100 local rules on file · Pop. 130 · Washoe County
Showing ordinances that apply to Gerlach, NV
Gerlach is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 130 in Washoe County, Nevada. Because Gerlach is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Washoe County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Washoe County may have different rules.
Unincorporated Washoe County has no clock-based quiet-hours rule. Instead its Development Code caps day-night average sound (Ldn) at the property line and adds a 10 dB penalty to noise made between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., effectively tightening nighttime limits.
Nevada state law, not county code, governs vehicle noise. Every motor vehicle must have a muffler in good working order and constant operation, and no one may use a muffler cutout, bypass or similar device on a vehicle on a highway. Washoe County's noise code exempts moving…
Washoe County does not restrict construction work hours, but temporary construction, repair or demolition noise is exempt from the Development Code's noise limits only when it occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on any day except Sunday. Outside that window the noise…
Washoe County's Development Code sets day-night average sound (Ldn) limits measured at the property line: 65 Ldn abutting residential, parks, schools or hospitals, and 75 Ldn in industrial zones, plus a 65 dB cap near highways and railroads. Nighttime noise carries a 10 dB…
In Washoe County it is unlawful to keep, harbor or own any animal that by making loud and frequent noises causes annoyance to the neighborhood or nearby persons. Washoe County Regional Animal Services enforces this and can issue a civil penalty to the owner.
Outdoor music and events in unincorporated Washoe County have no dedicated ordinance. They are measured against the Development Code's property-line day-night sound (Ldn) limits, 65 Ldn abutting residential, with a 10 dB penalty for any sound made between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Washoe County has no dedicated leaf-blower ordinance for unincorporated areas. Gas leaf blowers are treated like any other noise source and must not push day-night average sound (Ldn) above the Development Code's property-line limits, with a 10 dB penalty for nighttime use (10…
In unincorporated Washoe County, property developed in an industrial zone may not exceed 75 Ldn (day-night average sound level) at the property line. If sound affecting a project exceeds allowed limits, the developer must build a noise-attenuation barrier to meet the standard.
Unincorporated Washoe County has no separate amplified-music permit rule. Amplified music must not push the day-night average sound level above the Development Code's property-line limits (65 Ldn abutting residential), with a 10 dB penalty for sound made between 10 p.m. and 7…
Washoe County's Development Code addresses aircraft noise through land-use compatibility. Development within airport noise contours must conform to Federal Aviation Regulation Part 150 land-use guidelines, and building permits in those areas require dedicating an avigation…
Renting a home for under 28 days in unincorporated Washoe County requires a county Short-Term Rental permit before you advertise or rent. Reno and Sparks properties are outside county jurisdiction and follow city rules.
In the Tahoe Basin (TRPA area), Washoe County STR quiet hours run daily from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Guests must reduce outdoor activity, and repeat noise violations force the owner to file a noise-management plan and install decibel monitors.
STR permits in unincorporated Washoe County are valid for exactly 12 months and must be renewed and reissued annually to keep advertising or operating. Miss the expiration date and the permit becomes null and void.
Washoe County does not require an STR to be the owner's primary residence. Non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals are permitted, and there is no cap on the number of STR permits issued countywide.
Whole-home STRs in unincorporated Washoe County must obtain a Transient Lodging Tax (room tax) license from the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) and collect the county room tax (about 13%) from guests. County STR permit and inspection fees are set by the…
Washoe County does not require on-site host presence, but every STR must designate one Local Responsible Party who can be reached 24/7 by text-enabled phone, respond within 30 minutes, and be physically present at the property within one hour of a complaint.
Each unincorporated Washoe County STR gets an occupancy limit set by the Planning and Building Division. The occupant load is calculated as one occupant per 200 square feet of habitable space, with no age exemption and daytime and nighttime limits the same.
Washoe County sets no cap on the number of nights an STR may rent and no minimum booking length. Any rental under 28 days needs a permit. The permit prohibits events, parties, and weddings, and allows only one group at a time.
In the Tahoe Basin (TRPA area), Washoe County STRs must provide one on-site parking space for every four occupants, all improved and on-site. Outside TRPA, the residential parking standard for the property applies. Too few spaces reduces your allowed occupancy.
