Local Rules Near Downtown Tempe

Tempe's noise code exempts aircraft operated under federal law and FAA air traffic control instructions from every provision of Chapter 20. An aircraft in distress or under an emergency order is likewise exempt, leaving aircraft noise entirely to federal regulation.

Tempe requires a temporary permit from the Special Events Task Force before anyone runs a loudspeaker or sound-amplifying device in a residential zone on public property. Permits are barred outright between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and applications must go to the Special Events Office at least 10 days ahead.

Tempe restricts leaf blowers under general code § 13A-52 rather than banning them outright: you can't blow debris into a public roadway, can't run a blower on unstabilized dirt or gravel, and can't operate one at all during a high pollution advisory for particulate matter, all enforced by county and city dust-control inspectors.

Tempe bars any vehicle sound system, from car stereos to musical instruments, that can be heard 50 feet outside the vehicle or that disturbs anyone nearby. A separate rule blocks late-night vehicle repair and testing noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential areas.

Tempe bars outside construction and repair work outside set daily windows that shift by season and by proximity to residential zones. Concrete pours get the widest window; work near homes starts later. State law now overrides the local hours for permitted general construction between May and October.

Tempe treats a dog's frequent or habitual howling, yelping or barking as a nuisance violation, but City Code § 21-3(b)(19) requires a signed petition from at least two witnesses in separate households before the City can act, unless other evidence already supports enforcement.

Tempe holds short-term rentals to the same traffic-control laws as any home, but a vehicle parking violation at a rental only counts toward the City's three-strikes license suspension threshold if it also poses a serious threat to public health and safety.

Tempe's short-term rental ordinance makes it a civil offense for anyone, including a booking platform, to collect a fee for facilitating a rental that is operating illegally. Section 16A-215(d)-(e) bars payment for facilitating unlawful stays, and Section 16A-219 lets an online lodging marketplace's own sex-offender background check substitute for the owner's, without erasing the owner's liability.

Tempe can suspend a short-term rental license for up to twelve months once an owner racks up three verified violations in a year, or immediately after one serious incident like a felony or a sex offender housed on site. Section 16A-220 sets the suspension triggers, and Section 16A-221 layers escalating civil fines of up to $3,500 per violation on top.

Tempe imposes NO annual or per-stay night cap on short-term rentals. Arizona Revised Statutes § 9-500.39 (SB 1350, expanded by SB 1168) preempts cities from prohibiting STRs or capping the total number of dwelling units used as vacation rentals. Stays under 30 consecutive days are taxed at the combined ~14.07% rate (6.80% city + 7.27% state/county).

Tempe charges $250 for every short-term rental license application or annual renewal, a fee cut 25% for licenses first issued after July 1 of a given year, and conditions the license on proof of a valid state transaction privilege tax license before any booking is accepted.

Tempe requires the owner of a short-term rental to actually live on the property if it contains an accessory dwelling unit whose certificate of occupancy or completion was issued on or after September 14, 2024, closing a workaround where owners rented out both the main house and a detached ADU as separate short-term listings.

Tempe requires short-term rental operators to register with the city and hold an Arizona Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license. Under Arizona state law, cities cannot ban STRs in residential areas but can regulate safety and nuisance aspects. Registration allows the city to contact owners in emergencies.

Arizona law, not a Tempe-specific noise code, controls how far the City can go in regulating short-term rental noise. A.R.S. Section 9-500.39(B)(2) lets Tempe adopt and enforce noise and nuisance ordinances against vacation rentals, but only if the same rules are applied equally to other residential property, not singled out for STRs.

Tempe's STR license ordinance (O2023.01) and Arizona law (ARS 9-500.39) establish the framework for STR insurance. Operators should carry liability insurance as standard homeowner's policies may exclude STR activity. STR platforms provide some host protection, but personal coverage is recommended. The annual $250 license fee helps fund enforcement.

Tempe's STR licensing ordinance (O2023.01) requires compliance with residential use standards. Arizona preemption (ARS 9-500.39) limits city-specific occupancy caps. STR properties must comply with general noise, parking, and nuisance ordinances. STRs cannot be used as party houses or event venues. Neighbor notification is required when obtaining an STR license.

Tempe amended Section R310.6 of its adopted 2024 International Residential Code to require smoke alarms in dwellings to run on permanent building wiring with battery backup, not battery power alone. The Building Safety Division enforces this through the permit and inspection process on new construction, additions and qualifying remodels citywide.

Tempe bans all outdoor fires, including fire pits and other open burning, from May 1 through September 30 each year under general code § 13A-27(a). Outside that window, no outdoor fire may burn during a high pollution advisory or a county-declared restricted burn period, and the only way around the ban is a state-authorized exception or permit under A.R.S. § 49-501.

Tempe prohibits the use, sale, and possession of consumer fireworks within city limits except for limited permissible items around the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve. Only ground-based, non-aerial fireworks like sparklers and fountains are allowed during designated periods.

