Dothan, AL

In the City of Dothan a dog owner must keep the dog under restraint at all times, and it is unlawful to let a dog run at large off the owner's property, on another's property without…

In the City of Dothan there is no general law forcing every dog or cat owner to spay or neuter a pet; the requirement only applies to animals adopted from the city shelter, where a $85…

Dothan's zoning code splits animal medical uses into a veterinarian, which offers outpatient care only, and an animal hospital, where boarding during treatment is allowed. The Table of…

Keeping bees in the City of Dothan requires a special exception from the board of zoning adjustment in every residential district except unplatted Agricultural-Conservation land. City…

Backyard chickens are not automatically legal on a Dothan house lot. City Code § 114-131.1 lists 'Poultry (As Accessory Use)' as a special exception in R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH-2, requires…

Alabama Code Sections 13A-11-14 and 13A-11-241 criminalize animal cruelty and neglect statewide, capturing hoarding conduct that deprives animals of food, water, shelter, or veterinary…

Alabama Department of Conservation regulations restrict baiting and feeding of deer and other game animals statewide during hunting seasons, with separate rules on bear feeding and…

In the City of Dothan a residential or commercial swimming pool is one of the specifically listed activities requiring a building permit before construction, with the permit fee based…

In the City of Dothan, every swimming or wading pool must sit at least ten feet from the waterline to the property line and be fully enclosed by a fence or wall at least four feet tall…

In the City of Dothan, noisy construction work cannot start before 7:00 a.m. in or next to single-family neighborhoods, or before 6:00 a.m. elsewhere, and must stop by 7:00 p.m., under…

In the City of Dothan a dog owner may not let the dog habitually bark or yelp in a loud and frequent manner that annoys and disturbs nearby residents, a rule enforced by animal control…

In the City of Dothan, leaf blowers and power fans are not restricted to specific hours, but City Code Sec. 62-102(16) makes it unlawful to run one that is not muffled. Any…

The City of Dothan bans car stereos audible more than five feet from a vehicle and requires every motor vehicle to run on a working muffler. City Code Sec. 62-102 also outlaws…

In the City of Dothan, City Code § 62-102(4) bars yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing on public streets between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and at any hour if it disturbs…

In the City of Dothan, playing a radio or phonograph loud enough to be heard 5 feet from a car or 10 feet from a pedestrian is a declared nuisance under City Code § 62-102(2)b, and…

In the City of Dothan, no vehicle or other property may sit abandoned, unclaimed or unattended on any street or city premises for more than seven calendar days, and a wrecked, junked…

Dothan designates loading zones by official traffic-control signs the city traffic engineer installs under City Code § 98-42, and parking in a marked loading zone without authorization…

Dothan requires vehicles parked on public streets in business districts or heavily traveled areas to park parallel with the curb, right-hand wheels within 18 inches of the edge, under…

Dothan does not set one citywide overnight curfew on street parking; instead, § 98-89 makes it unlawful to leave a vehicle parked beyond whatever maximum time limit is posted for that…

Dothan bars parking in any area marked with a yellow-painted curb, or wherever a sign posted for street, drainage, or utility work applies, under City Code § 98-90. The one exception…

Dothan bans stopping, standing, or parking any trailer, tractor, truck, or other motor vehicle heavier than a one-ton pickup on public streets in residential sections of the city…

In the City of Dothan, driveways and parking areas for a single-family dwelling may be paved with asphalt, concrete, or another durable, all-weather material approved by the…

In the City of Dothan, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, boats and utility trailers cannot be parked in the street, in front of the main house or in the street-side yard, except…

Alabama regulates the paperwork of a nonconsensual tow far more tightly than the price of one. Ala. Code § 32-13-2(d) lets a property owner or lessee have a car removed once it has…

In the City of Dothan, Sec. 38-31 of the Code of Ordinances bans open burning outright unless a permit or a listed exception applies. The fire marshal and any fire prevention officer…

In the City of Dothan, Sec. 38-32(g) of the Code of Ordinances allows outdoor fireplaces and outdoor heating containers at a residence without an open burning permit. The exemption…