Every unincorporated Washoe County STR must carry a Certificate of Insurance providing a minimum of $500,000 liability coverage per occurrence. The owner acknowledges this coverage in the notarized Owner Affidavit at application.
All consumer fireworks are illegal in unincorporated Washoe County. Nevada leaves fireworks to counties, and Washoe bans possession, use, storage, and discharge everywhere except by a state-licensed pyrotechnic operator with a fire permit.
Washoe County follows Nevada state law. NRS 477.140 requires hotels/motels with at least six guest rooms and apartment buildings with at least three units to equip each sleeping room and dwelling unit with an approved smoke detector.
In the Truckee Meadows Fire district, portable outdoor fireplaces must stay 15 feet from any structure or combustible material (exempt at one- and two-family homes). No permit is needed at homes, but seasonal fire restrictions often ban all open flame.
Washoe County follows the Nevada-adopted International Fire Code. In residential/congested areas the aggregate LP-gas storage cannot exceed 2,000 gallons water capacity, and tanks must meet Table 6104.3 setbacks (a 500-gallon aboveground tank needs about 10 feet from buildings…
All open burning in the Truckee Meadows Fire district requires a TMFPD permit and is closed for the season during summer. When open, burn hours are sunrise to noon, only the first 7 days of the month, with no visible smoke after 1 p.m.
Washoe County adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code and maps every parcel as low, moderate, high, or extreme wildfire hazard. Your zone determines defensible-space and construction requirements. Check your parcel on the county fire-hazard GIS map.
Washoe is a real wildfire county. TMFPD requires defensible space around structures: a 30-foot vegetation buffer in a moderate hazard zone, 50 feet in a high zone, and 100 feet in an extreme zone, under the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code.
A backyard recreational fire in the TMFPD is limited to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, must burn only clean fuel (not rubbish), and must stay at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material. No permit is needed at homes.
Registered RVs, campers, boats and personal watercraft are exempt from the outdoor-storage nuisance rule and may be kept on your residential parcel. An RV may only be lived in temporarily during construction (with a permit) or to care for an infirm resident; general use as a…
Washoe County's Development Code does not set a blanket rule against parking passenger vehicles in a residential driveway, but items left outside more than 72 hours are 'outdoor storage,' and inoperable or unregistered vehicles kept in public view are treated as a nuisance that…
On highways under county jurisdiction, the Board of County Commissioners may post signs prohibiting or restricting stopping, standing and parking where it is dangerous or would interfere with traffic, and parking against those posted restrictions is unlawful. Angle parking that…
No person may park a vehicle over 8,000 pounds unladen weight in any residence district street except while actively loading/unloading or performing service, repair or construction in the immediate area. Oversized commercial vehicles are also barred from being stored on…
Washoe County has no blanket overnight on-street parking ban countywide, but during a declared red winter enforcement period it is unlawful to stop, park or leave a vehicle standing on any public road or right-of-way within a designated snow area. Posted county restrictions and…
Washoe County has no dedicated EV-charging parking ordinance in its Development Code for residential unincorporated areas; a home Level 2 charger is an electrical installation requiring a building/electrical permit and inspection under the adopted electrical code (WCC Chapter…
No storage of commercial vehicles is allowed on any residentially zoned parcel in unincorporated Washoe County. A commercial vehicle is broadly defined (any vehicle for business/construction, more than two axles, or over 8,000 lbs unladen). Limited exceptions cover one…
Washoe County distinguishes 'parking' from temporary standing while loading or unloading. Vehicles otherwise too heavy to park in a residence district may still stop while actively loading or unloading merchandise, and the Board of County Commissioners can post loading and…
Under Nevada law it is unlawful to abandon a vehicle on any public road or on public/private property without the owner's consent. A vehicle on private property becomes 'abandoned' if not reclaimed within 15 days after notice. In unincorporated Washoe County the Sheriff tags…
Only the county may lawfully place curb markings and parking signs. It is unlawful for a private person to place, alter, or interfere with any official traffic-control device or marking on a county highway, and every unauthorized sign or marking is declared a public nuisance the…
In unincorporated Washoe County, fences, walls or perimeter planting max out at 4.5 feet in the required front-yard setback and 6 feet elsewhere on a residential lot. Cities of Reno and Sparks set their own limits.