Tempe curb loading zones exist only for the expeditious loading, unloading, pickup or delivery of goods or passengers, and Section 19-122 caps a stop there at 30 minutes, or 15 minutes for a vehicle using a disability placard to load a passenger.

Painting a curb, sidewalk or any street surface anywhere in Tempe is flatly illegal unless the City Council itself designated that specific painting purpose. Section 19-121(b) also bars anyone but the City from marking a street as parking-restricted in any manner, so a resident's own red-curb paint job is a straight code violation.

Inoperable and abandoned vehicles are code enforcement violations in Tempe. ARS §28-871+ governs on public property.

Parking an RV over 21 feet, a boat, or a trailer on any Tempe street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. is banned under Section 19-139, unless the owner holds a Police Chief-issued permit good for just seven days a year, and none of it may ever be used as a dwelling on the street.

Tempe bans parking a commercial vehicle or trailer over one ton capacity or longer than 21 feet in a residential district, and bans two or more commercial vehicles of any size at the same residential property. City Code § 21-4(a)(1) makes either condition an enumerated nuisance violation.

Tempe regulates on-street parking through posted signs and citywide rules. Vehicles may not park on unpaved surfaces or landscaped areas. Most residential streets allow parking but may have time limits, permit requirements, or restrictions near ASU campus.

Tempe creates residential-only parking blocks under City Code Sections 19-111 and 19-112 when the Traffic Engineer finds a street is significantly impacted by nonresident vehicles. Once the City Council approves a designated area, only vehicles displaying a valid parking permit issued to an adjacent resident may park there during posted hours.

Tempe City Code Section 19-101 bars parking in a marked electric vehicle charging space unless a vehicle is actually charging, and caps that use at six hours or any shorter posted limit. A violation is a civil traffic citation carrying a minimum $350 sanction, one of the steepest parking fines in the general code.

Tempe has no blanket overnight parking curfew, but Section 19-137 bars leaving any vehicle, including a disabled one, on a public street or right-of-way for more than 120 consecutive hours, roughly five days, after which the Police Department can tag and tow it.

Tempe bans parking a camper, vehicle or trailer in the front or side yard, visible from the street, unless it sits on an "improved area" tied to the driveway. City Code § 21-3(b)(4) caps that surface at 35% of the visible yard, requires gravel or crushed rock at least 3 inches deep inside a permanent border, and bans weeds on it.

Tempe exempts a retaining wall from a building permit only if it is 4 feet or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, under City Code Sec. 8-105.2(g); taller walls, or any wall holding back Class I-IIIA liquids, need a permit.

Tempe limits a front-yard fence or wall to 4 feet, rear and side yard walls to 10 feet, 8 feet for single-family homes, and requires a building permit for any fence or wall taller than 7 feet, under Section 4-706(A) of the Zoning and Development Code. A use permit can raise the front-yard cap to 6 feet, plus 2 more feet for architectural features like pergolas.

Tempe caps front-yard walls and fences at 4 feet (6 feet with a use permit) and rear/side yard walls at 10 feet, 8 feet for single-family lots. Any fence or wall over 7 feet triggers a mandatory building permit under the Zoning and Development Code.

Tempe enforces AZ §13-2910 animal cruelty for hoarding. Tempe City Code Ch. 8 limits number of dogs/cats in residential zones; MCACC investigates complaints alongside Tempe PD.

Tempe City Code Sec. 6-30 bars dogs from running at large anywhere in the City, requiring a leash, chain, rope or cord no longer than six feet, with narrow exceptions for livestock-control, hunting, kennel-club or racing dogs.

Tempe City Code Sec. 6-26 requires any cat that bites a person to be confined and quarantined for at least seven days in an authorized pound or, at the owner's expense, a veterinary hospital, and requires the bite to be reported to the county enforcement agent immediately.

Tempe cites keeping or feeding outdoor birds as a nuisance when frequent public defecation from the birds annoys or disturbs a neighborhood. City Code § 21-3(b)(21) requires a petition from at least three witnesses in separate households before the City can act, a higher bar than the two-witness threshold for barking animals.

Tempe treats every animal grooming shop as a cross-connection hazard on the municipal water system. Under the city's 2024 International Plumbing Code amendments, a grooming shop's water service connection must carry a Secondary Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention assembly, the same tier required for veterinary hospitals and morgues, before Public Works will sign off on a building permit for the space.

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code lets a medical, dental or small-animal veterinary clinic operate by right in every commercial, mixed-use and office/industrial district in the city. Animal kennels and boarding operations sit in the same tables but need a discretionary use permit almost everywhere clinics do not.

Tempe City Code Sec. 6-54 bars pet shops and pet dealers from obtaining or selling a dog or cat from anyone unlicensed under the federal Animal Welfare Act or with recent violations, effectively steering retail sales toward pounds and nonprofit shelters.

