Moving to Sedona, AZ? Here Are the Local Rules You Should Know

Sedona, Arizona may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 127 tracked ordinances across 39 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Special Events & Permits

Street Fair Rules: Sedona caps how often a property can host a special event and where vendors can sell during one. SLDC Section 3.5.E(4) allows up to 10 events per lot each calendar year, three days apiece with at least 10 days between them, and keeps outside sales confined to the business's own frontage..

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

Parking Rules

Driveway Rules: Every residential lot in Sedona must have a dust-free driveway, made of concrete, pavers, asphalt, or bordered crushed rock at least three inches thick, connecting the street or private drive to required parking. Front-yard or unscreened side-yard parking is allowed only on that dust-free surface, and parking directly on landscaped ground is banned..

Also covered: Preferential Parking Districts (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (moderate), RV & Boat Parking (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Sedona for details.

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Sedona's city code requires short-term rentals to meet the minimum standards for habitable structures set forth in the city code, and lets the city inspect a property when it has reason to believe the unit does not comply..

Short-Term Rentals

Noise Rules: Sedona flatly prohibits using a short-term rental for a nuisance party or unruly gathering, naming excessive noise, obstructing traffic, and underage drinking as examples under SCC 5.25.050(C)(7). The rule must be posted near the front door, and hosts remain liable even when a designee is at fault..

Also covered: Insurance Requirements (moderate), Short-Term Rental Permits (restrictive), Repeat Violator Strikes (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for Sedona for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Sedona treats yard and garage sales as a tax-exempt "casual activity" only up to a point: three consecutive days per sale and eight days total per year at one location. Go beyond that under City Code Section 5.05.010 and the sale stops being casual, triggering the city's regular business license and privilege tax rules..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone peddling goods or soliciting door-to-door in Sedona needs a permit and an identification card from the city clerk before knocking on a single door. Pure canvassers spreading a noncommercial or political message are exempt from the permit itself under SCC 5.10.030, though they can still request an ID card..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Anyone building, installing or maintaining something in a Sedona public right-of-way, from a driveway apron to a utility line, needs one of four permits from the city engineer before starting work. General, project, city-developed consent and citywide permits each cover a different scope, and work done before a permit is issued gets billed at triple the standard fee..

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

Noise Ordinances

Quiet Hours: Sedona bans loud, disturbing noise in residential areas between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and separately outlaws any unnecessary or offensive noise in those areas at any hour if it disturbs a neighbor's peace.

Also covered: Aircraft Noise (permissive), Decibel Limits (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Sedona for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Sedona bars removing any existing tree, or stripping topsoil, without a site development, tree removal, grading, or landscape plan, and even then a tree can only come out if it meets one of four listed criteria under the Land Development Code's Tree Preservation standards..

Also covered: Weed Ordinances (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate), Native Plants (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Sedona for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Sedona requires owners to clear rubbish, trash, weeds and dilapidated structures that endanger public health and safety within 30 days of notice, or the city abates the hazard itself, bills the owner, and can record the cost as a lien on the property..

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

Public Conduct

Public Urination: Sedona makes it a class one misdemeanor to urinate or defecate in a place exposed to public view, or on the floor or interior of a bus or other public conveyance, under SCC 9.10.020. Conviction carries a mandatory minimum $150 fine, and the court can also order restitution for the city's cleanup costs..

Also covered: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (limited), Skateboarding Rules (moderate), Public Marijuana Use (strict). See the full public conduct guide for Sedona for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Car Alarm Limits: Sedona requires exterior burglar alarms on buildings and motor vehicles to shut off within five minutes for continuous sound or 15 minutes for intermittent sound. The alarm rule overrides the normal decibel-based noise standards entirely..

Also covered: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (permissive), Generator Noise (permissive). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Sedona for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: In Sedona's Oak Creek (OC) zoning district, the Land Development Code permanently protects the Oak Creek floodway and its riparian habitat in its natural state. Permanent structures are barred from the floodway outright, and only minor improvements such as trails or recreation amenities are allowed.

Also covered: Erosion Control (moderate), Vehicle Idling Restrictions (limited), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Sedona for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Tattoo & Body Modification: Sedona requires anyone operating a tattoo, piercing or other body art business to hold a body art establishment permit, and every operator or technician must separately hold a permit from Coconino County's health department. Tattooing or piercing anyone under 18 without a parent or guardian's written, in-person consent is banned outright, and violations are prosecuted as a class 1 misdemeanor..

Also covered: Auto Repair on Residential Property (moderate), Adult Entertainment (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Sedona for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: Sedona lets motorized play vehicles and motorized skateboards use a designated bicycle path or lane, but SCC 10.15.200(E)(4) requires operators to yield at all times to other users of that lane, and subsection (E)(3) adds the same duty whenever one of these devices crosses a sidewalk, bicycle path or multiuse path..

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping rubbish, trash, filth or debris on property you don't own or control is a class 1 misdemeanor in Sedona, or a civil violation prosecuted under the city's general penalty chapter. Whoever dumps it also owes the city for every dollar spent cleaning it up..

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

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Sedona's Land Development Code keeps invasive species out of approved plantings in two review steps: an alternative landscape plan must skip anything on the adopted invasive-species list, and a tree on that same list can be removed without triggering the Tree Preservation standards..

Fence Regulations

Height Limits: Sedona caps fences and walls at four feet in most front setback areas and six feet along side and rear lot lines, with taller allowances in the CF, IN, RS-70, and RS-35 districts and a stricter four-foot limit near the front property line on corner lots..

Also covered: Material Restrictions (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Sedona for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Building a residential swimming pool in Sedona requires a permit issued under the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, adopted by the city in 2019. Permit fees follow the citywide Building Permit Fee Schedule, and going 180 days without a scheduled and performed inspection automatically expires the permit..

