Morristown, AZ
116 local rules on file · Pop. 186 · Maricopa County
Showing ordinances that apply to Morristown, AZ
Morristown is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 186 in Maricopa County, Arizona. Because Morristown is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Maricopa 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 Maricopa County may have different rules.
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🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🔥 Fire & Safety
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
💼 Home Business
Signage Rules
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, a home occupation's sign is capped at four square feet and must otherwise meet the county's general sign standards under MCZO Article 1102.1.
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County allows home occupations by right under 16 zoning conditions: owner-occupied, fully enclosed, up to three non-resident employees, but a Special Use Permit…
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Some RestrictionsHome-based businesses in unincorporated Maricopa County are capped at five customers, clients, or students on-site at any time, with none allowed between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Home Daycare
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, a home daycare for up to four children is a by-right use in every residential zoning district, but only if it meets seven operating conditions in the…
Cottage Food Operations
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County lets food establishments serve or sell food made in a private home under Arizona's cottage food law, but only if the customer gets a copy of the required…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Aircraft Noise
Significant RestrictionsLand near Luke Air Force Base with the highest aircraft noise exposure is zoned Airport District One, where the county bans human occupancy and requires a Special Use Permit for any…
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County restricts construction noise, concrete pouring, pile drivers, power hammers, idling equipment, to set daily hours near homes, tighter on weekends, under…
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County bans motor vehicles without a working muffler and prohibits cut-out, bypass, or muffler-elimination devices that amplify engine or exhaust noise, enforced in…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County's IND-2 general industrial zoning district only permits manufacturing and processing uses that don't produce objectionable noise, vibration, smoke, or…
Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County Ordinance P-23 bans noise that disturbs a neighborhood's peace and quiet if it's audible inside closed homes within 500 feet of the source, day or night, and confines…
Barking Dogs
Light RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, County Ordinance P-6 makes it unlawful for a dog owner to let their dog bark, yowl, or yip excessively, with the county's enforcement agent…
Leaf Blower Rules
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County's Ordinance P-25 bans blowing landscape debris into public roadways and requires leaf blowers to run only on stabilized surfaces within the Area A dust-control zone.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, radios, loudspeakers, and other amplified sound equipment can't be heard from inside a closed home within 500 feet of your property line, day or…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Significant RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, veterinary hospitals and clinics are classified as a Commercial-Medical use requiring Plan of Development (POD) approval before the county issues a…
Cat Rules
Few RestrictionsMaricopa County's animal control ordinance requires dog licenses and bans dogs from running at large, but sets no license, leash, or at-large rule for cats in the unincorporated county.
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, keeping five or more dogs on one property makes it a 'kennel' under Ordinance P-13, triggering a mandatory $75 annual permit from the Board of…
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Few RestrictionsMaricopa County does not require pet owners in unincorporated areas to spay or neuter their dogs. Instead, the county's Rabies/Animal Control Ordinance lets the Board of Supervisors…
Pet Groomer Rules
Some RestrictionsPet groomers and pet shops in unincorporated Maricopa County are Non-Food Environmental Health Operating Permit holders under Chapter I of the county's Environmental Health Code. A…
Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County ordinance P-13 prohibits dogs at large: every dog must stay confined to the owner's property or be leashed to six feet and kept under direct control…
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County lets R1-35 lots keep up to six chicken hens under MCZO § 603.1, with no cap at all in Rural-zoned districts, though enclosures on sub-acre subdivision…
Exotic Pets
Significant RestrictionsKeeping wild or exotic animals privately in unincorporated Maricopa County is zoned as commercial "Outdoor Entertainment," a use the county's zoning table permits only in commercial…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
ADU Owner Occupancy
Few RestrictionsMaricopa County does not require an owner to live on the property when adding an accessory dwelling unit. ADUs may be rented long-term independently, with no familial or employment tie…
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, a detached carport must sit at least three feet from any side or rear lot line and can cover no more than 30% of the required yard.
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County allows one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit by right on any single-family lot: no public hearing, variance, or special permit required…
ADU Rental Restrictions
Some RestrictionsAn accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Maricopa County can be rented long-term with no family or employment tie to the main house, but only one ADU per lot may ever be used as a…
🚗 Parking Rules
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsMaricopa County bans parking trucks, trailers, buses, and RVs over 10,000 pounds on posted residential streets in unincorporated areas, with fines starting at $50 and rising to $250…
Loading Zones
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County requires one loading and unloading space, at least 10 by 20 feet, for every 25,000 square feet of commercial floor area under the county zoning ordinance.
