Pima County, AZ Ordinances (2026)

In unincorporated Pima County, rainwater harvesting systems and cisterns are allowed by-right in every zoning district, but Zoning Code Section 18.07.030(R) sets mosquito screening…

Pima County Code Ch. 18.72 requires permits for native plant removal during development. ARS 3-904 makes destroying saguaro, ironwood, or palo verde without an ADA permit a Class 4…

Unincorporated Pima County property owners must clear weeds, rubbish and debris that create a health or safety hazard, or the county will abate it and bill the cost.

Pima County Zoning Code Chapter 18.72 (Native Plant Preservation) requires protection and salvage of certain native plants during development. Saguaro cacti, ironwood, palo verde, and…

When the Board of Supervisors declares a drought stage for unincorporated Pima County, Code Section 8.70.040 kicks in escalating watering-day and outdoor water-use limits: Stage 2…

A veterinary outpatient clinic for small animals is a by-right use in Pima County's CB-1 Local Business zone under Code § 18.43.030(B)(109), but boarding isn't allowed, and overnight…

Unincorporated Pima County allows wildlife rehabilitation facilities in every zone with no conditional use permit, but Section 18.09.020(M) requires the operator to hold a valid…

Pima County does not require residents to spay or neuter pets they already own. Its mandatory sterilization rule applies specifically to dogs and cats adopted out of the Pima Animal…

Pima County has no license requirement or at-large law aimed at cats specifically; those rules in Title 6 target dogs. What the code does regulate is what happens to cats that end up…

In Pima County's GR-1 Rural Residential zone, outside Tucson and the county's other cities, Code § 18.14.020(A)(9) caps livestock and ratites at one animal per ten thousand square feet…

Unincorporated Pima County allows beehives in every zone if you meet colony density limits, a 30-foot setback, and a flight barrier.

In unincorporated Pima County, letting a dog run loose on streets, sidewalks or private property (yours or someone else's) is a Class 2 misdemeanor carrying a mandatory $100-$750 fine…

Keeping a canine-wild animal hybrid, a wolf-dog or coyote-dog cross, in unincorporated Pima County for more than 30 cumulative days requires a county permit. Applicants must be 18 or…

Pima County Code § 8.08.050(B) requires every food establishment except temporary, seasonal and farmers market operations to keep at least one ANSI-certified food protection manager on…

Pima County can suspend the operating permit of a rental, lodging, or food establishment that harbors bedbugs, rodents, or other vermin and isn't cleared within 24 hours of an order.

Pima County bans rodent harborage on any property in the unincorporated county and requires owners to clear infestations once notified.

Unincorporated Pima County plumbing work must meet the 2024 International Plumbing Code, adopted by the county as its plumbing code with local amendments under Ordinance 2025-15.

Unincorporated Pima County requires building permits under the locally adopted 2024 International Building Code; Development Services reviews plans and issues permits before…

Unincorporated Pima County wiring and electrical installations must meet the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted as the county's electrical code with local amendments effective…

In unincorporated Pima County, a legally nonconforming building doesn't have to be brought up to current zoning standards just because you add solar panels, rainwater harvesting…

Lead paint in Pima County is regulated under federal EPA RRP Rule (40 CFR 745) and Arizona Department of Health Services oversight. Properties built before 1978 require lead disclosure…

Pima County does not mandate STR insurance due to ARS 9-500.39 preemption. Standard homeowner policies often exclude commercial lodging. Dedicated STR coverage recommended.

Arizona requires STR operators to hold an ADOR TPT license and maintain a local contact person under the 2022 ARS 9-500.39 amendment. No separate county registration exists.

Pima County's zoning code does not require extra off-street parking for an accessory dwelling unit on unincorporated land, even when the unit is rented out as a short-term or long-term…

Saguaro cactus is Highly Safeguarded under ARS 3-904. Destroying one without an AZ Dept of Agriculture permit is a Class 4 felony punishable by up to 3.75 years in prison.

Unincorporated Pima County requires Flood Control District review and approval of a grading plan before any site grading or drainage work on a subdivision or development.

When a large scale retail establishment (over 80,000 square feet) in unincorporated Pima County sits next to a residential use, Code § 18.39.030(C)(4)(a) bars deliveries, loading…

New development in unincorporated Pima County must reduce peak or volumetric storm water runoff, using the county's Storm Water Detention/Retention Manual, unless a fee in lieu is…

In unincorporated Pima County's floodway fringe and other regulatory floodplain areas, Code § 16.26.030(A) requires new construction and substantial improvements of habitable…

Pima County requires a floodplain use permit for new structures, improvements over $7,500, or any development in FEMA flood hazard areas, riparian habitats or erosion hazard zones…

ARS 36-1681 requires 5-ft pool barriers with self-closing, self-latching gates in Pima County. Applies to all pools 18+ inches deep. Door alarms or safety covers as alternatives.

