyard cooking: contained barbecues and fire pits used for outdoor cooking are exempt from the general open-fire prohibition in City Code 9.51.040, as long as the cooking area is six feet or less in diameter..

Also covered: Smoker Rules (limited). See the full outdoor cooking guide for Provo for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

HVAC & Mechanical Noise: Where a multifamily, commercial, or industrial lot in Provo abuts a one-family, agricultural, or residential-agricultural zone, any outdoor air conditioner, fan, or pump within 25 feet of the residential use must sit behind a masonry wall or landscaped noise barrier a foot taller than the unit, and its noise can't exceed the decibel level in the City's noise chapter..

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Provo allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family detached home in most residential zones under Chapter 14.30 of the Provo City Code, but requires owner occupancy, four off-street parking spaces, and a rental dwelling license; internal ADUs are a permitted use statewide under Utah Code 10-9a-530..

Also covered: Garage Conversions (moderate), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Provo for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Provo requires an outdoor pool to be enclosed by a wall or fence at least six feet high with no openings that pass a 4-inch sphere and with automatic self-closing, self-latching gates; the zoning code and the adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code set the barrier standards..

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

Noise Ordinances

Quiet Hours: Provo City Code Chapter 9.06 caps residential noise at a property line at 55 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Also covered: Leaf Blower Rules (permissive), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Aircraft Noise (permissive). See the full noise ordinances guide for Provo for details.

What to Do With This Information

This overview covers the big picture, but the details matter. Each ordinance page for Provo includes the full text, violation penalties, and frequently asked questions. Use those pages when you need specifics.