Fairfax County, VA Ordinances (2026)

Fairfax County's noise ordinance makes it a violation for an owner to let a dog or other animal bark loud enough to be heard in a neighbor's closed home at night.

Outdoor loudspeakers and instruments on recreational grounds must stop by 10 p.m. and stay within the county's daytime sound-level table.

Fairfax County bars outdoor construction, repair, demolition or grading noise between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and…

Fairfax County caps sound from industrial-district sources at 72 dBA by day and 65 dBA at night, measured at the property boundary.

Fairfax County restricts land use and mandates soundproofing near airports through its Airport Noise Impact Overlay District, covering three DNL noise-impact zones.

Fairfax County prohibits modified exhaust, unnecessary engine revving, loud car stereos plainly audible at 50 feet, and horn use except as a warning. Violations are enforced under…

Fairfax County's Noise Ordinance limits when power lawn equipment can run, and it singles out leaf blowers and chain saws for the strictest rule: never between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. on any…

Fairfax County bars any sound plainly audible inside a neighbor's closed dwelling between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weeknights, extending an hour later on weekends.

Licensed Fairfax County home child care facilities must lock or store the ladder on any above-ground pool so children in care cannot reach the water unsupervised.

Fairfax County requires every outdoor public pool to sit inside a fully enclosed, non-climbable six-foot perimeter fence or barrier with high, secured gate latches.

Fairfax County caps pawnbrokers at 12 licensed locations countywide and makes the license hard to get: circuit court authorization must come before the Director of Cable and Consumer…

Tobacco and vape retailers in Fairfax County need a BPOL plus a Virginia tobacco retail certificate. State law sets minimum sale age at 21 under VA Code Section 18.2-371.2 and preempts…

Operating a massage establishment in Fairfax County without a valid, unsuspended permit from the Department is unlawful, with permits issued per business location and expiring every…

Buying secondhand precious metals or gems in Fairfax County without a Chapter 33 dealer permit is unlawful under Section 33-1-2. The Department of Cable and Consumer Services issues…

Fairfax County's home-business rules give a closed list of allowed uses that excludes auto and vehicle repair entirely.

Fairfax County requires a $50 Operator Permit from Cable and Consumer Services before any company can trespass-tow or immobilize vehicles from private lots, renewed annually by January…

Adult entertainment establishments in Fairfax County need a special permit and can only operate in a regional shopping center within the C-7 District.

Fairfax County requires every tattoo establishment to get Director of Health Services approval and a permit before opening, under the county's Tattoo Establishments Ordinance.

Fairfax County can bar watercraft, boat trailers, motor homes, and camping trailers from street parking inside designated Community Parking Districts under Article 5B. The ban also…

Fairfax County spells out exactly how fire lanes must be painted: yellow, highway-grade paint on every curb or paved space designated as a fire lane, a 6-inch yellow stripe where there…

Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors can designate specific secondary-road blocks as restricted-parking zones under Appendix R when long-term parking eats up on-street capacity…

Fairfax County police can tow any vehicle left unattended over 15 days without moving 300 feet, or lacking current plates or inspection, as presumptively abandoned under Section…

Fairfax County bars parking commercial vehicles, trailers and semitrailers on residential streets under Section 82-5-7(b), covering trucks over 21 feet long, 8 feet tall, or…

Fairfax County bans parking on sidewalks, within 10 feet of driveways, 20 feet of intersections and crosswalks, and 15 feet of fire hydrants under Section 82-5-1, with exceptions only…

Fairfax County restricts marked curb loading zones to active loading and unloading during posted hours, and requires delivery vehicles other than regular trucks to display three-inch…

Single-family homes in the R-1 through R-4 districts must park in the front yard on a surfaced area capped at 25% to 30% lot coverage under the zoning code.

Fairfax County lets residents petition for Residential Permit Parking Districts that require a county decal to park on-street during posted hours, under Article 5A of the traffic code.

