Salt Lake County, UT Ordinances (2026)

County health and building officials can inspect licensed mobile home parks in unincorporated Salt Lake County at reasonable times to check compliance with the park code.

Salt Lake County's Fit Premises ordinance sets fixed deadlines for landlords to fix specific defects once a tenant gives written notice, from 24-hour toilet repairs to 96-hour window…

Salt Lake County's amended building fee schedule treats residential swimming pools as an R-3/U occupancy requiring plan review before a building permit issues, with the review fee set…

Public swimming pools in unincorporated Salt Lake County are governed by Health Regulation No. 2, a county board of health regulation on pool design, construction and operation that…

Landlords in unincorporated Salt Lake County must keep rental units safe, sanitary and code-compliant under the county's Fit Premises ordinance, covering everything from structural…

Utah is an at-will, no-just-cause eviction state, and Salt Lake County is preempted from imposing just-cause requirements on private residential landlords. A landlord in Salt Lake…

Salt Lake County and every city within it (Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy, Murray, Taylorsville, South Jordan, Draper, Riverton, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay…

Salt Lake County itself does not run a county-wide rental registry, but every major city in the county requires a rental dwelling business license under authority of Utah Code…

Salt Lake County requires every building owner to rat-proof it and keep it rat-free, with the health department inspecting, ordering fixes, and, if ignored, doing the work itself and…

In the foothills and canyons overlay zone, a significant tree removed from inside the approved limits of disturbance must be replaced with two new trees on the same lot.

When Salt Lake County reviews a landscape plan under Chapter 19.77, not less than eighty percent of the trees and shrubs used on the site must be water conserving species capable of…

Salt Lake County does not actively enforce a grass-height ordinance at the county level - the Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) explicitly states it cannot investigate…

Salt Lake County's operation division can order abutting owners to remove dead or diseased trees on county roads, and can trim or prune any road tree without notice.

Salt Lake County is not a water utility and does not set outdoor watering schedules. Restrictions are set by the water provider serving each property - Salt Lake City Department of…

Any lawn or turf area in Salt Lake County's landscape plans must be planted with drought-tolerant grass and must be at least 10 feet wide.

Salt Lake City Code §11.44.070 sets a tiered juvenile curfew: minors under 16 may not loiter on sidewalks, streets, alleys, or public places between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM, and minors…

Salt Lake City Code §15.08.020 closes all city parks to the public between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM. Salt Lake County's regional parks (Wheeler Historic Farm, Sugar House Park, Big…

Every dwelling in an unincorporated Salt Lake County R-1 or R-2 zone must be served by a driveway built of a durable hard surface, running from the street or right-of-way to the home's…

Salt Lake County Code §11.20.135 caps how long a vehicle can sit on any county street or alley in the unincorporated area at twenty-four consecutive hours; anyone who owns, possesses…

Salt Lake County Code §11.26.010 lets residents in the unincorporated county petition the county council to designate their neighborhood a permit-only, on-street parking area…

Commercial or industrial buildings over 10,000 square feet in unincorporated Salt Lake County must provide at least one off-street loading space sized to county specs.

Salt Lake County's traffic engineer marks curbs red for no stopping or parking at any time, and yellow 'Restricted Zone' curbs limit parking except as posted.

Recreational vehicles may sit in the front, side, or rear yard of a home in unincorporated R-1 and R-2 zones only if parked on a paved surface or an approved gravel pad.

County Code §11.20.050 bans parking in fifteen specific spots on unincorporated Salt Lake County streets: sidewalks, within five feet of a driveway, in an intersection, within fifteen…

From November through April, Salt Lake County Code §11.20.130 bans parking on any county street in the unincorporated area whenever it is snowing or snow is already on the street. A…

Unincorporated Salt Lake County bans keeping unused or abandoned vehicles, vehicle parts or junk on any yard, lawn or premises unless tied to a licensed business.

In Salt Lake County's R-1 and R-2 residential zones, commercial vehicles can't be parked or stored on residential property except during active construction work or under a county…

Retaining walls in unincorporated Salt Lake County's Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone are capped at eight feet for a single wall, terracing is limited to two walls of six feet each…

In Salt Lake County's Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone (FCOZ), fences that screen patios, service areas and other outdoor space must use natural or stained wood, brick, rock, stone…

Inside Salt Lake County's Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone, no fence may be constructed or installed unless it is shown on an approved site plan first. County Code § 19.72.100.A…

In Salt Lake County's Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone, no fence taller than forty-two inches may be constructed or installed outside a site's designated limits of disturbance, and…

Salt Lake County Code §9.52.160 makes it unlawful to place garbage, market waste, trade waste, or other refuse receptacles within twenty feet of any occupied dwelling, or anywhere they…

Salt Lake County Code section 9.56.040 requires every resident of the unincorporated county to comply with the rules and regulations of Salt Lake County Special Service District No. 1…

Salt Lake County Code section 9.52.180 makes it unlawful to dump or dispose of refuse or garbage anywhere in the unincorporated county except at a lawfully established dump, meaning…

Every property owner, lessee or occupant in Salt Lake County must supply approved garbage and trade-waste receptacles at locations the board of health directs.

