Ada County, ID Ordinances (2026)

In unincorporated Ada County, loud or offensive noise is prohibited between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM. Noise is 'loud or unusual' if plainly audible in another residence or 100 feet away on a public street. Violations are a misdemeanor.

Ada County's noise ordinance directly targets amplified sound. Radios, loudspeakers and other sound-amplifying equipment may not produce loud or unusual noise between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM in unincorporated areas.

Outdoor music is restricted under Ada County's noise ordinance. Voice, musical instruments and sound equipment may not create loud or unusual noise between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM in unincorporated areas.

Ada County has no separate construction-hours ordinance; construction noise falls under the general 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM prohibition in chapter 13. In June, July and August, landscape maintenance may begin at 6:00 AM due to extreme heat.

Ada County has no leaf-blower-specific ordinance. Leaf blowers are landscape maintenance equipment governed by the general noise ordinance: prohibited 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, but allowed from 6:00 AM in June, July and August.

Ada County's noise ordinance uses no numeric decibel limit. Instead, noise is unlawful if 'plainly audible' inside another residence or business, or 100 feet or more away on a public street, during the 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM window.

Ada County's noise ordinance does not apply to aircraft. Section 5-13-4 exempts airplanes and other FAA-regulated aircraft, along with railway equipment and emergency vehicles. Aircraft noise is regulated federally by the FAA.

Barking dogs are addressed directly in Ada County's noise ordinance. Section 5-13-3 lists 'domesticated animals' among the sources of loud or unusual noise prohibited between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM in unincorporated areas.

Idaho law requires every motor vehicle to have a working muffler and bans modified exhaust that increases noise above the factory muffler. Ada County's noise ordinance also lists automobiles among nighttime noise sources.

Ada County's noise ordinance covers machinery noise, prohibiting loud or unusual noise from equipment between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM. Industrial operations are also subject to county zoning; agricultural activity gets protection under Idaho right-to-farm law.

Ada County cannot force STR-specific registration under Idaho Code 67-6539, but operators must register with the Idaho State Tax Commission to collect lodging taxes. There is no separate county STR registry for unincorporated homes.

Idaho law bars Ada County and its cities from requiring a short-term-rental permit or conditional use permit in a residential zone. STRs are treated as ordinary residential uses, so no special STR license is mandated countywide.

Ada County may set STR occupancy limits, but only up to the same maximum that building code allows for any non-transient residence. Idaho Code 67-6539 bars stricter guest caps aimed only at short-term rentals.

Ada County cannot limit short-term rentals to owners' primary residences. Idaho Code 67-6539 expressly bars requiring owner occupation for any amount of time, so non-owner-occupied and investment STRs are allowed.

Ada County cannot require short-term-rental operators to carry additional insurance. Idaho Code 67-6539 bars STR-specific insurance mandates, though hosts should still carry adequate coverage voluntarily.

Ada County STRs (stays of 30 days or less) owe Idaho's 6% state sales tax plus the 2% state travel-and-convention tax. Properties inside the Greater Boise Auditorium District also owe a 5% GBAD lodging tax, roughly 13% total.

Short-term rentals in Ada County must follow the same noise and nuisance ordinances as any home. Idaho Code 67-6539 lets the county enforce generally applicable noise rules, but not STR-only noise restrictions.

Ada County cannot limit how many nights per year a short-term rental operates. Idaho Code 67-6539 prohibits imposing a limit on the days a property can be rented, so no annual night cap applies.

Ada County cannot require extra off-street parking just because a home is a short-term rental. Idaho Code 67-6539 forbids STR-specific parking mandates; the dwelling's normal residential parking standard applies.

Ada County cannot require a host to be present or to hire professional property management for a short-term rental. Idaho Code 67-6539 bars both owner-occupancy and professional-management mandates.

Recreational fires such as backyard fire pits and campfires are treated separately from yard-waste burning and are generally allowed in Ada County, but burning is prohibited whenever the Treasure Valley air quality index reaches 60 or higher. Rural areas outside city limits need an Idaho fire-season permit May 10-October 20.

Only nonaerial 'safe and sane' fireworks (fountains, sparklers, ground spinners, smoke devices, snakes) are legal for consumers in Idaho. Aerial and audible fireworks, firecrackers, and Roman candles are illegal without a public-display permit. Consumer sale/use runs June 23 to July 5.