In the City of Dothan, Sec. 38-66 of the Code of Ordinances bars anyone from possessing, selling, offering for sale or exploding fireworks except as the article allows, and the only…

The City of Dothan regulates liquefied petroleum gas installations through Sec. 14-66, which layers city permits and inspections on top of the state LP-gas rules under Code of Ala. §…

The City of Dothan requires a short-term commercial rental (STCR) approved through a Board of Zoning Adjustment special exception to install interconnected smoke alarms in every…

Alabama's State Forestry Commission may declare a drought emergency by regulation under Ala. Code § 9-13-141, making all outdoor burning unlawful in the affected counties. Such…

In the City of Dothan, grass, weeds or other non-ornamental plant growth taller than 12 inches on any lot is a declared public nuisance under Dothan City Code § 106-32, regardless of…

In the City of Dothan, Stage II mandatory water restrictions run every April 1 through October 1: sprinkler and hose-end irrigation is banned except on assigned days, odd-numbered…

In the City of Dothan, no tree of 12 inches or greater DBH may be removed from a tree protection area, and no tree may be cleared from a residential buffer, without an approved tree…

In the City of Dothan, required landscaping plans must largely use native or non-competing exotic plant species, and may not use exotic vegetation likely to out-compete or displace…

Short-term rentals in the City of Dothan need a business license before anyone can advertise, book or rent the property, under Sec. 18-502. Owner-occupied rentals (STRRs) and…

Short-term rental owners in the City of Dothan pay a business license tax of $100.00 plus one-half of one percent of gross receipts under Sec. 18-503, on top of a lodging tax required…

In the City of Dothan, a short-term residential rental (STRR) requires the home to be owner-occupied and recorded as a homestead, with only the person on the property records eligible…

In the City of Dothan, both owner-occupied short-term residential rentals and non-owner-occupied short-term commercial rentals are capped at two guests per bedroom, not counting…

A short-term commercial rental (STCR) approved in the City of Dothan must carry homeowner's property insurance as a fixed condition of its special exception, and the host must submit…

Dothan enforces an 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. quiet time on short-term residential rentals (STRR), making it unlawful for guests to create unreasonable, loud, or disturbing noise during…

Dothan limits owner-occupied short-term rentals (STRR) to one additional guest vehicle at the residence and requires hosts to log guest vehicle details for the city, while…

To operate an owner-occupied short-term rental in the City of Dothan, the property must be recorded as a homestead with the county, and only the person(s) named on the property records…

Dothan can revoke a short-term rental's business license once a host racks up more than two notices of violation in a year, whether the rental is an owner-occupied STRR under City Code…

Running a child day care in the City of Dothan, including from a home, requires a city business license under Sec. 18-22's fee schedule, tiered at $25.00 for 2 to 5 children and $75.00…

Home-based businesses in Dothan cannot post any sign or advertisement on the property, including on the mailbox. The ban applies to both qualifying home occupations, per §…

Neither type of home occupation Dothan recognizes may receive customers at the house. A qualifying home occupation's affidavit of compliance states "there are no customers at the…

Dothan's zoning code sorts home-based businesses into qualifying home occupations, approved administratively once the owner signs an affidavit of compliance, and non-qualifying home…

Alabama runs one of the plainer cottage food laws in the country. Ala. Code § 22-20-5.1(b) states that a cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment and is…

Alabama has never created a microenterprise home kitchen permit. The words "microenterprise" and "home kitchen" return no sections at all in the Code of Alabama, and Ala. Admin. Code…

In the City of Dothan, an accessory apartment on a single-family residential lot needs at least 12,000 square feet of land, tops out at 800 square feet, and is limited to one per lot…

In the City of Dothan, an accessory apartment built on a non-residential development, apartment complex or manufactured home park site under City Code § 114-183(c)(2) exists only to…

In the City of Dothan, sheds and other residential accessory buildings must sit in the rear yard only, never in a front or side yard, and stay at least ten feet from any other building…

Alabama enforces statewide minimum building, energy, and manufactured-home standards through the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission and the state-adopted residential code. Tiny…

