Reno, NV
Pop. 264,165 · Washoe County
Most looked-up rules in Reno
The topics readers look up most across the site, as they apply in Reno.
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🏡 Home & Property
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
🚗 Parking Rules
Loading Zones
Some RestrictionsReno caps loading-zone stops at 20 minutes for commercial vehicles and restricts times to weekdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., unless posted otherwise.
EV Charging
Some RestrictionsReno bars non-electric vehicles from marked EV charging spaces, including privately owned multi-family parking lots offered for public charging, under RMC 6.30.165; violators face a…
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsReno bans parking vehicles, trailers, or commercial vehicles longer than 24 feet, or taller or wider than 8 feet, on any street, highway, or alley except to pick up or drop off…
Overnight Parking
Some RestrictionsReno prohibits overnight parking from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. on any street, alley, or highway posted with an official no-parking sign for those hours, except physicians and other emergency…
Preferential Parking Districts
Some RestrictionsReno lets the city council create residential permit parking districts where only permit-holding residents may park on-street, following a traffic engineer study and neighbor approval.
Curb Color Rules
Some RestrictionsReno's traffic code assigns a curb color code: yellow paint marks loading zones, green marks 24-minute parking, and red marks fire lanes where parking is banned outright. Only the city…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsReno bans stopping or parking within 5 feet of any driveway, 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or 20 feet of a crosswalk, and requires cars to park headed in the direction of traffic…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsReno treats parking in front of a single-family home's front building line as a public nuisance unless the vehicle sits on a paved standard driveway or an adjoining paved surface…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsReno bans junk, inoperative, or unregistered vehicles on streets and caps them at two on private property, screened from public view.
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsIn Reno, RVs, trailers, and vehicles over 24 feet long cannot sit on a street or alley more than 48 consecutive hours, though owners can briefly stand one in front of their home to…
Towing & Impound Rights
Heavy RestrictionsReno sets no tow rate of its own but regulates the tow itself hard: a booting company may collect no more than $100.00 for the first 24 hours and $25.00 a day after, must reach a…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsReno caps front-yard fences at 4 feet and side/rear fences at 6 feet in residential and other non-employment zones, with a mandatory AASHTO sight triangle on corner lots and a permit…
Retaining Walls
Some RestrictionsReno requires a permit before building a retaining wall, and any fence stacked on top of one is measured from the retaining wall's own top, not from grade.
Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsReno requires a permit from the building and safety inspector before erecting, constructing, altering, or extending any fence within city limits, per Municipal Code Section 14.18.050.
Material Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsReno bans barbed wire, razor ribbon, and razor tape on fences citywide, and disallows chain link along major drainageways and open space, unless a specific exemption in the zoning code…
Neighbor Fence Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyUnincorporated Washoe County lets fences be built anywhere within or on the lot line, subject to height limits, but bars fencing across county utility, sewer, water, drainage and…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Short-Term Rental Permits
Significant RestrictionsReno requires anyone renting out transient lodging, including vacation homes, condos, and timeshares booked for under 28 days, to get a license from the Reno-Sparks Convention and…
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsReno taxes short-term rentals as transient lodging: a 1% citywide license tax on gross receipts, plus an extra 1% in the downtown police-assessment district and 1.5% in the…
Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyIn the Tahoe Basin (TRPA area), Washoe County STR quiet hours run daily from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Guests must reduce outdoor activity, and repeat noise violations force the owner to file…
Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County does not require an STR to be the owner's primary residence. Non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals are permitted, and there is no cap on the number of STR permits issued…
Host Presence Rule
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County does not require on-site host presence, but every STR must designate one Local Responsible Party who can be reached 24/7 by text-enabled phone, respond within 30 minutes…
Occupancy Limits
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyEach unincorporated Washoe County STR gets an occupancy limit set by the Planning and Building Division. The occupant load is calculated as one occupant per 200 square feet of…
Night Caps
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County sets no cap on the number of nights an STR may rent and no minimum booking length. Any rental under 28 days needs a permit. The permit prohibits events, parties, and…
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyIn the Tahoe Basin (TRPA area), Washoe County STRs must provide one on-site parking space for every four occupants, all improved and on-site. Outside TRPA, the residential parking…
Insurance Requirements
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyEvery unincorporated Washoe County STR must carry a Certificate of Insurance providing a minimum of $500,000 liability coverage per occurrence. The owner acknowledges this coverage in…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Water Restrictions
Some RestrictionsReno assigns lawn irrigation to three fixed days a week by address parity and bans watering between noon and 6 p.m. all summer, enforced with civil fines.