Clearing dry brush, weeds, and flammable vegetation is central to wildfire protection in the Boise foothills. Idaho fire agencies recommend at least 100 feet of defensible space around homes on flat ground, and more on slopes. Ditch-bank and fence-line vegetation may be burned under Ada County's open-burn rules.

Ada County allows outdoor burning of residential yard waste in rural areas only when weather permits and the air quality index is 60 or below. Burn barrels are prohibited countywide. Residents outside city limits need an Idaho fire-season burn permit from May 10 to October 20.

Idaho law requires a smoke detector on a wall in a hallway or space communicating with each bedroom area and the living area. Landlords must verify detectors are installed and working at the start of a rental; tenants must maintain them during the tenancy.

Small recreational backyard fires are allowed, but burning of yard debris must stop whenever the Treasure Valley air quality index hits 60 or higher, and burn barrels are banned. Fires must stay attended with water and tools ready, and igniting is limited to between sunrise and sunset.

The Boise foothills and rural fringes of Ada County lie in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), an area of high wildfire risk. Ada County and the City of Boise have WUI planning and code provisions, and fireworks are barred in areas of severe fire threat based on current vegetative conditions.

Propane storage follows the Idaho Fire Code and NFPA 58. LP-gas containers may not be used in basements, pits, or similar low areas where heavier-than-air gas can collect. Only small DOT cylinders (2.5 lb water capacity or less) may be stored inside buildings accessible to the public, up to 200

Propane and charcoal grills are allowed at homes in Ada County. Propane cylinders used with grills follow the Idaho Fire Code and NFPA 58, which bar use in basements or pits where gas can collect. During red-flag or high fire-danger days, open-flame cooking may be restricted in foothill wildfire zones.

Backyard smokers using wood, pellets, charcoal, or propane are allowed for residential cooking in Ada County. They are treated as cooking devices, not open burning, so no burn permit is needed, but they may not create a smoke nuisance and can be limited during foothill fire restrictions.

In unincorporated Ada County, off-street parking areas must generally be built with a compacted gravel base at least 4 inches thick surfaced with asphalt or a comparable all-weather dustless material approved by the County Engineer. Rural residences and temporary uses are exempt. Driveways must meet turnout and clearance standards near

On unincorporated Ada County streets, motor homes, travel trailers and camp trailers may be parked no more than 72 hours, whether or not attached to a tow vehicle. On residential lots, RVs and boats are generally stored on the owner's property; inside city limits (Boise, Meridian, Eagle) the city's own

No person may park any vehicle on the streets in an unincorporated Ada County residential area for a continuous period exceeding 7 days. RVs, motor homes and camp trailers are further limited to 72 hours. Inside incorporated cities, the city's traffic code controls.

Abandoned vehicles are governed by Idaho Code Title 49, Chapter 18. Abandonment on any highway or on public/private property without consent is prohibited (IC 49-1801). A property owner may have an unauthorized vehicle removed if the property is posted with a conspicuous towing notice (IC 49-1806).

Ada County's zoning code does not set a dedicated EV-charging-station ordinance for homes; residential EV chargers are installed under building and electrical permits. Idaho follows the National Electrical Code for charger wiring. Commercial parking installations must still meet the county's off-street parking and lighting standards.

Ada County sets no blanket overnight street-parking ban in unincorporated areas; the governing limit is the 7-day continuous cap (72 hours for RVs) under Code 6-5-3. Abandoning a vehicle is separately prohibited by Idaho Code 49-1801. Cities within the county may ban or restrict overnight parking.

In unincorporated Ada County, an accessory structure on a residential lot may not store commercial vehicles except as allowed for a home occupation, where one work trailer, work vehicle or commercial vehicle may park on the property. Off-street loading and heavy-vehicle areas are separately regulated by Title 8.

Ada County limits inoperable, dismantled or unregistered vehicles: no more than two may be visible from any street or private road, and the rest must be behind a 6-foot sight-obscuring fence or fully enclosed. Excess outdoor accumulation can be treated as a junkyard nuisance. Oversized RVs and trailers on streets

Ada County does not authorize residents to paint curbs; curb colors and markings on public roads are set by the road authority. In unincorporated Ada County, road striping and signage fall under the Ada County Highway District (ACHD), which manages nearly all public streets in the county. Painting a public

In unincorporated Ada County, commercial or industrial uses of 5,000 sq ft or more must provide at least one off-street loading space, with an added space per each 20,000 sq ft. Loading spaces are 10 ft x 30 ft with 14 ft clearance, must stay 50 ft from residential districts,

Standard residential fences up to six feet generally need no building permit in unincorporated Ada County. Any fence, wall, latticework, or screen exceeding six feet requires a building permit with construction drawings prepared by a licensed Idaho engineer or architect.