Fairfax County allows EV charging stations as an accessory use, but residential chargers are limited to residents and guests and capped at Level 1 or Level 2 unless placed inside a…

Fairfax County caps a trespass tow at $210.00 hookup for a passenger car and $610.00 for anything over 10,000 pounds GVWR, gives the first 24 hours of storage free, holds the drop fee…

Anyone running a home-based business in Fairfax County needs an administrative permit under Zoning Ordinance § 4102.7.H, and the permit is tied to one person, one primary residence…

Fairfax County bars walk-in customers at home businesses without a special permit.

Operating a home child care facility in Fairfax County without a permit is unlawful under County Code Section 30-3-1. The Director of Early Childhood Programs and Services issues…

Fairfax County bars home-business signs except yard signs on residential lots.

Fairfax County's loitering ordinance, County Code § 5-1-2, does not punish simply hanging around. It targets loitering in a public place only when it blocks pedestrian or vehicular…

Smoking is unlawful in any bus shelter owned by Fairfax County under Code § 44-1-2.1, the county's only outdoor smoking prohibition. Shelters must be posted with warning signs, and a…

Drinking alcohol in Fairfax County parks, sidewalks, and most public spaces is prohibited under VA Code Section 4.1-308, except at licensed venues like Reston Town Center designated…

Fairfax County's mid-block crossing rule, County Code § 82-9-3, makes it unlawful to step into a highway open to moving traffic between intersections at any point where a vehicle or…

Fairfax County's Noise Ordinance makes it a violation for any person, motor vehicle, or instrument to permit, operate, or cause sound that is plainly audible inside another person's…

Fairfax County's noise ordinance carves out backup generators in § 108.1-5-1(g). Running one during a power outage caused by a storm or other emergency is exempt at any hour, while…

Residential heat pumps, AC units and pool pumps are exempt from Fairfax County's noise ordinance if run to manufacturer specs.

Fairfax County stops outdoor truck loading and unloading within 100 yards of a home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. under the Noise Ordinance.

In Fairfax County the permit holder, not the county, is responsible for calling for inspections. Section 61-1-5 requires notice to the Building Official at every construction stage…

Licensed home child care facilities in Fairfax County must install an operable carbon monoxide alarm wherever appliances could produce CO, test it monthly and keep the test records for…

Fairfax County requires a Building Official permit before any plumbing or gas work begins, issued under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and enforced through County Chapter…

No building in Fairfax County may be used, in whole or in part, as a private school, nursery school, or child care center until the Director of Health grants an annual occupancy…

Fairfax County Code § 66-2-1 bars starting any electrical work until the Building Official issues an electrical permit. Only licensed Virginia Class A, B, or C contractors or licensed…

Fairfax County requires a building permit to construct, improve, or alter single-family dwellings, multi-family dwelling units, shopping-center spaces, warehouse bays, condo units, and…

Landlords renting five or more units in one multifamily building must fit code-compliant deadbolt locks and peepholes on every exterior swing entrance door, with glass-paneled doors…

Fairfax County requires smoke detectors in every building containing one or more dwelling units and in hotels, motels, rooming houses, dormitories, juvenile homes, and licensed adult…

Fairfax County bans kindling or maintaining any open fire outdoors on public or private property, with narrow carve-outs for cooking fires, agricultural burning, official duty fires…

Fairfax County requires a Fire Marshal operational permit for outdoor LP-gas storage or use over 10 gallons aggregate per event, but single- and two-family dwellings are exempt from…

Fairfax County bars fire pits, chimineas, outdoor fireplaces and other portable solid-fuel devices from balconies or decks, and from within 15 feet of combustible construction or a…

Fairfax County makes it unlawful to transport, manufacture, store, possess, sell, buy, use, ignite or explode any fireworks under Fire Prevention Code Section 5608.1.1.1. The…

Fairfax County makes it unlawful for any dog to run unrestricted anywhere in the county. Under County Code § 41.1-2-4, a dog off its owner's property must be on a leash, cord, or chain…

Fairfax County regulates pet shops through Health Department oversight rather than sales restrictions. Chapter 41.1, Article 3 requires plan approval from the Director of Health before…

Fairfax County Code Section 41.1-2-19 prohibits feeding mallard ducks and Canada geese, including any crossbreeds or hybrids, on parcels of land contiguous to Little Hunting Creek, and…

Fairfax County bans keeping any wild, exotic, or vicious animal as a pet, with narrow exceptions for a single certified service animal, zoological parks, circuses, and federally or…

Fairfax County zoning allows livestock and poultry, except roosters, only as an accessory use on lots of two acres or more, capped at one animal unit per acre.