Pima County Code § 18.81.020(D)(8) exempts excavation for a residential swimming pool from the county's grading permit, but only if the excavation is authorized by a building permit or…

Pima County Code § 17.14.080(C)(1) exempts a fire used only for cooking food, warmth or recreation, such as a backyard fire pit, from needing an open burning permit from the county's…

Pima County unincorporated areas follow Arizona state law (ARS §36-1606). Permissible consumer fireworks (fountains, sparklers, ground spinners) are allowed. Aerial fireworks, rockets…

Unincorporated Pima County bans igniting or maintaining any open outdoor fire unless it is exempt or covered by a Pima County Department of Environmental Quality open burning permit.

Pima County adopted the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code for new construction, while the older 2018 edition still applies specifically to Rural Forest Village areas…

Unincorporated Pima County caps construction and repair work to set daytime hours, with tighter limits near homes and no work allowed without a permit outside those windows.

In unincorporated Pima County, motor vehicles must run a functioning, unmodified muffler at all times, and squealing your tires on the roadway is banned outright under Section…

In unincorporated Pima County, no radio, stereo, musical instrument or sound system can be heard beyond your property line, or outside your vehicle, between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m…

Pima County uses Airport Environs Zone overlays around Davis-Monthan AFB and Tucson International Airport. Sound attenuation required within 65 dB DNL contours.

In unincorporated Pima County, the noise code bans excessive, unnecessary or offensive sound that disturbs a neighborhood or annoys a reasonable person of normal sensitivity, rather…

A dog or bird that habitually howls, barks, meows or squawks loud enough to be clearly heard past your property line, and disturbs neighbors' peace and quiet, violates Pima County's…

Secondhand and junk dealers in unincorporated Pima County must hold every item they buy or take in pledge for 15 days after reporting it to the sheriff before reselling, destroying, or…

Pawnbrokers operating in unincorporated Pima County, outside Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson, must deliver a full report of every item taken in pawn or pledge to…

A massage establishment counts as a permitted use only in Pima County's CB-2 general business zone under Pima County Code § 18.45.030(B)(31), and it's expressly barred from Multiple…

Unincorporated Pima County allows non-commercial home auto repair on your own vehicle, but caps how many inoperable cars can sit unscreened in the yard.

Adult activities facilities, arcades, adult bookstores, cabarets, adult theaters and massage establishments offering adult services, are allowed in Pima County's unincorporated CB-2…

Digging, curb work, paving or landscaping in a county right-of-way in unincorporated Pima County requires a written permit from the county engineer first.

Food vendors at fairs and festivals in unincorporated Pima County need an event permit and must follow strict setup and prep rules.

Unincorporated Pima County requires a permit before any block party or other special event closes or uses a public street or right-of-way.

Parades, races and block parties on county right-of-way need a permit filed 90 days ahead under the Special Events Ordinance.

Unincorporated Pima County refuse must go on the alley side if an alley serves the property, or curbside out front if collected from the street.

Pima County Code § 7.25.120 requires every licensed hauler in the unincorporated county to offer weekly curbside recycling collection to each customer under contract for any waste…

For a large scale retail establishment (over 80,000 square feet) in unincorporated Pima County next to a residential use, Code § 18.39.030(C)(2)(d) requires a 100-foot setback from the…

Pima County Code § 7.29.040(C) makes it unlawful to dump, deposit or dispose of solid waste anywhere in the county other than an approved site, and a violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor…

Pima County Code § 7.25.060 governs curbside placement in the unincorporated county, the area outside Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson: residents cannot put a…

Pima County Code § 7.25.040 requires every licensed hauler in the unincorporated county to collect from each signed-up customer and sets the floor for how often: garbage-only service…

In unincorporated Pima County's GR-1 Rural Residential Zone, homes must sit at least 30 feet from the front line, 10 feet from the sides, and 40 feet from the rear, under Pima County…

In the unincorporated county's SR Suburban Ranch zone, Pima County Code § 18.17.040(D) caps the maximum building height at thirty-four feet. The same section sets a 30 percent maximum…

In Pima County's SR Suburban Ranch zone, no more than thirty percent of a lot can be covered by structures, alongside a fifty-foot front and rear setback and a thirty-four-foot height…

Outdoor grills, smokers and cooking fires in unincorporated Pima County skip the county's open burning permit. County Code § 17.14.080(C)(1)(a) exempts fires used only for cooking food.

