Howard County, IN Ordinances (2026)

In unincorporated Howard County, new development or redevelopment disturbing one or more acres must limit post-construction runoff to 0.3 cubic feet per second per acre for the…

In unincorporated Howard County, land-disturbing construction that uncovers one or more acres in the county's MS4 Area needs a site development permit approved by the MS4 Operator…

Anyone developing land within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) in unincorporated Howard County must get an improvement location permit from the Zoning Administrator before starting…

In unincorporated Howard County's flood hazard areas, buildings must be protected to the Flood Protection Grade, defined in § 151.03 as the regulatory flood elevation plus two feet of…

Howard County Code Section 70.08(B)(8) bars leaving a recreational vehicle or trailer of any kind parked on a public street in unincorporated Howard County for more than 72 continuous…

In unincorporated Howard County, you cannot park an oversized truck, semitrailer, or bus on a public street. Howard County Code Section 70.08(B) caps trucks at 8 feet wide, 10 feet…

Howard County Code Section 70.08(B)(1) bars parking on any street or alley in unincorporated Howard County if it leaves less than 10 feet of roadway width open for traffic to move…

In unincorporated Howard County, leaving an abandoned vehicle, garbage, or junk on your property is a declared public nuisance under County Code § 97.03. A vehicle counts as abandoned…

Howard County's parking ordinance carves out a bus loading zone along County Road 200W, covering the stretch from 130 feet to 210 feet south of 250S. The restriction runs 7:00 a.m. to…

Unincorporated Howard County enforces Indiana's Unsafe Building Law, I.C. 36-7-9-1 et seq., adopted in full by § 150.09. The Howard County Plan Commission is the executive department…

In unincorporated Howard County, rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels are a permitted accessory use in every zoning district, but installers must clear local building code officials…

In unincorporated Howard County, anyone doing construction, alteration, plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation or air-conditioning work costing more than $100 must get a permit…

Howard County Code § 150.05 requires a permit from the Building Commissioner before any construction, alteration, extension, or plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation or air…

Howard County adopted the 1978 National Electrical Code by reference under § 150.03(A)(3), and § 150.05 makes it unlawful to start any electrical work with a contract price or…

Howard County adopted the Plumbing Rules and Regulations, Volume III, 1976 edition, by reference under § 150.03(A)(4), and § 150.05 makes it unlawful to start any plumbing work with a…

Howard County imposes an 8% innkeeper's tax on any person renting hotel, motel, inn, tourist cabin, or college dormitory rooms for stays under 30 days anywhere in the county, effective…

Dumping solid waste anywhere in Howard County outside a licensed sanitary landfill is banned under Howard County Code § 50.02, punishable by up to $2,500 per violation plus clean-up…

Howard County Code § 50.13 bans dumping anything other than recyclables into recycling containers, depositing contaminated recyclables at a Recycling District facility, or scavenging…

Any mobile food unit operating in unincorporated Howard County needs a valid permit from the county Health Officer before serving food, under Code § 110.02. The permit must be posted…

Howard County's food code does not zone mobile food trucks into fixed districts. Under § 111.02(C), a seasonal or mobile retail food establishment may operate at various locations…

Howard County ties food and bed-and-breakfast establishment permits to certified food handlers. The Health Department may suspend a permit for up to 30 days if inspection turns up no…

Unincorporated Howard County's public nuisance ordinance, which targets abandoned vehicles, garbage and junk, does not reach working farms. Section 97.03(J)(3) carves out agricultural…

Peddlers and door-to-door solicitors working unincorporated Howard County must get a license from the County Sheriff's Department before starting, and the license only lets them work…

Howard County Code § 113.02 makes it unlawful to operate a tattoo facility, body piercing facility, or temporary tattoo or piercing facility without a Health Officer permit, and §…

Howard County bans skateboards, roller skates, in-line skates and bikes at any time on the ground around the County Courthouse, Government Building and Administration Center, with…

Howard County's smoke-free ordinance defines 'smoking' to expressly include marijuana, so lighting a joint triggers the same rules as a cigarette. Marijuana smoking is banned in every…

Howard County extends its smoke-free rules outdoors: § 92.55 bans smoking in outdoor restaurant and bar seating, within eight feet of playgrounds, transit shelters, and sports…

Drinking or being intoxicated in a Howard County park is against the law outright. Section 93.02(K) bars anyone from consuming alcoholic beverages, being intoxicated, or gambling in…

Howard County treats a residential swimming pool as a structure under § 150.02, so § 150.05 requires a Building Commissioner permit before construction begins on any pool costing more…

Unincorporated Howard County caps how many dogs and cats a household can keep without a kennel license. Section 90.01 makes it a public nuisance to harbor more than four dogs or cats…

Howard County treats 'dangerous dog' as a formal classification made by the Department of Animal Services, not a banned breed list. Once a dog is declared potentially dangerous, the…

Howard County treats stray or at-large cats the same as dogs under its apprehension rules. Section 90.05 authorizes the county to capture and impound any cat at large, any cat deemed a…

Howard County bans keeping wild animals as pets in the unincorporated area. Section 90.01 defines WILD ANIMALS broadly as any non-domesticated animal except small non-poisonous aquatic…

Every dog or cat kept in unincorporated Howard County must carry permanent identification at all times under Section 90.02. Owners can satisfy the rule with a registered microchip or a…

Unincorporated Howard County requires dogs to be leashed or under an owner's complete control at all times off the owner's property. Section 90.01 defines AT LARGE as unrestrained by a…

Howard County folds barking complaints into its public nuisance definition rather than a stand-alone noise ordinance. Under Section 90.01, an animal that barks, whines, or howls…

Unincorporated Howard County operates under a standing declared emergency that bans open burning of any kind: comfort fires, agricultural and timber burning, and burning of…

Grills, fire pits, and fireplaces are the one carve-out from Howard County's blanket open-burning ban: § 92.02(B)(1) lets residents cook or heat with them so long as the fire stays…

Howard County's parks ordinance requires written permission from the Park and Recreation Board or its Director before a visitor can bring firearms into a county park, build any fire…

Howard County parks close on hours set by the Park and Recreation Board rather than a fixed clock time written into the ordinance itself. Section 93.04 makes it unlawful to be present…