Unincorporated Washoe County requires a building permit for most fences, submitted electronically through OneNV. Landscape fences under 30 inches (outside the sight triangle) and pure range fencing on lots over one acre are exempt.
Unincorporated Washoe County lets fences be built anywhere within or on the lot line, subject to height limits, but bars fencing across county utility, sewer, water, drainage and access easements. Cost-sharing between neighbors is a private matter.
Retaining and rockery walls follow the same height limits as fences in unincorporated Washoe County. Combined fences and walls cannot exceed 6 feet in required side and rear setbacks, and no wall may exceed the height of the residence.
Unincorporated Washoe County restricts barbed/razor livestock fencing in front yards to lots over one acre, limits specialty court fences to non-solid, non-reflective materials, and bans reflective wall/fence materials that blend poorly with the background.
Unincorporated Washoe County permits standard wood, block and metal fences to code height, plus non-solid see-through specialty fences up to 10 feet for recreational courts, and entry gates/columns that exceed the fence height by up to 18 inches.
Unincorporated Washoe County requires commercial and industrial development adjoining residential uses to build a fence, wall or perimeter planting at least 6 but not more than 8 feet high, under Development Code Article 412, Landscaping.
Washoe County does not ban or restrict any dog by breed. Regulation is behavior-based: any dog, regardless of breed, can be declared 'dangerous' or 'vicious' under WCC 55.750 after attacks or menacing conduct. There is no pit-bull or breed-specific ordinance.
Cats are exempt from Washoe County's dog leash and at-large rules, so they may roam. However, unspayed female cats may not be allowed to run at large while in season, and keeping more than seven adult cats requires a cattery permit. Rabies vaccination is required statewide.
Washoe County Code Chapter 55 sets no beekeeping ordinance. Whether hives are allowed is a Development Code zoning question (typically permitted on agricultural and large rural-residential parcels). Registration of colonies with the Nevada Department of Agriculture is required…
Washoe County prohibits keeping, harboring or feeding high-risk rabies vectors -- bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes and coyotes -- on private property. Feeding these animals can force their relinquishment to authorities. Nevada also discourages feeding big game to protect public…
Keeping an exotic animal in unincorporated Washoe County requires a permit from the animal control board, with approved enclosure drawings and an inspection. Keeping high-risk rabies vectors like bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes or coyotes is outright prohibited.
Washoe County caps household animals and requires clean, humane conditions; keeping too many animals in unsanitary conditions is enforceable. Cruelty and neglect are prosecuted under Nevada state law, NRS Chapter 574, which makes torture, overdriving or failing to provide proper…
In designated congested areas of unincorporated Washoe County, dogs must be leashed off their owner's premises. Outside congested areas, a dog must be accompanied and under voice or signal control. Letting a dog run at large is unlawful and the animal may be impounded.
Poultry and livestock may be kept in unincorporated Washoe County where the Development Code zoning allows it, but in congested areas the owner must keep them fenced or penned so they never leave the property. Livestock running at large in a congested area is unlawful.
In congested areas of Washoe County you may keep up to three dogs and up to seven cats over four months of age without a permit. Keeping more for over 30 days requires a kennel or cattery permit with enclosure plans and an inspection.
Livestock may be kept on unincorporated parcels zoned for them, but in congested areas owners must keep them fenced on-premises; livestock at large is unlawful and may be impounded. Estrays are handled under Nevada's state estray law, NRS Chapter 569.
Unincorporated Washoe County has no general tree-trimming ordinance, but in Truckee Meadows Fire District wildland-urban interface zones the WUI Code requires pruning tree crowns to keep clearance from structures and the ground.
Unincorporated Washoe County has no ordinance setting a maximum lawn or weed height. Code Enforcement can only act on 'excessive foliage growth' on foreclosed homes. Inside Reno or Sparks, the 8-inch city rule applies instead.
