Lima, OH

Lima requires every fence to be structurally sound, installed workmanlike from standard fence materials acceptable to the City Engineer, attractively finished on both sides, and kept…

For fences on a shared property line, Ohio's line-fence law (ORC Chapter 971) governs. Adjoining owners may agree in writing that no fence is needed or divide the fence differently…

Lima allows standard fence materials that are structurally sound and acceptable to the City Engineer, but bans electrified, barbed-wire, razor-blade and coil fencing near streets…

Lima regulates fences under zoning Ordinance 1262.02 rather than a standalone height permit, but any fence must be built and maintained to City Engineer standards, and the Engineer can…

Lima has no fixed clock-based quiet hours. Instead, Codified Ordinance 648.20 bans any 'noise disturbance' that crosses a property boundary at any hour, day or night, judged by whether…

Lima Codified Ordinance 648.20 prohibits operating radios, loudspeakers, and sound-reproduction devices so as to create a noise disturbance across a property boundary, in or about a…

Loud car stereos are cited under Lima Ordinance 648.20. Exhaust and muffler noise is controlled by Ohio Revised Code 4513.22, which requires every vehicle and motorcycle to have a…

Persistent barking or animal noise that disturbs neighbors is enforceable in Lima as a 'noise disturbance' under Codified Ordinance 648.20. Ohio Revised Code 955.22 separately requires…

Ohio does not set numeric statewide industrial noise limits, but Ohio EPA permitting and nuisance law apply universally to industrial facilities regardless of municipal boundaries.

Lima limits residential RV, trailer and watercraft parking. Recreational vehicles and boats must sit on an approved hard surface or in the rear yard, not on lawns or the treelawn…

In Lima, if a driveway exists, residential vehicles must be parked on it, not on the lawn. Codified Ordinance 1806.14 requires parking on an approved hard surface and prohibits parking…

Lima declares junk motor vehicles on private property a public nuisance under Codified Ordinance 1806.16. Ohio law (ORC 4513.63) also treats vehicles left 48 hours or longer on public…

Lima limits large-vehicle storage at homes. Under Codified Ordinance 1806.14, only one oversized recreational or commercial vehicle may sit in a residential rear yard, on an approved…

R.C. 4513.601 governs only private-lot tows a property owner orders without police involvement; it does not reach police-ordered tows off residential or farm land, which fall under the…

Lima requires every owner of a non-owner-occupied housing unit inside the city to obtain and maintain a Rental Housing Unit Registration Certificate under Codified Ordinances Chapter…

Lima sets NO annual night cap or maximum number of rental days for short-term rentals. Because the City has no STR ordinance, a registered rental may operate year-round. The only…

Short-term stays in Lima are taxed as lodging. The City levies a Hotel-Motel Tax under Codified Ordinances Chapter 890 (authorized by Ohio R.C. 5739.02(C)), and Allen County levies a…

Recreational fires (campfires) are allowed in Lima. Fuel must be clean, seasoned firewood stacked no larger than 2 feet high by 3 feet wide, and the fire must sit at least 25 feet from…

Lima sits inside a 'restricted area,' so open burning is tightly limited. Burning residential trash or garbage is prohibited. Burning yard waste (limbs, brush, leaves, clippings) is…

Lima did NOT opt out of Ohio's 2022 fireworks law. Residents may discharge 1.4G consumer fireworks on state-designated holidays only, on private property you own or have permission to…

The Ohio State Fire Marshal adopts NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code through OAC 1301:7-7 and licenses LPG installations statewide, providing uniform propane storage and handling…

Ohio Revised Code 1503.18 bans open-air fires outside municipal limits between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. during March, April, May, October, and November: the state's peak spring and fall…

Lima requires every dog off its owner's property to be on a leash no greater than 20 feet in public places or on another person's premises. Loose dogs are cited under the…

Lima has no separate cat-licensing law, but cats are covered by the general animal regulations: they may not be kept so as to create offensive odors or unsanitary conditions, and any…

Lima prohibits keeping farm animals or fowl inside the city unless the owner has at least two acres of land where they are kept. Cattle, horses, goats, pigs, and similar livestock are…

Lima specifically regulates pit bulls: off the owner's premises they must be securely leashed (max 6 feet) and muzzled or otherwise restrained. Only one may be walked at a time, and…

Lima flatly prohibits keeping or harboring any wild animal within the city. Dangerous wild animals are separately banned statewide under Ohio's Dangerous Wild Animal Act, so exotic…

