Local rules and regulations for Davis County, Utah. Population: 362,679.
Verified from official government sources
Select a topic to see Davis County's rules on that subject.
Davis County sets no countywide construction-hour rule; cities do. Bountiful City Code 8-7-102 makes operating construction, repair, alteration or demolition equipment unlawful between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Other Davis County cities set similar overnight limits, so confirm your city's code and any permit conditions.
No Davis County city bans leaf blowers outright or sets a special decibel limit for them. In Bountiful, operating power equipment over five horsepower is unlawful between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; most homeowner blowers fall under 5 hp but still must not create an unreasonably loud disturbance.
Aircraft noise, including from Hill Air Force Base near Layton, Clearfield and Roy, is regulated by the federal government, not Davis County. The FAA and the military control flight operations and airspace, so cities and the county cannot set aircraft noise limits. Concerns go to Hill AFB's community noise program.
Bountiful City Code 13-1-117 caps motor-vehicle noise: 80 dB(A) for vehicles rated 10,000 lbs or less and 88 dB(A) for those over 10,000 lbs, measured 25 feet away. Every vehicle must keep a working muffler. Layton also targets booming car stereos plainly audible 50 feet away.
Davis County sets no countywide quiet-hours law; each city does. In Bountiful, loading, construction, power equipment and garbage collection are unlawful between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. In Layton, sound devices may not be plainly audible at your property line from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Davis County has no residential decibel table; most noise is judged by an 'unreasonably loud' or 'plainly audible' standard. The main numeric limits are Bountiful's vehicle caps: 88 dB(A) for vehicles over 10,000 lbs and 80 dB(A) for lighter vehicles, measured 25 feet away.
Davis County Code 6.16.010 makes a barking dog a nuisance at any time of day or night. The threshold is incessant barking for 30 minutes or more, or intermittent barking for 60 minutes or more, in any 24-hour period. Davis County Animal Care & Control enforces it countywide.
Bountiful City Code 5-6-102 makes it unlawful to operate any sound amplifier outdoors, or indoors to reach people outdoors, without a current amplified sound license. Layton bars sound devices plainly audible at the property line from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. The county sets no general rule.
Davis County sets no countywide industrial-noise decibel limit; cities regulate it plus zoning. Bountiful City Code 8-7-102 makes operating commercial power equipment over five horsepower unlawful between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and 8-7-101 bans unreasonably loud noise disturbing residents at any time.
For outdoor music, Bountiful City Code 5-6-102 requires an amplified sound license for any sound amplifier used out of doors, or indoors when it reaches people outdoors. After 11:00 p.m. general noise limits apply, and Layton caps sound plainly audible at the property line after 9 p.m.
STRs must follow city noise ordinances. Bountiful requires no audible sound at the property line from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Layton and unincorporated areas apply general noise and nuisance rules.
There is no county-wide STR registry. Bountiful requires a permit that does not run with the land, so a new owner must reapply. STRs are prohibited in non-conforming or non-compliant structures and must meet all state and local law.
Rules are set by your city, not the county. Bountiful requires a Short-Term Rental Permit approved by its Administrative Committee. Layton does not regulate STRs but requires a residential business license. Unincorporated Davis County treats lodging uses under Title 15 zoning.
Several Davis County cities tie STRs to owner-occupancy. Bountiful allows STRs only in an accessory dwelling unit whose owner occupies either the main home or the ADU at all times. Layton flatly does not permit short-term rental of an ADU.
Utah defines a short-term rental as a stay under 30 consecutive days. No Davis County city imposes an annual night cap, and state law bars local governments from punishing residents solely for advertising a short-term rental online.
STR stays under 30 nights owe Utah's transient room tax plus state and local sales tax. The state transient room tax is 0.32%; counties may levy up to 4.5% and cities up to 1.5%, so combined lodging tax typically runs about 3%–6.25%.
There is no county occupancy cap; cities set the limits. Bountiful caps guests at the International Building Code occupancy standard based on unit square footage, using roughly 200 square feet per occupant as guidance.
Parking is governed by city code. Bountiful requires STR sites to meet the accessory dwelling unit parking standard and comply with the city Traffic Code on on-street parking. There is no county-wide STR parking ordinance.