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code Section 3-404(I) caps hens at six per single-family lot with roosters banned outside the AG district, and caps other small animals at five, while livestock keeping under Section 3-404(B) is calculated by lot size.

Tempe bans wasting water on landscaped property under General Code Section 33-121, and Section 33-122 spells out the irrigation failures that count as waste: broken spray or bubbler heads, leaking drip lines, and unmaintained automatic timers. There is no assigned watering-day schedule; instead Public Works cites and escalates against any sprinkler, drip or misting system that lets water run off the property or into the street.

Tempe caps weeds, uncultivated growth and tall grass at 12 inches on any property where the landscaping is visible from public property. City Code § 21-3(b)(8) also targets substantially dead landscaping, dead trees and stumps, and palm trees with dry fronds hanging more than 8 feet below the lowest living frond.

Tempe requires property owners to trim trees that overhang public rights-of-way to maintain clearance for pedestrians and vehicles. Trees on private property must be maintained to prevent hazards. City-owned trees are maintained by the Parks department.

Trees on private residential property in Tempe can generally be removed without a city permit unless they are protected native species under ARS 3-901. Protected species (saguaro, palo verde, ironwood) require an Arizona Department of Agriculture permit. City street trees cannot be removed by residents. New development must include tree preservation in landscape plans.

Tempe encourages native and desert-adapted landscaping. Arizona's Protected Native Plant Law (ARS 3-901) protects saguaro, palo verde, ironwood, and other native species from removal without state permits. Tempe's development standards require desert-adapted plants in new construction landscape plans. The city supports water conservation through xeriscape design.

Home occupations in Tempe may host only one client or customer vehicle on the property at a time, and clients can visit only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-412(B)(5)(c) and (B)(6) set both limits, and extending the hours requires a discretionary use permit.

Tempe allows a home occupation in any residential dwelling as an accessory use, but only by meeting a fixed list of protective standards rather than through a discretionary permit. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-412 makes any deviation from those standards itself a Code violation.

A Tempe home occupation can post only one sign type. Section 3-412(B)(4) of the Zoning and Development Code restricts home-business signage to 'Sign Type B' under the City's master sign standards in Section 4-903, ruling out storefront-style signs, banners or freestanding pole signs.

Tempe allows in-home child care for up to six children with special-standard approval and a certificate of occupancy in most residential districts, but caring for seven to ten children steps up to a discretionary use permit under the same Section 3-407 standards.

Above-ground pools in Tempe must meet the same barrier requirements as in-ground pools if they hold water deeper than 18 inches. The pool walls may serve as part of the barrier if they meet height requirements and ladders are removable or lockable.

Tempe enforces strict pool barrier requirements aligned with Arizona state law (ARS 36-1681). All pools, hot tubs, and spas with water over 18 inches deep must be enclosed by a barrier at least 5 feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates. Gate latches must be at least 54 inches above grade. The city inspects pool barriers during construction, remodels, and property sales.

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code lets homeowners build a tiny home as an accessory dwelling unit under Section 3-402(F)(4), as long as it sits on a permanent foundation and meets the city's adopted building code for tiny houses. That building code, at Section 8-300, caps a qualifying tiny house at 120 to 400 square feet.

Tempe allows one attached and one detached ADU on any residential lot under an acre, capped at 1,000 square feet of habitable area or 75 percent of the main house, whichever is smaller. Larger lots get a bigger unit and a possible third ADU tied to affordability.

A third ADU on a Tempe lot of an acre or more is allowed only if one of the three units is deed-restricted to renters earning up to 80 percent of area median income. The owner must record the restriction before permits issue and file an annual compliance report or face civil sanctions or forfeiture.

Tempe draws the line between a permit-free accessory structure and a regulated accessory building at 200 square feet or 8 feet in height. Anything larger must sit at least 3 feet from side and rear lines, gain a foot of setback for every foot of height above 9 feet, and top out at 15 feet.

Tempe's Fire Code bans charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices, including propane grills, on balconies or within 10 feet of any structure. The rule targets apartments and condos with shared walls and combustible exteriors; one- and two-family houses are exempt, so a single-family backyard grill is unaffected.

Tempe's Fire Code bans operating charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on balconies or within 10 feet of any structure, under Fire Code Section 308.5 of City Code Chapter 14. The rule targets multi-family buildings; one- and two-family dwellings are fully exempt, so a house with a yard can run a charcoal smoker against the exterior wall. The Fire Medical Rescue Department enforces it.

Tempe bans discharging anything but storm water into the public storm drain system under Chapter 12, Article VI of the general code. Section 12-115 sets the purpose: cutting pollutants from spills, dumping, and improper storage to meet the City's federal Clean Water Act and state AZPDES storm water permits, with the Public Works Director enforcing prohibitions, inspections, and civil penalties up to $2,500 per violation per day.