Tree Trimming
Few RestrictionsReno residents may trim trees on their own property without a city permit. Trees overhanging streets or sidewalks must maintain 8 feet clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet over streets…
Artificial Turf
Some RestrictionsReno's landscaping code allows artificial turf as ground cover, but caps it at 25% of the required landscaped area unless the city administrator approves more.
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Some RestrictionsReno's Municipal Code Chapter 8.32 makes it unlawful to remove, top, mutilate, or injure any tree, shrub, or vine on a public street, park, or other public place without a written…
Weed Ordinances
Some RestrictionsReno requires owners and occupants to clear weeds, dry grass, and dead trees from their property and the abutting sidewalk or alley, or face nuisance enforcement.
Native Plants
Some RestrictionsNew development landscape plans in Reno must cap turf at 50 percent of the required landscape area in multi-family, Urban and Employment districts, and every non-turf area must…
Rainwater Harvesting
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyRainwater harvesting is legal statewide. Nevada NRS 533.027 allows de minimis collection of precipitation from the rooftop of a single-family dwelling for nonpotable domestic use…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Pet Store Rules
Heavy RestrictionsReno pet stores and commercial establishments cannot sell dogs or cats retail. Small breeders under the county's commercial-breeder threshold are exempt, and stores may still host…
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Some RestrictionsReno zoning sets district-specific rules for animal clinics, hospitals, shelters, boarding kennels, and training facilities, with lot-size and indoor-operation requirements that vary…
Bird Protection
Some RestrictionsReno bans feeding waterfowl, birds or wildlife in city parks except at three designated spots, and only with food made for wildlife, not bread or crackers.
Beekeeping
Some RestrictionsReno regulates bees under its Urban Farm use category, which needs a minor conditional use permit once the operation runs past three years.
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsReno allows up to 12 fowl per lot under its Urban Farm accessory-use standard, which applies by right in every zoning district in the city, but that same rule bars hoofed animals and…
Wildlife Feeding
Significant RestrictionsReno prohibits feeding waterfowl, birds, or wildlife in city parks except at three designated pond locations, where only commercial wildlife feed is permitted, not bread or crackers.
Dog Leash Laws
Heavy RestrictionsWashoe County Code 55.100 requires dogs to be on a leash in public areas within the congested areas of the county, which include Reno. The code sets no leash length. Reno has no city…
Cat Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyCats are exempt from Washoe County's dog leash and at-large rules, so they may roam. However, unspayed female cats may not be allowed to run at large while in season, and keeping more…
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Significant RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County does not require spay or neuter for pets generally, but a dog formally declared dangerous or vicious must be sterilized within 30 days of that declaration, with proof…
Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County makes it unlawful to keep, harbor, or feed a bat, skunk, raccoon, fox, coyote, or other high-risk rabies-vector species on private property, under WCC 55.645. That ban is…
Breed Restrictions
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County has no breed-specific dog ban. WCC 55.750 expressly bars finding a dog dangerous or vicious "based solely on the dog's breed," and instead requires proof of an unprovoked…
Pet Limits
Significant RestrictionsWashoe CountyIn congested areas of unincorporated Washoe County, keeping more than five dogs or seven cats over four months old for more than 30 days in any six-month span requires a variance…
💼 Home Business
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Some RestrictionsReno caps home occupations at two on-site clients who drive, allowing only one client vehicle on the property at a time, or up to six non-driving clients such as kids at lessons.
Home Daycare
Some RestrictionsReno allows in-home childcare for 5 to 12 kids as an accessory home business, but requires the provider to live on-site, caps outdoor play hours, and mandates a 6-foot fence along…
Signage Rules
Significant RestrictionsReno bars home-based businesses from putting up signs that make a residence look non-residential: the home occupation must stay invisible from the street.
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsReno home-based businesses must fit within 25% of living space or 500 square feet, may employ one outside worker with parking, and cannot have customers pick up merchandise on-site.
