Madison, AL

Loud loading, unloading and equipment operation (dumpsters, street sweepers, delivery trucks) that is audible more than 25 feet past the property line is a violation, except during 7…

Construction noise crossing the property line is allowed only 7 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.–7 p.m. on Sundays and City-observed holidays. Quieter equipment may run…

Playing a radio or stereo in a vehicle so it is audible more than 25 feet away is a violation, on public or private property. Vehicles must have working mufflers, and defective or…

Aircraft operated under federal law and FAA air-traffic rules are expressly exempt from Madison's noise ordinance. Aircraft noise is regulated by the FAA, not the City, though ground…

Madison's noise ordinance has no dog-specific section, but its general prohibition on loud, unnecessary noise that unreasonably disturbs neighbors applies to persistent barking…

Leaf blowers, lawn mowers and similar domestic power equipment are exempt from the noise limits when used between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week. Outside those hours they must…

It is unlawful to operate any radio, stereo, loudspeaker, instrument or similar sound device so that the noise is audible more than 25 feet from the property line where it originates…

Madison bans any loud, excessive, unusual or unnecessary noise that unreasonably disturbs others, any hour. Most amplified and construction noise is limited to daytime windows; the…

Above-ground pools require a City of Madison swimming pool permit and the same safety barrier as in-ground pools: a minimum 4-foot barrier meeting Section 305 of the 2018 International…

Madison requires a minimum 4-foot-tall barrier around a pool that will not allow passage of a 4-inch sphere, in compliance with Section 305 of the 2018 International Swimming Pool and…

Madison does not require a permit to remove a tree from an established residential lot. Tree protection applies to new development: the Zoning Ordinance preserves natural vegetation…

Madison has no ordinance restricting residential rain barrels or rainwater harvesting. The Zoning Ordinance actually encourages low-impact stormwater practices: rain gardens and…

Madison has no ordinance prohibiting backyard composting, and no permit is required. Compost simply cannot become a nuisance: property-maintenance rules require land to be free of…

Madison does not require homeowners to use native plants. For development sites, the Zoning Ordinance requires living trees, shrubs, or ground cover approved by the City and mandates…

Madison's Zoning Ordinance prohibits synthetic or artificial material imitating turf, trees, shrubs, or other plants from being used in lieu of the plant materials required for…

The City of Madison trims tree limbs that extend over city streets on an as-needed basis. Property owners are responsible for trimming shrubs and tree limbs that block sidewalks. The…

It is a violation to let grass and weeds grow taller than 12 inches on any premises or lot you own within the City of Madison. Code Enforcement handles overgrowth complaints.

The Alabama Water Resources Act (Ala. Code Title 9, Chapter 10B) gives the Office of Water Resources authority to declare drought stages and trigger conservation measures. Local water…

On streets marked with painted parking lines, you must park within the lines, parallel, and within 18 inches of the curb. Signed streets carry posted restrictions, and the city bans…

Madison bans leaving any recreational vehicle, mobile home, motor home, boat, or trailer on a public street in R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-3, or R-4 residential zones. Privately owned RVs…

Madison has no blanket citywide overnight street-parking ban, but recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers may not be left overnight on residential streets, and a vehicle left…

Madison restricts oversized and heavy vehicles in residential zones: any truck, tractor-trailer, bus, or motor vehicle of 1.5 tons or greater may not be left parked there, and RVs…

In Madison it is a violation to leave an inoperable vehicle or vehicle junk on residential or commercial property for more than 48 hours, with limited exceptions. Inoperable vehicles…

In Madison, parking excludes brief stops for loading or unloading in a prescribed zone. The code establishes specific loading spaces, such as a 30-minute loading/unloading space on…

In Madison residential districts you may only park in the front yard on a paved driveway no wider than an attached garage (or one-third of lot width where there is no such garage)…

Madison does not authorize residents to paint public curbs. Curb and pavement markings are set by the city: you must park within painted lines and within 18 inches of the curb, and…

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

Madison lets fences be placed up to the property line in interior side and rear yards. The Zoning Ordinance sets height and drainage rules but does not assign shared-fence cost or…

