Notre Dame, IN

Neither Indiana nor St. Joseph County requires short-term-rental hosts to carry insurance; coverage is driven by mortgage lenders, HOA covenants, and booking platforms rather than any ordinance.

Indiana 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 occupancy inspection.

Neither Indiana nor St. Joseph County sets a short-term-rental parking ratio; South Bend regulates rental parking through general residential parking and property-maintenance rules rather than an STR-specific mandate.

St. Joseph County and South Bend set no fixed short-term-rental headcount; occupancy is governed by the International Property Maintenance Code, verified at the required occupancy inspection, rather than a numeric STR cap.

St. 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%.

St. Joseph County sets no STR-specific noise rule; South Bend rental guests must obey Code Sec. 13-57, which makes sound plainly audible 50 feet away, or operated after 11:00 p.m., a violation.

Indiana designates no regulatory wildfire hazard zones in St. Joseph County and applies no wildland-urban-interface building code; the humid northern-Indiana climate and heavy lake-effect snow keep wildfire risk low.

Backyard recreational fires are legal year-round across St. Joseph County under IDEM rule 326 IAC 4-1-3, which allows burning only clean wood, paper, charcoal, and clean petroleum products in a single pile under 1,000 cubic feet.

Consumer 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 Year's, or before 11 p.m. on ordinary days.

St. Joseph County has no defensible-space or brush-clearance ordinance; northern Indiana's humid climate and heavy lake-effect snow keep wildfire risk low, so clearing vegetation around a home is left to the owner.

Open burning of trash is banned throughout St. Joseph County under IDEM rule 326 IAC 4-1; only clean-wood recreational fires and limited vegetative burning are exempt, in one pile under 1,000 cubic feet, kept attended.

No countywide overnight-parking ban applies in St. Joseph County, but South Bend and Mishawaka limit extended on-street parking, and any snow emergency triggers odd/even rules that override normal overnight parking.

St. Joseph County and its cities zone residential property through the Area Plan Commission, so an RV, boat, or trailer may usually be stored on a private lot while parking in a front-yard setback or on the street is restricted.

Installing a home EV charger in St. Joseph County requires an electrical permit and inspection under the adopted state electrical code; the work follows the National Electrical Code, and no Indiana statute stops an HOA from restricting chargers.

In St. Joseph County, driveway width, surfacing, and where vehicles may park are set by Area Plan Commission zoning and city codes, and a new driveway connecting to a public road needs an access permit.

Under 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 than 48 hours, after which it may be towed.

St. Joseph County and its cities use zoning to limit parking large commercial vehicles and semi-trailers in residential districts; a work van or pickup is usually fine, but a semi-tractor or heavy truck often may not be stored at a home.

St. Joseph County cities regulate street parking locally, and in South Bend a declared snow emergency forces odd/even parking so lake-effect snow plows can pass, overriding normal parking on cleared routes.

A building permit is required to install a fence in unincorporated St. Joseph County, reviewed by Planning and Zoning against the ordinance's height and location standards. Call Indiana 811 at least two full working days before digging post holes.

In unincorporated St. Joseph County, open fences like chain-link may reach 8 feet and solid privacy fences 6 feet, dropping to 4 and 3 feet within the front setback. The Area Plan Commission's zoning ordinance sets these limits; South Bend and Mishawaka run their own.

No Indiana statute restricts residential fence materials, so wood, vinyl, aluminum, and chain-link are all allowed across St. Joseph County. County zoning instead regulates height by openness, and barbed wire and electric fencing are treated as agricultural.

A retaining wall over four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, needs a building permit and engineered design under the Indiana Residential Code. Shorter unloaded walls are exempt. St. Joseph County building officials enforce this.

Indiana's partition-fence law makes adjoining landowners share a boundary fence's cost proportionally, and it matters most on St. Joseph County's rural south and west farmland. If a neighbor refuses, you may build, give twenty days notice, and recover their share.

Every residential pool in St. Joseph County must be enclosed by a barrier at least four feet high, about 48 inches, with self-closing, self-latching gates that lock. The requirement comes from the Indiana Residential Code and is enforced by local building officials.

No St. Joseph County ordinance broadly bans backyard bird feeding, but Indiana DNR rules restrict deer feeding, and feeding wildlife that creates a nuisance or draws rabies-vector animals near homes can be curbed locally. Songbird feeders are generally allowed.

Indiana bars keeping many wild and exotic animals without a state permit. Under Indiana Code 14-22-26 and DNR rule 312 IAC 9-11, possessing a protected or dangerous wild animal needs a DNR permit. No St. Joseph County community can authorize these.