No county-wide host-presence rule exists. In Bountiful, the owner must occupy the primary home or the ADU at all times, functioning as a host-presence requirement. Utah state law separately bars cities from punishing residents merely for advertising an STR online.
Neither Davis County nor Utah state law mandates a specific short-term rental insurance policy. Cities may require proof of liability coverage as a permit condition, and standard homeowner policies often exclude commercial rental use.
Davis County cities, not the county, set RV rules. In Layton an RV, boat or trailer may sit on a public street only for loading/unloading and never over 24 consecutive hours; on private residential property it must sit on a hard surface. Bountiful lets residents keep an RV on their
Bountiful defines a commercial vehicle as 26,000 pounds GVWR or more and bans unattended parking on streets or public rights-of-way; residential zones allow just one commercial vehicle per lot. Davis County cities each set their own limits, so check your city.
Davis County cities require off-street vehicles to sit on an improved surface. Layton mandates that all vehicles and trailers be parked on a hard surface such as concrete, asphalt, gravel or compacted road base. Bountiful requires a prepared surface that prevents mud track-out onto streets.
There is no countywide overnight ban, but Davis County cities restrict it in winter. Bountiful prohibits parking on any street from 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. during November through March and during/after snow. Elsewhere, a vehicle left over 48 hours on a road becomes abandoned under Utah law.
Bountiful bars heavy equipment and trailers generally over 14,000 pounds, and semi-trailers, from parking or storage in residential zones, and limits commercial vehicles 26,000 pounds or more to one per lot. Oversized-vehicle rules are set by each Davis County city.
Street parking is set by each Davis County city. Bountiful bars parking on any street from 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. during November through March, whenever it is snowing (or within 12 hours after), and for more than 24 consecutive hours. Other cities have similar winter and time limits.
Under Utah Code 41-6a-1408, a vehicle left unattended over 48 hours on a highway, or over seven days on public or private property without consent, is abandoned and can be removed by a peace officer. Layton also requires vehicles on private property to be licensed and operable.
Davis County sets no special ordinance for home EV charging. Residential chargers are governed by the statewide building and electrical code and require a standard electrical permit through your city or county building department. New parking-lot charging counts as an accessory use under local zoning.
Only the city or county traffic authority may paint or mark curbs to control parking; residents cannot paint curbs to reserve spaces. Painted curbs and signs set the actual limits, which override default rules under Utah's traffic code and each city's ordinance.
Loading zones are established and signed by each Davis County city's traffic authority, not the county. Layton allows RVs, trailers and boats to occupy a street only for immediate loading or unloading. Elsewhere, obey posted loading-zone signs and time limits.
Recreational fire pits are allowed in Davis County when built as approved fire rings no larger than about 3 feet across, kept 25 feet from structures, attended by someone 18 or older, burning only clean dry wood or charcoal, with a water source ready. During fire restrictions only water-equipped home
Propane storage in Davis County follows the statewide-adopted International Fire Code and NFPA 58. Small portable cylinders are fine for home grills, but code caps how much LP-gas may be stored, bans large cylinders inside dwellings, and keeps tanks clear of ignition sources, basements, and required exits.
Davis County has no single countywide vegetation-clearance mandate for every yard, but foothill and wildland-urban-interface homes are strongly urged to create defensible space. Utah wildfire guidance calls for clearing flammable vegetation 0-30 feet around a home and managing brush out to 100 feet. Cities adopting WUI codes may enforce clearance.
Utah bans fireworks except within narrow state windows: July 2-5, July 22-25 (Pioneer Day), Dec 31-Jan 1, and Chinese New Year's Eve. Discharge is 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (later on the 4th, 24th, and New Year's). Davis cities and fire authorities may prohibit discharge entirely in wildfire (WUI) areas.
Residential and agricultural open burning in Davis County is tightly controlled for air quality. You must obtain the Utah Division of Air Quality online open-burn permit, and burning is allowed only when the clearing index is 500 or greater, during the spring (Apr 1-May 31) and fall (Sep 15-Oct 31)
Small recreational backyard fires are legal in Davis County when kept in an approved ring or pit, attended by an adult, held 25 feet from structures, and burning only clean wood or charcoal with water on hand. During Stage 1 fire restrictions, open fires are banned except code-compliant home pits
Much of Davis County's east bench sits in the wildland-urban interface. When wildfire danger rises, the county issues Stage 1 (and higher) fire restrictions barring open fires, fireworks, off-road spark sources, and smoking near dry vegetation in unincorporated areas. Foothill cities are adopting WUI building and defensible-space codes.