Rainwater harvesting is legal statewide. Nevada NRS 533.027 allows de minimis collection of precipitation from the rooftop of a single-family dwelling for nonpotable domestic use without a water-right permit. Washoe County adds no separate restriction.
Unincorporated Washoe County does not require a permit to remove a tree on your own private property. Removal is instead encouraged where trees create wildfire fuel; defensible-space rules govern spacing and hazard reduction.
Unincorporated Washoe County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially regulating artificial turf on residential property. It is a common water-saving choice in this arid climate. HOA covenants, not the county, are the usual limiting factor.
Unincorporated Washoe County has no local weed ordinance. Noxious weeds are governed statewide by NRS Chapter 555: landowners must control designated noxious weeds. Reports go to the Nevada Department of Agriculture or UNR Cooperative Extension.
Home composting is allowed in unincorporated Washoe County. There is no dedicated composting permit, but a pile that creates odor, attracts vermin, or becomes a public nuisance can be enforced under the county's nuisance abatement code.
There is no county watering schedule. In the Truckee Meadows, Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) assigns sprinkler days by address: odd addresses water Wed/Fri/Sun, even addresses Tue/Thu/Sat, never Mondays, and not during midday heat in summer.
Washoe County does not require native plants, but its arid high-desert setting and TMWA's conservation program strongly encourage drought-tolerant, water-wise landscaping. Fire-district defensible-space rules also favor spaced, low-fuel plantings near homes.
Unincorporated Washoe County requires an electronic building permit for residential in-ground, above-ground, spa and hot tub construction, submitted online through OneNV.us with stamped plan sets. A permanent barrier must be installed, inspected and approved before the pool is…
Washoe County requires self-closing, self-latching pedestrian gates that open away from the pool, entrapment protection at suction outlets, and either a safety cover or door alarms where a house wall forms the barrier. Public spas may not exclude supervised children under 12.
Above-ground pools, spas and hot tubs need the same building permit and barrier as in-ground pools. The pool wall itself may serve as the barrier if it is at least 48 inches high; any ladder or steps must be lockable, removable, or separately fenced to block access.
Hot tubs and spas require a building permit and are subject to the same barrier rules as pools, but a spa or hot tub fitted with an ASTM F1346 safety cover is exempt from the ISPSC 305.2–305.7 barrier provisions. Public spas cannot bar supervised children under 12.
An outdoor pool, spa or hot tub in unincorporated Washoe County must be fully enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high, complying with the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code Section 305. The barrier must be installed and approved before the pool is gunited or…
A Washoe County home-based business must be clearly incidental and subordinate to residential use, occupy no more than 33 percent of the principal dwelling's gross floor area, and is limited to one non-resident employee and three business visitors per day. A county license is…
Nevada allows registered cottage food operations to sell non-hazardous homemade foods without a full food-establishment permit. Operators must register with the health authority (Northern Nevada Public Health) before selling, and annual gross cottage-food sales are capped at…
Running child care in a Washoe County home requires a Nevada state license. A licensed family home cares for five to six children; a group home cares for seven to twelve. Care for four or fewer children is generally exempt from licensing under NAC 432A.
Washoe County prohibits any public advertising that calls attention to a dwelling being used for business, except when required by the State of Nevada. Telephone and other listings must not include the dwelling address, though business cards and letterhead may show it.
Washoe County allows home-based businesses in any regulatory zone that permits dwellings, or on any parcel with an existing residential unit, provided the use clearly will not alter the character or appearance of the residential environment. A county business license is required.
A manufactured or modular home built within 6 years of placement may serve as a detached ADU if permanently affixed and converted to real property. A shed or accessory structure cannot be a mobile/manufactured home.
In unincorporated Washoe County, one ADU is allowed per parcel. Attached ADUs need a 5,000 sq ft lot; detached need 12,000 sq ft. Detached units are capped at 1,500 sq ft (800 in Medium Density Suburban).
Detached sheds and accessory structures 12 feet or less in height may sit within required rear and side setbacks if kept at least 5 feet from those property lines. They are never allowed in the front yard setback.
Converting a garage or accessory structure into livable space turns it into a dwelling unit subject to the county's ADU rules. Installing both a kitchen and a toilet automatically makes it a dwelling unit.