Any grading, construction, fill, or manufactured-home placement inside a Special Flood Hazard Area shown on Tempe's FEMA flood maps needs a floodplain permit from the City Engineer before Community Development issues a building permit. Tempe City Code § 12-16 frames flood-loss prevention as the article's purpose, and § 12-27 spells out what the permit application must show, including lowest-floor elevation and floodproofing certification for non-residential buildings.

Tempe requires new construction in a Special Flood Hazard Area to sit at or above the Regulatory Flood Elevation (RFE), a City-only standard one foot higher than FEMA's base flood elevation. Tempe City Code § 12-18 defines the RFE, and § 12-29(3)(a) requires residential lowest floors, including basements, to be elevated to or above it, with a registered engineer or surveyor certifying the finished elevation to the Floodplain Administrator.

Anyone doing construction work in Tempe must use temporary and permanent best management practices to keep pollutants and sediment from leaving the site, under general code § 12-128. The rule folds into the City's broader storm water program: builders can't cause a § 12-125 discharge violation and must follow any written BMP guidance from the Public Works Director or Community Development Director, with a ten-day window to petition for reconsideration.

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code channels commercial marijuana uses into a short list of zoning districts. A medical marijuana dispensary or marijuana establishment without a cultivation component may locate only in the CSS, CC, PCC-1, PCC-2, RCC or LID districts, while a dispensary paired with cultivation, plus stand-alone cultivation or infusion facilities, is confined to the GID and HID industrial districts under Section 3-426(B).

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code keeps marijuana dispensaries and marijuana establishments away from sensitive uses under Section 3-426(B)(1). A dispensary cannot sit within 1,500 feet of a childcare facility or school, within 1,320 feet of a place of worship, park, library or residential district, or within 5,280 feet, one mile, of another dispensary. The Community Development Department verifies these distances before issuing a use acceptance letter.

Arizona law (Proposition 207 / ARS 36-2852) permits adults 21+ to grow up to 6 cannabis plants per person (12 per household with 2+ adults) for personal use. Plants must be in an enclosed, locked area not visible from public spaces. Tempe cannot prohibit home cultivation under state preemption but enforces nuisance provisions for odor and other impacts. Landlords may prohibit cultivation in lease agreements.

Tempe prohibits freestanding changeable-copy signs and flashing, animated, or intermittently illuminated signs citywide, except for the narrow list of permitted sign types spelled out in the sign code's table of permitted signs.

Tempe only allows a freeway-facing freestanding sign, Sign Type E, on parcels within 300 feet of freeway right-of-way and at least 500 feet from any single-family use, and only under a City Council development agreement that sets its size and design.

Tempe caps window signs, Sign Type M, at 25% of a window's total area in commercial, industrial, and mixed-use districts, requires no permit, but bars placement above the ground floor without Development Plan approval.

Arizona law (ARS 16-1019) protects the right to display political signs on residential property. Tempe cannot prohibit political signs on private property within reasonable size limits. Signs may generally be placed 60 days before an election and must be removed 15 days after. HOAs cannot prohibit political signs within the statutory time period.

Tempe requires every owner of vacant land to control dust by stabilizing unpaved ground or installing City-approved physical barriers that block vehicle access. City Code § 13A-54(c), part of the dust control article, sits alongside a parallel duty on developed sites to stabilize parking and driveway areas.

Tempe's building official can order any structurally unsafe, unsanitary or fire-hazard building repaired or demolished under City Code Sec. 8-116. Owners get a written notice, must respond within 48 hours, and must finish repairs or demolition within 90 days or face City-ordered abatement billed back to the property.

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code caps on-site lighting at 40 foot-candles and classifies fixtures by cutoff type: full-cutoff fixtures can use any output up to that cap, while non-cutoff fixtures are limited to 1,700 or 600 lumens depending on lens material.

Tempe limits spillover light at a property line adjacent to a single-family district to 0.5 foot-candle, and bars lighting next to a residential use from spilling over onto that use at all, under the Zoning and Development Code's lighting chapter.

Tempe requires lighting fixtures that illuminate an outdoor advertising sign (billboard) to be mounted on top of the sign structure and to comply with the same shielding standards that govern every other exterior fixture in the city.

Tempe's Rental Housing Code (Secs. 21-31 to 21-38) sets minimum sanitary, electrical, heating/cooling, ventilation, safety and maintenance standards for every rental unit, including a 70-degree minimum heat and dead-bolt locks on exterior doors. The Community Development Department enforces these standards through inspection, notice to comply and, if needed, civil or criminal citation.

Owners of residential rental property in Tempe must file contact and ownership information with the Maricopa County Assessor under City Code Sec. 21-25 and update it within ten days of any change. A rental cannot lawfully be occupied while that filing is missing, and noncompliance draws a $1,000 civil penalty plus $100 for every month it continues.