Madison limits fence and wall materials to an approved list: wood; brick, stone or cast-stone; decorative block; stucco over masonry; wrought iron or decorative metal; composite…

Madison requires clear visibility at intersections. No fence, wall, berm or planting may obstruct the sight triangle between 3.5 feet and eight feet above the street or driveway…

No. Effective March 1, 2017, Madison's Building Department stopped issuing fence permits. Fences in the Historic District still need Historic Preservation Commission approval, and all…

Retaining walls in Madison must be set back at least one foot from any dedicated easement or right-of-way. Unlike fences, retaining walls are not exempt from that easement clearance…

Madison requires dogs to be kept under restraint. Any dog on a street, sidewalk, park, or other public space must be secured by a leash strong enough to restrain it. Letting a dog run…

Madison has no breed-specific ban. Instead, City Code § 6-15 regulates any "vicious or dangerous dog" by behavior, and Alabama's Emily's Law (Ala. Code § 3-6A) governs dogs judicially…

Keeping livestock inside Madison city limits requires a lot of at least three acres. Corrals need minimum square footage per animal and must sit at least 75 feet from any neighboring…

Madison bans keeping animals deemed inherently dangerous to humans, including bears, big cats, wolves, primates, alligators, and venomous snakes. "Exotic animals" like monkeys, foxes…

Madison sets no simple cap on household pets, but any premises keeping five or more dogs or cats is treated as a "kennel" and must meet space standards and licensing. Every dog and cat…

Madison licenses cats over three months of age like dogs, and it is unlawful to let a cat known to habitually damage a neighbor's property run at large. Cats in heat must be confined.

Alabama Code Title 2, Chapter 14 requires all beekeepers to register colonies with the Department of Agriculture and Industries and complies with state apiary inspection and disease…

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

Yes. Madison requires a Home Occupation Permit from the Director of Community Development, with a one-time $30 application fee and a $7.50 annual fee paid to the City Clerk. Permits…

Family day care in a Madison residence for no more than six children is a permitted minor home occupation. Group day care for more than six but no more than twelve children is a major…

No signs are allowed for a home occupation in Madison. The Zoning Ordinance states there shall be no advertising, display, or other indications of a home occupation on the premises…

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

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

A shed or storage building larger than 200 square feet requires a City of Madison building permit. Sheds 200 square feet or smaller do not need a permit, but must still meet zoning…

Madison's Zoning Ordinance permits one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot. A detached ADU must be part of an accessory garage, may not exceed 1,000 square feet, and cannot…

A tiny house in unincorporated Madison County is a real dwelling only if it is built and inspected to the 2018 IRC, using Appendix Q for homes 400 square feet or less. A park-model RV…

Alabama levies a state transient occupancy (lodgings) tax of 5% in Madison County, which is part of the Mountain Lakes region, on stays under 180 continuous days. Madison also has a…

Madison generally bans open burning, but backyard fire pits are permitted. The City's guidance states fire pits are allowed if you use extreme caution and stay with the fire while it…

Open burning of any type is illegal in the City of Madison. Burning yard waste, brush, trash, or construction debris is not allowed. A permit from the City of Madison Fire Marshal's…

Alabama licenses fireworks manufacturers and retailers statewide through the State Fire Marshal under Title 8, Chapter 17, but Ala. Code § 8-17-217 expressly preserves local ordinances…

The Alabama Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board regulates the storage, handling, transportation, and installation of propane and LP-gas systems statewide under Title 9, Chapter 17, with…

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

Madison regulates political signs content-neutrally as temporary yard signs. In residential zones each sign may be up to 6 square feet and 6 feet tall, with no time limit, but they may…

A garage-sale sign in Madison is a temporary yard sign: up to 6 square feet and 6 feet tall in residential zones, not illuminated, and never placed in a public right-of-way. No permit…

In Madison's single-family districts (R-1, R-1A, R-2), the maximum building height is 35 feet. Detached accessory buildings are capped at 15 feet. Spires, chimneys, towers and similar…