Carports and private garages are detached accessory structures under WCC 110.306.10. A private garage on a steep-sloped interior lot may be built to the property line if under 15 feet interior height and Engineering finds no safety or snow-removal conflict.
Under TMFPD's fire code, charcoal and open-flame cooking devices cannot be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Small LP-gas grills (container water capacity 2.5 lbs or less) and one- and two-family homes are exempt.
Backyard smokers and barbecue grills are exempt from the recreational-fire size rule, but the same 10-foot combustible-construction clearance for open-flame cooking devices applies, and during TMFPD fire restrictions only propane, electric, and pellet units may be used.
Setbacks in unincorporated Washoe County depend on the regulatory zone. Common suburban zones require a 30-foot front yard; rural LDR requires 30-foot front, 50-foot side and 30-foot rear yards, per Table 110.406.05.1.
Most residential and rural regulatory zones in unincorporated Washoe County cap building height at 35 feet. Urban and commercial zones allow more (up to 70-80 feet). Accessory structures in setbacks are limited to 12 feet.
Washoe County Development Code caps combined building footprints by regulatory zone: 50% in Medium/High Density Suburban, 25% in Low Density Suburban, 20% HDR, 15% MDR, and 10% (or 80,000 sq ft) in Low Density Rural.
Washoe County Code 50.308(8) makes it a public nuisance to keep building materials, appliances, debris, junk vehicles, or garbage stored outdoors in public view in unincorporated areas, unless screened or otherwise permitted.
In unincorporated Washoe County, letting property fall into disrepair or deterioration that contributes to blight and substantially reduces neighboring property values is a public nuisance under the Nuisance Code (WCC 50.308).
Washoe County has no fixed lawn-height number, but weeds, dead trees, brush trimmings and overgrown vegetation are "debris-refuse-rubbish" and a public nuisance when they harbor vermin, create fire hazard, or diminish nearby property values (WCC 50.308).
Washoe County treats neglected vacant and foreclosed parcels as public nuisances: excessive foliage, standing water breeding mosquitoes, trespassers, and half-built or fire-damaged structures left over six months all violate WCC 50.308.
Washoe County Code sets no countywide garage-sale permit or frequency limit for unincorporated areas; residents run occasional yard sales as an accessory home use. Sale merchandise and signage must not create a public nuisance under WCC 50.308.
Garbage service is mandatory in unincorporated Washoe County, but curbside recycling is an optional service offered through the franchised hauler (Waste Management); the county code mandates garbage subscription, not recycling.
Dumping garbage, waste, or sewage on public or private land is illegal under both Washoe County Code (WCC 90.110) and Nevada law (NRS 444.630); a first offense is a misdemeanor, escalating to a gross misdemeanor with jail for repeat offenders.
Every property owner in the franchised area of unincorporated Washoe County must subscribe to garbage collection with the county's exclusive franchised hauler (Waste Management), unless the Washoe County Health District grants an exemption (WCC 90.037).
Washoe County requires the designated garbage container (max 32 gallons, 75 pounds) to be placed behind the curb or on the edge of the alley by 7:00 a.m. on the regular collection day (WCC 90.060).
Washoe County's franchise covers one designated container weekly; extra garbage, rubbish or waste matter is billed separately (WCC 90.060), and residents may haul bulky items to an approved disposal site under a health-officer exemption.
During an election period there is no limit on the number of political signs or total sign area per site, and no sign permit is required. Individual election signs cannot exceed 128 square feet and may not be illuminated.
Temporary signs like garage-sale and yard-sale signs may not stay on a site more than 10 consecutive days, and at least 90 days must pass between displays. They cannot be illuminated and must avoid prohibited sign areas.
All outdoor light sources must be installed to prevent spillover onto adjoining properties and reflect light away from them. Lighting near residential zones is height-limited, and permanent rotating searchlights are banned.
Outdoor lighting must not spill onto adjoining properties, and reflected glare on nearby buildings, streets, and pedestrian areas must be avoided. Where residential abuts non-residential, interior lighting must be controlled at night.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Washoe County ordinances.