Anyone who wants to maintain a recycling container within Tempe, from bottle-and-can bins to donation-style drop points, must first get an annual permit from the Public Works Department under City Code Section 28-71. Operating an unpermitted container is unlawful, and a noncompliant one can be impounded.

Tempe requires trash, recycling and green-organics carts at the front curb, lids facing the street, no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup and off the curb by 8 p.m. the day of collection. Blocking the sidewalk or leaving a cart out late can bring a City relocation charge.

Commercial dumpsters and roll-off boxes in Tempe must stay painted, clean and marked with the hauling contractor's name and phone number, and Public Works decides both how many containers a business needs and where they can sit, favoring an inconspicuous spot over a visible one.

Dumping garbage or solid waste on any Tempe street, alley, or private lot is a City Code violation, not just a mess. Section 28-57 bans depositing garbage or solid waste on streets, alleys, or premises outside the chapter's collection methods, and Section 28-51 bars hazardous waste, septic contents, and uncontained items left more than ten days before pickup. Violators face fines up to $2,500 under the Code's general penalty section.

Commercial haulers can't pull trash from a business or industrial property within 500 feet of a home between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Section 28-41 also gives a contractor just eight working hours to answer a City service call before Tempe can step in and double-bill the company.

Tempe runs a closed collection system: only the City or a contractor it has licensed may pick up solid waste anywhere in the city. Residential customers can't simply cancel service either, unless a narrow state-law exemption applies, so most households stay on the municipal or licensed-hauler roll.

Tempe bans putting anything but recyclables into a recycling container and bans leaving material outside one. City Code Section 28-74 backs the City's definition of 'contamination,' the deposit of garbage or non-collectible items in a green organics or recycling bin, which can bring code enforcement.

Bulky items and brush that won't fit in a City cart go curbside as 'uncontained items,' capped at ten cubic yards and no earlier than ten days before the scheduled pickup week. Tree trimmings must be cut to 48 inches and stacked; leaving a pile out too early draws a Public Works notice.

Commercial drone operations in Tempe are primarily regulated by the FAA under Part 107 rules. Operators need a Remote Pilot Certificate. Tempe is near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, making much of the city fall within controlled airspace requiring LAANC authorization. Arizona law (ARS 13-3729) preempts most local drone regulation. The city cannot impose flight bans beyond federal law.

Selling food from a cart, stand or vehicle on a Tempe sidewalk, right-of-way or city-owned property is unlawful unless the vendor holds a permit under City Code Chapter 24. Vending under the guise of a donation drive with a de facto minimum price is treated the same as an unpermitted sale.

Tempe bans mobile food vending from vehicles on arterial streets and inside the downtown core bounded by Farmer, College, University and Tempe Town Lake, and bars sales in public parks or on city property except through a City-run bid process, per Sec. 24-29 of the City Code.

Operating a food truck in Tempe requires a mobile merchant permit under Section 24-26, plus an identification card for each worker, $1 million in liability insurance, and Tempe Police fingerprinting under Section 24-27. Trucks also face location, hour and school-proximity restrictions under Section 24-29.

Going door-to-door in Tempe to sell goods or services requires a solicitor's or door-to-door seller's permit under Section 24-71, backed by a Tempe Police fingerprint check, and anyone unable to meet the door-to-door seller's bonding rules must qualify as a solicitor instead. Fees are set annually by City Council.

Tempe closes every city park, playground and golf course to the public between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Section 23-36 of the City Code, unless a park is posted otherwise. Parks with working area or athletic lighting stay open until midnight instead, and being on the grounds during closed hours requires written permission from the Community Services Director's designee.

Tempe City Code Sec. 22-8 bars minors under 16 from public places between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and 16- to 17-year-olds between midnight and 5 a.m., unless a listed exception applies. Parents or guardians who knowingly allow a violation, or who refuse to retrieve a detained minor, are separately liable.

Tempe caps single-family and agricultural building height at 30 feet across the AG, R1-15, R1-10, R1-8, R1-7, R1-6 and R1-5 districts, rising to 35 feet in R1-4, under Table 4-202A of Section 4-202. A use permit can add another 10% on top of the table figure, and Section 4-205(A) lists specific exceptions to the flat cap.

Tempe caps how much of a single-family or agricultural lot a building can cover under Table 4-202A of Section 4-202. The AG district holds development to 25% of net site area, while every R1 district from R1-15 down to R1-6 allows up to 45% lot coverage; a use permit can raise that cap by another 10 percentage points, per the table's Use Permit Standard column.

Tempe's Table 4-202A sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks for every agricultural and single-family district. Front building setbacks run from 40 feet in the AG district down to 15 feet in R1-PAD, side setbacks shrink from 20 feet to as little as 5 feet, and rear setbacks range from 35 feet to 15 feet, with a use permit able to reduce any of them by 20%.