Cottage Food Operations
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyNevada allows registered cottage food operations to sell non-hazardous homemade foods without a full food-establishment permit. Operators must register with the health authority…
Home Kitchen Operations
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada never created a microenterprise home kitchen operation. The words microenterprise and home kitchen appear nowhere in NRS chapter 580 or NAC chapter 446. What Nevada does have is…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Aircraft Noise
Some RestrictionsReno bans unnecessary loud noise from aircraft engines or propellers in flight over the city, and helicopters must fly the Truckee River channel to and from the Riverside Garage…
Barking Dogs
Some RestrictionsWashoe County's barking ordinance is qualitative: animals making loud and frequent noises that annoy the neighbourhood violate County Code 55.125. The agency guideline for taking a…
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsReno limits sound amplification devices and sound equipment in city parks and outdoor recreation facilities to 50 decibels within 50 feet without a permit, and 75 decibels at the…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsReno's zoning code caps noise from nearby nonresidential development at 49 decibels overnight and 65 decibels during the day at the property line of any adjacent home, enforced under…
Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsReno caps noise from nonresidential and mixed-use projects at 49 decibels at an adjoining residential property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., dropping from the 65-decibel daytime…
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsReno bans amplified car stereo sound audible 25 feet away and requires every motor vehicle to run a proper, non-modified muffler under Reno Municipal Code Title 6.
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsReno exempts construction noise from its residential-property-line noise limits only between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Outside that window, construction sound must meet the same 49-65…
Leaf Blower Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County has no dedicated leaf-blower ordinance for unincorporated areas. Gas leaf blowers are treated like any other noise source and must not push day-night average sound (Ldn)…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Wildfire Zones
Heavy RestrictionsReno has formally adopted WUI zones covering western foothill neighborhoods (Caughlin Ranch, Somersett, Mogul, Verdi) and eastern slopes (Hidden Valley, Virginia Foothills). New…
Outdoor Burning
Significant RestrictionsReno bans burning refuse or operating incinerators that send smoke, ash, sparks or fire onto streets, alleys or neighboring property, and bans residential-district incinerators for…
Fireworks
Heavy RestrictionsReno bans possessing, selling, or igniting any fireworks or pyrotechnics citywide, with narrow exceptions for railroad signals, novelty caps, model rockets, and Fire Code permits.
Propane Storage
Some RestrictionsReno has no standalone propane ordinance. Instead it enforces LP-gas and propane storage limits through the 2024 International Fire Code, which it adopted by reference citywide…
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyA backyard recreational fire in the TMFPD is limited to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, must burn only clean fuel (not rubbish), and must stay at least 25 feet from any structure…
Smoke Detectors
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe County follows Nevada state law. NRS 477.140 requires hotels/motels with at least six guest rooms and apartment buildings with at least three units to equip each sleeping room…
Brush Clearance
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyWashoe is a real wildfire county. TMFPD requires defensible space around structures: a 30-foot vegetation buffer in a moderate hazard zone, 50 feet in a high zone, and 100 feet in an…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsReno caps detached accessory structures like sheds at 1,600 square feet or half the house's footprint on standard SF-3 lots, requires a 3-foot gap from other buildings, and limits…
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsReno's zoning code caps most residential lots at one detached accessory dwelling unit on top of the lot's normal limit on other accessory structures, and requires one off-street…
Tiny Homes
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyA manufactured or modular home built within 6 years of placement may serve as a detached ADU if permanently affixed and converted to real property. A shed or accessory structure cannot…
Garage Conversions
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyConverting a garage or accessory structure into livable space turns it into a dwelling unit subject to the county's ADU rules. Installing both a kitchen and a toilet automatically…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Some RestrictionsA pool, pond, or other body of water that sits abandoned, unfiltered, or unmaintained until it turns polluted or breeds mosquitoes is a public nuisance under Reno's code, and…
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyAbove-ground pools, spas and hot tubs need the same building permit and barrier as in-ground pools. The pool wall itself may serve as the barrier if it is at least 48 inches high; any…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Collection Schedule
Significant RestrictionsEvery property in Reno that generates solid waste must subscribe to the city's exclusive collection, hauling, and disposal service under RMC 5.90: self-hauling instead of subscribing…
Illegal Dumping
Some RestrictionsDumping waste on any lot, street, alley, ditch, or waterway within Reno city limits is unlawful under RMC § 10.08.020, with fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
Recycling Rules
Light RestrictionsReno residential customers are encouraged but not required to recycle; those who do must use the city's exclusive franchised hauler under RMC § 5.90.060, not an independent recycler.