Fences in the City of Dothan must be built of a permanent, weatherproof material such as wood, vinyl or masonry; fabric, plastic sheeting or metal attached to an approved fence is not…

In the City of Dothan, a fence may be built on any common property line shared with a neighbor, and along the front, side or rear yard. A fence or hedge in a required front yard is…

Every fence built in the City of Dothan needs a construction permit. Section 14-5(4) lists fence erection or construction among the activities that require a permit from the building…

In the City of Dothan, front-yard fences and hedges are capped at four feet unless they meet the district's front-yard setback, and corner-lot sight triangles limit opaque fencing to…

In the City of Dothan, Sec. 42-97(a) of the Code of Ordinances sets the base flood elevation standard: where BFE data exists, new construction and substantial improvements must have…

In the City of Dothan, Chapter 42 of the Code of Ordinances regulates every FEMA-designated special flood hazard area and any other area the city designates as flood-prone. Sec. 42-68…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, City Code § 83-3 bars illicit discharges of pollutants, industrial stormwater without an NPDES permit, and any spilling or dumping of non-stormwater…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, City Code § 83-22 requires a city permit before any land-disturbing construction activity of one acre or more, or any non-residential project regardless…

Alabama's Coastal Area Management Program, administered by ADEM under Code §9-7, regulates development in Mobile and Baldwin counties' coastal zones, requiring permits for construction…

Garage-sale signs in the City of Dothan may go up for only four consecutive days, including the sale days themselves, under Sec. 18-273(5), which also incorporates the sign standards…

In the City of Dothan, window signs may cover up to 25 percent of the glass area (pane) to which they're applied without a permit; anything above that threshold is an expressly…

The City of Dothan allows off-premise billboards to carry digital or electronic displays, but bars any animation or full-motion video, caps transition time at two seconds, and keeps…

Alabama state law restricts placement of political campaign signs in public rights-of-way, on state highways, and on state property. Cities can regulate residential placement, but…

The City of Dothan collects large items like appliances, stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, furniture, and mattresses curbside on the resident's regular scheduled trash day under…

In the City of Dothan, yard trash piles and cuttings are collected curbside up to once a week, and City Code Sec. 82-20 doubles that to twice a month during leaf season. Cut limbs and…

In the City of Dothan, residential carts must be curbside no later than 6:00 a.m. on collection day and pulled back by 6:00 a.m. the next day, stored inconspicuously behind the front…

The City of Dothan collects ashes, garbage, household trash, and containerized yard trash from every residential establishment once a week under City Code Sec. 82-19(a). Hazardous…

The City of Dothan only collects carts it provided or approved, and City Code Sec. 82-54 lists exactly why a cart can be skipped: being out late, sitting in the wrong spot, facing the…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, City Code § 82-111 makes it unlawful to knowingly deposit litter on public or private property or in public or private waters without permission. The…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, City Code § 82-122 puts the city manager in charge of creating and running the residential recycling program. The program must comply with state law and…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, City Code § 82-123 sets the rules for the voluntary curbside recycling program: containers can go out no earlier than dusk the night before collection…

Dothan's zoning code requires commercial dumpster enclosures to be four-sided structures that fully conceal trash receptacles and bars them from sitting forward of the principal…

In the City of Dothan it is a misdemeanor to possess an open container or drink alcohol on city-owned grounds like parks, playgrounds and Rip Hewes Stadium, and drinking at an…

Dothan makes it unlawful to solicit contributions or hand out material on any public street by setting up a roadblock or otherwise interfering with traffic, under City Code § 98-8. The…

In the City of Dothan, loud or excessive noise from loading, unloading, or opening boxes, bales, crates, and containers near residential areas is barred before 7:00 a.m. or after 10:00…

In the City of Dothan, City Code § 62-102(17) requires window and wall air conditioning units up to one ton to stay in good mechanical condition, and bars units over one ton unless…

In the City of Dothan, bars and nightclubs inside the Entertainment District defined by Section 6-102 must stop outdoor music once it is audible from 100 feet after midnight Sunday…