EV Charging
Few RestrictionsMaricopa County doesn't require EV charging spaces in parking lots. Instead, the Travel Reduction Program lets major employers earn plan credit for installing on-site charging stations…
Street Parking Limits
Few RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County has minimal street parking regulation on county-maintained roads. No timed parking zones or permit parking programs exist at the county level. ARS…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County caps unregistered or inoperable vehicle storage at three per lot in rural and residential zones, and requires screening from the street unless parked in…
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, RVs, boats, travel trailers, and motor homes stored outside a garage or carport must be parked in the side or rear yard: never the front yard, except…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, home driveways and parking areas must be paved, decomposed granite, or ABC material to control dust: bare dirt parking doesn't meet the zoning…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Host Presence Rule
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, an accessory dwelling unit used with a short-term rental means the property owner must live on-site, unless the ADU's certificate of occupancy…
Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Significant RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, an owner renting out a short-term rental with an accessory dwelling unit must live on the property, unless the ADU's certificate of occupancy…
Occupancy Limits
Significant RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County caps short-term rental occupancy by party, not headcount: the whole dwelling must go to one renting party at a time, room-by-room rentals are banned, and…
Short-Term Rental Permits
Few RestrictionsArizona's ARS §9-500.39 preempts local governments from banning short-term rentals, extending to counties. Maricopa County has no STR permit or registration system for unincorporated…
Insurance Requirements
Few RestrictionsMaricopa County does not impose specific insurance requirements on STR operators in unincorporated areas. Arizona state law does not mandate STR-specific insurance either. Operators…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Material Restrictions
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County bans concertina wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing below eight feet, and requires front-yard fences taller than 3.5 feet to be at least 80%…
Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, a building permit is required for fences or walls over six feet tall, retaining walls over 18 inches, pool barriers, hillside-lot fences, corrals in…
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, front-yard fences cap at 8 feet with 80% see-through required above 3 feet 6 inches, side and rear fences also max out at 8 feet, and corner sight…
Retaining Walls
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, retaining walls outside the main building envelope can't exceed 8 feet, and any retaining wall over 18 inches requires a county building permit…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Composting
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County doesn't require a permit for a backyard compost bin, but the Environmental Health Code does require one the moment composting rises to an 'establishment'…
Native Plants
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County encourages use of native and desert-adapted plants in unincorporated areas. Arizona law (ARS 3-901+) protects certain native plants including saguaro, barrel cactus…
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County requires protection of state-listed native plants under Arizona's Native Plant Law (ARS 3-901+). Protected species including saguaro, ironwood, palo verde, and mesquite…
Weed Ordinances
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, uncultivated vegetation over six inches deep, dried grass, weeds, tumbleweeds, dead brush, is a code violation under the Abatement Ordinance…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsArizona's ARS §36-1681 mandates a minimum 5-foot pool barrier: one of the strictest pool barrier laws in the United States. Self-closing, self-latching gates with latch at least 54…
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsAbove-ground pools in unincorporated Maricopa County must comply with Arizona's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (ARS 36-1681). Pools with non-climbable sides at least 48 inches…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Outdoor Burning
Heavy RestrictionsMaricopa County bans igniting any open outdoor fire countywide unless it falls under one of Rule 314's permitted categories, agricultural burning, firefighter training, disease…
Fireworks
Significant RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County fireworks are prohibited outright except for permissible consumer fireworks, which may only be sold or used on the days Arizona law allows, with a…
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Some RestrictionsRecreational fires for cooking, warmth, or enjoyment using clean dry wood or charcoal do not require a permit in Maricopa County. Propane and natural gas fire pits are allowed without…
📢 Noise from Specific Sources
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, it's illegal to run a bar or nightclub's radio, loudspeaker, or sound amplification equipment so loudly it can be heard inside a closed home within…
Generator Noise
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County's noise ordinance bans generator noise reaching neighboring homes: if generator sound is audible from inside a closed residential structure within 500 feet of your…
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Light RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, noise from heating and cooling equipment and pool pumps is exempt from the county noise ordinance if it operates per manufacturer specs and can't be…
Low-Frequency Bass Limits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, amplified music and bass-heavy stereo or speaker noise is illegal once it can be heard inside a closed residential structure within 500 feet of the…
