Elkhart County, IN Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- County Planning and Development / Zoning Administrator
- Compliance deadline
- At least 10 days from order
- Order expiration
- 2 years from issuance
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,500 per violation
- Inspection warrant
- Valid 48 hours if entry refused
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Elkhart County only
Summary
Elkhart County treats any pile of matter that attracts rodents, insects or wild animals on your property as a public nuisance under its Public Nuisance Ordinance. County Code Enforcement investigates, can order the condition abated within ten days, and can sue to remove it and bill you for the cost if you refuse.
PUBLIC NUISANCE. Any condition or action that is injurious to health, indecent, offensive to the senses or an obstruction to the free use of property so as essentially to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property... and shall include, but is not limited to, the following: ... (11) The placing or accumulating on or within any real or personal property, or the permitting of same, of any matter which attracts or may attract rodents, insects, domestic or wild animals in such a manner as to create a health hazard, unsanitary or dangerous condition;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-23: Supplement contains: Current through local legislation passed on or before July 31, 2025; and State Legislation current through 2025 Indiana Legislative Service, Pamphlet #3).
Full Breakdown
The Elkhart County Public Nuisance Ordinance, Ord. 2013-211, defines PUBLIC NUISANCE at § 92.002 to include 'the placing or accumulating on or within any real or personal property... of any matter which attracts or may attract rodents, insects, domestic or wild animals in such a manner as to create a health hazard, unsanitary or dangerous condition.' The ordinance applies only in the unincorporated area of the county.
The Elkhart County Planning and Development Department administers the rule, and the Zoning Administrator enforces it under § 92.003. Section 92.005 makes it a violation for any owner, tenant, renter or occupant to 'have, maintain or allow' the condition, and requires them to abate it. If an inspection confirms a nuisance, § 92.006 lets the Zoning Administrator issue a written order to abate naming the required action, giving at least ten days to comply, with the order expiring two years after issuance. If an owner refuses entry, § 92.008 lets the Zoning Administrator obtain a 48-hour inspection warrant from a county court.
If the order is ignored, § 92.007 authorizes the Zoning Administrator to file a civil action to enjoin or abate the nuisance and recover damages, including the actual cost of county labor and equipment, mileage, disposal fees, administrative time, and reasonable attorney fees and court costs, all deposited into the County Public Nuisance Fund.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a civil ordinance violation carrying a fine of up to $2,500 under § 92.999, and each day the condition continues counts as a separate violation. The county can also bill the property owner for cleanup labor, equipment, disposal and legal costs incurred in a § 92.007 abatement lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside the city of Elkhart or Goshen?
Who do I call to report a rodent-attracting property?
What happens if I fix the problem after receiving a notice?
Can the county make me pay for the cleanup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elkhart County
Compare Elkhart County to another location·View the Indiana public health rules overview
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