Fairfax County allows veterinary hospitals only where the Zoning Ordinance permits them by right or special exception, and every one needs Health Department sign-off before a building…

Fairfax County zoning caps the number of dogs per lot, from two dogs with no lot-size minimum up to 25,000 square feet or more for keeping more than six dogs six months or older.

Fairfax County requires every cat 4 months or older to be currently vaccinated against rabies; unlike dogs, cats need no county license or tag.

Fairfax County does not impose any breed-specific restrictions. Virginia Code §3.2-6540.1 preempts local breed bans and mandates that dangerous-dog determinations be made solely on…

Fairfax County requires a land-disturbance permit from Land Development Services before regulated land-disturbing activity begins. Applicants must submit a soil erosion control and…

Fairfax County's Air Pollution Control Ordinance bars leaving any car, truck, generator or other mobile source idling more than three minutes once it stops doing its job. The same…

Fairfax County requires an approved grading plan for soil disturbance over 2,500 square feet; smaller disturbances may proceed without one, but larger areas need Director approval…

Fairfax County exempts noncommercial piers, boathouses and similar dock structures from Wetlands Board permitting if they're built on pilings that preserve tidal flow; any other…

Fairfax County restricts floodplain development to a specific list of permitted uses determined by the Director; any other use or topography change needs Board approval of a special…

New and substantially improved homes in or near a Fairfax County floodplain must sit at least 18 inches above the calculated 100-year flood elevation, a freeboard standard set in the…

Fairfax County regulates retaining wall construction as a permitted building activity under Chapter 61, not as a zoning setback issue. Appendix Q, Section I.B(L) sets the permit fee as…

Fairfax County bans barbed wire fences countywide except on rural five-plus-acre lots, and bars electric fences on smaller subdivided lots.

A regular Fairfax County fence within Table 4102.4's height limit needs no permit, but exceeding that height in a front yard requires Board or BZA special-permit approval.

Fairfax County's zoning ordinance caps residential fences and walls at 7 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards, with taller limits allowed for large lots and corner…

Fairfax County's R-1 District requires a 40-foot front setback, a 20-foot minimum side setback (40 feet total on both sides) and a 25-foot rear setback for conventional single-family…

Fairfax County's Zoning Ordinance caps lot coverage at 30 percent in the I-I Industrial Institutional District, the only zoning district where the code sets an explicit lot coverage…

Fairfax County caps building height at 35 feet in the R-1 District under conventional subdivision standards, rising to 60 feet for structures in an approved cluster subdivision. Table…

Fairfax County zoning bars residential composting from the front yard entirely, even on the large lots where other accessory structures are allowed there. Subsection 4102.7.A(6)(a)…

Fairfax County caps grass and lawn growth on developed residential parcels under half an acre at 12 inches, with the Department of Code Compliance enforcing violations through posted…

Fairfax County's stormwater ordinance encourages rainwater and stormwater harvesting for irrigation, fire protection and toilet flushing, so long as systems meet applicable regulations.

Fairfax County sets no routine lawn-watering schedule. Chapter 113 of the County Code restricts outdoor watering only after the County Executive determines a water shortage emergency…

Once a tree in Fairfax County is designated heritage, memorial, specimen or street tree, it can only be removed with Board of Supervisors approval, and unauthorized removal draws a…

Fairfax County charges a five-cent tax on disposable plastic bags at grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies. Authorized by Virginia Code 58.1-1745, effective in Fairfax…

Virginia Code Section 18.2-371.2 prohibits sales of tobacco, hemp, and vape products to anyone under 21. Fairfax County retailers must verify ID and face state criminal penalties for…

Bed bug infestations in Fairfax rentals fall under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act habitability duty. Landlords generally must treat infestations not caused by tenant…

Fairfax County makes it unlawful to operate a food establishment without a certified food protection manager in immediate control. The manager must pass an accredited-program exam or a…

Buildings used as a private school, nursery school or child care center in Fairfax County must be kept free of insects and rodents under the County's child care facility standards.