Lima's Codified Ordinances set no fixed numeric cap on dogs or cats per household. Instead, ownership is limited by the nuisance rule barring animals kept so as to create offensive…

Ohio law makes every beekeeper register each apiary with the Ohio Department of Agriculture by June 1, and every hive must have removable frames so the state apiary inspector can check…

Ohio does not ban feeding wildlife everywhere. The statewide rule that exists, Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-9-01(P), applies only on land the Division of Wildlife owns, controls or…

Branches of shade or ornamental trees on private property may not grow within 16 feet of the street grade. Lower-hanging branches are declared a nuisance, and the abutting owner must…

No permit is needed to remove a healthy tree on your own private property. Planting or removing trees in the public right-of-way requires City Engineer approval under Chapter 1028, and…

Lima has no ordinance banning native or naturalized landscaping. Cultivated flowers and gardens are exempt from the weed rules, but any planting must still meet the 8-inch height and…

In Lima, owners and occupants must keep their premises free of grass and weeds over eight inches tall, and free of all noxious or harmful weeds and vines. After a written notice, weeds…

Lima has no ordinance banning backyard composting. A tidy compost pile is allowed, but rotting, odorous, or rubbish-strewn accumulations can be cited as a nuisance under the Property…

Ohio Revised Code 3701.344 and Ohio Administrative Code 3701-28 expressly allow rainwater collection for private water systems, with health department approval required for potable use.

Ohio's Cottage Food Law lets Lima residents make and sell certain lower-risk foods from home without a food license, under the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Only foods on ODA's list…

In-home child care in Lima is licensed by the state under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5104, administered by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). A 'Type B' family child care…

Ohio never created a microenterprise home kitchen permit, so there is nothing to apply for. It solved the same problem from the other end, by exempting home cooking from the food…

In Lima, an accessory building under 240 square feet must sit in the rear yard and be at least five feet from the side and rear lot lines. Larger accessory buildings and garages follow…

Ohio Revised Code 3781.10 makes the Residential Code of Ohio mandatory statewide, but Ohio has not adopted the tiny house appendix (IRC Appendix Q), so small dwellings must meet the…

The City of Lima requires a permit from the Lima-Allen County Building Department to install any swimming pool, spa, or hot tub holding water over 24 inches deep. Applications need…

Lima requires a barrier at least 48 inches above grade around any pool over 24 inches deep, with a maximum 2-inch gap at the ground. The City adopts CABO Appendix F for barrier design…

In Lima's residential districts the front building line sits back from the street a distance equal to twenty percent of lot depth, but not less than thirty feet, and rear yards must be…

Lima regulates maximum building height through its Height Districts (Chapter 1258, Sections 1258.01-1258.02) applied over each zoning district. Accessory buildings are separately…

Lima controls residential density by lot area rather than a flat coverage percentage: Class I requires 4,800 sq ft per family (interior lot), Class II requires 2,400 sq ft, and Class…

Barbecue grilling is allowed in Lima. Grills and barbecue pits are exempt from the open-burning rules (they are not 'open burning'). The main restriction is Ohio Fire Code: at…

Lima can post, close and secure vacant or unsecured structures as public nuisances. Chronically neglected vacant parcels are placed on a Specified Parcel List for seasonal cutting…

Lima's Property Maintenance Code requires all exterior property be kept clean, safe and sanitary. Premises littered with rubbish or garbage, or with uncontrolled weed growth, or in…

Ohio common law gives abutting property owners no general duty to remove natural snow accumulation, though municipalities may impose statutory sidewalk-clearing duties locally.

Lima's Property Maintenance Code bars storing garbage, brush, discarded articles and junk outside on any premises except where zoning allows. Brush and branch clippings for collection…

Lima's Utilities Department provides weekly curbside collection of garbage, recycling and yard waste. All garbage and refuse must be placed in standard containers; brush and branch…

In Lima, garbage containers may not be set at the curb or right-of-way earlier than 6:00 p.m. the day before collection and must be removed by 6:00 p.m. the day after. Otherwise…

Dumping litter on public property, on land you don't own, or in Ohio's waters is illegal statewide under Ohio Revised Code 3767.32. In Lima, dumping garbage, junk or discarded…

Ohio has no statute forcing residents to recycle, but Revised Code 3734.53 requires every county's solid waste management district to run recycling and waste-reduction programs meeting…

Lima's public parks are open to the public between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. daily; no one may be in a park outside those hours except for a scheduled Parks & Recreation activity. A…

Lima's zoning code has no separate garage-sale-sign section. In residential districts, temporary signs such as 'For sale,' 'For lease' and 'For rent' are limited to twelve square feet…

Ohio Revised Code Section 3517.20 universally requires identification disclaimers on political campaign signs, while ORC 5589.33 prohibits placing signs in the rights-of-way of public…

Ohio requires retailers selling vapor products to hold a state license and comply with age-verification, packaging, and tax requirements under Title 57.