Section 8-3-6 of Ada County Code sets fence standards for unincorporated land: six-foot height limit, a clear-vision triangle at intersections, an engineered permit above six feet, and a maintenance duty for required screening fences.

In unincorporated Ada County, fences may sit inside or outside any setback but cannot exceed six feet above grade on a perimeter boundary or required setback without a variance. On lots one acre or less inside an area of impact, front-yard fences are capped at three feet.

In unincorporated Ada County, any retaining wall with a total vertical height of four feet or more, including its footing, must be designed in accordance with the Ada County Building Code. Shorter walls that also serve as fences follow the six-foot fence-height standard.

Ada County recognizes solid fences, walls, and sound walls as screening elements but not chain-link. When a solid fence or sound wall is used for screening, the landscape plan must add vegetation at set rates alongside it.

Ada County zoning lets a six-foot fence sit on the perimeter boundary between neighbors, but any sight-obscuring fence near a street corner must not block the clear-vision triangle. Cost-sharing and exact placement of a shared boundary fence are private matters under Idaho civil law.

Ada County restricts barbed wire and electric wire fencing to farms, properties in the RP, RR, or RUT base districts, large livestock-confinement sites, or approved security uses. Chain-link fencing does not count as a screening material under the code.

In the Rural Residential (RR) district, Ada County requires front-yard setbacks of 30 to 50 feet depending on the road, a 25-foot side street setback, a 25-foot interior side setback, and a 25-foot rear setback. Other zones have their own dimensional tables.

In the Rural Residential (RR) district, Ada County caps lot coverage at 10 percent for the base category and 20 percent for a rural residence. Building coverage is the total allowable percentage of a lot that may be covered by buildings.

In the Rural Residential (RR) district, Ada County limits building height to a maximum of thirty-five feet (35'). Building height is measured from average ground level at the front wall to the highest roof point. Each base district sets its own maximum.

Ada County's animal-control chapter does not set chicken or livestock limits. Whether you can keep hens, roosters, or farm animals depends on your parcel's zoning under Title 8 (Ada County Zoning), which is permissive on agricultural and rural-residential land in unincorporated areas.

In unincorporated Ada County it is an infraction to let a dog run at large. "At large" means off the owner's premises and not restrained by a leash, cord, or chain not exceeding 6 feet. Loose dogs may be impounded.

Ada County's animal-control chapter does not regulate honeybees; hive placement is a zoning matter under Title 8. Statewide, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture requires apiary registration for beekeepers with more than 50 colonies, with hobbyist registration encouraged.

A single Ada County residence is limited to a combined total of four (4) dogs and cats at one time, unless the resident holds a noncommercial or commercial kennel license. A service or therapy animal allows one additional animal over the limit.

Ada County sets minimum standards of care and lets Animal Control act against neglect and hoarding. Beyond the four-animal household cap, a "habitual violator" with three convictions in twelve months can be ordered to remove the animals, and neglect is a misdemeanor.

Ada County does not ban any dog breed. Instead of breed labels, county code regulates individual dogs by behavior, designating a dog "at-risk" or "dangerous" after a bite or attack and imposing insurance, muzzle, enclosure, and signage rules on that specific dog.

Ada County's animal-control chapter does not regulate keeping livestock; horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs are a zoning question under Title 8. On agricultural and rural-residential land in unincorporated Ada County, livestock is generally allowed by right subject to setbacks and nuisance limits.

Ada County's animal chapter does not set a blanket wildlife-feeding ban, but harboring or feeding an animal for 24 hours makes you its "owner," and you may not take a stray animal into your possession without notifying Animal Control at once. Feeding big-game wildlife is regulated by Idaho Fish and

Ada County Code 5-7-4 makes it unlawful to keep a long list of exotic and wild animals - including big cats, wild canids, primates, bears, venomous snakes, crocodilians, and marine mammals. Only domesticated cats and dogs and a few named small pets are allowed.

Ada County counts cats toward the four-animal household limit and requires rabies vaccination. An unaltered cat allowed outdoors off its owner's control is deemed a nuisance and may be seized, spayed or neutered, and returned by Animal Control.