Anyone planting or landscaping in a Tempe public right-of-way or park must follow the City's standard planting specifications adopted by Council resolution, and trees planted in the right-of-way (parkways) must come from the Arizona Department of Water Resources' Low Water Using Plant List. A Public Works Director permit is required before planting, moving, or removing any tree or shrub there.

Tempe protects significant trees through its landscape standards in the Zoning and Development Code. Arizona's Protected Native Plant Law (ARS 3-901) protects native desert trees statewide. During development review, Tempe requires tree preservation plans for significant existing trees. Mature shade trees are increasingly valued for urban heat island mitigation.

Tempe caps garage sales at five days per six-month period per property and restricts hours to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. City Code § 21-4(a)(4) also bans selling merchandise bought for resale, rather than personal used items, at any residential garage sale.

Tempe requires a film permit from the Community Services Film Office before shooting commercial photo, video or motion-picture content on City-owned buildings, parks, streets or rights-of-way, unless the crew uses only a hand-held camera or tripod without claiming exclusive use of the property.

Tempe's amended 2024 Fire Code requires an automatic sprinkler system throughout every Group R residential fire area, covering apartments, condos and assisted-living buildings. Detached one- and two-family homes and R-3 townhomes of 5,000 square feet or less are excepted from the mandate.

Tempe requires every permitted project to pass staged inspections by the Building Safety Division before work can continue or a building can be occupied. Permit holders must request each inspection, keep the site accessible, and post an inspection record card on site under City Code Sec. 8-110.

Tempe adopted the 2024 International Plumbing Code by reference under general code § 8-600, and § 8-105.1 of the Tempe Administrative Code requires a permit before installing, altering, or replacing any plumbing system, issued by the Building Official after plan review. Minor repairs like clearing a stoppage or fixing a leak without replacing pipe or fixtures are exempt under § 8-105.2.

Tempe requires a discretionary Use Permit before any existing single-story, single-family home can add, expand or rebuild a second story. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-420 puts second-story additions, including detached structures like play structures, through public Use Permit review.

Tempe adopted the 2024 International Green Construction Code as Article XI of City Code Chapter 8, but Sec. 8-1100 makes its use optional unless a separate ordinance specifically requires it. The code is an overlay document only: it is not a standalone construction regulation, and the city does not issue building permits under it.

Tempe's amendment to Section R311.6 of its adopted 2024 International Residential Code requires carbon monoxide alarms in dwellings to draw primary power from the building's wiring, with battery backup only, not battery power alone. The Tempe Building Safety Division checks this at the permit and inspection stage for new construction and qualifying remodels.

Tempe adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code by Tempe City Code § 8-800, and its Article 90 amendments make it unlawful to connect any electrical installation to a power supply without the required permit and inspections. The Building Official administers approvals, rough-in checks and final energization sign-off.

Tempe requires a building official-issued permit under City Code Sec. 8-105 before constructing, altering, moving or demolishing a building, or before touching its electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, with permits applied for through the online portal.

Tempe requires a Police Chief-issued permit before anyone can hold a parade or motorcade on a public street, sidewalk, or alley, and bars issuing one for a purely commercial, for-profit advertising event. City Code Section 19-43 sets a 30-day advance application deadline and lets the Chief deny or revoke a permit over traffic disruption or public safety.

Restaurants and bars in Tempe can't just set tables on the sidewalk: outdoor seating first needs a minor Development Plan Review, and any seating placed in the public right-of-way needs a separate encroachment permit and right-of-way permit from the City Engineer. Section 3-425 sets the process and physical standards.

Any festival, carnival, parade or fair on City-owned property in Tempe needs a temporary special event permit under City Code Sec. 5-2 before it can operate, with the promoter applying at least 60 days ahead and paying a non-refundable application fee.

Tempe waives its separate commercial film permit when a shoot's activity already requires a special events permit under City Code Section 5-2 or a facility reservation, so producers combining filming with a staged event do not have to obtain two City permits for the same activity.

Reserving any part of a Tempe city park or bringing beer into one requires a Park and Building Use Permit from the Community Services Department under Section 23-56. Permits carry fees, deposits and capacity limits, and Section 23-57 lets the City revoke a permit for any code or rule violation.

A Tempe block party, festival or other outdoor public gathering that uses City-owned streets or right-of-way needs a special event permit under City Code Section 5-2, filed at least 60 days ahead with a non-refundable fee; holding the event without one is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Tempe requires a City Engineer permit or license before anyone builds, places, or maintains anything in a public right-of-way. Section 29-19 splits temporary encroachments like awnings and signs, which need an encroachment permit, from permanent ones like buildings or wireless facilities, which need a license, and working without either adds an investigation fee.

Tempe puts the duty to keep sidewalks in good repair on the adjacent property owner, not the City. Section 29-2 requires everyone to keep the sidewalk fronting their premises, plus the strip between the curb and right-of-way, free of grass, weeds, and rubbish and in good repair.