Ohio law caps the state at 400 licensed marijuana dispensaries and, since March 20, 2026, bars the Division of Cannabis Control from licensing or relocating any dispensary within one…

Ohio's adult-use marijuana law, approved by Issue 2 in 2023 and now codified in ORC Chapter 3796, lets adults twenty-one and older grow up to six marijuana plants each, twelve per…

Ohio Revised Code 4561.51, effective April 2025, makes it a state offense to fly a commercial drone in violation of FAA rules, and adds criminal penalties for interfering with…

Ohio lets you fly a recreational drone as long as you follow the FAA, but Revised Code 4561.51, effective April 9, 2025, adds state teeth: you cannot disrupt police, firefighters, or…

Ohio's constitutional minimum wage (Article II Section 34a) sets a state floor that adjusts annually with inflation, while ORC 4111.02 limits local action.

Ohio Senate Bill 331 added ORC 4113.85 preempting local paid sick leave, fringe benefit, and scheduling mandates on private employers statewide.

Ohio law preempts local predictive scheduling, fair workweek, and similar shift-notice ordinances, leaving employer scheduling unregulated by state mandate.

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1506 grants the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management exclusive authority over Lake Erie shore structures, erosion areas, and…

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1521 designates the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Water Resources as the state coordinating agency for the National Flood Insurance…

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 6111 grants the Ohio EPA exclusive authority to regulate stormwater discharges to waters of the state under the federal NPDES program, establishing universal…

Ohio allows permitless concealed carry for qualifying adults aged 21 and over while still issuing concealed handgun licenses for reciprocity and other benefits.

Ohio Revised Code 9.68 preempts local firearm ordinances, reserving authority over firearms regulation almost entirely to the state legislature.

Ohio Revised Code 2923.16 governs how loaded and unloaded firearms may be transported in motor vehicles, with statewide rules preempting local conflicts.

Ohio licenses all food trucks as Mobile Food Service Operations through local health districts under uniform state rules in ORC Chapter 3717 and OAC Chapter 3717-1.

Ohio pre-fills four design criteria for the whole state, 115 mph wind speed, severe weathering, moderate to heavy termite risk and required ice barrier underlayment, and delegates the…

Ohio does not set a statewide frost line depth. The Residential Code of Ohio leaves that column blank and directs each jurisdiction to fill in its own minimum footing depth.

Ohio leaves the ground snow load column of its design criteria table blank, directing each jurisdiction to fill it in from the ground snow load figure in the code.

Ohio's constitution, not any city zoning code, fixes where casinos can operate. Article XV, Section 6(C) authorizes exactly four casino facilities statewide: one each in Cincinnati…

Ohio requires every charitable organization to hold an attorney general license before running bingo, instant bingo, or electronic instant bingo. R.C. 2915.08 sets three license types…

Ohio's gambling statute bans operating a "game of chance conducted for profit," defined in R.C. 2915.01(E) as one "designed to produce income for the person who conducts or operates"…

Ohio legalized sports wagering effective January 1, 2023, but R.C. 3775.03 bars anyone from operating, conducting, or assisting sports gaming without a license from the Ohio Casino…

Ohio's Planned Community Law lets homeowners associations levy assessments and, when unpaid, record a lien foreclosed exactly like a mortgage. R.C. 5312.12 makes the lien prior to…

Ohio's Planned Community Law governs association governance in R.C. 5312.03-5312.07. R.C. 5312.04 covers election of officers, board powers, and meetings, and notably lets the board…

Ohio overrides HOA governing documents on two owner protections. R.C. 5312.16 (S.B. 61, eff. 2022) bars a planned community from banning solar collection devices unless the declaration…

Ohio law voids any HOA rule, bylaw, or deed covenant that blocks a homeowner from flying the U.S. flag, the state flag, the POW/MIA flag, or a service flag. Associations keep authority…

Ohio's Planned Community Law lets a homeowners association bill a lot owner an "enforcement assessment" (the statute's term for an HOA fine) only when the declaration authorizes it…

