Ottawa County, MI Ordinances (2026)

Recycling in Ottawa County is voluntary, not mandated. The county's Solid Waste Ordinance promotes resource recovery, and residents can join a paid Environmental Sustainability Center…

Ottawa County's Environmental Health Regulations make it unlawful to deposit refuse on any roadway, street, alley, waterway or property, public or private. Article XIV, Section H…

Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.6(a)(x) bars anyone from camping on land the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission runs as parks unless the Commission gives written permission…

On Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission property, Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.6(a)(viii) bars fires anywhere except grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or areas specifically…

Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.8(a) bars anyone on Commission Park Property from possessing any alcoholic beverage except at specific locations and specific times, after applying…

Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.6(a)(xviii) prohibits smoking or using a tobacco product, e-cigarette, or similar device in beach areas of Ottawa County parks, covering sand, grass…

Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.15(a) allows skateboards, scooters, and roller skates on Commission Park Property only where the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission…

Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.6(a)(xi) stops anyone on Commission Park Property from peddling or soliciting business, distributing handbills or advertising, posting signs, or running…

Ottawa County does not license backyard chickens or livestock, but it does ban letting them roam: Section 300.1.6.3 requires anyone who owns or has custody of livestock or poultry to…

Ottawa County's Animal Control Ordinance requires anyone who owns or has custody of a dog to keep it from running at large, and to restrain it with a lead or leash no longer than six…

Ottawa County bans keeping any exotic animal that is objectively a hazard to the community because of a threat to safety or of disease. Section 300.1.8.4 defines an exotic animal as…

Ottawa County will not license any food service establishment, temporary food unit, mobile food unit, mobile food commissary, or vending machine location until the operator passes a…

Ottawa County's Environmental Health Regulations make it unlawful to store refuse except in rodent- and fly-proof containers, or to let bulky rubbish create harborage for rodents…

Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission bans flying a remote-controlled airplane, helicopter, drone, car or boat on Commission Park Property without prior written permission…

Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.16(a)(iii) bars operating a remote-controlled airplane, helicopter, drone, car, boat, or similar device on Commission Park Property unless the Ottawa…

Any earth change in Ottawa County that disturbs one acre or more, or sits within 500 feet of a lake or stream, needs a Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit from the county…

Ottawa County's Environmental Health Division will not approve a septic system for a new or rebuilt home sited inside the ten-year flood plain. The Health Officer's site acceptance…

In Ottawa County flood-affected areas, well caps must sit at least 12 inches above the 100-year floodplain elevation. Article XXIII, Section W of the county's Environmental Health…

Ottawa County Code § 400.5.2.3 makes it unlawful to photograph, videotape or audio-record any work area, person or proceeding inside a County Building, whether directly or through a…

Section 400.3.1.6(a)(xii) of the Code of Ottawa County bars sound amplification devices, loudspeakers, audio equipment, or car stereos on Commission Park Property from producing sound…

Ottawa County's Animal Control Ordinance makes excessive barking a code violation: Section 300.1.6.4 requires any dog owner to prevent the dog from barking, whining or howling in…

Ottawa County bars overnight parking, defined as 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., in any County Parking Area, meaning courthouse lots, county park lots, and other county-owned or leased parking…

In county-owned parking areas, courthouse and park lots included, Ottawa County limits loading-zone parking to 30 minutes and only for delivery or pick-up. Section 4(e) of the County…

Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission properties close overnight: Section 400.3.1.4 sets park hours at 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March 1 through October 15, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m…

Organized events in an Ottawa County park, contests, parades, shows, musical events, sporting events or day camps, require prior written consent from the Parks and Recreation…

Ottawa County's nuisance ordinance stops short of reaching farm operations protected by state law. Article XIV, Section D of the county's Environmental Health Regulations extends the…

Ottawa County's refuse-dumping ban carves out an exception for backyard composting. Article XIV, Section H of the county's Environmental Health Regulations lets residents compost yard…