Car Alarm Limits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, a car alarm or other warning device is exempt from Ordinance P-23's noise ban only if it doesn't sound continuously for more than thirty minutes per…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Stormwater Management
Some RestrictionsGrading and drainage plans need Drainage Administrator clearance before development in unincorporated Maricopa County; buildings 200 square feet or smaller and non-fixed pipe-rail…
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County requires livable buildings to elevate finished floors at least one foot above the highest grade within ten feet of the foundation, with higher elevations…
Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County requires a drainage clearance from the county Drainage Administrator before grading, building, or development work begins, enforced under MCZO Section…
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Some RestrictionsDiesel trucks over 14,000 pounds are barred from idling more than five consecutive minutes anywhere in Maricopa County, with $100 first-offense and $300 repeat civil penalties under…
Flood Zones
Heavy RestrictionsThe Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC) manages floodplain regulations for unincorporated areas and 14 municipalities. Development in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard…
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Encroachment Permits
Some RestrictionsOccupying, using, or performing work in unincorporated Maricopa County's road right-of-way, driveways, utility lines, landscaping, or structures, requires a Right-of-Way Permit from…
Obstruction Rules
Significant RestrictionsOccupying, blocking, or working in a Maricopa County right-of-way, including the sidewalk area, without a Right-of-Way Permit is unlawful under Ordinance P-36; the MCDOT Director can…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, residential zoning districts set minimum yard setbacks that scale with lot size: from 60 feet front and rear in RU-190 rural zones down to 10 feet…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County caps residential building height at 35 feet across every rural and single-family district (RU-190 through R-2), rising to 40 feet in the R-3, R-4 and R-5…
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, Zoning Ordinance Section 504 caps how much of a commercial lot a building can cover: 35% in C-O (Office), 25% in C-S (shopping centers on 5+ acre…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Parade Permits
Some RestrictionsBlock parties, parades, fairs and other special events that use unincorporated Maricopa County road right-of-way need a Right-of-Way Permit from MCDOT before the event, with a…
Street Fair Rules
Some RestrictionsFairs, festivals, and block parties held in county right-of-way need an MCDOT Right-of-Way Permit before setup, with a $100-per-sheet special event plan review fee and no work allowed…
Block Party Permits
Some RestrictionsA neighborhood block party in unincorporated Maricopa County counts as a "Special Event" occupying county right-of-way, and Ordinance P-36 requires a Right-of-Way Permit from the MCDOT…
🚷 Public Conduct
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, restaurants, cafeterias and lunchrooms must keep at least 40% of both indoor and outdoor seating smoke-free under the county's Smoking Pollution…
Public Urination
Heavy RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, Ordinance P-37 makes it unlawful to defecate or urinate anywhere in public that isn't specifically marked for that purpose, naming sidewalks, parks…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Vending Zones
Some RestrictionsMobile food vendors in Maricopa County need an Environmental Health Department permit, must operate from an approved commissary, and cannot set up within 100 feet of any area used for…
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County requires a Mobile Food Type I permit for pushcart and stand vendors selling packaged food or drinks, with signage, permit-display, and handwashing rules when operating…
Food Truck Permits
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County requires a valid Environmental Health Department permit before operating any mobile food establishment, including food trucks, carts, and trailers, with separate…
🩺 Public Health Rules
Food Handler Certification
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County requires every food establishment's Person in Charge to train Food Employees on foodborne disease prevention within 30 days of starting food-handling work, and to keep…
Bed-Bug Rules
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County's Environmental Health Code bans harboring bed bugs on any premises and requires owners to eliminate an infestation once Environmental Services orders it, with permit…
Rodent Control
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County bans rodent, roach, bedbug, and flea infestations on any property, and the Environmental Services Department can order the owner or occupant to abate an infestation…
Syringe Disposal
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County has no separate curbside rule for used needles or sharps. Instead it regulates them as biohazardous medical waste under Chapter II, Section 10 of the…
🪧 Sign Regulations
Digital Billboards
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County allows digital billboards only in C-2/C-3 zoning under MCZO Article 1103.3.1, with a mandatory 11 p.m.-to-sunrise lights-out curfew, 300-nit evening…
Political Signs
Few RestrictionsPolitical signs in unincorporated Maricopa County are regulated by the MCZO and Arizona state law (ARS 16-1019). Signs may be displayed 60 days before an election and must be removed…
Freeway-Facing Signs
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, freeway-facing pylon signs are limited to C-S and C-2 zoning districts, capped at 65 feet (80 feet with cellular antennas), and must sit back at…
Window Signs
Light RestrictionsSmall interior window signs are exempt from Maricopa County's sign rules in unincorporated areas, but the exemption is narrow: Section 1101 caps exempt "public service" window signs at…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Buffer Zones
Significant RestrictionsMedical marijuana dispensaries and marijuana establishments in unincorporated Maricopa County must sit at least 1,500 feet from any church, school, day care, park, playground, or…
Dispensary Zoning
