Flint, MI Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Licensed junk/secondhand/pawn/scrap premises
- Standard
- Rats/vermin/fire hazards minimized
- Burning junk on-site
- Needs Fire Marshal + DNR permit
- Enforcement
- Building & Safety, license revocation
Summary
Junk yards, secondhand shops, pawnshops, and scrap-metal premises in the City of Flint must be kept clean and sanitary enough to hold rats, vermin, and fire hazards to a practical minimum.
Maintenance of premises, burning on premises. All premises used in connection with a business licensed under this article shall be maintained in a clean, sanitary and neat condition, and so maintained so that rats, vermin, and fire hazards are as far as practicable reduced to a minimum. No junk, secondhand property or parts thereof shall be burned on such premises unless a valid permit from the Fire Marshal and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have been issued and are in force. All businesses licensed under this article shall comply with all laws and regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. (Ord. 2945, passed 3-11-1985)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2016 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3821, passed 3-1-2012).
Full Breakdown
Section 12-67.2(d) applies to every premises used by a business licensed under Chapter 12, Article VIII: junk dealers, secondhand dealers, pawnbrokers, auto salvage yards, and scrap iron/metal processors. It requires the premises be maintained clean, sanitary, and neat, with rats, vermin, and fire hazards reduced as far as practicable, and bars burning junk or secondhand materials on-site unless the Fire Marshal and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have both issued a valid permit. It sits alongside a separate fencing and yard-arrangement rule (§ 12-67.1–.2(a)-(b)) requiring solid enclosure and clear access aisles. This is a business-premises maintenance duty, not a citywide property-standards rule for homes and vacant lots.
Violations & Fines
A licensed junk, secondhand, or pawn business that lets rat or vermin conditions develop, or burns material without the required Fire Marshal/DNR permits, risks license revocation under § 12-58 and Flint's general penalty of up to $500 and 90 days per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rodent rule apply to any Flint property, like a vacant house?
Can a licensed junk dealer burn scrap on-site?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flint
Compare Flint to another location·View the Michigan public health rules overview
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