Pima County's weed ordinance requires owners, lessees and occupants of unincorporated-area property to remove any species listed as a noxious weed in Arizona Administrative Code…

Pima County Code § 15.04.020(A)(1) adopts the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code by reference for the unincorporated county, giving the building official authority to cite a…

A home occupation in unincorporated Pima County can see no more than five clients a day, counting deliveries, and never more than two at once, under Section 18.09.030(A)(12). The same…

Running a business from a home in unincorporated Pima County requires a home occupation permit from the chief zoning inspector under Section 18.09.030(A). The use has to stay inside…

A licensed child care home in unincorporated Pima County is a home occupation under Pima County Code § 18.09.030(B): it can serve up to ten children, but homes caring for seven to ten…

In CR-1 single-residence zoning covering unincorporated Pima County, sheds and accessory buildings max out at 1,500 sq ft (or 70% of the main house) and 24 feet tall.

If a Pima County property in the unincorporated area has an accessory dwelling unit, the owner must live there to legally rent it out short-term for stays of 30 days or less.

In unincorporated Pima County, the zoning code lets an accessory dwelling unit be rented short-term or long-term, and its square footage still counts toward the lot's coverage limits.

Unincorporated Pima County allows one attached and one detached ADU per residential lot, with strict setback and size standards to qualify.

In unincorporated Pima County, a roof-mounted solar array cannot rise more than eight feet above a flat or parapet roofline, or six feet above a gable, hip or gambrel roof, and the…

A marijuana dispensary in unincorporated Pima County's CB-1 Local Business zone must sit at least 2,000 feet from any other dispensary and at least 500 feet from a K-12 school…

Pima County allows a marijuana dispensary as a Type III conditional use in the CB-1 Local Business zone under Code § 18.43.030(B)(59), capped at 10,000 square feet of floor area, open…

Arizona Proposition 207 (Smart and Safe Arizona Act, 2020) allows adults 21 and older to cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants per person and 12 per household. Plants must be in an…

In unincorporated Pima County's Hillside Development Overlay Zone, retaining walls facing a street are capped at 6 feet and other retaining walls at 10 feet under the county's grading…

Pima County Zoning Code Chapter 18.67 regulates fences and walls in unincorporated areas. Front-yard walls max 3 feet in residential zones. Side/rear walls max 6 feet without a permit…

In unincorporated Pima County, erecting or altering a fence requires a zoning use permit even when no building permit is needed for the work.

In unincorporated Pima County, barbed wire fencing is restricted in rural and residential zones to containment of livestock, ratites and poultry, not general security use.

Every billboard permitted in unincorporated Pima County, whether in a CB-2, CI-1, CI-2 or CI-3 zone, is barred from carrying any illumination at all under Section 18.79.080(A)(1)(c)…

Unincorporated Pima County caps how sign lighting can spill onto neighbors: Code § 18.79.070(D) bars a sign's light source from being visible from an adjacent property or the street…

Pima County adopted the 2012 City of Tucson/Pima County Outdoor Lighting Code as its own law, applying dark-sky shielding and fixture standards to new outdoor lighting across the…

Bars, restaurants, inns and resorts in unincorporated Pima County can't run music or sound systems audible more than 125 feet away, or at all after 10 p.m. beyond the property line.

Mobile food trucks in unincorporated Pima County must operate from a permitted commissary and carry a commissary agreement on file.

Unincorporated Pima County bans wasting water at any time, not just during a drought. Code Section 8.70.030 makes it a violation to let water drain off your property, to run a leak…

Unincorporated Pima County's RH Rural Homestead zone lets landowners raise crops, livestock, ratites and poultry, and run a farm products stand without a conditional use permit, under…

Unincorporated Pima County requires off-street loading spaces sized 45 by 12 feet with 14-foot clearance, sited within 100 feet of the building they serve and at least 30 feet from…

Trucks and trailers over 20,000 pounds GVWR can't park on county right-of-way next to homes in unincorporated Pima County.

Parking is illegal on any county street the engineer has designated and posted with signs, anywhere in unincorporated Pima County.

Unincorporated Pima County limits residents to one unused trailer, RV or boat trailer per lot, kept behind the house and screened from neighbors.

Electronic message signs, the LED changeable-copy displays used for digital billboards, are flatly prohibited anywhere in unincorporated Pima County under Section 18.79.040(A)(3)…

Arizona law (ARS 16-1019) broadly protects political sign display. Pima County allows political signs in residential areas without permits during election seasons. Signs must be…

In unincorporated Pima County, a permanent window sign on a non-residential building can cover no more than 30 percent of the window it's mounted on, and only on a first- or…

Unincorporated Pima County bars unaccompanied minors under 16 from being out between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and 16-17 year-olds between midnight and 5 a.m., away from home.

Owners of historically significant properties in unincorporated Pima County can petition to designate them as historic landmark zones, requiring Historical Commission review and Board…

FAA rules govern recreational drones in Pima County. Class C airspace around TUS and Davis-Monthan AFB requires LAANC authorization. ARS 13-3729 bars flights over critical…