Davis County and its cities enforce the statewide-adopted International Residential Code, which requires working smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of a home. Rentals must have operable detectors under Utah's Fit Premises Act. New and remodeled homes need interconnected, hard-wired alarms.
Home barbecuing is allowed in Davis County, but the adopted International Fire Code limits grilling at multifamily buildings: open-flame propane and charcoal grills generally cannot be used or stored on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of apartments and condos. Single-family homes have far more freedom, subject to fire restrictions.
Wood and pellet smokers are allowed at Davis County homes as food-preparation cooking devices. Keep them attended, at least 25 feet from structures and combustibles, burning clean fuel with extinguishment on hand. Near apartments the same 10-foot/balcony limits as grills apply, and heavy smoke that drifts onto neighbors can be
Neither Davis County nor Layton requires neighbors to split boundary-fence costs; in Utah a division fence between homes is a private matter. Cities do require fences to sit on your own property and to preserve corner clear-view sight triangles for traffic safety.
In Layton, a building permit is required for any fence or wall over 7 feet tall. Most standard residential fences under 7 feet need no building permit but still must meet yard height limits and clear-view rules. Unincorporated county fences go through the county Planning Division.
Layton measures fence height from finished grade to the highest point and requires every fence to comply with clear-view sight-triangle rules (Code 19.16.110 and 19.12.160) so fences near corners and driveways don't block driver visibility.
Under Utah's adopted building code, a permit and engineered design are required for retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top) or any wall supporting a surcharge. Shorter walls usually need no permit but must manage drainage and respect setbacks.
In Layton, Davis County's largest city, front-yard fences max out at 3 feet if solid or 4 feet if 75% open; corner side yards allow 6 feet; interior side and rear yards up to 8 feet. Other cities and the unincorporated county set comparable limits.
In residential zones, barbed wire, razor and concertina wire, and electrified fencing are generally prohibited except for agricultural uses. Scrap and salvage materials (pallets, tarps, plywood, scrap metal) are not accepted as fencing. Confirm the exact list with Layton or your city.
Cities in Davis County favor durable, low-maintenance fence materials, including masonry, decorative block, quality vinyl, wood, composite, and metal, plus chain link in side and rear yards. Front-yard and corner clear-view areas require open, view-permeable fencing.
Davis County cities make the adjacent owner keep trees and bushes cleared above walkways and roads. Layton requires 7 feet of clearance over the sidewalk and 13 feet 6 inches over the street.
Utah's Noxious Weed Act makes every property owner control listed noxious weeds. The Davis County Weed Control Board can order abatement, and ignoring the notice makes the land a public nuisance.
Davis County cities encourage and, for new landscaping, sometimes require water-wise plants over turf. Bountiful mandates 35 to 50 percent live vegetation in park strips; Layton caps turf in new commercial and multifamily projects.
No Davis County ordinance bans backyard composting for personal yard and food waste. Keep piles contained and odor-free so they don't become a nuisance; the county's Wasatch Integrated waste district handles larger green-waste disposal.
Davis County cities set the mowing rule. Layton caps weeds at 12 inches; Bountiful is stricter at 6 inches on improved lots. Overgrown vegetation is a code-enforceable nuisance.
Utah has no statewide mandatory homeowner watering ban. In Davis County, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District issues conservation guidance: skip midday watering and water only a few days per week.
Rain collection is legal in Davis County under Utah Code 73-3-1.5. You may keep up to 200 gallons in two containers without registering, or up to 2,500 gallons after a free state registration.
Davis County and its cities set no permit requirement for removing an ordinary tree on your own private land. The catch is park-strip and street trees, which are city-controlled and need approval.
No Davis County or Utah law bans artificial turf on private yards. Cities regulate where and how it counts toward landscaping; Bountiful's park-strip live-vegetation rule effectively limits fake turf in that strip.
Davis County and its cities cannot ban or restrict any dog breed. Utah state law (Code 18-2-101) prohibits breed-specific ordinances and declares any such rule void, so pit bulls and other breeds cannot be outlawed here.