In the City of Dothan it is unlawful to construct, erect, demolish, alter, repair, or move any structure, or to do land-disturbance, plumbing, electrical, heating, or air-conditioning…

The City of Dothan struck the residential fire sprinkler mandate from its adopted building code. Sec. 14-21 and Sec. 14-30(g) both delete IRC Section R313 when adopting the 2021…

The City of Dothan does not enforce a separate green building code. Instead, Sec. 14-30(h) replaces the IRC's Chapter 11 Energy Efficiency with the 2015 International Energy…

In the City of Dothan, contractors and owner-builders must call for inspections before covering any building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical work. Sec. 14-4 requires notice to the…

The City of Dothan enforces the 2020 National Electrical Code on every wiring job. Sec. 14-56 requires anyone doing electrical work for others to hold a current city electrical license…

In the City of Dothan, plumbing work for others requires a current city plumber's license backed by a state master plumber's certificate under Sec. 14-91. The 2021 International…

The City of Dothan bans camping on all public property under City Code Sec. 62-138, including sleeping outdoors in a temporary shelter, pitching a tent, cooking over an open fire, or…

In the City of Dothan, minors 17 and younger may not loiter, wander, or play in public places between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on weeknights, or between midnight and 6:00 a.m. on…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, City Code § 86-1 makes it unlawful to place goods, merchandise, vehicles, boxes, rubbish or any other article on a sidewalk, street or alley in a way…

In the City of Dothan, Alabama, altering curbs, gutters or drainage ditches under City Code § 86-3, or digging up a street or public way under § 86-7, both require a permit from the…

In the City of Dothan, Sec. 38-32(f) of the Code of Ordinances exempts cooking fires, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces, from the open burning permit and notification…

In the City of Dothan, the customer, not the city, is responsible for repairing leaks in pipes and fixtures past the metering connection point, and Dothan Utilities only credits a…

In the City of Dothan, cyclists on any public street must obey traffic signals, ride as near the right side of the road as practicable, and stay no more than two abreast; wherever the…

Alabama has no general statute putting golf carts or low-speed vehicles on public roads. The only statewide scheme, Ala. Code §§ 11-73-1 to 11-73-7, applies by its own terms in Class 2…

The City of Dothan levies a 9 percent lodgings tax under City Code § 94-147 on every hotel, motel, inn, tourist camp, and other business renting rooms to transients, including…

In the City of Dothan, no one may hold, join or help organize a parade or public assembly on city streets or in public places without first getting a permit from the chief of police…

Special events and festivals in the City of Dothan need a sponsor business license under Sec. 18-523, which costs $100.00, plus a separate $50.00 vendor license for each seller under…

In the City of Dothan, a vacant lot, defined as any parcel with no structure or only an unoccupied one, is not automatically exempt from the city's weed-nuisance law; only heavily…

The City of Dothan declares any 'dangerous building' a public nuisance under Sec. 14-113 and can order it repaired, vacated, moved or demolished. Sec. 14-115 gives owners at least 45…

Every distributor or seller of consumable vapor products in Dothan must pay a city license tax of $0.10 per milliliter sold or delivered within the corporate limits, under City Code §…

Tattoo parlors operating in the City of Dothan must buy a $100.00 annual business license under NAICS code 812199 and hold a Health Department permit, on top of the general licensing…

Wrecker and towing companies operating in the City of Dothan must buy a $50.00 annual business license under NAICS code 9996, and when police order a vehicle towed from a city street…

Anyone buying secondhand gold or silver in the City of Dothan needs a police-investigated permit plus a city business license under City Code Article VII, and must report every…

Pawnbrokers in the City of Dothan do not need a separate stand-alone pawnbroker permit process beyond the standard business license, but Sec. 18-242 through 18-244 impose strict daily…

In the City of Dothan, an adult bookstore, adult video store, adult theater or adult nightclub falls under the zoning code's broad "adult entertainment" definition, and the Table of…

In the City of Dothan, running an automobile repair or service operation out of a house is not allowed in any residential district. The zoning use table blocks 'Automobile…