Fairfax County treats improper disposal of syringes, needles, scalpels, and other medical sharps that could be retrieved and reused as a public health or safety menace the Health…

Virginia law allows residents 21 and older to cultivate up to four cannabis plants per household for personal use. Plants must be tagged, hidden from public view, and inaccessible to…

Fairfax County STR operators must collect Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) of 4% on gross rental receipts, plus Virginia state sales tax of 5.3% and regional transportation tax of 0.7%…

Fairfax County requires anyone operating short-term lodging to be a permanent resident of the property, defined as occupying it at least 185 days a year as a primary residence. The…

Fairfax County bans events and gatherings, including parties, weddings, banquets and fund-raisers, at any short-term lodging property. Subsection 4102.7.O(4)(d) of the Zoning Ordinance…

Fairfax County requires an administrative Zoning Administrator permit before any dwelling can be used for short-term lodging, valid for two years, under the county's short-term lodging…

Fairfax County limits short-term lodging to no more than 60 nights per calendar year per dwelling, capped further at six adult lodgers and one rental contract per night.

Fairfax County short-term lodging hosts must provide one designated off-street parking space reserved for lodgers, and advertisements must state where that space is located.

Fairfax County limits short-term lodging stays to no more than six adult lodgers per night and no more than 60 nights of use per calendar year.

Fairfax County requires short-term lodging operators to designate a contact agent, post that information for guests, keep a guest log, and list their permit number in every ad.

Anyone canvassing, peddling, or soliciting goods on Fairfax County streets, including from a temporary stand, must first obtain a license from the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Fairfax County requires a food establishment permit specifically for Mobile Food Vending from VDOT rights-of-way, valid for one year and displayed in the vehicle at all times.

Mobile food trucks may vend only inside County-designated zones, Tysons, Dranesville, and Mount Vernon, on commercially or industrially zoned streets, never near residential areas.

Fairfax County Code Section 31-1-2 makes it unlawful for any canvasser, peddler, or solicitor to ring the bell, knock, or otherwise try to gain admittance at any residence, dwelling…

Canvassing, peddling or soliciting door-to-door in Fairfax County without a license is unlawful under County Code Section 31-2-1. The Department of Cable and Consumer Services issues…

Fairfax County's Noise Ordinance bars flying drones outdoors between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., since drones are defined as powered model vehicles under the code.

Fairfax County runs red-light cameras at up to 25 intersections, imposing a $50 civil penalty, plus photo speed cameras in school crossing and highway work zones with graduated…

Fairfax County bars riding shared e-scooters and bikes on any sidewalk or crosswalk the county has posted as off-limits, requires parked devices to stay clear of pedestrian and vehicle…

Fairfax County requires single-family homes and townhouses to source-separate glass, metal cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, mixed paper, yard waste and scrap metal for recycling…

Fairfax County mandates weekly trash collection for every single-family home and townhouse, with the same minimum frequency required for most other customers under Section 109.1-5-4.

Fairfax County requires residential trash and recycling containers to be stored on the property they serve, not left in the street or right-of-way. Section 109.1-5-5 lets closed-top…

Fairfax County requires commercial dumpsters, compactors, and roll-off containers to be watertight, reflectorized, and marked with the owner's name under Section 109.1-5-6.

Fairfax County requires weekly curbside yard waste and brush pickup from March 1 through December 24, capped at ten bags, containers, or bundles under 50 pounds each.