Ohio runs condominiums under a separate lien statute from the one that governs planned communities, and the condominium version is the weaker of the two on paper. R.C. 5311.18(A)(1)…

Sobriety checkpoints are lawful in Ohio, but no Ohio statute creates them. The Revised Code mentions them in exactly one place, R.C. 4511.043, which assumes an "authorized sobriety or…

Ohio has no statute that bans recording a police officer and no buffer-zone law keeping bystanders a set distance away. The General Assembly went the other direction in 2023: R.C…

Ohio is a stop-and-identify state. Under R.C. 2921.29 a person in a public place must give a law enforcement officer their name, address, or date of birth when the officer reasonably…

Ohio has no general statute telling you whether to consent to a search of your car, and nothing in the Revised Code makes refusing an offense. The single place the code regulates…

Ohio calls a golf cart an under-speed vehicle and, unlike states that simply refuse to register one, treats it as a titleable and registrable vehicle: R.C. 4501.01(XX) defines it by…

Before filing an eviction in Ohio, a landlord must serve a 3-day notice to leave the premises under Ohio Revised Code 1923.04, including specific statutory warning language. The…

Ohio Revised Code 5321.04 requires landlords to meet building and housing codes, keep premises fit and habitable, maintain electrical, plumbing, heating and other systems, and supply…

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1923 establishes uniform forcible entry and detainer procedures, and ORC 5321.17 sets termination notice requirements that govern evictions in every Ohio…

Under Ohio Revised Code 5321.04(A)(8), a landlord must give a tenant reasonable notice before entering and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency. The statute…

Ohio Revised Code 5321.17 sets notice periods to end a periodic tenancy: 30 days for month-to-month and 7 days for week-to-week, given before the periodic rental date. A fixed-term…

Ohio preempts local rent control. Effective September 23, 2022, Ohio Rev. Code 5321.19 (added by H.B. 430) bars counties, townships, and municipalities from imposing rent control or…

Ohio Revised Code 5323.02 requires owners of residential rental property in counties with more than 200,000 residents to file owner contact information with the county auditor, while…

Ohio sets no statutory cap on residential security deposits under Ohio Rev. Code 5321.16. The landlord must itemize deductions in writing and return the balance within 30 days after…

Ohio recognizes adverse possession after 21 years, the limitation period in Ohio Revised Code 2305.04 for an action to recover real property. A squatter must possess the land openly…

Ohio law limits township and county zoning authority over agricultural uses, preserving farming activities on land used primarily for agriculture.

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 929 establishes Agricultural Districts that provide right-to-farm protections against nuisance suits and certain local regulations.

Ohio House Bill 242 preempts local plastic bag bans and fees, requiring uniform statewide treatment of auxiliary containers including plastic bags.

Ohio HB 242's auxiliary container preemption extends to polystyrene foam food containers, blocking local bans on Styrofoam takeout packaging.

Ohio's planned-community law lets an HOA member install a solar energy collection device unless the declaration specifically bans it, but the right only kicks in if the owner covers…

Ohio prohibits the sale of tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products to anyone under 21 under ORC 2927.02 and related regulations.

Ohio Revised Code 9.681, enacted in 2024 when lawmakers overrode a veto of budget bill HB 33, preempts local flavored tobacco and vapor product regulation, but courts have blocked it…

Ohio caps extra forward lighting by count, by mounting height and by total brightness, and it splits the numbers between the Revised Code and the Director of Public Safety's rules…

Ohio is one of the few states whose windshield statute uses the word camera. R.C. 4513.24(B)(1) bans nontransparent material on the glass apart from a four inch by six inch decal in a…

Ohio has never enacted a lane-splitting or lane-filtering statute, and neither phrase appears anywhere in the Revised Code. A motorcyclist who rides the white line between two lanes of…

R.C. 4503.21(A)(2) imposes two separate duties on an Ohio driver: the rear license plate must be securely fastened so as not to swing, and it shall not be covered by any material that…

Ohio does not prohibit radar detectors in private passenger vehicles. A full-text search of the Ohio Revised Code for the phrase returns no records, and the word radar appears in only…

Ohio permits studded tires on a fixed calendar window, not on weather conditions: R.C. 5589.081(B)(1) allows them only during the period running from the first day of November each…

Ohio splits its tint law across two instruments. R.C. 4513.241 creates the offence and the penalties but contains no percentage at all, and the numbers live in the Director of Public…