Every business operating in the City of Dothan pays an annual license tax set by a schedule of NAICS-based classifications in City Code Chapter 18. The city's License Division assigns…

Mobile food trucks and caterers in the City of Dothan pay a $50.00 annual business license under NAICS code 7223, and every operator must also secure a Health Department permit plus a…

The City of Dothan requires peddlers, canvassers and solicitors to carry a police-issued identification card before going door-to-door, and City Code § 18-176(g) bans all street…

In the City of Dothan, anyone going door-to-door to canvass, peddle or solicit orders on public or private streets and sidewalks must get an identification card from the license…

In the City of Dothan, any cafe, lunch stand or eating establishment must get a certificate from the county health officer before the city clerk will issue its business license. Sec…

Dothan sets minimum front, rear and side yard depths for every zoning district in the Table of Dimensional Regulations at City Code § 114-132. A standard R-1 lot needs a 30-foot front…

Every structure built or altered in a City of Dothan zoning district must stay within the height limit set for that district in article VIII, unless the board of zoning adjustment…

Dothan caps how much of a lot a building can occupy through its Table of Dimensional Regulations at City Code § 114-132. Maximum building area ranges from 25 percent of gross lot area…

In the City of Dothan's Highway 84 East Overlay, street and parkway trees must be spaced no more than 40 feet on center, matched to their canopy width at three-quarter maturity, and…

In the City of Dothan, a protected tree is any pine 18 inches or greater DBH and any non-pine species 12 inches or greater DBH, unless it is on the code's non-protected list. Removing…

Yard sales in the City of Dothan are capped at three per dwelling per calendar year under Sec. 18-273, and each sale can run only two consecutive days for up to ten hours per day. A…

The City of Dothan's Agricultural-Conservation (A-C) zoning district is designed to keep farming legal next to houses. City Code § 114-117(a) makes agricultural activity a 'use…

Alabama Code Section 6-5-127 protects established farms from nuisance lawsuits when surrounding non-agricultural land use changes, supporting long-term agricultural operations.

In the City of Dothan's U.S. Highway 84 East Overlay District, downtown core and downtown edge buildings must hold a continuous street wall along every street frontage. Large projects…

Inside the City of Dothan's U.S. Highway 84 East Overlay District, outdoor lighting must reduce glare with appropriate shielding, use warm yellow-toned light rather than bright white…

In the City of Dothan, digital billboards and electronic message center (EMC) signs must run automatic dimming technology so nighttime brightness never exceeds three-tenths of a…

In the City of Dothan, off-street parking lot lighting must be arranged so it does not unreasonably disturb occupants of the site or of adjacent residential properties or interfere…

In the City of Dothan, bamboo may not be installed as landscape material under any required landscaping plan, alongside cogon grass, kudzu, popcorn or Chinese tallow trees, and water…

Alabama medical cannabis dispensaries operate only under Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission licenses with statewide siting standards including 1,000-foot school buffers; cities may…

Alabama prohibits all home cultivation of cannabis statewide. Even patients enrolled in the medical cannabis program cannot grow plants at home; only licensed cultivators authorized by…

Alabama's Uniform Minimum Wage and Right-to-Work Act (Ala. Code § 25-7-40 et seq.) preempts cities and counties from setting a local minimum wage. Alabama has no state minimum wage, so…

Alabama allows permitless concealed carry of handguns for lawful adults, while still issuing optional permits for reciprocity, with state preemption blocking local restrictions.

Alabama law preempts most local firearm regulations, reserving authority over guns, ammunition, and accessories exclusively to the state legislature under Code Section 13A-11-61.3.

