Notre Dame, IN
87 local rules on file · Pop. 7,234 · St. Joseph County
Showing ordinances that apply to Notre Dame, IN
Notre Dame is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 7,234 in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Because Notre Dame is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph 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
💼 Home Business
Cottage Food Operations
Few RestrictionsIndiana's Home Based Vendor Law lets you make and sell approved non-hazardous foods from a St. Joseph County home with no license or health permit. Under IC 16-42-5.3-4 the food must…
Signage Rules
Heavy RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bars home occupations from using any exterior sign or display that identifies the property as anything but a dwelling. Zoning ordinance § 154.072(A)(2) strips…
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Some RestrictionsA home occupation in unincorporated St. Joseph County can serve no more than two customers on the premises at once, counting anyone waiting for service. Section 154.072(A)(7) sets that…
Home Daycare
Light RestrictionsSt. Joseph County lets a licensed child care home operate as a permitted primary use in both the agricultural and single-family residential districts, but only when the operator lives…
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsRunning a business from a house in unincorporated St. Joseph County is allowed as a home occupation, but the zoning ordinance bars outside storage, any visible change to the home's…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Fireworks
Few RestrictionsConsumer fireworks are legal for adults across St. Joseph County, and under Indiana Code 22-11-14-10.5 no county or city ordinance may ban their use on the days around July 4 or on New…
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County allows recreational campfires and cooking fires on residential property without a burn permit under Section 92.03, but only if the home has four units or fewer, only…
Outdoor Burning
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bans open burning countywide unless the health officer grants written approval, and it prohibits leaf burning outright with no exception, under Chapter 91 of the Code…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County zoning permits an accessory dwelling unit, capping a detached ADU at 1,200 square feet and requiring it to sit behind the front building line with an Improvement…
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County's zoning ordinance sizes a residential storage shed by lot acreage, from a 19-foot, 960-square-foot cap under one acre to no limit at all on five or more agricultural…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsBlasting a horn without a real danger, running a car without a working muffler, or driving a vehicle so out of repair it exceeds state decibel standards are each separate noise…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated St. Joseph County caps industrial-zone noise at 64 dBA at any point on a complaining neighbor's property line, or by the octave-band table set out at Code Section…
Barking Dogs
Some RestrictionsKeeping a dog, cat or other animal that causes frequent, long-continued noise disturbing a neighbor's comfort or repose is a county noise violation under § 130.02(5). Sheriff's…
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsErecting, demolishing, altering or repairing any building in unincorporated St. Joseph County outside 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. is a noise violation unless the building commissioner has…
🚗 Parking Rules
Loading Zones
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County requires every commercial, mixed-use or industrial development needing an improvement location permit to provide off-street loading spaces at least 12 feet wide by 60…
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County limits where a stored recreational vehicle, trailer or mobile home can sit on residential and agricultural lots and caps a visiting guest's RV stay at 72 hours in any…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsUnder Indiana Code 9-13-2-1 a vehicle is abandoned once it sits on public property for 24 hours, blocks traffic, or remains on private property without the owner's consent for more…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated St. Joseph County it is illegal to park or stop on the traveled portion of any road except for traffic control, an officer's direction, a turn in progress or an…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County requires every off-street parking area and connecting driveway to be hard surfaced with asphalt, concrete, pervious pavement, pavers or an equivalent dust-free…
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bars parking any tractor, tow truck, dump truck, flatbed, semitrailer or similar vehicle of one and one-half tons or more, or with a bed longer than eight feet, in a…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated St. Joseph County, a dog is legally "at large" if it is off its owner's property without a leash, or on a leash that does not adequately confine it or that isn't…
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Some RestrictionsAny dog or cat adopted from a local humane society, animal care facility or welfare organization in St. Joseph County must be spayed or neutered within 60 days of adoption if the…
Beekeeping
Some RestrictionsBackyard beekeepers in unincorporated St. Joseph County can only keep the domestic honey bee, Apis mellifera, in hives no larger than 17 cubic feet, set back at least four feet from…
Breed Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County has no breed ban; it regulates dogs by behavior. A dog that attacks a person or another animal, or bites unprovoked, can be declared "dangerous," forcing the owner…
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsRaising chickens on residentially zoned land under five acres in unincorporated St. Joseph County requires an annual county chicken permit, caps flocks at six birds per half acre, bans…
Exotic Pets
Significant RestrictionsNo wild or exotic animal can be kept anywhere in unincorporated St. Joseph County without county, state and federal permits, issued one per animal. The code's "controlled/exotic…
Pet Store Rules
Significant RestrictionsA licensed pet shop in unincorporated St. Joseph County cannot sell, trade or barter dogs or cats for a fee: it may only place them through the animal control agency or a recognized…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Short-Term Rental Permits
Some RestrictionsIndiana Code 36-1-24 bars St. Joseph County and its cities from banning short-term rentals in residential zones; South Bend requires annual rental registration by September 1 and an…
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County levies a 6% innkeeper's tax on lodging rented under 30 days under IC 6-9-1-5, on top of Indiana's 7% state sales tax, for a combined 13%.