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County requires medical marijuana dispensaries and marijuana establishments to sit at least 1,500 feet from each other, churches, schools, day cares, parks and…
Home Cultivation
Some RestrictionsUnder Proposition 207, adults 21+ in Arizona may grow cannabis at home for personal use. Individual limit is 6 plants; households with 2+ adults may grow up to 12 plants. Plants must…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Illegal Dumping
Heavy RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, dumping rubbish, trash, filth or debris on property you don't own or control is a Class 1 Misdemeanor under County Ordinance P-11, enforced the same…
Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsCommercial developments in unincorporated Maricopa County must screen dumpster and refuse collection areas from public streets, with a three-foot wall, berm, or hedge required along…
Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, garbage, refuse, rubbish and ashes must be picked up at least once a week. The Environmental Health Code lets the Department grant a hauler a…
🖥️ Data Centers & Crypto Mining
Crypto Mining Rules
Some RestrictionsCryptocurrency mining rigs and server farms fall under Maricopa County's 'Data Center' zoning definition, restricting them to industrial-zoned parcels in unincorporated county land…
Data Center Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County has no decibel limit; Noise Ordinance P-23 uses an audibility standard. Data center cooling and generators must not be heard inside closed homes within 500 feet of the…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Adult Entertainment
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, adult oriented facilities must locate at least 1,500 feet from any other adult oriented facility and from churches, schools, day cares, parks, and…
Massage Establishments
Significant RestrictionsMaricopa County does not license ordinary massage businesses; only massage establishments offering "adult service" under Ordinance P-10 must obtain an Adult Oriented Business License…
Pawnbrokers
Significant RestrictionsNo one may run a pawnshop in Maricopa County without a license issued by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. State law sets the licensing process, background checks, and fees the…
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Significant RestrictionsRunning an auto repair business from a home in unincorporated Maricopa County is boxed in tight: no power tools or mechanical work outdoors, no toxic or flammable fluids stored on…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Light Trespass & Shielding
Significant RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County requires outdoor light fixtures to be shielded, bans mercury vapor luminaires and unshielded building illumination, and prohibits advertising…
Billboard Lighting
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County limits offsite sign (billboard) lighting to four fully shielded luminaires per sign face at no more than 40,000 lumens each, lit top-down to stop glare…
Dark Sky Rules
Significant RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, most exterior lighting must be fully or partially shielded to control glare and light trespass, and unshielded building, landscape, or sign lighting…
🔧 Building Safety
Building Inspections
Some RestrictionsBefore final sign-off, Maricopa County requires a floor/stemwall/foundation inspection ahead of the final building inspection, plus a separate final drainage clearance inspection…
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Light RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County's own building code sets no fire-sprinkler mandate for homes: the Local Additions and Addenda delete IRC §R313.2 and IPC §P2904 outright and defer the…
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County wires new construction to the National Electrical Code as locally amended by the Local Additions and Addenda. Virtually all electrical work needs a…
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County regulates plumbing under the locally titled "Plumbing Code of Maricopa County," its amended version of the International Plumbing Code. Almost all…
Green Building Code
Few RestrictionsUnincorporated Maricopa County has adopted the International Green Construction Code, but only as a voluntary standard: the Local Additions and Addenda make clear no builder has to…
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, low patios and terraces can extend into required yards without a Zoning Clearance, but larger or covered structures need a permit under the County…
🗺️ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses
Density Bonus Law
Light RestrictionsA density bonus exists only in the Highway 74 Scenic Corridor overlay, letting developers double base density if they leave part of a parcel undeveloped.
Specific Plans Overview
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, no parcel inside a Planned Area Development (PAD) overlay can be built on until the county approves a Specific Development Plan for it. The plan must…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Some RestrictionsMaricopa County's Abatement Ordinance P-11 requires owners to clear rubbish, weeds, debris, and dilapidated buildings from unincorporated property, with the county removing violations…
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, letting weeds, rubbish, trash, or debris pile up on a vacant lot triggers a written abatement notice, and the county can remove it and lien the…
📋 Code Violation Reporting
How to Report
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, anyone can report rubbish, weeds, filth, debris, or a dilapidated building on a property to the Planning and Development abatement officer, who must…
Common Violations
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, building or using land without a permit or against zoning rules is a class 2 misdemeanor and a declared public nuisance, with each day of continued…
Response Times
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Maricopa County, the Abatement Officer must inspect a property after any weeds, rubbish, or dilapidated-building complaint, then give the owner at least 30 days to…
Other Communities in Maricopa County
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Maricopa County ordinances.