Tippecanoe County, IN Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Moratoriums (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing amendment
- UZO Amendment 123, adopted Nov. 3, 2025
- Sunset date
- Large Data Center use expires Nov. 30, 2026
- Large Data Center threshold
- Over 10,000 sq ft gross floor area
- Data Center threshold
- 10,000 sq ft or less, no sunset
- Zoning violation fine
- $50 to $1,500 per day, § 6-3-1(d)
- Administering body
- Area Plan Commission / Board of Zoning Appeals
Summary
Tippecanoe County added a "Large Data Center" zoning category through UZO Amendment 123, adopted November 3, 2025, but built in its own expiration date. Footnote 75 to the Permitted Use Table says the category itself "shall cease to exist" on November 30, 2026, turning the current permission into a one-year placeholder while the Area Plan Commission works out permanent siting rules.
LARGE DATA CENTER. A physical facility composed of one or more buildings totaling over 10,000 square feet of gross floor area housing networked computer servers used for data storage and processing, along with related supportive equipment including but not limited to backup power generators and cooling devices. (Amend 123) ... 75. This land use category shall cease to exist in the Permitted Use Table as of November 30, 2026. (Amend. 123)
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Amendment 123 to the Tippecanoe County Unified Zoning Ordinance created the county's first data-center-specific zoning category, adopted November 3, 2025 in Tippecanoe County, Lafayette and West Lafayette, and adopted by lack of action in Battle Ground, Clarks Hill and Dayton on January 15, 2026. The amendment split the use into two definitions at UZO Section 1-10-2: a "Data Center" tops out at 10,000 square feet of gross floor area, while a "Large Data Center" is any facility of one or more buildings totaling over 10,000 square feet housing networked computer servers, backup generators and cooling equipment.
" That built-in expiration functions as a one-year moratorium on the interim rules. Unless the APC adopts a further amendment before the deadline, large data centers drop off the list of permitted uses entirely, and any new project after that date would need a rezoning or a special exception from the Area Board of Zoning Appeals rather than a by-right or conditional permit. The smaller "Data Center" category, covering facilities of 10,000 square feet or less, carries no sunset clause and stays permitted. The rule reaches the unincorporated county and the APC's partner towns, since all of them share the same UZO text.
Violations & Fines
The UZO's general enforcement section, 6-3-1, treats any structure or use maintained in violation of the ordinance as a common nuisance and sets fines of $50 to $1,500 for each violation, with every day of noncompliance counted as a separate violation. The Area Board of Zoning Appeals or the Administrative Officer can sue to force removal of the use, recover attorney's fees and court costs, and block any new permit application on the property until the violation is resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a large data center be built in Tippecanoe County right now?
What happens to the large data center use category after November 30, 2026?
How does the county define a "Large Data Center"?
Does this sunset date apply in Lafayette and West Lafayette too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tippecanoe County
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