🧱 Fence Regulations
Material Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsBarbed wire, electric, and razor wire fencing are locked out of residential yards across unincorporated St. Joseph County. Section 154.070(C)(2)(d)6 of the zoning ordinance limits…
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsResidential fence height in St. Joseph County depends on location and openness: 36 or 48 inches in front yards, six feet along a subdivision's perimeter street, and six or eight feet…
Fence Permit Requirements
Light RestrictionsSt. Joseph County exempts farm fences from its improvement location permit process entirely, so long as the fence still meets the clear sight area standard that protects visibility…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Heavy RestrictionsThere are no cannabis dispensaries to zone in St. Joseph County. Indiana has no medical or recreational marijuana program, and selling marijuana is a crime. Under IC 35-48-4-10…
Home Cultivation
Heavy RestrictionsGrowing marijuana at home is a crime everywhere in Indiana, including St. Joseph County. Indiana has no medical or recreational program. Under IC 35-48-4-11, knowingly growing or…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County's Solid Waste Management District, empowered by IC 13-21-3-12, runs countywide recycling but not garbage. South Bend's city Solid Waste division collects trash weekly…
Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsCommercial and industrial properties in unincorporated St. Joseph County must screen any dumpster or trash container larger than 36 cubic feet on at least three sides with a wall or…
Bulk Item Disposal
Some RestrictionsBulk items go through your city, not the county. South Bend schedules large-item pickup and Mishawaka collects up to two bulk items each week. Dumping instead is littering under IC…
Illegal Dumping
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County's code flatly declares uncontrolled dumping of refuse on the ground a nuisance hazardous to public health. Violators face misdemeanor prosecution under § 50.99(C)…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated St. Joseph County requires any trash container larger than 36 cubic feet to be screened on three sides by a wall or solid enclosure six to ten feet tall with an opaque…
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
Solicitor Permits
Some RestrictionsSouth Bend and Mishawaka require a peddler or solicitor permit to sell door-to-door within their limits; unincorporated St. Joseph County relies on trespass law. Statewide, IC 24-5-10…
No-Knock Registry
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County runs no county-wide no-knock registry, but a posted "No Soliciting" or "No Trespassing" sign carries legal force. Under IC 35-43-2-2, a solicitor who enters after…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Food Truck Permits
Heavy RestrictionsA food truck in unincorporated St. Joseph County operates as a "mobile retail food establishment" under Chapter 117 of the county code. It is unlawful to operate one without a valid…
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Heavy RestrictionsSt. Joseph County outlaws selling food, produce or any other merchandise on or along public roadways and within public rights-of-way anywhere in the county under Section 110.20. That…
Vending Zones
Some RestrictionsOnce a mobile food vendor moves off the public right-of-way, as Section 110.20 requires, Section 110.21 sets the condition for selling from a truck or roadside stand on property next…
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Rental Registration
Some RestrictionsSouth Bend requires every non-occupant landlord to register rentals annually by September 1. Indiana Code 36-1-20-5 caps the fee at five dollars. Unincorporated St. Joseph County has…
Just Cause Eviction
Few RestrictionsIndiana has no just-cause eviction. In St. Joseph County a landlord may end a tenancy without giving a reason. For unpaid rent, IC 32-31-1-6 requires at least a 10-day notice to pay…
Rent Control
Few RestrictionsRent control is illegal in St. Joseph County. Indiana Code 32-31-1-20 bars any unit, including South Bend, Mishawaka, and the county, from regulating rental rates on privately owned…
🔧 Building Safety
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County adopts the Indiana Plumbing Code and requires a building department permit before any plumbing installation or alteration, plus a licensed or county-registered…
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County adopts the Indiana Electrical Code and requires a county permit before any electrical connection is made to equipment that needs one, plus a county Class A or B…
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsAny construction, alteration, repair, or demolition job in unincorporated St. Joseph County costing more than $500 needs a permit from the building commissioner before work starts…
🪧 Sign Regulations
Window Signs
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County caps every window sign at 25 percent of the window's surface area under Zoning Ordinance § 154.377, measuring multi-pane windows by their combined pane area, and…
Digital Billboards
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County allows electronic message center signs as part of a freestanding or building sign, capped at 40 percent of that sign's surface area, under Zoning Ordinance §…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Adult Entertainment
Significant RestrictionsAny sexually oriented business in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a county auditor permit before opening, backed by a criminal-history check from the police department and a…
Secondhand Dealers
Significant RestrictionsRunning a secondhand store in unincorporated St. Joseph County requires a license from the county auditor, granted only after the county sheriff reviews the application and the county…
Pawnbrokers
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County doesn't run its own pawnbroker license; that's a state function under Indiana law. Instead, the county zoning code treats every pawnshop as a "controlled use,"…
Tattoo & Body Modification