Backyard chickens and livestock are allowed in Davis County's agricultural and larger-lot residential zones, but must be securely enclosed. Rules and animal counts depend on your zone and whether you are in a city or unincorporated county.
As of 2023, Davis County allows every household a total of three animals, no matter which city you live in. Keeping a fourth pet requires an additional pet permit costing $100 per year with conditions.
Davis County requires dogs to be leashed in all public areas. A dog may be off leash only inside your own fenced property. Electronic (invisible) fences do not count as leash control.
Davis County sets no countywide ban on backyard beekeeping. Hives are regulated by your city's zoning (setbacks, hive counts) and by Utah's Bee Inspection Act, which requires registering colonies with the state Department of Agriculture and Food.
Livestock is allowed on Davis County's agricultural and larger residential parcels under local zoning. Utah's right-to-farm law shields agricultural operations in a designated Agriculture Protection Area from being treated as a nuisance if they use sound practices.
Many exotic and wild animals cannot be kept as pets in Utah without state authorization. The Division of Wildlife Resources classifies species as prohibited or controlled; prohibited wildlife may not be possessed, and controlled species need a certificate of registration.
Davis County requires all cats over four months old to be vaccinated (rabies) and licensed, just like dogs. Cats count toward the three-animal household limit. License fees are lower for spayed/neutered, microchipped cats.
Davis County has no dedicated ordinance banning backyard wildlife feeding, but feeding deer and other big game is strongly discouraged by the state, and intentionally feeding wildlife that causes a nuisance or draws predators can trigger state and local action.
Davis County's three-animal household limit and permit inspection help prevent hoarding, and Utah's Animal Welfare Act plus cruelty statutes let officers intervene when too many animals are kept in neglectful conditions.
Private residential pools in Davis County need only a city building permit under the adopted state pool code. Davis County Health permits and plan-reviews PUBLIC pools (community, HOA, apartment, hotel) - not backyard pools.
Under the adopted Utah pool code, gates in a residential pool barrier must open outward, be self-closing, and self-latching. Public-pool gates must self-close and self-latch with the release 54 inches up, per R392-302-17.
An above-ground (onground) pool in Davis County can serve as its own barrier only if the wall, or a barrier mounted on it, is at least 48 inches high all around and access ladders or steps are removable, lockable, or separately fenced.
A residential spa or hot tub in Davis County does not need the full pool barrier if it is fitted with a lockable safety cover meeting ASTM F1346, under the adopted Utah Swimming Pool and Spa Code. Public spas follow county health regulation.
Utah requires a barrier around residential pools at least 48 inches high measured on the side facing away from the pool, per the adopted Utah Swimming Pool and Spa Code. Public pools must meet a stricter 6-foot fence.
In unincorporated Davis County's R-1 single-family zone, buildings need a 25-foot front yard, 8-foot side yards (each side), and a 25-foot rear yard on a minimum 9,000-square-foot lot. Agricultural zones require larger yards, and each incorporated city sets its own setbacks.
Davis County's residential zones control density through minimum lot size and yard setbacks rather than a fixed lot-coverage percentage. R-1 requires a 9,000-square-foot lot with 25-foot front/rear and 8-foot side yards. Utah law also bars cities from restricting internal ADUs by total lot size.
In unincorporated Davis County's R-1 zone, homes may not exceed two stories or 30 feet. The county's general height rule allows up to two-and-a-half stories or 35 feet, while agricultural zones permit barns and farm structures far taller. Cities set their own limits.
Utah has two paths for selling homemade food. A Cottage Food registration (Utah Code 4-5-9.5) allows retail/wholesale sale of non-hazardous foods after applying and paying a fee. The Home Consumption and Homemade Food Act (Title 4-5a) needs no registration but requires direct-to-consumer sales and a warning label.
In unincorporated Davis County, a home occupation requires a business license plus a Conditional Use Application in most residential zones, under the county Land Use ordinance (Title 15). Inside a city, that city's zoning code (e.g. Layton Title 19) controls.
Home occupations are meant to show no outward evidence of a business, so signage is tightly limited. Cities such as Layton allow, at most, a small non-illuminated nameplate; check your city's or the county's zoning code before posting any sign.
You need a business license to run a home occupation. Low-impact home businesses are exempt from Utah license fees but still must obtain the license and meet zoning. In Layton, any home business where clients or students visit also needs a Building Department inspection.