Planned unit developments in unincorporated Salt Lake County must keep refuse dumpster enclosures at least ten feet from any perimeter property line, per county zoning code.

A dog in unincorporated Salt Lake County is running at large whenever it is off its owner's or handler's property without a leash or tether affixed to the dog at one end and to the…

Salt Lake County doesn't require every pet to carry a microchip, but any animal impounded by the county must be microchipped before it's released back to its owner, under Code…

Salt Lake County bans no dog breed. Under County Code §8.06.100, an animal individually designated dangerous needs a dangerous animal permit, and the designation under §8.01.010 turns…

Beekeeping is a permitted use in the county's A-1 agricultural zone, but an apiary needs at least a 10,000-square-foot lot.

Salt Lake County Code § 8.04.200 authorizes trap-neuter-return: community cats, feral cats, and cats with no discernable identification may be sterilized, vaccinated against rabies…

Salt Lake County places no cap on the number of dogs, cats, or ferrets a resident of the unincorporated area may own, as long as each animal is licensed, cared for, and not bred into a…

In unincorporated Salt Lake County's MD-1 and MD-3 mixed development zones, a veterinary clinic is allowed only as a conditional use, and only if it is completely enclosed in an…

It's a crime to keep, sell, or give away a wild animal in unincorporated Salt Lake County unless the animal is at a licensed shelter, zoo, vet hospital, or similar permitted facility.

Unincorporated Salt Lake County caps backyard fowl and small livestock through its 'family food production' rule, with a three-species-at-a-time limit per lot.

Salt Lake County Code §15.32.050(F) requires every rental property owner in the unincorporated county to "provide smoke detectors and fire extinguishers as required by code." If a…

Salt Lake County lets residents build recreational campfires without a permit as long as a responsible person controls the fire, it fits an eight-foot fire ring, and it isn't a…

In unincorporated Salt Lake County mobile home parks, LP-gas containers must be securely fastened against overturning, and no vessel can be stored inside or under a structure without…

Open flames, unenclosed smoking, and fireworks are banned within 300 feet of Salt Lake County's designated wildland-urban interface areas to cut wildfire risk.

Salt Lake County Code section 9.72.140(B) bars burning trash, garbage or other waste in any open fire and bars open-air salvage operations anywhere in the unincorporated county, unless…

Unincorporated Salt Lake County confines fireworks sales to June 20 through July 25, December 20 through January 2, and the fifteen days before Chinese New Year, and confines discharge…

Billboard lighting in unincorporated Salt Lake County is confined to the sign face itself: Code §19.82.185.H bars any lighting source that is directly visible to passersby. Internally…

Outdoor lighting in Salt Lake County's Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone must point down: light poles and building-mounted fixtures need fully shielded luminaires directed downward…

In Salt Lake County's unincorporated MD-1 and MD-3 mixed development zones, outdoor light fixtures are capped at 18 feet, must be low-intensity and shielded, and directed away from…

Temporary window signs promoting a specific sale are exempt from Salt Lake County's sign code entirely under §19.82.050.B.1, no permit, no size cap. Permanent window signs are…

Off-premises billboards in unincorporated Salt Lake County may only carry electronic message centers, outdoor video displays or internal illumination if they sit adjacent to the…

Off-premises billboards in unincorporated Salt Lake County face a height ceiling under Code §19.82.185.E: 35 feet in the C-1 zone and 45 feet above road grade in C-2, C-3, M-1 and M-2…

Political signs in unincorporated Salt Lake County don't need a building permit, County Code §19.82.070 exempts them along with property signs and nameplates, but they still face real…

In unincorporated Salt Lake County's R-1 single-family zones, front, side and rear yard minimums scale with lot size: R-1-3 through R-1-5 need only a 20-foot front yard, while R-1-10…

An ADU addition or detached accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Salt Lake County cannot push a lot past the coverage cap already set for its zone: for R-1 single-family zones…

