What St. Louis Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

St. Louis is a mid-sized city in St. Louis City, Missouri, with about 302000 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 156 ordinances across 44 categories that affect daily life in St. Louis.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: St. Louis's Building Code bans barbed wire fencing in residential zones and prohibits electrically charged fences citywide; where barbed wire is otherwise allowed, no strand may sit closer than seven feet to the ground..

Also covered: Neighbor Fence Rules (permissive), Retaining Walls (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for St. Louis for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: St. Louis requires a landscape permit before planting a 'landscape bed' over nine square feet in the street right-of-way tree lawn, and bars tall plantings near fire hydrants, water meters, and street corners..

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: St. Louis taxes hotel and motel stays at a combined 3% of gross daily rental receipts from transient guests: a 2% base tax plus a 1% additional tax layered on top..

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: St. Louis bans possessing, selling, or setting off fireworks of any kind within city limits, with no exception for sparklers; violators face fines up to $500 and jail time..

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

Privacy & Surveillance

License Plate Readers: St. Louis requires Board of Aldermen approval before any city agency can acquire, fund, or share automatic license plate reader data, under the city's surveillance technology ordinance..

Also covered: Facial Recognition Ban (restrictive). See the full privacy & surveillance guide for St. Louis for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Removing a tree from City-owned land or the street right-of-way requires a 'permit to maintain' from the Forestry Commissioner plus a reforestation fee: trees on private property aren't covered by this permit..

Also covered: Composting (permissive), Tree Trimming (moderate), Rainwater Harvesting (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: St. Louis requires a Board of Public Service permit before erecting any bridge, canopy, awning, or overhead structure over a public street or sidewalk, subject to a $100 fee and the Board's own conditions..

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

Environmental Rules

Boat Dock Permits: Mooring a drydock, float, wharfboat, or other landing facility at the City's improved public wharf on the Mississippi requires a written Board of Public Service permit, insurance, and compliance with length and spacing limits..

Also covered: Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Vehicle Idling Restrictions (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Sidewalk and vehicle vendors in St. Louis need a $200 annual license, may only operate 6 a.m.

Also covered: Food Truck Permits (moderate), Vending Zones (restrictive). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for St. Louis for details.

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: St. Louis requires a permit and bond for any park gathering of 100 or more people, covering damage repair, cleanup, and added police or traffic control costs..

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

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: St. Louis requires every building to be rat-stopped and kept rat-free.

Parking Rules

Preferential Parking Districts: St. Louis creates residential parking districts block by block through individual ordinances, each requiring a resident petition and alderman support before permits are issued..

Also covered: RV & Boat Parking (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (restrictive), Loading Zones (restrictive). See the full parking rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: St. Louis exempts barbeque grills and smokers from its recreational-fire ordinance, so backyard cooking fires skip the 12-foot setback, attendant, and 11 p.m.

Also covered: BBQ & Propane Rules (permissive). See the full outdoor cooking guide for St. Louis for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping debris, trash, or refuse on another's property or public land without permission is a misdemeanor in St. Louis, with escalating fines and mandatory jail time starting at the first offense..

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

Home Business

Signage Rules: St. Louis bars home occupations from displaying any sign at all: the business must run completely unadvertised from the residence, per Revised Code § 26.80.060(A)(8)..

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

Drone Rules

Event Drone Restrictions: St. Louis bars commercial drone operators from flying within 300 feet of any City-permitted public event unless the event holder or the City's Special Events Office grants permission first..

Also covered: Recreational Drones (permissive), Commercial Drones (moderate). See the full drone rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Public Conduct

Aggressive Panhandling: St. Louis bans aggressive panhandling outright and bars all panhandling near banks, schools, transit stops, and building entrances, plus after dark and in groups of two or more..

Also covered: Public Marijuana Use (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (permissive), Jaywalking (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for St. Louis for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: St. Louis requires a building permit and approved construction documents before any pool, spa, or hot tub is built, installed, enlarged, or altered..

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

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: In St. Louis, no public monument, statue, memorial, or fixture may be erected, altered, relocated, or removed in a public place until the Preservation Board reviews the plans and issues a recommendation, per City Code § 24.24.010..

Building Safety

Green Building Code: St. Louis requires municipal, commercial, institutional, and multi-family buildings of 50,000 square feet or more to meet building energy performance standards enforced through mandatory ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager benchmarking..

Also covered: Electrical Permits (moderate), Fire Sprinkler Requirements (limited), Lead Paint (restrictive). See the full building safety guide for St. Louis for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: St. Louis flatly bans auto repair and paint shops as a home occupation: no waiver, no conditional-use path around it..

Also covered: Tobacco Retail License (moderate), Towing Companies (strict), Adult Entertainment (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for St. Louis for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: St. Louis caps amplified sound from licensed bars and nightclubs at 86 dBA measured 50 feet from the premises, enforced by the Excise Commissioner..

Also covered: Car Alarm Limits (permissive), HVAC & Mechanical Noise (limited), Generator Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for St. Louis for details.