Utah, not Davis County, licenses home child care. Caring for four or fewer unrelated children is generally exempt; five to eight qualifying children requires a Residential Child Care Certificate from the state. Larger programs need a full residential license, and zoning/business licensing still applies locally.
Limits are set by your city. Bountiful makes it unlawful to let weeds, grass or similar growth exceed six inches on improved property. Layton caps weeds at 12 inches. Ignoring a notice leads to city abatement billed to the owner.
Davis County cities, not the county, abate blight on incorporated land. Layton requires all solid waste, litter and disused items be removed from private property, and inoperable or unlicensed vehicles be removed or fully enclosed.
Vacant lots must be kept free of overgrown weeds, trash and debris. Layton requires weeds not exceed 12 inches; Bountiful caps growth at 6 inches on improved property. Owners who ignore notices face city-performed abatement billed to them.
Davis County sets no countywide trash-can storage rule. Each city contracts its own hauler, and residents separate garbage and recycling into the carts provided. Cities generally expect carts kept out of public view except on collection day.
Davis County sets no garage-sale ordinance; rules come from your city. Cities generally allow occasional yard sales but regulate signs. Bountiful bars placing signs, boxes or merchandise that obstruct any public street, sidewalk or right-of-way.
In Layton and most Davis County cities, sheds larger than 200 square feet need a building permit; smaller sheds still must meet zoning setbacks. Every shed must sit within the yard setbacks set for your zone.
Utah law makes an internal accessory dwelling unit a permitted use in residential zones. Layton, Bountiful, and other Davis County cities must allow one internal ADU inside an owner-occupied single-family home; detached ADUs stay under local zoning.
Converting a garage to living space needs a building permit. Utah law lets an attached garage count as an internal ADU when it is habitable and joined to the home by a common wall, making conversion to a rental unit a permitted use in residential zones.
A carport is an accessory structure that must meet your zone's setbacks and height limit. On unincorporated Davis County land the Land Use Ordinance sets 25-foot front and rear yards, 10-foot side yards, and a 35-foot height cap; cities like Layton use their own tables.
Davis County has no special tiny-home ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is treated as a single-family dwelling and must meet Utah's adopted building code and the zone's standards; a tiny home on wheels is an RV and cannot be a permanent residence in most residential zones.
Davis County and its cities address light spilling onto neighboring property mainly through zoning and nuisance standards, generally requiring outdoor fixtures to be shielded and aimed downward so light does not cross property lines. There is no countywide footcandle limit for homes.
Davis County and Layton have not adopted a formal dark-sky ordinance like Utah's certified communities. Outdoor lighting is instead controlled through zoning and site-plan standards that require shielded, downward-directed fixtures to limit glare and light spill.
Curbside pickup is arranged by your city, which contracts a hauler for garbage, recycling and green-waste carts. The Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District processes the collected waste at its Layton facility. Set schedules and missed-pickup issues through your city.
Setout location is set by your city and hauler. The Wasatch District's key rule is that recyclables must not be bagged, and green waste dropped for recycling cannot be bagged either. Place carts at the curb per your city's instructions.
Dumping litter, trash or debris on any public or private land without the owner's permission is illegal littering under Utah Code 76-9-1802, a class C misdemeanor carrying a minimum $100 fine per violation and possible court-ordered cleanup.
Take bulky items to the Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District landfill in Layton, which accepts all large items except vehicles. District residents pay a $10 Small Load Flat Fee for loads of 10,000 pounds or less; some cities also run curbside bulk pickups.
Curbside recycling is voluntary and city-run. Wasatch carts take empty cans, empty plastic bottles/containers (caps off), and flattened paper and cardboard only. No glass, food, liquid, bags, batteries, clothing or electronics. Utah law fines recycling-bin misuse up to $750.
Garage-sale signs are temporary signs allowed on private property with the owner's permission, but they generally may not be placed in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or on traffic signs, and must be removed promptly after the sale.
Cities and the county regulate temporary signs by size, placement, and duration, not by message, so political signs on private property are broadly allowed within those content-neutral limits. Signs generally may not block sight lines or sit in the public right-of-way.
Ordinance data for Davis County is sourced from the following official government references. Click any topic above for detailed citations.