Blocking a Tempe street, alley, or sidewalk with anything that hinders its free use is illegal under City Code Section 29-21. The City Engineer can grant written, temporary exceptions for construction work or building moves, but even a permitted obstruction cannot stay longer than needed, and general obstructions default to the Code's $2,500 general penalty.

Tempe has no bar-specific decibel table; bar and nightclub noise is judged under the general "unnecessary noise" nuisance standard in the noise chapter, weighing 14 listed factors including proximity to residential sleeping areas and the time of night.

Tempe's noise chapter exempts properly functioning air-conditioning equipment from the city's noise regulations entirely. As long as a unit runs to manufacturer specifications and is in proper operating condition, it cannot be cited under Chapter 20, even if a neighbor finds it loud.

Tempe's Community Development Director inspects rental housing units under City Code Sec. 21-24 to check compliance with the Rental Housing Code's sanitary, electrical and safety standards. Owners, agents, managers and tenants must allow access on reasonable notice, and a unit found in violation cannot be reoccupied until it is reinspected and cleared.

Tempe bans planting several tree species in its public rights-of-way outright. Section 29-46 outlaws most eucalyptus and elm varieties, ficus nitida, willow, cottonwood, and poplar, plus any new planting or replacement of pollen-producing olive or mulberry trees, regardless of how much water they use.

Tempe's AG district permits farming, livestock and apiaries by right or use permit under fixed density formulas: one horse or cow per 6,000 square feet of net lot area, up to 24 animals total, and bee hives set back 200 feet from any neighboring dwelling.

Camping on any public property in Tempe, including parks, sidewalks, rights-of-way and mountain preserves, is unlawful under Section 23-91 unless the area is specifically authorized for camping or the camper holds a permit. The article expressly states it is not meant to criminalize homelessness itself, only the conduct of camping.

Tempe bans sitting or lying on a public sidewalk or median in the downtown Central Commercial District between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on weekends, under Section 29-70. A first offense is a $100 civil fine; a second within twelve months becomes a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Tempe classifies electric standup and miniature scooters as 'non-human powered vehicles,' a category barred outright from City parking structures, City parks except designated paths, and City preserves. Section 19-214(i) also requires written permission before riding one across private property, on top of the general bike-lane traffic rules in Article XVI.

Tempe treats a single class of electric bicycle: a two- or three-wheeled bike with working pedals and a motor of 750 watts or less that tops out at 20 mph on motor power alone. City Code Section 19-212(E) shuts off sidewalk riding while the motor is engaged, and Section 19-214 caps speed at 28 mph in a bike lane or street.

Tempe's general code sets direction-of-travel and right-of-way rules for bike lanes and sidewalks. Riders must travel with vehicular traffic on the roadway side where the lane sits, yield to pedestrians, and slow to 5 mph when passing. Violations are civil traffic tickets with a mandatory $100 minimum fine.

Tempe confines data centers to the MU-Ed, General Industrial and Heavy Industrial zoning districts, and only with an approved use permit under the Zoning and Development Code. Buildings must sit at least 500 feet from any residential use, and generators must be fully enclosed to control noise reaching neighboring properties.

Tempe's Zoning and Development Code requires data center generators to sit inside an enclosed, ventilated building specifically to cut noise reaching neighbors, and keeps data center buildings themselves at least 500 feet from any residential use or residential district under Section 3-429(B). The rule applies only in the MU-ED, GID and HID districts where data centers are allowed with a use permit.

Tempe classifies crypto currency mining and processing operations as data centers under its Zoning and Development Code. That means a crypto mining facility can only open in the MU-ED, GID or HID zoning districts and needs a use permit approved by the city before it can operate.

Tempe's General Code makes it illegal to let a water leak run once you should reasonably have discovered it. Section 33-123 prohibits permitting the excess use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or malfunctioning plumbing for any period after the escape should reasonably have been found and fixed, and the City enforces it through the same notice-and-surcharge ladder used for irrigation waste.

Tempe caps how much turf and other thirsty landscaping a new development can plant. Section 4-702(B)(1) of the Zoning and Development Code limits water-intensive landscape, including turf, water features and bodies of water, to 20% of landscapable area beyond the first 10,000 square feet, 20,000 for hotels, with schools, parks and golf courses of 10 acres or more exempt.

Tempe makes it a nuisance violation to let insects or rodents, bees, wasps, mice, rats or roaches, build up on any property in numbers that threaten public health or safety. City Code § 21-3(b)(20) covers every parcel citywide, and rental housing carries an extra duty under § 21-38(n) to stay free of infestation and its telltale signs.

Tempe hotels pay two stacked privilege taxes on room charges: the standard 1.8% business activity tax under Section 16-444, plus an additional 5% transient lodging tax under Section 16-447 charged only on stays by transients. Together they push the local hotel tax rate to 6.8% of room revenue.