Alabama has no statewide charitable gaming law. Nonprofit bingo is legal only in the roughly 18 counties that adopted their own constitutional amendment authorizing it, Jefferson…

Alabama makes being a player in unlawful gambling a Class C misdemeanor, but Ala. Code § 13A-12-21(b) gives players a defense if they were in a "social game in a private place." The…

Alabama has no legalized sports betting. Wagering on the outcome of a sporting event is "gambling" under Ala. Code § 13A-12-20(4), and a bettor who knowingly advances or profits from…

Under the Alabama Homeowners' Association Act, an association has a lien on each lot for unpaid assessments, plus interest and costs the declaration allows. The lien is recorded in…

An Alabama homeowners' association governed by Ala. Code § 35-20-13 must hand over ten named categories of records to any member or potential purchaser who asks in writing, within a…

Alabama sets no maximum dollar figure for a homeowners' association fine. Ala. Code § 35-20-11 lets a board assess only "reasonable penalties," only to the extent the declaration and…

An Alabama homeowners' association governed by the Alabama Homeowners' Association Act cannot foreclose on its own. Ala. Code § 35-20-12 requires it to give the lot owner 30 days'…

The Alabama Legislature has never written a checkpoint statute. Searching the Code of Alabama on the Legislature's ALISON database returns zero sections containing roadblock…

Alabama never enacted an express right to record police, so the question is answered by the definitions in its eavesdropping article. Section 13A-11-30(1) defines eavesdropping as…

Alabama Code § 15-5-30 lets a named list of officers stop a person who is abroad in a public place on reasonable suspicion of a felony or other public offense and demand three things…

Alabama has no statute telling officers to ask for consent, to warn you that you may refuse, or to log the answer, and a full-text search of the Code returns nothing at all for the…

Under Ala. Code § 35-9A-421 an Alabama landlord must give 7 business days' written notice for unpaid rent (pay or quit) and 7 business days to cure a material lease violation. After…

Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 requires Alabama landlords to keep rentals habitable, comply with health-and-safety codes, and maintain essential systems. If a landlord fails to fix a material…

Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ala. Code Title 35, Chapter 9A) provides the exclusive statutory framework for residential evictions. The act sets uniform notice…

Under Ala. Code § 35-9A-303 an Alabama landlord must give the tenant at least two days' notice and enter only at reasonable times for legitimate purposes such as repairs, inspection…

Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets no maximum late fee and no mandatory grace period. Late fees are governed entirely by the lease; rent is late the day after…

Under Ala. Code § 35-9A-441 either party ends a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' written notice and a week-to-week tenancy with 7 days' notice. Breaking a fixed lease early…

Rent control is illegal at the local level in Alabama. Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1 preempts the field, barring any county, city, town, or municipality from enacting, maintaining, or…

Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets no specific notice period or dollar limit for raising rent. A landlord generally cannot raise rent mid-lease, but for…

Alabama caps a residential security deposit at one month's rent under Ala. Code § 35-9A-201, with exceptions for pets, alterations, and added liability risk. Landlords must return the…

Alabama recognizes two adverse-possession paths: 20 years of open, continuous possession by prescription, or 10 years under Ala. Code § 6-5-200 with color of title recorded, annual tax…

Alabama prohibits the sale of tobacco, vapor, and alternative nicotine products to anyone under 21 under Code Section 28-11-13, aligning with federal Tobacco 21 law.

Alabama counts auxiliary lamps one by one rather than leaving them to a general glare rule. Section 32-5-241(a) permits not more than one spot lamp, not more than two fog lamps mounted…

Alabama is one of the few states whose code says the words dash camera. Section 32-5A-350.1(g)(5), added by the 2023 hands-free act, exempts from the distracted-driving offense the use…

Lane splitting and lane filtering are illegal in Alabama with no exception for stopped or slow traffic. Ala. Code § 32-5A-242(c) says no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes…

Alabama has no statute that names license plate covers, tinted shields or frames. A full-text search of the Code of Alabama on the Legislature's own code database returns zero sections…

No section of the Code of Alabama mentions a radar detector. The ban that does apply to commercial drivers arrives indirectly: § 32-9A-2(a)(1) makes it an offense to operate a…

Alabama never sets a studded-tire season. Ala. Code § 32-5-210(b) instead bans every block, stud, flange, cleat or spike made of any material other than rubber that projects beyond the…

Alabama's tint chapter carries its own numbers, so nothing has to be looked up in an inspection regulation. Section 32-5C-2(a)(2) forbids operating a vehicle registered in this state…