Coastal-development rules do not apply in St. Joseph County. This is inland north-central Indiana, near but not on Lake Michigan. Indiana's Lake Michigan Coastal Program reaches only Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties along the actual shoreline.
St. Joseph County has no Lake Michigan frontage, so no coastal permit or shoreline setback applies to landowners in South Bend, Mishawaka, or the unincorporated townships. The IDNR Lake Michigan Coastal Program and its federal Coastal Zone Management authority govern only the three shoreline counties, Lake, Porter, and LaPorte. What matters here instead is the St. Joseph River, which flows through the county's core, and the Kankakee River headwaters and marsh to the southwest. Development near those waters is regulated by the Indiana Flood Control Act floodway permit and the Construction Stormwater General Permit, not by any coastal statute.
No coastal permit exists to violate in St. Joseph County. Work near the St. Joseph River or Kankakee marsh is instead governed by the IDNR floodway permit and the CSGP, which carry their own penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
St. Joseph County, IN
St. Joseph County does not regulate holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays on homes. No county or municipal ordinance limits seasonal decorations; onl...
St. Joseph County, IN
Garage-sale signs are temporary signs in St. Joseph County, up to 24 square feet per frontage and two per lot in residential districts under Zoning Ordinance...
St. Joseph County, IN
St. Joseph County allows political yard signs as temporary signs. Zoning Ordinance §154.373 exempts signs up to 2 square feet from permits; a larger temporar...
St. Joseph County, IN
South Bend requires every non-occupant landlord to register rentals annually by September 1. Indiana Code 36-1-20-5 caps the fee at five dollars. Unincorpora...
St. Joseph County, IN
Indiana has no just-cause eviction. In St. Joseph County a landlord may end a tenancy without giving a reason. For unpaid rent, IC 32-31-1-6 requires at leas...
St. Joseph County, IN
Rent control is illegal in St. Joseph County. Indiana Code 32-31-1-20 bars any unit, including South Bend, Mishawaka, and the county, from regulating rental ...
See how St. Joseph County's coastal development rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.