Indiana has no statewide leash law, so St. Joseph County, South Bend, and Mishawaka each require dogs restrained and set running-at-large rules. Statewide, an owner is strictly liable when their dog bites a person acting peaceably where they may lawfully be.

Indiana has no statewide breed ban and no law preempting one, so the state is silent on breed-specific rules. St. Joseph County and South Bend regulate dogs by individual dangerous behavior, not by breed, so no pit bull ban exists here.

Beekeeping is legal across St. Joseph County and treated as agriculture. Indiana requires no state hive registration, though the DNR offers voluntary registration and inspects for disease. Recklessly disturbing someone's hives is a Class B misdemeanor.

Backyard chickens are set by local zoning: South Bend allows up to six hens by permit with no roosters, while agricultural districts in the rural south and west allow livestock. Indiana's Right to Farm law shields established farms from nuisance suits.

No Indiana statute and no St. Joseph County ordinance limits trimming trees on your own land in unincorporated areas. You may prune freely. South Bend and Mishawaka control only trees in the tree-lawn strip between curb and sidewalk.

No Indiana statute and no St. Joseph County ordinance governs artificial turf. In unincorporated areas you may install it freely. HOA covenants are the main limit, and riverfront or low-lying lots may face stormwater or drainage review.

Two layers apply: statewide, IC 15-16-8-3 requires every Indiana landowner to destroy detrimental plants, which in residential areas include noxious weeds and rank vegetation; locally, St. Joseph County's 2022 ordinance enforces a 9-inch limit in unincorporated residential yards.

Indiana sets no statewide lawn-watering ban, and water-rich St. Joseph County rarely restricts irrigation. Any limits come from your water provider during a drought, not from a county ordinance or the St. Joseph River's flow.

You may remove trees on your own land in unincorporated St. Joseph County without a county permit. Indiana has no statewide tree-protection law and the county has no removal ordinance. Only South Bend and Mishawaka regulate their tree-lawn trees.

Rainwater harvesting is legal and unregulated throughout St. Joseph County. No Indiana statute limits collecting rain, and the county has no ordinance. Rain barrels and cisterns for the garden are allowed everywhere, and the county's weed ordinance even exempts rain gardens.

No Indiana statute or St. Joseph County ordinance restricts native or drought-tolerant planting. You may replace lawn with prairie species, pollinator beds, or a native meadow. The county's 2022 weed ordinance explicitly exempts native and pollinator gardens.

In unincorporated St. Joseph County, front-yard weeds and rank vegetation over 9 inches violate the county's Weed and Rank Vegetation Control Ordinance, adopted in 2022 under the authority Indiana grants at IC 36-7-10.1-3.

An above-ground pool in St. Joseph County is regulated like any pool: it needs an Improvement Location Permit and must meet the 48-inch barrier of Indiana Residential Code Section AG105.2. The pool wall can serve as the barrier where it is high enough.

A hot tub or spa in St. Joseph County is regulated like a pool, but Indiana Residential Code Section AG105.5 exempts a spa fitted with a listed ASTM F1346 safety cover from the 48-inch barrier requirement.

Every outdoor residential pool in St. Joseph County must sit behind a barrier at least 48 inches high under the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, Appendix G, Section AG105.2. Openings in that barrier cannot pass a 4-inch sphere.

A residential pool in St. Joseph County is an accessory structure that needs an Improvement Location Permit under Zoning Ordinance Section 154.596 before it is placed, plus a building and electrical permit from the county Building Department.

Under the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, Section AG105.2, a pedestrian gate in a St. Joseph County pool barrier must open outward, be self-closing, and carry a self-latching device. Public and semi-public pools fall under 410 IAC 6-2.1.

A backyard shed in St. Joseph County must keep the district's front and side setbacks and stay at least 8 feet off the rear property line under Zoning Ordinance Section 154.070.

Converting a garage to living space in St. Joseph County is a change of occupancy requiring a building permit under the 2020 Indiana Residential Code. The county Building Department reviews egress, ceiling height, insulation, and smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.

A tiny house on a permanent foundation is legal in St. Joseph County when built to the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, Appendix Q, for dwellings 400 square feet or less. A tiny house on wheels is a recreational vehicle and cannot be used as a dwelling under Zoning Section 154.079.

St. 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 Location Permit. Off public sewer it needs a septic construction permit under 410 IAC 6-8.3.

A carport in St. Joseph County is a permitted residential accessory structure that needs an Improvement Location Permit, must meet the district's front and side setbacks, and must sit at least 8 feet from the rear property line under Zoning Ordinance Section 154.070.

