What South Jordan Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

South Jordan, Utah may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 107 tracked ordinances across 35 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: South Jordan caps building footprint at 40% of the lot in most residential zones, rising to 50% in R-5 and 60% in the R-M zone..

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Structure Height Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for South Jordan for details.

Home Business

Customer Traffic Restrictions: South Jordan caps home occupation traffic at twelve one-way vehicle trips per day, covering customer and client visits plus deliveries, under City Code § 5.38.020..

Also covered: Home Daycare (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Signage Rules (moderate). See the full home business guide for South Jordan for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: South Jordan requires mobile food vendors to hold a City business license, a Salt Lake Valley health permit, and a fire safety inspection before operating anywhere in city limits..

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

Accessory Structures

ADU Rental Restrictions: South Jordan bans renting an internal accessory dwelling unit for stays under 30 consecutive days, keeping IADUs restricted to long-term occupancy under the city's Accessory Dwelling Unit Floating Zone..

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

Fence Regulations

Fence Permit Requirements: South Jordan requires a City permit before building any collector-street fence or any fence over six feet tall; a shorter, interior-lot fence generally doesn't need one under City Code § 17.04.150..

Also covered: Material Restrictions (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for South Jordan for details.

Trash & Recycling

Collection Schedule: South Jordan requires every occupied home to sign up for city curbside refuse and recycling collection instead of self-hauling, unless the City itself rules curbside pickup unfeasible for that address..

Also covered: Recycling Requirements (moderate), Pickup Rules & Schedules (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for South Jordan for details.

Noise Ordinances

Vehicle Noise: South Jordan prohibits operating a motor vehicle with its dynamic braking device, a compression-release 'Jake brake', engaged anywhere in the city, except to avoid imminent danger..

Also covered: Barking Dogs (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate), Decibel Limits (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for South Jordan for details.

Building Safety

Lead Paint: South Jordan has no local lead-paint ordinance, but federal law requires landlords of pre-1978 housing to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and provide the EPA pamphlet 'Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home' before any lease is signed..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Electrical Permits (moderate), Building Inspections (moderate). See the full building safety guide for South Jordan for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Adult Entertainment: South Jordan requires a sexually oriented business license to operate and bars these businesses from locating within 1,000 feet of another such business, a residence, church, school, park, library, or daycare..

Also covered: Massage Establishments (restrictive), Towing Companies (moderate), Pawnbrokers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for South Jordan for details.

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: South Jordan's zoning code lets private HOA covenants impose stricter rules than the city's own standards. Whichever restriction is tougher controls, and the city's zoning title will not override a covenant unless the covenant is looser than the code..

Also covered: Board Governance (moderate), Assessment & Dues (moderate). See the full hoa rules guide for South Jordan for details.

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: South Jordan bans keeping, selling, buying, or giving away any 'wild animal', including big cats, wolves, bears, venomous snakes, and raccoons, under § 6.08.050, with narrow exceptions for zoos, shelters, and labs..

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Cat Rules (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for South Jordan for details.

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: South Jordan bars trucks from parking anywhere in the city by default, and residential and P-C zones allow no truck parking at all except while actively loading or unloading cargo..

Also covered: Loading Zones (moderate), Street Parking Limits (moderate), RV & Boat Parking (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for South Jordan for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: South Jordan imposes a 1% municipal transient room tax on tourist homes, hotels, motels, and trailer court accommodations rented for stays under 30 consecutive days, collected by the Utah State Tax Commission under City Code § 3.16.020..

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: South Jordan requires anyone operating a hotel, motel, or short term rental to keep a guest register recording each guest's name, residence, and vehicle information, with failure to maintain it a class B misdemeanor..

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: South Jordan requires a city license to operate residential rental housing of four or more units, with the application reviewed by the health and fire departments before approval..

Public Conduct

Public Alcohol Use: South Jordan prohibits possessing or consuming alcohol anywhere in city parks, trails, and open spaces, treating it as a prohibited activity alongside smoking and open fires..

Also covered: Public Urination (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate), Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for South Jordan for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: South Jordan requires anyone organizing a parade or other formation on a public street to obtain a special event permit filed at least 30 days in advance..

Also covered: Block Party Permits (limited), Park Event Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for South Jordan for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: South Jordan requires a city license for any residential rental property with four or more units, and won't issue it until the health and fire departments inspect and approve the property..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: South Jordan makes it unlawful to camp or sleep overnight on any public property -- streets, parks, sidewalks, and city-owned land -- unless the area is specifically designated for camping or the property owner gives written permission..

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: South Jordan bars drivers from using marked bicycle lanes as turning lanes or driving, parking, or stopping in them, allowing only a brief crossing to turn and requiring drivers to yield to bicycles..

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: South Jordan bars minors under 16 from streets, sidewalks, and public places between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and minors under 18 between 1:00 a.m.

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

Sign Regulations

Freeway-Facing Signs: South Jordan limits freestanding pylon signs facing the I-15 freeway to qualifying retail uses in the C-F Zone, allowed by right within 100 feet of the I-15 right-of-way and only with a conditional use permit out to 250 feet..

Also covered: Holiday Displays (permissive), Garage Sale Signs (limited), Window Signs (limited). See the full sign regulations guide for South Jordan for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: South Jordan participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and enforces floodplain development standards for properties in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). Development in floodplains requires a floodplain development permit..

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

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: South Jordan's public services department must promptly repair any leak, break, or equipment failure in the city water system, while property owners are on the hook for keeping their own service pipes in repair..

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: South Jordan directs that trees planted in park strips match the City's street tree list and follow its construction standards..

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

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: For wireless communication facility equipment in South Jordan, security lighting on shelters, cabinets, and ground equipment is allowed only if it's appropriately down-shielded so the light stays within the site's boundaries..

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

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: South Jordan can order mandatory outdoor watering restrictions during a declared water shortage. Phase III bars outdoor watering and vehicle washing, Phase IV adds pools, fountains and sprinklers, with escalating $100 and $500 fines for violators..

Also covered: Tree Trimming (moderate), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate), Native Plants (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for South Jordan for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: South Jordan's nuisance code treats deteriorated, abandoned, or unsafe buildings as a public nuisance, covering dry rot, termite damage, broken windows, and construction left unfinished for more than six months..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: South Jordan requires an encroachment permit before anyone builds, places, or maintains structures like curbs, sidewalks, signs, or pipelines in the public right of way..

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

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: South Jordan exempts garage and yard sales from its home occupation licensing rules but limits them to four calendar days per year per property under City Code § 5.38.010, with any advertising sign taken down by 7:00 PM daily..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: South Jordan caps refuse on any property at 20 days, and an inspector can order hazardous piles that could breed rodents or insects removed within 24 hours..

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: South Jordan requires a city license for every retail fireworks stand and sets strict siting buffers: 100 feet from schools and flammable-liquid sites, 50 feet from any other building..

Also covered: Outdoor Burning (restrictive). See the full fire regulations guide for South Jordan for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: South Jordan's Historic Preservation Committee designates buildings and sites at least 50 years old to a city historic sites list and landmark register, triggering review before demolition or alteration..

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: All pool and spa drains in South Jordan must comply with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Act: anti-entrapment covers and, where required, secondary safety systems..

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: South Jordan's A-5 and A-1 agricultural zones set minimum lot sizes of five and one acre, and each lot is limited to a single primary dwelling..

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to South Jordan, buying a home, or starting a project, use this as a starting point. Each category links to detailed pages with the full text, penalties, and FAQs. Verify anything time-sensitive with South Jordan's city hall or code enforcement office.