Also covered: Fencing & Safety Requirements (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Sedona for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Sedona's Land Development Code requires every new or substantially modified outdoor light fixture in the city to be fully shielded, protecting the town's International Dark-Sky Community status. The code caps color temperature at 4,000 Kelvin, bans mercury vapor bulbs and searchlights outright, and gives owners of existing nonconforming fixtures until January 1, 2028 to bring them into compliance..

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Sedona for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Sedona makes open burning of any material unlawful at any time within city limits, with only one narrow exception: agricultural waste burned under a permit issued by the Sedona fire department. There is no general campfire, yard-waste or debris-burning allowance in the code, and permit copies must be filed with the police chief..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Fireworks (restrictive). See the full fire regulations guide for Sedona for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Sedona's Land Development Code blocks home-based businesses from using exterior signage that makes a residence look commercial. Section 3.4.D(4)b.2 requires that nothing about the structure, including signs, color, lighting, or displayed equipment, make the property recognizable as a nonresidential use, so a storefront-style sign is not allowed on a home occupation..

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

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Commercial filming in a Sedona residential zoning district is allowed only for short stints under the Land Development Code. SLDC Section 3.5.E(3) says a filming project running longer than four consecutive weeks needs a conditional use permit under Section 8.4.B before it can continue..

Building Safety

Building Permits: Sedona adopts the 2018 International Building Code and requires a permit for virtually all construction, alteration or demolition work in the city. Only a short list of small structures is exempt: modest storage sheds, freestanding fences and walls under 30 inches, short retaining walls, small prefab pools and playground equipment.

Also covered: Childcare Center Rules (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate), Electrical Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Sedona for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Sedona's land development code exempts solar energy equipment from the screening rules that apply to roof- and ground-mounted mechanical equipment elsewhere on a property, so panels and their hardware don't have to be hidden behind a parapet, wall or fence..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Sedona code makes it unlawful to let any condition on private or public property become a breeding place for rodents, flies or mosquitoes. The city's environmental nuisance office can order it fixed within 24 hours before stepping in and billing the owner..

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Sedona bars minors under 16 from being in public away from their residence between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and minors 16 or 17 from midnight to 5:00 a.m., under SCC 9.15.010.

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

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Sedona bans setting up tents, structures, vehicles or campfires for camping, lodging or sleeping on public property citywide, and extends the same ban to private property without an exemption, under SCC 9.10.010. Violators face a class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to $2,500 in fines and six months in jail..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Sedona applies its citywide site and building design standards, Land Development Code Section 5.7, to every project in the Uptown area, but overrides them wherever the Main Street Manual or an adopted Character Focus Area plan sets a more specific rule. Renovations and additions to existing Uptown buildings must also meet these standards on a scaled basis tied to the size of the work..

Accessory Structures

Tiny Homes: Sedona's zoning code will not let a park model or tiny home on wheels count as an accessory dwelling unit. SLDC Section 3.4.D(3)(b) excludes mobile and manufactured homes, park models and tiny homes on wheels, travel trailers, and recreational vehicles from ADU use anywhere in the city..

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), ADU Rules (moderate), ADU Owner Occupancy (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Sedona for details.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Sedona's Land Development Code does not grant a right-to-farm nuisance shield; instead it sets zoning standards for keeping farm animals as an accessory use. A lot needs at least one acre to keep farm animals at all, caps the count at three animals on the first acre plus one more per half-acre after that, bans swine outright, and requires a 50-foot setback for animal shelters..

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: SCC § 6.05.080 makes it unlawful to keep or harbor any wild animal within Sedona city limits "except as provided by state law," an outright ban on private wild-animal ownership. A separate chapter, 6.20, bans public display or performance of wild or exotic animals without a USDA or state wildlife license..

Also covered: Beekeeping (restrictive), Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Cat Rules (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Sedona for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Sedona's Historic Preservation Commission can designate any property, portion of a property, or individual structure a landmark, adding it to the City's Historic Property Register. Once designated, no exterior alteration, new construction, or demolition can proceed without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Commission..

Holiday Decorations

Lawn Ornament Rules: Sedona exempts seasonal decorations and holiday lighting from sign permits, but only within limits. Outline lighting and light strings can go up without a permit from Thanksgiving through January 15; after that date residential lights must be off and commercial lights removed.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Sedona bans electronic message signs, flashing or animated signs, and freestanding changeable-copy signs outright under SLDC Section 6.15. There is no local licensing path for a digital billboard: unless a narrow exception elsewhere in Article 6 applies, any sign with moving parts, intermittent illumination or an electronic display is prohibited..

Also covered: Political Signs (limited), Window Signs (moderate), Garage Sale Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Sedona for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Sedona caps building height under SLDC Section 2.24.E using two measurement planes. No part of a single-family building may rise more than 22 feet above an imaginary horizontal plane set at the highest point of natural grade, and no building anywhere in the city may exceed 40 feet in overall height from grade to the roof ridge or parapet..

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Sedona for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Sedona allows a medical marijuana dispensary, its off-site cultivation location, or a dual licensee only in the CO and IN zoning districts, and caps the total number of dispensaries citywide at two. Every applicant must also meet the Arizona Department of Health Services' licensing and security rules..

Also covered: Buffer Zones (moderate). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Sedona for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Sedona's wastewater wetlands hold reclaimed water, and city code bans fishing, boating, swimming and any water contact there, plus bars unaccompanied minors under 14, under SCC 12.30.184..

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: Every mobile food vendor operating in Sedona, whether on private property or in the public right-of-way, must hold a City business license before serving a single customer. The Land Development Code requires a separate license for each vending unit and each additional location, with the license posted on the unit for inspection..

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

What to Do With This Information

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