Kent County, MI Ordinances (2026)

Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in Kent County. Michigan law bans yard clippings from landfills, and the Kent County Department of Public Works runs recycling and…

Public pools in Kent County are licensed and inspected by the Health Department, which requires monthly water sampling and operation reports. Private pool safety (barriers, alarms…

Backyard residential pools are permitted by your city or township building department under the Michigan Residential Code, not the county. Public/commercial pools need a state EGLE…

Michigan law requires every motor vehicle, including motorcycles and mopeds, to have a working muffler that prevents excessive or unusual noise, and bans muffler cutouts and bypasses…

Using any sound or light amplification equipment in a Kent County park is unlawful without a written permit from the Parks Director. The rule covers speakers, PA systems, stage…

Kent County's Parks Ordinance sets an 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. quiet period in county park campgrounds, Section 21(c): noise or disturbance that disrupts the peace and quiet of a campground…

Kent County levies an 8% lodging (hotel/motel) excise tax, effective January 1, 2025, on anyone providing accommodations to transient guests, short-term rentals included. Stays of 30…

Kent County requires no host presence at short-term rentals. Cities decide. Grand Rapids' home-occupation framework ties the rental to an occupied residence, while ordinances like…

Kent County keeps no STR registry. Cities do. Kentwood, for instance, requires every rental dwelling to be entered in its rental registry and hold a Certificate of Compliance before it…

Michigan law bans open burning of household waste containing plastic, rubber, foam, treated wood, textiles, electronics, or chemicals statewide. Kent County is in the southern Lower…

Michigan's Fireworks Safety Act lets your city or township restrict when consumer fireworks are used, but it cannot ban them on state-designated days after 11 a.m.: including December…

Kent County's Animal Control Ordinance requires every dog off the owner's property to be restrained on a lead or leash no longer than six feet, and prohibits owners from letting a dog…

Kent County sets no general household pet cap, but any establishment keeping three or more dogs for sale, boarding, breeding, or training for pay is a 'kennel' requiring a county…

Kent County doesn't regulate dogs by breed; instead its Animal Control Ordinance bans letting any dog or animal menace, attack or bite a person or another animal, Section 11(c). Owners…

Michigan law bans keeping large carnivores (big cats, bears) and wolf-dog hybrids as pets, with narrow grandfathered exceptions. Kent County adds no separate exotic-pet ordinance, so…

Kent County does not zone livestock. Whether you may keep horses, cattle, goats, or sheep is set by your city or township under Michigan's Zoning Enabling Act. The county only requires…

Loading zones on local streets are designated by each city or township, not the county. Kent County does directly control loading and parking at Gerald R. Ford International Airport…

Abandoned vehicles are governed statewide by the Michigan Vehicle Code. Under MCL 257.252a, a vehicle left on public property for at least 48 hours, or on private property without the…

Kent County sets no countywide rule on where you may store an RV, camper, or boat on a private lot; that is decided by your city or township under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act…

There is no county-wide overnight parking ban in Kent County; cities and townships set their own. The most common local rule is a winter overnight ban for snow removal: in Kentwood, no…

Kent County establishes no setbacks. Front, side, and rear yard setbacks are set by each city, village, or zoned township under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act. Requirements vary by…

Kent County sets no building-height limit. Maximum building and structure heights are set by each city, village, or zoned township under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, which…

Michigan's Cottage Food Law lets you sell certain homemade non-hazardous foods without a license. Annual gross sales are capped at $50,000 ($75,000 for items $250+ per unit) until…

In-home childcare is licensed by the State of Michigan (LARA/MiLEAP), not Kent County. A family child care home cares for 1 to 6 children; a group home cares for 7 to 12. Local zoning…

Kent County offers free residential recycling drop-off and single-stream processing at its Recycling & Education Center, 977 Wealthy SW, Grand Rapids. Recycling is not mandatory…

Dumping trash on public or private property in Kent County is illegal under Michigan's NREPA litter statute (MCL 324.8905a). Small amounts are a civil infraction with a fine up to…

Kent County does not zone land. Whether you may build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is set by your city, village, or township under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act. Check your…

Sheds are governed by your city or township zoning ordinance, not Kent County. Rules on size, number, setbacks, and permits vary. For example, Kentwood allows up to two accessory…

Kent County parks open at 7 a.m. and close at official sunset. Under the county Park Ordinance it is unlawful to enter or occupy a county park before opening or after closing, with…

Selling goods or services, vending food or beverages, or soliciting business of any kind on Kent County park property is illegal without a written permit or signed agreement from the…

Possessing, delivering or using marijuana or any other controlled substance anywhere in a Kent County park is unlawful under the county's Parks Ordinance, which defines controlled…

Drinking or possessing alcoholic liquor in a Kent County park is illegal without the Parks Director's written approval, except for a beer-and-wine window that runs June 15 through…

Kent County's Parks Ordinance bars smoking any cigarette, cigar, pipe, or other smoking material inside enclosed buildings within a county park, a civil infraction carrying a $25 to…

Begging or soliciting contributions of any kind, public or private, anywhere in a Kent County park is illegal unless the Parks Director issues a written permit first. The rule sits in…

Kent County's Parks Ordinance lets the Parks Department post areas off-limits to roller skates, rollerblades, and skateboards, Section 22(b). Skating or skateboarding where the…

Urinating or defecating anywhere in a Kent County park, other than in restrooms or facilities built for that purpose, is a misdemeanor under the county's Parks Ordinance. The rule sits…

Kent County's Parks Ordinance confines bicycles to paved roads and paths designated for riding, Section 18(B)(a), requires helmets for riders 14 and under, and lights after dark. Each…

Kent County's Parks Ordinance bars operating a scooter, moped, ATV, dirt bike, mini-bike, go-cart, dune buggy, three-wheeler, or snowmobile anywhere in a county park, Section 18(A)(f)…

Charging admission or a parking fee at a Kent County park, or hosting a for-money competitive sport, requires a written Parks Director permit under Section 24(b)-(c), each a…

Kent County's Parks Ordinance bars camping or overnight lodging in a county park without a written Parks Department permit, Section 21(a), a misdemeanor fined up to $500 or 90 days in…

Kent County's Animal Control Ordinance carves customary farming and animal husbandry practices out of its definition of unsanitary conditions. A working farm cannot be cited for…

Kent County sets no fence-height rule. In Michigan, fence height is regulated by each city, village, or zoned township under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act. Grand Rapids, for…

Kent County levies an 8% excise tax on any business renting rooms for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping to transient guests, meaning anyone staying fewer than 30 consecutive days. The…

Kent County requires a Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (SESC) permit before any earth change that disturbs one acre or more, or that falls within 500 feet of a lake or stream's…

Kent County itself does not regulate political signs. Size and removal rules are set by your city, village, or township, and signs are not permitted in state-highway right-of-way. The…

Garage-sale sign rules come from your city or township, not Kent County. In Kentwood, temporary signs of six square feet or less must stay on the sale property and may not be placed on…