Maximum lot coverage is set by district. R-1 and R-1A single-family lots are capped at 25 percent, and R-2 neighborhood lots at 27.5 percent. Roofed porches, decks, accessory…

Setbacks vary by zoning district. In the common R-2 single-family district, minimum front setback is 25 feet (35 on major streets), interior/exterior side is 10/25 feet, and rear is 35…

Recycling in Madison is a free, voluntary program run by RANA (a division of the Solid Waste Disposal Authority). Single-family homes get a blue 95-gallon cart collected monthly; carts…

Republic Services collects appliances, furniture, mattresses, and yard debris weekly. Tree limbs must be under 8 feet, leaves and clippings bagged, and refrigerators must have doors or…

In Madison, Republic Services handles curbside trash and bulky items while recycling carts are collected monthly. Collection days vary by street, so check the city's trash schedule at…

All trash must be placed at the curb or roadway edge by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, and never under power lines, low branches, mailboxes, traffic signs, or over sewer drains…

Madison has no formal International Dark-Sky designation, but its Zoning Ordinance requires full cut-off, shielded outdoor fixtures that shine light downward, limiting light pollution…

Madison's Zoning Ordinance caps light spilling onto neighboring property: no more than 0.2 foot-candles onto residential property, 1.0 in mixed-use, and 1.5 in non-residential…

Madison's public parks are open from sun-up until roughly 30 minutes after sunset, and lighted areas close 15 minutes after the lights go off. Being in a park after it closes is…

Vacant and undeveloped lots in Madison must be kept mowed and clear. Grass and weeds over 12 inches, or any accumulation of debris and blight, are violations enforced on any lot within…

Madison's Code Enforcement division requires all land in the city be kept free of accumulated garbage, litter, debris, blight or deterioration. Officers work with owners to correct…

In unincorporated Madison County, any bar, lounge, club, nightclub or restaurant that features topless female entertainment automatically forfeits its Alcoholic Beverage Control Board…

Anyone running a junkyard within 1,000 feet of a highway right-of-way in unincorporated Madison County needs a county license under Ala. Code § 45-45-173.03. The county will not issue…

Alabama regulates the retail sale of vapor products and electronic nicotine devices through Code Section 28-11-13, requiring permits, age verification, and restricted youth marketing.

Madison County's junk-and-debris public nuisance law does not reach working farms. Ala. Code § 45-45-173.01(b) exempts farm buildings, farm equipment, and farm materials stored around…

Madison County levies a 1 percent privilege and license tax on every hotel, motel, inn, tourist camp, tourist cabin, and any other place that regularly rents rooms or lodging to…

Madison County and its municipalities may add up to $20 to any residential building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical permit under Ala. Code § 45-45-200.02. The surcharge funds the…

Madison County has adopted the 2018 International Plumbing Code, minus Appendix A, to regulate plumbing installation in public and private buildings across the unincorporated area…

Madison County has adopted the 2017 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) plus the 2018 ICC Electrical Code administrative provisions for the unincorporated area, covering any wiring…

In Madison County's unincorporated area, new construction and substantial improvements in a Special Flood Hazard Area must have the lowest floor built at least one foot above the base…

Unincorporated Madison County requires a Floodplain Development Permit before any construction begins in a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area. The county's Flood Damage Prevention…

Every new subdivision in unincorporated Madison County must submit an engineered Storm Drainage Plan before its plat is approved. Section 4.3.8(2) sets the design-storm standards: a…

Road and site construction in unincorporated Madison County subdivisions must follow the state's erosion-control manual and secure ADEM permits before work begins. Section 5.4 makes…

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

In unincorporated Madison County, the county does not enforce your HOA's CC&Rs. Article XI, Section 11.2 of the Subdivision Regulations makes private covenants operate alongside county…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every food truck in Alabama must hold a mobile food establishment permit from the Alabama Department of Public Health under Admin. Code Chapter 420-3-22, operate from an approved…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alabama regulates door-to-door home solicitation sales statewide under the Home Solicitation Sales Act, providing a three-day buyer's right to cancel for purchases over $25, applying…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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