Yard Waste Collection
Some RestrictionsReno defines green waste narrowly for curbside recycling: branches under 3 inches across, brush, grass clippings, leaves, and stripped-down Christmas trees placed in a collection…
Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsReno requires a code enforcement permit before placing any dumpster or large mobile receptacle in a public right-of-way, and dumpsters must stay locked shut except when loading.
Bulk Item Disposal
Some RestrictionsReno's standard cart service does not include furniture, mattresses, or appliances: bulky items are excluded materials that residents must schedule separately, at a fee, through a…
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Heavy RestrictionsReno property owners and occupants must subscribe to the city's exclusive solid waste and recycling collection service: self-hauling or hiring an outside hauler is not allowed under…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsReno requires trash and recycling receptacles to stay accessible for pickup but bans placing them in streets or alleys, locked enclosures, or spots that create a nuisance; dumpsters in…
Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsReno's contracted hauler must offer recycling to every residential customer, but participation is voluntary: only the mandatory trash subscription and exclusive collection rights are…
🚷 Public Conduct
Public Alcohol Use
Significant RestrictionsReno bans drinking or holding an open alcoholic beverage on public property or anywhere the public congregates, punishable as a misdemeanor.
Public Marijuana Use
Significant RestrictionsReno Municipal Code § 8.17.080 makes it unlawful to use or consume marijuana in any public place, on marijuana-establishment premises, or anywhere open or exposed to public view.
Jaywalking
Some RestrictionsReno pedestrians must cross roadways at right angles or in a crosswalk, and must yield to vehicles when crossing outside a marked or unmarked intersection crosswalk.
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsReno bans smoking and vaping in all parks, trails, and recreation facilities, and within 100 feet of sporting fields, spectator areas, and facility entrances, unless inside a…
Skateboarding Rules
Significant RestrictionsSkateboards are banned on downtown sidewalks and roadways, with parks and posted areas off-limits under Reno Municipal Code § 6.06.030 and § 8.23.160.
Public Urination
Some RestrictionsReno prohibits urinating or defecating in streets, sidewalks, parks, and other public places, with violations charged as a misdemeanor under Reno Municipal Code § 8.12.018 unless the…
Loitering Rules
Some RestrictionsReno makes it a misdemeanor to loiter on posted private property, but police can only cite for it if the owner has filed a Letter of Authority and posted signs.
Aggressive Panhandling
Significant RestrictionsReno makes it a misdemeanor to solicit money or goods in an aggressive manner in any public place, covering touching, blocking, following, or using threatening language toward a person…
🔧 Building Safety
Green Building Code
Some RestrictionsReno has no mandatory green-building code for new construction, but Municipal Code Chapter 14.30 makes buildings of 30,000+ square feet benchmark annual energy and water use, and it…
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsReno adopts the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and requires a valid certificate for anyone doing plumbing work that needs a city permit, with a narrow homeowner exception.
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsReno has adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code with local amendments, and bars any electrical wiring installation, alteration, or addition without a city permit and a valid…
Lead Paint
Some RestrictionsReno follows federal EPA Renovation Repair and Painting rules for pre-1978 homes. Contractors must be EPA-certified lead-safe renovators and sellers and landlords must provide the EPA…
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsReno's building official withholds permits for work that violates zoning rules and won't issue any permit until appeal deadlines under the code pass with nothing filed.