In Salt Lake County's unincorporated R-1 single-family zones, homes are capped at 35 feet, dropping to 30 feet on lots where the original slope exceeds 15 percent or in the hillside…

Recreational drone flying in Salt Lake County is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 / 49 USC §44809 (TRUST test, sub-400 ft AGL, visual line of sight, no flight in controlled airspace…

Commercial drone work in Salt Lake County (real estate photography, construction progress mapping, inspections, surveying, ski-resort marketing) requires the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot…

Salt Lake County charges a 4.25% transient room tax on stays at motels, motor courts, inns and similar lodging, layered on top of a separate 0.5% tourism facilities tax and ordinary…

Salt Lake County lets mobile food businesses set up in any zoning district that allows a restaurant, once they hold a county business license under Chapter 5.22.

Salt Lake County requires every mobile food business to file its license application before starting operation, covering the operator, approved commercial supply source, license plate…

Salt Lake County bars mobile food businesses from operating in the public right-of-way at all, unless the vending is part of a county-issued special event permit.

Short-term rental license applications in unincorporated Salt Lake County must list the property, room and guest counts, a property manager, and a 24-hour local contact.

Salt Lake County does not require an owner or host to live on site at a licensed short-term rental. Instead, Code §5.19.070(C) requires every licensee to name a responsible party based…

Salt Lake County sets no county-written guest number for short-term rentals; instead §5.19.080 requires a permanent nameplate sign near the front entrance stating the building's…

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Salt Lake County must be laid out so noise and foot traffic don't substantially intrude on neighbors, with written neighbor consent if access is…

A short-term rental in unincorporated Salt Lake County pays the same annual fee as a general business license, set in the county's consolidated fee schedule, not a flat dollar amount…

Accosting another person in a public place, or a place open to the public, for the purpose of begging is disorderly conduct in unincorporated Salt Lake County under County Code…

Loitering, prowling or wandering on someone else's private property without a visible or lawful reason is disorderly conduct in unincorporated Salt Lake County under County Code…

Possessing or drinking any alcoholic beverage on the grounds of a Salt Lake County-owned or -operated park is unlawful under Code §6.10.190, with no exception unless the county mayor…

Urinating anywhere other than a restroom facility is public indecency in unincorporated Salt Lake County when it happens where others could reasonably be expected to see it. County…

Property owners in unincorporated Salt Lake County must clear snow, hail or sleet from their paved sidewalk within twelve hours of the storm ending, or by 8 a.m. if it stopped…

Salt Lake County has adopted the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, giving the building official legal authority over unsafe structures in the unincorporated area.

Running a retail tobacco specialty business, including a vape or e-cig shop, in unincorporated Salt Lake County without a county license is unlawful under Code §5.21.020. The county…

You can't run an auto repair, body or towing business out of your Salt Lake County home. County Code §19.85.010.B excludes "motor vehicle, trailer or boat repair," "auto body and/or…

Operating a massage establishment anywhere in unincorporated Salt Lake County without a county business license is unlawful under Code §5.16.020. Applicants must submit a state massage…

Any sexually oriented business in unincorporated Salt Lake County, adult businesses, nude entertainment venues, outcall services, seminude dancing bars and nude/seminude dancing…

Salt Lake County Code §14.20.040 makes it a Class B misdemeanor to block a sidewalk, curb ramp or county highway with building materials, vehicles, ditches or debris in the…

Placing a driveway, pole, pipeline, sign or other structure in a county road right-of-way in unincorporated Salt Lake County requires county engineering division approval first.

Salt Lake County Code §14.32.010 puts the duty to repair and maintain public curbs, curb ramps, gutters and sidewalks abutting a property squarely on that property's owner, not the…

Construction in unincorporated Salt Lake County runs on the International Building Code and International Residential Code, which County Code §15.08.010 adopts with amendments. Section…

The unincorporated county has adopted the National Electrical Code by reference, and electrical work generally needs its own sub-permit alongside any building permit.

A garage or yard sale in unincorporated Salt Lake County needs no home-business permit as long as it stays within County Code §19.85.010.D.1's limits: no more than three consecutive…

Salt Lake County treats movie and television filming as an 'entertainment event' under its special events ordinance, so any unincorporated-area film shoot involving more than 50 people…

Throwing a block party on a street in unincorporated Salt Lake County requires a special event permit under §14.56.040, and §14.56.070(A)(9) adds one requirement unique to block…

Parades and other entertainment events over 50 people on unincorporated Salt Lake County streets or sidewalks need a special event permit before the event can be held.