Significant RestrictionsAnyone who tattoos or pierces bodies for pay in unincorporated St. Joseph County, and any facility where the work happens, needs a separate annual permit from the county health officer…
Massage Establishments
Significant RestrictionsAnyone operating a massage establishment or practicing massage therapy in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a separate annual permit from the county health department under…
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Heavy RestrictionsFixing cars, other vehicles, lawn mowers, or large appliances for pay is banned as a home occupation anywhere in unincorporated St. Joseph County. Section 154.072(C) lists automobile…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Street Fair Rules
Some RestrictionsAnyone operating a circus, sideshow, carnival or street fair for pay in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a permit from the county auditor before opening the gate. Applications…
Parade Permits
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County's sheriff's office, not the county council, is the permitting authority for parades, holidays, concerts and other public or personal special events held in the…
Park Event Permits
Some RestrictionsReserving a shelter, field or other facility in a St. Joseph County park runs through a permit governed by Code Section 131.35: it's valid only for what its written terms authorize…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Flood Zones
Some RestrictionsAny construction, fill, grading or land-disturbing activity wholly or partly inside a mapped special flood hazard area in unincorporated St. Joseph County needs a floodplain…
Coastal Development
Significant RestrictionsExcavating, filling, or building over, along, or lakeward of the shoreline of a public freshwater lake in unincorporated St. Joseph County requires Indiana DNR approval under the Lakes…
Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County's sediment and erosion control chapter ties every construction site's erosion plan to Indiana's Rule 5 storm water program and the county's own Design Guide and…
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsNew or substantially improved homes in St. Joseph County's Zone A and Zone AE flood areas must have their lowest floor, basement included, at or above the flood protection grade: two…
Stormwater Management
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County requires a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) before any land-disturbing construction of one acre or more breaks ground in the unincorporated county…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated St. Joseph County, Code Section 54.03 gives the owner or occupant of every lot a 24-hour deadline to clear snow and ice from adjacent sidewalks after it falls, to the…
Property Blight
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County enforces Indiana's unsafe building law through its building commissioner, who can padlock and post an unsafe structure as sealed while the county board of…
🖥️ Data Centers & Crypto Mining
Data Center Zoning & Siting
Few RestrictionsInside the Indiana Enterprise Center overlay, unincorporated St. Joseph County lists a data center as a permitted industrial use requiring no conditional or special use hearing. Zoning…
Data Center Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsData centers are listed as a permitted industrial use in St. Joseph County's zoning ordinance, and once built they must meet the county's performance standards for noise under Section…
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Sidewalk Repair
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County puts sidewalk upkeep squarely on the abutting property owner or occupant. Section 54.02(B) requires them to keep sidewalks, curbs, tree lawns and private approaches…
Obstruction Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bans pushing or depositing snow and ice onto any sidewalk, street, roadway, transit loading area or fire hydrant under section 54.04, adopted by Ordinance 23-25 on…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Light Trespass & Shielding
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County limits floodlights and other outdoor fixtures so their beam cannot spill onto a neighbor's land or a public road. Under Zoning Ordinance § 154.351(K), a floodlight…
Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County's zoning code requires every outdoor light fixture serving a multi-family, commercial, industrial, planned-unit or special-use property in the unincorporated county…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County zones unincorporated land through the Area Plan Commission. The R: Single Family District sets a 35-foot front yard on most streets, 6- to 8-foot side yards, and a…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County zones unincorporated land. In the R: Single Family District, building height may not exceed two and one-half stories or 40 feet, whichever is lower, under Zoning…
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County caps development intensity in the R: Single Family District with a floor area ratio of 0.4 and minimum lot sizes from 9,000 to 21,780 square feet, under Zoning…
🚷 Public Conduct
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bans smoking in all county, city, township and town parks and recreational areas under Section 96.03(L) of its smoking ordinance, and it separately bars smoking close…
Public Alcohol Use
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bans hard liquor entirely in its county parks and confines beer or wine to picnic, dining or concession areas the park board has designated for it under section…
🌙 Curfew Laws
Park Curfew
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County parks are not open around the clock: Code Section 131.29(C) makes it unlawful to remain in or use any county park facility once the park has closed for the day…
Juvenile Curfew
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County bans minors from public places during set overnight hours. Code Section 132.01 keeps 15-to-17-year-olds off the street after 11:00 p.m. on school nights and from 1:00…