In unincorporated St. Joseph County noise runs on Indiana's disorderly-conduct law (IC 35-45-1-3); South Bend caps residential sound at 55 dBA from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and 62 dBA daytime under Code Sec. 13-82.

South Bend Code Sec. 13-81 makes it a nuisance to keep any animal or fowl causing frequent or long-continued noise that disturbs neighbors; unincorporated St. Joseph County handles barking through Animal Care and Control.

South Bend Code Sec. 13-57 bars amplified sound plainly audible 50 feet from the source that disturbs neighbors; operating it that way between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is prima facie a violation.

South Bend Code Sec. 13-83 exempts construction tools and equipment from noise limits only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; outside that window construction noise must meet the strict 55 dBA nighttime residential cap.

South Bend Code Sec. 13-83 exempts lawn and garden tools, lawnmowers, and snowblowers from noise limits from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Indiana has no gas leaf-blower ban.

A home-business sign in unincorporated St. Joseph County must meet the county Zoning Ordinance's sign standards for the parcel's residential district. The Advisory Planning Law expressly lets the zoning ordinance regulate signs, so size and placement are capped, not left to the…

Caring for children for pay in a St. Joseph County home requires a license from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. IC 12-17.2-5-1 bars operating a child care home without a license; the county's role is limited to zoning and building compliance.

A home occupation in unincorporated St. Joseph County must fit the parcel's zoning district under the county Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Area Plan Commission. Indiana's Advisory Planning Law gives the local legislative body exclusive zoning authority, so the home must…

Indiana'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 be produced at your primary residence and sold directly to the end consumer.

A home occupation in unincorporated St. Joseph County may not generate traffic beyond a normal residential level, and parking stays off-street on the lot. The county Zoning Ordinance restricts the kind and intensity of uses, so a home business cannot draw commercial volumes of…

St. Joseph County issues no tree-removal permits and cannot require one in unincorporated areas. Permits exist only inside South Bend and Mishawaka, and only for trees in the public tree lawn between curb and sidewalk. HOA covenants may add private approval.

Indiana designates no heritage or landmark trees by statute, and St. Joseph County protects none in unincorporated areas. South Bend and Mishawaka, both Tree Cities USA, guard their public street and park canopy, but the county has no equivalent program.

No Indiana statute and no St. Joseph County ordinance requires replacing a removed tree in unincorporated areas. Replanting mandates exist only inside South Bend and Mishawaka for public tree-lawn trees, or as a condition in HOA covenants and development approvals.

South 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 gives a buyer three business days to cancel a home-solicitation sale.

St. 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 being denied entry or refuses to leave commits criminal trespass, a Class A misdemeanor.

A food truck in St. Joseph County must be permitted as a mobile retail food establishment by the St. Joseph County Department of Health under Indiana's retail food code, 410 IAC 7-24. The unit must operate from an approved commissary and report to it at least once daily.

Where a food truck may set up in unincorporated St. Joseph County depends on the parcel's zoning district and the owner's permission. The county Zoning Ordinance restricts the kind and intensity of uses, so vending is limited to sites where commercial use is allowed.

Set-out rules are municipal, not countywide. South Bend requires carts out by 6:00 a.m. on collection day, within two feet of the curb, lid closed and opening facing the street, three feet from other bins. Mishawaka also wants carts curbside by 6:00 a.m.

St. 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 in a 48- or 96-gallon cart; Mishawaka contracts Waste Management; unincorporated residents…

Recycling is countywide but voluntary. The St. Joseph County Solid Waste Management District, through Borden Waste-Away, gives each household one 96-gallon cart collected every other week. Accepted plastics are #1-5 and #7, rinsed with caps removed.

Bulk 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 35-45-3-2, a Class B infraction with a judgment up to $1,000.

Where carts sit is a city matter. South Bend requires carts stored off the public way and returned the same day, set within two feet of the curb only on collection day, lid closed. Carts left standing out draw a code notice.

Blight is enforced hard. Under Indiana's Unsafe Building Law, IC 36-7-9-5, the enforcement authority can order an owner to remove trash and debris, repair, or demolish an unsafe building, backed by liens and demolition at the owner's cost.

Garage sales are lightly regulated. South Bend zoning allows residential garage sales as a temporary accessory use with no city permit or fee. Mishawaka treats a private rummage sale as one or two families selling household goods. No county cap applies.

Snow clearing is a real duty here. South Bend's Sec. 18-7 and Mishawaka Code 58-527 both require the owner or occupant to clear snow and ice from public sidewalks within 24 hours after snowfall ends, a shovel-width path minimum.