Childcare Center Rules
Some RestrictionsReno requires every child care facility to meet building, electrical, plumbing, fire, and life-safety codes, with plans reviewed by Washoe County and annual fire and building…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsReno requires new construction and substantial improvements in mapped flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor beam at least one foot above the base flood elevation before the…
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Some RestrictionsReno has no citywide idling ban. Its only idling rule is a truck stop zoning standard requiring compliance with Washoe County's diesel idling regulations, posted signage on time…
Stormwater Management
Some RestrictionsReno bans dumping refuse, waste, or any pollutant into streets, storm sewer inlets, catch basins, or drainage structures citywide, with civil penalties up to $1,000 per day per…
Erosion Control
Some RestrictionsReno requires a grading permit before excavating, filling, or altering land grade, per Municipal Code § 18.04.302; cuts over 20 feet or fills over 10 feet trigger major site plan…
Flood Zones
Heavy RestrictionsReno has significant Truckee River flood risk with major floods in 1950, 1955, 1986, 1997, and 2017. New construction in SFHAs must elevate 1 ft above BFE. Flood insurance is required…
🛏️ Homelessness & Encampment Rules
Encampment Sanitation
Significant RestrictionsReno bans camping within 350 feet of the Truckee River shoreline citywide unless a permit is issued under Municipal Code Section 8.23.075; violators need a prior warning from a police…
Sit-Lie Rules
Significant RestrictionsReno bans sitting, lying, sleeping or camping on any sidewalk, street, alley or other public place citywide, with camping defined broadly to include storing belongings or pitching a…
🖥️ Data Centers & Crypto Mining
Data Center Zoning & Siting
Significant RestrictionsReno allows data centers only in industrial and mixed-use employment zoning districts, and every one of those districts requires a conditional use permit rather than by-right approval…
Data Center Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsReno requires data center loading docks and truck staging areas to be designed to limit noise and odor near residential property, with screening required unless docks sit away from…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Adult Entertainment
Significant RestrictionsReno confines adult businesses to the I, IC, and ME zoning districts and requires 750 feet from residential zones, schools, and parks, plus 500 feet between adult businesses.
Pawnbrokers
Significant RestrictionsPawnbrokers in Reno need an annual license the first year and a quarterly license after that, plus a separate auto pawn license to accept vehicle titles as collateral, under Reno…
Towing Companies
Some RestrictionsReno bars tow and booting companies from removing a vehicle from private property without the owner's consent unless specific warning signs are posted: no signage means the tow or boot…
Massage Establishments
Significant RestrictionsReno requires a massage establishment business license before any business offering massage can operate, on top of the individual therapist's state license.
Tobacco Retail License
Some RestrictionsReno requires an annual business license plus a privileged license for every tobacco paraphernalia retail business, i.e., smoke shops, before selling paraphernalia inside city limits.
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Heavy RestrictionsReno bans auto repair as a home occupation outright: the zoning code names it explicitly as prohibited, alongside equipment painting and heavy equipment repair, no matter how small the…
Secondhand Dealers
Significant RestrictionsReno lets the city council attach conditions to a secondhand dealer's license, including barring a dealer from also pawnbrokering or trading precious metals at the same location.
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Obstruction Rules
Some RestrictionsReno makes it unlawful to intentionally block a public sidewalk with your body, an object, or a vehicle, or to block pedestrian and vehicle access to an entrance on abutting property…
Sidewalk Repair
Some RestrictionsReno makes the abutting property owner responsible for keeping sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and trails in good repair, including routine upkeep like snow and weed removal.
Encroachment Permits
Some RestrictionsReno requires an encroachment permit before using public sidewalks or streets for construction, utilities, signage, or awnings, issued by the city engineer.
🪧 Sign Regulations
Digital Billboards
Heavy RestrictionsReno prohibits new permanent off-premises digital advertising displays anywhere in the city or its sphere of influence, and bans computer-controlled variable message electronic signs…
Freeway-Facing Signs
Significant RestrictionsReno prohibits on-premises signs within 100 feet of a freeway right-of-way that exceed 20 square feet and have faces visible from the freeway's travel lanes, per Reno Municipal Code §…
Holiday Displays
Heavy RestrictionsReno's sign code defines any device that grabs public attention as a "sign," and Section 18.05.109 flatly bans inflatable signs citywide, sweeping in blow-up Santas, snowmen, and other…
Political Signs
Light RestrictionsReno treats political signs as content-neutral temporary signs: one per street frontage, up to six square feet, for up to 95 days a year in residential districts.
Garage Sale Signs
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyTemporary signs like garage-sale and yard-sale signs may not stay on a site more than 10 consecutive days, and at least 90 days must pass between displays. They cannot be illuminated…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Block Party Permits
Some RestrictionsReno requires a special event permit for any planned gathering of 75+ people that closes or uses a city street, including neighborhood block parties.