A gathering at a Salt Lake County park or recreation center that qualifies as a special event cannot be permitted until the county parks and recreation division has reviewed the…

Grading, borrow pits and land disturbance over an acre in unincorporated Salt Lake County require a land disturbance permit from the county engineer before any building permit issues.

Development sites in unincorporated Salt Lake County must meet the post-construction stormwater performance criteria in County Code §17.22.050 unless the county engineer grants a…

Salt Lake County requires new and substantially improved homes in mapped special flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor, basement included, at least one foot above the base…

No permit is needed to create or maintain the defensible space Utah's Wildland-Urban Interface Code requires around structures in Salt Lake County's foothills and canyons.

Any new construction, substantial improvement, fill or manufactured-home placement inside a FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area of unincorporated Salt Lake County needs a floodplain…

Salt Lake County's Airport Overlay Zone divides land around county airports into five noise-based Airport Restriction Zones, A through E, keyed to how much aircraft noise the area…

A dog that howls, barks or whines nonstop for thirty minutes or more, or repeatedly between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., is legally a 'public nuisance animal' in unincorporated Salt Lake County…

In Salt Lake County's MD-1 and MD-3 mixed development zones, noise from any use may not exceed five decibels above the ambient level measured at the property line, under county Health…

Home businesses in unincorporated Salt Lake County can only see customers by appointment, and only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., under County Code §19.85.020.D. Group lessons or sessions…

A home day care in unincorporated Salt Lake County is capped at six children as a permitted use or twelve as a conditional use, with parking, signage and notice conditions.

A home business in unincorporated Salt Lake County gets exactly one sign: a nameplate no larger than three square feet, never illuminated, attached to a wall or window of the dwelling…

Unincorporated Salt Lake County permits a home business only as a secondary use of a dwelling the operator actually lives in at least nine months a year, confined to the home or…

Landscaped areas along a street in Salt Lake County, including park strips, must include one tree for every 25 linear feet of street frontage.

HOAs in Salt Lake County (Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, Sandy, Murray) are governed by the Utah Community Association Act (Utah Code Title 57, Chapter 8a). Section…

Under Utah Code §57-8a-301, a Salt Lake County HOA automatically holds a lien on a lot for unpaid assessments, late fees, interest, court costs, reasonable attorney fees, and certain…

Utah Code §57-8a-208(4) gives any lot owner 30 days to request an informal hearing before the board after notice of a fine. Section 57-8a-208(5) lets the owner appeal an adverse…

HOA architectural review committees (ARCs) in Salt Lake County HOAs operate under Utah Code §57-8a-218 (limits on rules and design criteria), §57-8a-217 (rulemaking procedure), and…

A Salt Lake County HOA may enforce its CC&Rs by fines, suspension of common-area privileges, or lawsuit, but must follow strict procedure. Utah Code §57-8a-208 caps initial fines and…

In unincorporated Salt Lake County, historic designation is a two-step act: the Historic Preservation Commission/Planning Commission recommends, and the county council decides. Once a…

Salt Lake County Code Chapter 5.17 requires anyone engaged in door-to-door residential solicitation in unincorporated Salt Lake County to register with the County Licensing Official…

Salt Lake County Code §5.17.140 gives any resident the right to post a 'No Solicitation' sign at the main entrance door or on the property line near the walkway, and requires every…

Cluster developments in unincorporated Salt Lake County's Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone can earn a density bonus of up to 25 percent over the underlying zone's base density…

An ADU in unincorporated Salt Lake County needs a building permit before construction, an owner-occupancy affidavit recorded against the property, and a business license before it can…

An ADU in unincorporated Salt Lake County cannot be rented at all without a business license, and once licensed it can only be leased for 30 consecutive days or longer: Code Section…

In unincorporated Salt Lake County's R-1 zones, an accessory building like a shed or detached garage stays a permitted use only up to 800 square feet on lots under half an acre, or…

The property owner must live in either the main house or the ADU on any accessory dwelling unit lot in unincorporated Salt Lake County, with only narrow exceptions.

An existing garage in unincorporated Salt Lake County can become an accessory dwelling unit, but it must meet every ADU standard and pass building-code safety upgrades first.

The county's A-1 agricultural zone protects low-density residential lots for limited farming, permitting agriculture, animals for family food production, apiaries and aviaries by right.

Blocking or closing any street or sidewalk in unincorporated Salt Lake County for a film shoot or other special event is unlawful without a special event permit and payment of the…

Salt Lake County Code section 9.72.140(C)(1) exempts devices used mainly to prepare food, such as outdoor grills, smokers and fireplaces, from the county's open-burning permit…