Ada County has no general permit to trim trees on your own property. Trimming that blocks sight lines at intersections or driveways can be treated as a nuisance, and trees overhanging roads or right-of-way must be kept clear.

In unincorporated Ada County, letting weeds, grasses or plant life grow over one foot in a way that creates a fire, safety or health hazard is a declared public nuisance. Cities like Boise and Meridian set their own limits.

Ada County declares overgrown weeds and grasses a public nuisance when they create a fire, safety or health hazard, or interfere with neighbors' use of their property. The county can order abatement and charge the owner.

Ada County has no general tree-removal permit for private land; you can remove trees on your own unincorporated parcel. Cities such as Boise regulate protected and street trees, so removal inside city limits may require city approval.

Ada County has no ordinance banning rooftop rainwater collection. Under Idaho water law, capturing rain and snowmelt from your own roof for use on your property is generally allowed without a water right; diverting natural waterways is not.

Ada County has no ordinance banning backyard composting. Home compost piles are allowed, but they must not become a nuisance, attract rodents or vermin, or create odors that interfere with neighbors' use of their property.

Ada County itself sets no residential watering schedule. In the Treasure Valley, outdoor irrigation typically comes from irrigation districts (Nampa-Meridian, Settlers, Pioneer, Boise Project), whose seasons and allotments govern how much water you get.

Ada County has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating residential artificial turf. Installation on private property is generally allowed; check drainage, any building or grading permits, and city or HOA landscape standards.

Ada County does not require any particular landscape plants and does not ban native or xeric plantings. As long as growth is not an overgrown-weed nuisance or a designated noxious weed, residents may choose water-wise native landscaping.

Ada County has no private-tree-removal permit, but Idaho law requires every landowner to control designated noxious weeds on their land. Ada County's weed superintendent (Chapter 8) enforces this, and failure is a misdemeanor.

Every outdoor pool, hot tub, or spa in Ada County must be surrounded by a barrier at least 48 inches tall, with no more than a 2-inch gap at the bottom, and openings that will not pass a 4-inch sphere.

Hot tubs and spas are treated exactly like pools under Ada County's Section AG 105 and must be surrounded by a compliant barrier. The barrier requirement applies to spas and hot tubs the same as in-ground pools.

In unincorporated Ada County, a building permit from Development Services is required to build an in-ground, above-ground, or on-ground pool, hot tub, or spa. The permit review verifies barrier compliance. Inside Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, or Star, apply to that city instead.

Above-ground pools are explicitly covered by Ada County's Section AG 105. They need a barrier at least 48 inches tall; the pool wall itself can serve as the barrier if the gap between the top of the wall and the bottom of any mounted fence is no more than 4

Residential pool safety in Ada County is enforced through the AG 105 barrier. Public/commercial pools must follow Idaho Department of Health and Welfare rules (IDAPA 16.02.14), which require lifeguards when bather counts exceed 35 and unsupervised children under 13 are present.

A home occupation in unincorporated Ada County is allowed one home sign, which must comply with the county sign standards in Chapter 4, Article I. Any off-premises or off-site signage must be separately approved under those same standards.

On unincorporated Ada County land, a home occupation is a permitted accessory use under Title 8 (Zoning) that must stay incidental and subordinate to the residence. It cannot change the residential character of the property. Inside a city, that city's zoning applies.

Idaho requires no cottage-food license, permit, or registration. You may make non-potentially-hazardous foods in your home kitchen and sell them directly to consumers without a Health and Welfare or Central District Health inspection, provided products are properly labeled.

Home occupations in unincorporated Ada County operate under a zoning certificate or accessory-use permit from Development Services and remain subject to zoning inspection. Standards cap non-resident employees, limit client hours and parking, and restrict daily trips.

Idaho defines a family daycare home as caring for six or fewer children, a group daycare facility for 7-12, and a daycare center for 13 or more. Providers for four or more children face state background-check requirements; local city/county licensing may also apply, plus Ada County home-occupation zoning.

In unincorporated Ada County, solid-waste carts must be set out no more than four feet from the street and may not be stored curbside outside collection days. Containers must be out by 7:00 A.M. on collection day but no earlier than the evening before.

In unincorporated Ada County, accumulations of junk, debris, and dilapidated conditions are regulated under the Ada County Nuisance Ordinance (Ada County Code Chapter 9), enforced by the Sheriff's Code Enforcement unit on written or verbal complaint. Inside Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, and Star, the city's own nuisance code applies.