Tobacco & Vaping

Tobacco Age Restrictions: Missouri Mo. §407.926 (effective 2024) raised the minimum tobacco and vape purchase age to 21 statewide, aligning with federal Tobacco 21.

Animal Ordinances

Chickens & Livestock: St. Louis bans keeping cattle, sheep, goats, hogs and roosters anywhere in the city, treating it as a public nuisance; one neutered or spayed Vietnamese pot-bellied pig per parcel is the sole exception..

Also covered: Breed Restrictions (restrictive), Mandatory Spay/Neuter (moderate), Microchipping (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for St. Louis for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: St. Louis allows one attached or detached accessory dwelling unit per residential parcel, capped at 25 feet in height and 1,200 square feet, and set back at least 3 feet from side lot lines under the zoning code's 2025 ADU standards..

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

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: St. Louis parks and playgrounds close to loitering from 10:00 p.m.

Also covered: Juvenile Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for St. Louis for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: St. Louis requires every rental dwelling unit to be registered with the city in a public database before a certificate of inspection can be issued, and renting without registration is unlawful..

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Rent Control (permissive). See the full rental property rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: St. Louis bans driving any vehicle onto a bicycle/pedestrian right-of-way under Section 17.16.040, with narrow exceptions, and requires cyclists to ride near the roadway's right side under Section 17.36.050..

Also covered: Red-Light Cameras (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Single-Use Items

Plastic Bag Rules: St. Louis cannot enforce a plastic bag ban or fee.

Short-Term Rentals

Host Platform Liability: Short-term rental platforms operating in St. Louis must hold a City permit, remove unpermitted or revoked listings within 7 days, and block bookings that lack a valid registry number..

Also covered: Host Presence Rule (moderate), Primary-Residence-Only Rule (moderate), Repeat Violator Strikes (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for St. Louis for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: St. Louis imposes a 1% earnings tax on residents' wages, non-residents' wages earned in the city, and net business profits, requiring voter renewal every five years under Missouri statute..

Also covered: Vacancy Tax (moderate), Parking Tax (moderate). See the full local taxes & fees guide for St. Louis for details.

Noise Ordinances

Decibel Limits: St. Louis caps stationary noise sources by zoning district and time of day, from 55 dB(A) daytime near "A" through "E" residential zones up to 80 dB(A) at all hours in "J" and "K" industrial districts..

Also covered: Vehicle Noise (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate), Leaf Blower Rules (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for St. Louis for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: New LED and digital billboards near interstate and primary highways are banned in St. Louis; only devices permitted before April 16, 2010 may keep operating as nonconforming signs..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for St. Louis for details.

Immigration Policy

Sanctuary Policy Preemption: St. Louis adopted welcoming-city policies in 2017 limiting local cooperation with ICE detainers, but Missouri's 2021 SAPA framework and §67.307 force the city to honor most federal cooperation requirements..

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: St. Louis confines marijuana dispensaries, cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities to its commercial and industrial zoning districts, requiring a conditional use permit in some and prohibiting them outright in every residential district from 'A' through 'E'..

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

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: St. Louis's Water Division must repair a leaking underground service line, from the water main through the T-head valve and stop box, free of charge when it's over a year old, serves a small residential account, and the leak sits in a public street, alley, or easement..

Also covered: Recycled Water Rules (moderate). See the full water use rules guide for St. Louis for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Every rental unit in St. Louis needs a certificate of inspection before each new tenant moves in or the property sells, plus reinspection every three years under the citywide Housing Conservation Program..

Employment Preemption

Minimum Wage Preemption: Missouri §285.055 bars cities like St. Louis from setting a minimum wage above the state floor, ending the city's 2017 $10/hour ordinance and limiting living-wage rules to public contracts and subsidies..

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: St. Louis caps drive-through carry-out restaurant parking lot light poles at 22 feet and limits spillover to no more than 0.5 footcandle on any abutting residential lot when the site borders a dwelling district..

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: St. Louis's Property Maintenance Code lets the Building Commissioner condemn any building, structure, or piece of equipment found unsafe, unsanitary, or dangerous to life, and order it repaired, secured, or demolished at the owner's expense..

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

Solar Energy

HOA Restrictions: Missouri does not have a comprehensive solar access law preempting HOA restrictions. Some St.

Also covered: Panel Permits (moderate). See the full solar energy guide for St. Louis for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: In the "A" Single-Family Dwelling District, front yards must be at least 25 feet deep, side yards at least 4 feet each (10 feet total), and rear yards at least 25 feet deep, under the City's lettered zoning code..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for St. Louis for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: St. Louis bans retail sales in the front yard of any residentially zoned property, and anyone using the public sidewalk or street for a yard, garage, or lawn sale must first get a festival permit under Chapter 20.46..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Door-to-door solicitors, canvassers, and peddlers in St. Louis must buy a license from the License Collector, $1 a day, $10 a month, or $15 a year, post a $1,000 surety bond, and wear a badge carrying their certificate whenever working the City's streets..

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

What to Do With This Information

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