Tempe designates individually significant buildings, sites and entire neighborhoods as landmarks, historic properties or historic districts under Chapter 14A, using criteria tied to age, historical association and visual character. Once designated, alteration, new construction or demolition all require Historic Preservation Commission review before a City permit issues.

Private towing carriers who tow vehicles from Tempe private property without the owner's consent must have written permission from the property owner or a law enforcement request under Section 32-5, notify police before towing, and charge no more than the fees Council sets by resolution. Violating the consent rule carries a $250 to $1,000 civil fine.

Every store that sells cigarettes, vape products, or other tobacco items in Tempe needs an annual $300 tobacco sales license from the Tax and License Division before making a single sale. City Code Section 16A-248 requires the license and mandatory retailer training, and Section 16A-253 escalates penalties up to license revocation for repeat underage-sale violations.

Tempe's home occupation rule flatly excludes motor vehicle repair from the businesses a resident may run out of a house. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-412(B)(7) names 'motor vehicle repairing' among the handful of uses a home occupation can never include, so a driveway or garage repair shop is a zoning violation regardless of licensing.

Tempe requires a City license to operate a massage establishment, sets minimum facility standards for lighting, ventilation and separate dressing areas, bans services between midnight and 6:00 a.m., and makes it unlawful to touch a client's genitals or administer massage for sexual gratification.

Tempe requires every adult-oriented business, from adult retail stores and cabarets to video arcades, motels, theaters and nude model studios, to hold a license from the City's Licensing Officer, and confines them to the GID and HID zoning districts at least 1,320 feet from schools, churches, libraries, playgrounds, liquor bars and residential districts.

Tempe requires anyone operating as a pawnbroker to hold an annual license from the Financial Services Director, backed by a Police Chief background check and fingerprinting. Pawned items must be reported to police within 24 hours and held 20 days before resale, though redemptions by the original owner are exempt from that holding period.

Tempe tattoo and body piercing shops need a Use Permit and must clear strict distance buffers: 1,320 feet from another tattoo or piercing shop, and 500 feet from any residential district or K-12 school. Zoning and Development Code Section 3-424 sets both the spacing and sanitation requirements.

Tempe requires anyone buying, selling or trading secondhand goods, jewelry or precious metals to hold an annual license from the Financial Services Director. Automated buyback kiosks are exempt from the definition entirely, while licensed shops must report most transactions to police and hold items 20 days before resale.

Tempe bans blocking streets, alleys, sidewalks or parks under City Code Sec. 22-4, making it a Class 1 misdemeanor to obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic or block access to a business or residence. The law exempts lawful speech and assembly and does not reach government agencies, City employees or utility crews doing their jobs.

Tempe bans smoking outdoors in its desert preserves, like the Papago Park and South Mountain-area preserves, under City Code Sec. 23-111(a)(20): 'No smoking shall be permitted in the preserve.' The Zoning and Development Code plays no role here; this is a Chapter 23 parks-and-recreation rule enforced as a civil offense under Sec. 23-132.

Tempe bans smoking or consuming marijuana anywhere on city-owned property, in any open space such as parks, sidewalks and rights-of-way, or in any public place under the Smoke Free Arizona Act definition. City Code Chapter 22A applies "to the fullest extent allowable by law," also covering sale, cultivation, manufacture and storage of marijuana on municipal property.

Possessing or drinking spirituous liquor in any Tempe city park is prohibited outright under Section 23-45. Only malt beverages qualify for personal consumption, and only with a one-day permit from the Community Services Department; the ban must be posted at every park entrance, and violators face a misdemeanor.

Tempe City Code Sec. 5-32 lets police cite any responsible person, including a host, tenant or landlord, at a nuisance party threatening public peace, health, safety or welfare, and bills a rising police service fee for repeat responses to the same address.

Tempe bans soliciting money "in an aggressive manner" anywhere in public and sets 15-foot no-solicitation buffers around banks, ATMs, bus stops and transit stops under Section 24-116. Aggressive conduct includes touching, blocking someone's path, following after a refusal, or threatening language, and a violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Tempe City Code Sec. 22-13 bans urinating or defecating on any public or private property outside a toilet facility, citywide. It is charged as a petty offense capped at a $300 fine per violation, not a misdemeanor, and has been on the books since 1992.

Outside Tempe's central business district, pedestrians crossing mid-block must yield to all vehicles; inside it, Section 19-151 requires using a marked or unmarked crosswalk at all, making an unmarked mid-block crossing downtown an outright violation rather than just a yield obligation.

Tempe taxes local businesses under a privilege (sales) tax system in Chapter 16 that sorts gross income into specific classifications, from advertising and amusements to retail sales and hotels, each carrying its own rate. Most classifications run 1.8%, and every dollar of gross income is presumed taxable unless the business proves otherwise.