Idaho Code 22-2407 makes it every landowner's duty to control noxious weeds, enforced in unincorporated Ada County by the county weed superintendent under Title 22, Chapter 24. Ada County has no fixed grass-height number in county code; incorporated cities set their own weed and grass limits.

Ada County sets no separate vacant-lot maintenance code, but owners of unincorporated land must control noxious weeds under Idaho Code 22-2407, and accumulated junk or debris on vacant parcels can be abated under the county Nuisance Ordinance (Chapter 9). Cities regulate lots within their limits.

Unincorporated Ada County has no dedicated garage-sale permit ordinance; occasional residential yard sales are treated as an accessory use under the Ada County Zoning Ordinance (Title 8). Incorporated cities like Boise and Meridian may cap the number or duration of sales, so check your city code.

Ada County Code 5-2-4-3 requires carts to be placed no more than four feet from the street without blocking parking, driveways, or pedestrians. Set carts out by 7:00 A.M. on collection day, no earlier than the evening before, and don't leave them curbside between pickups.

In unincorporated Ada County, residential trash collection is mandatory: owners served by the county's contractor must receive weekly trash service and pay for it under Ada County Code 5-2-4-1. Hardin Sanitation is the current contractor; recycling is collected every other week.

Ada County provides curbside single-stream recycling to unincorporated residents: each household gets a 95-gallon recycling cart (blue with an orange lid) collected every other week alongside mandatory trash service under Title 5, Chapter 2. Participation isn't separately mandated, but the cart is part of standard service.

Residents can self-haul bulky items to the Ada County Landfill (Hidden Hollow), 10th & Fairview area at 200 W. Front St. billing. General trash costs a $15 minimum (up to 1,035 lbs) or $33/ton. Only Ada County-generated waste is accepted, and users need a valid driver's license.

Dumping trash on public or private land without authorization is illegal statewide under Idaho Code 18-7031, carrying a $150 first-offense fine that escalates to a misdemeanor with jail for repeat offenders. Report illegal dumpsites to the Ada County Landfill at (208) 577-4725.

Unincorporated Ada County allows one secondary (accessory) dwelling per lot of at least 6,000 square feet. It must be 350 to 1,200 square feet, or 60% of the principal home's above-ground living space, whichever is less, and capped at three bedrooms.

A carport is treated as an accessory structure in unincorporated Ada County. It cannot exceed 24 feet in height, cannot sit in a required setback or on an easement, and its roofing and finish materials must complement the principal home.

Unincorporated Ada County lets you convert an existing garage, basement, or detached accessory structure into a secondary dwelling, provided it meets the Section 8-4-23 standards, the Ada County Building Code, plumbing and electrical codes, and off-street parking for both units.

In unincorporated Ada County, a detached accessory structure (shed, garage, workshop) may not exceed 24 feet in height, cannot sit in a required setback or on an easement, and cannot be used as a dwelling. Small sheds 200 sq ft or less may sit in side or rear required yards.

Ada County's zoning code treats a tiny home as a manufactured home. A tiny home used as a second unit must meet the secondary-dwelling standards of Section 8-4-23 (350 to 1,200 sq ft, foundation, deed restriction). A tiny home on wheels is a recreational vehicle, not a permanent dwelling.

Ada County's sign code is content-neutral, so it does not single out political signs. Temporary signs, including yard signs, are allowed without a permit: in residential districts up to six per property at 4 square feet and 8 feet tall each; any sign visible only from your own parcel is

Garage-sale signs fall under Ada County's content-neutral temporary-sign rules. No permit is needed: residential lots may have up to six temporary signs, each up to 4 square feet and 8 feet tall. Signs may not sit in a public street or highway right-of-way, and the owner must remove them.

Ada County limits light spilling onto neighbors. In commercial or industrial settings, the effective zone of light from bright fixtures may not trespass onto abutting residential property. In rural, transitional, and residential districts, higher poles require greater setbacks from the property line.

Ada County's outdoor-lighting standards regulate glare and up-lighting to protect nighttime skies. Fixtures over 260 lumens must have an opaque top to prevent up-lighting; fixtures at 1,800 lumens or more require a full cut-off shield. Mercury-vapor lamps and skyward lasers are prohibited.

Ada County parks are day-use only and close at sunset. Overnight camping and parking is prohibited on any Ada County owned or leased park property except when the board permits it for special group activities, festivals, or holiday events. Violation is an infraction with a $100 fine.