Dumping trash, garbage, refuse, litter, or a companion animal for disposal onto public property, a right-of-way, or private land without the owner's written consent is a misdemeanor in…

Fairfax County requires permitted collectors to pick up trash from single-family homes and townhouses at least once a week, and the same weekly floor applies to other properties unless…

Fairfax County caps curbside bulk items at four feet in length and 50 pounds per bundle or container. Dead animals, tree stumps, dirt, rock, brick, containerized liquids, friable…

Fairfax County's Health Department can order owners to repair, secure, or remove deteriorated, structurally unsafe, or collapse-risk buildings as a public health or safety menace, then…

Fairfax County applies its 12-inch grass and lawn cap to undeveloped residential lots inside mostly built-out subdivisions and to vacant commercial or industrial parcels, not just…

Fairfax County protects 14 named Historic Overlay Districts, adding zoning-level review for sites of special historical, cultural, architectural, or archaeological significance…

Fairfax County zoning requires that either the accessory living unit or the main house be owner-occupied, preventing owners from renting out both the ADU and the principal dwelling to…

An accessory living unit in Fairfax County needs a recorded administrative permit, issued for an initial two-year term and renewable in five-year increments by the Zoning Administrator.

Fairfax County's Zoning Ordinance classifies a tiny house as a recreational vehicle or travel trailer unless it sits on a permanent foundation and is meant for continuous occupancy, in…

Fairfax County caps freestanding sheds on typical lots at 20 feet tall and sets side/rear setbacks that scale with height under the zoning ordinance's accessory-structure standards.

Street fairs and festivals in Fairfax County need a Tier-One or Tier-Two administrative zoning permit, capped at 12 hours for a one-day event or 60 days for longer events.

Fairfax County Code Section 82-1-17 bars any funeral procession or parade from occupying, marching, or proceeding along any highway in the county without a permit issued by the County…

Fairfax County zoning lets restaurants and similar food establishments add outdoor dining areas by right, capped at 50 percent of indoor dining floor area and subject to fire-code and…

Special events held on County, Park Authority, or Fairfax County Public Schools property are exempt from the zoning special event permit and don't need an administrative permit at all.

Fairfax County requires owners of running bamboo to keep it from spreading onto neighboring property or the public right-of-way, backing the containment duty with escalating civil…

All new or replacement outdoor lighting fixtures in the county must be full cut-off, horizontally mounted fixtures that shield the light source, with limited exceptions.

Motion-activated security lights are exempt from the county's outdoor lighting standards only if aimed so illumination stays within the property line, with tighter limits on…

Fairfax County requires every illuminated sign, including electronic and billboard-style displays, to meet the same outdoor lighting performance standards the zoning code sets for all…

Fairfax County lets owners of farm and forest land petition the Board of Supervisors to create a Local Agricultural and Forestal District under Chapter 115. Once a district ordinance…

New development along public and private streets must plant a ten-foot landscaping strip with at least one shade tree per 30 feet of street frontage, per county zoning code.

Fairfax County's Urban Forester can recommend individual trees for official heritage, memorial, specimen or street tree status, which the Board of Supervisors adopts by ordinance after…

Fairfax County's zoning code excludes temporary, seasonal decorations from the definition of a sign entirely, so holiday displays are exempt from sign permits, size limits, and the…

Nonresidential window signs in Fairfax County cannot cover more than 30 percent of a window's total area, and only one illuminated or electronic window sign up to four square feet is…

Fairfax County allows one changeable-copy or electronic display sign per lot, capped at 50 percent of the freestanding sign's allowed area, with message changes no more than once every…

Fairfax County grants a 20 percent density bonus for single-family rezoning and special exception applications, and a 10 to 20 percent bonus for multifamily projects, in exchange for…

Fairfax County levies an annual Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax on every business, profession, trade or calling with a taxable situs in the county. The tax…

Fairfax County bans charcoal burners, smokers and other open-flame cooking devices on balconies or decks, or within 15 feet of combustible construction or residential occupancy, except…

Fairfax County limits garage and yard sales to two per calendar year per lot in residential zoning districts, under the zoning ordinance's accessory-use rules.

Installing solar energy equipment in Fairfax County requires a building permit from the Building Official, though the county charges no permit fee for the installation itself.

Fairfax County allows data centers by right up to 40,000 square feet in C-3 and C-4 districts and 80,000 square feet in I-2 through I-4; larger buildings need a special exception…

Fairfax County caps continuous data center noise at the property line: 55 dBA at night (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) and 60 dBA daytime where it reaches residential property. Every data center must…