Neglected lots get cited. South Bend mows grass over 9 inches after 48 hours' notice under Ord. 16-59 and bills a $250 abatement. IC 36-7-9-5 lets the enforcement authority order debris removed from unsafe vacant premises.

Hours are not fixed by ordinance. South Bend and Mishawaka set no official garage sale start and end times, so daytime operation is the norm, with general noise rules and sign limits the real constraints.

No numeric cap applies. Neither South Bend, Mishawaka, nor unincorporated St. Joseph County publishes an annual limit on household garage sales. The practical line is that constant sales turn a home into an unlicensed store.

No permit is needed. South Bend allows residential garage sales as a temporary accessory use with no city permit or fee, and unincorporated St. Joseph County has no garage sale license. Mishawaka regulates rummage sales only through zoning definitions.

St. 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 Ordinance § 154.107(F). Libraries, religious uses, and schools are exempt.

St. 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 Ordinance § 154.107.

St. 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 25-foot rear yard on sewer under Zoning Ordinance § 154.107.

Indiana sets juvenile curfew by statute statewide, unusual among states. Under IC 31-37-3-2, a child 15, 16, or 17 commits a curfew violation between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on weekends and after 11 p.m. on weeknights.

St. Joseph County parks, such as St. Patrick's County Park and Ferrettie/Baugo Creek, close at posted hours, generally dawn to dusk. Remaining after closing is criminal trespass under IC 35-43-2-2.

St. Joseph County's Zoning Ordinance limits light trespass for covered properties: § 154.351 requires floodlights and accent lights to be shielded so the beam does not spill glare onto adjacent properties or rights-of-way.

St. Joseph County enforces outdoor-lighting rules under Zoning Ordinance §§ 154.350-154.355, requiring full-cutoff fixtures and shielding to curb light spillover. The rules apply to commercial, industrial, and multifamily uses; single-family homes are largely exempt.

Rooftop solar is permitted throughout St. Joseph County. A homeowner needs a county building and electrical permit, licensed wiring meeting the National Electrical Code, and an interconnection agreement with Indiana Michigan Power before the system is energized.

Indiana's 2022 solar law, IC 32-25.5-3.5, limits how a St. Joseph County homeowners association can restrict solar. An HOA may prohibit or require removal of a solar energy system only for the specific reasons the statute lists.

Indiana's Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSGP), which replaced the repealed Rule 5 (327 IAC 15-5) in December 2021, governs land disturbance across St. Joseph County. Any construction disturbing one acre or more must obtain CSGP coverage before work begins.

Coastal-development rules do not apply in St. Joseph County. This is inland north-central Indiana, near but not on Lake Michigan. Indiana's Lake Michigan Coastal Program reaches only Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties along the actual shoreline.

The Construction Stormwater General Permit treats clearing, grading, and excavation as regulated land disturbance in St. Joseph County. Any site of one acre or more needs CSGP coverage, and the County Drainage Board oversees regulated drains under Indiana's drainage code.

Erosion control in St. Joseph County runs through the Construction Stormwater General Permit. Every site disturbing one acre or more must implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) controlling erosion and sediment before, during, and after construction.

Indiana's Flood Control Act, IC 14-28-1-22, requires a permit from the IDNR before erecting a structure or placing fill in a floodway. The St. Joseph River floodway runs straight through South Bend and Mishawaka.

Indiana 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 before termination.

South 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 no registration program.

Rent 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 property. Landlords set rent at market.

St. Joseph County does not regulate holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays on homes. No county or municipal ordinance limits seasonal decorations; only HOA covenants, where they exist, set timing or size rules.

Garage-sale signs are temporary signs in St. Joseph County, up to 24 square feet per frontage and two per lot in residential districts under Zoning Ordinance §154.379, with small 2-square-foot signs exempt from any permit.

St. Joseph County allows political yard signs as temporary signs. Zoning Ordinance §154.373 exempts signs up to 2 square feet from permits; a larger temporary sign in a residential district may reach 24 square feet, two per lot.

Growing 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 cultivating marijuana is possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor that escalates with quantity…

There 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, manufacturing or delivering marijuana is dealing in marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor that rises to a…

Commercial drone operators in St. Joseph County follow FAA 14 C.F.R. Part 107: hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft, stay below 400 feet, and keep visual line of sight. South Bend International's controlled airspace requires LAANC authorization.

Recreational drone flights over St. Joseph County follow federal law 49 U.S.C. § 44809: register drones over 250 grams, pass the TRUST test, stay below 400 feet, and keep visual line of sight. South Bend International Airport airspace needs LAANC authorization.