Park Event Permits
Significant RestrictionsReno requires a park permit for any group meeting, concert, or gathering of more than 25 people in a public park, plus exclusive-use permits for picnic shelters and athletic fields.
Sidewalk Dining & Cafés
Some RestrictionsReno requires an outdoor dining permit before any restaurant can put tables on a sidewalk or in the public right-of-way, and the dining area must leave six feet of sidewalk clear for…
Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way
Some RestrictionsReno exempts film and TV production from its special-event permit chapter entirely, but only because a separate film permit under Chapter 5.20 takes over instead.
Parade Permits
Significant RestrictionsReno requires a special event permit for any parade, march, or planned gathering of 75 or more people on city streets or parks, filed with the city manager at least 90 days before…
Street Fair Rules
Some RestrictionsReno requires a special event permit before any street fair or festival, and every vendor selling inside the venue must carry a City of Reno business license or a temporary vendor…
🚜 Right to Farm
Agricultural Zoning Protection
Some RestrictionsReno zoning code permits Farm and Urban Farm as land uses in specific districts, subject to setback and operating standards rather than a blanket ban.
Farm Nuisance Protection
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada protects established agricultural operations from nuisance claims when farming activities pre-date conflicting non-agricultural land uses in the area.
🛴 Mobility & Curb Rules
Shared E-Scooter Rules
Significant RestrictionsReno requires companies to get a city council franchise before operating a shared dockless bicycle, e-bike, or e-scooter system on public property, and running one without a franchise…
Bike Lane Rules
Some RestrictionsDrivers in Reno may not stop, stand, park, or drive in a bicycle lane except for narrow listed exceptions, and must yield to cyclists using it.
Golf Carts & Low-Speed Vehicles
Light RestrictionsNevadaNevada runs two separate schemes. A golf cart can get a DMV operating permit only "in a county whose population is 700,000 or more," which under the 2020 census reaches Clark County…
💧 Water Use Rules
Leak Reporting Duty
Some RestrictionsReno customers get 24 hours' personal notice to repair a leaking pipe, fixture, or meter connection before the ongoing water use counts as prohibited waste under the city's water…
Turf Replacement Rebates
Some RestrictionsReno restricts installing new sod or hydroseeded lawns during declared water emergencies and limits established lawn irrigation to three assigned days a week under Reno Municipal Code…
Recycled Water Rules
Some RestrictionsReno's Public Works Department supplies reclaimed water at city truck-fill stations for construction water trucks and other approved uses, run under Reno Municipal Code Chapter 12.24.
🎬 Filming & Production
Location Permits
Significant RestrictionsCommercial still photography shoots in Reno need a city film permit under RMC Chapter 5.20: the same permit required for motion picture and TV production, per § 5.13.040(a)(5).
Street Closures
Significant RestrictionsReno has no standalone street-closure permit for filming: the film permit ordinance itself lets the city condition approval on an adequate traffic access and circulation plan, billed…
🗺️ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses
Density Bonus Law
Light RestrictionsReno grants developers up to a 80 percent density bonus over district maximums for including deed-restricted affordable units in new residential or mixed-use projects.
Downtown Design Guide
Some RestrictionsReno's Downtown Streetscape Design Standards govern the look of downtown improvements: adopted by reference into RMC Chapter 12.30, with the full standards document kept on file at the…
🌳 Tree Protection
Parkway Planting
Some RestrictionsReno requires a written permit from the urban forester before planting, pruning, cutting, spraying, or removing any tree in a street parkway or other public place.
Heritage & Protected Trees
Significant RestrictionsLandmark trees on public property in Reno are designated by the Urban Forestry Commission, which keeps a running list of every tree so designated. Removing a designated landmark tree…
📢 Noise from Specific Sources
Delivery Truck Noise
Some RestrictionsReno bans commercial truck traffic, including deliveries, on alleys shared with residentially zoned property between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. under the Land Development Code.
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Some RestrictionsReno caps nonresidential noise, including bars and nightclubs near homes, at 49 decibels overnight (10 p.m.–7 a.m.) and 65 decibels daytime, measured at the adjoining residential…
Generator Noise
Some RestrictionsReno caps mechanical noise, including generators, at nonresidential sites within 300 feet of homes: 49 dB at night, 65 dB by day, measured at the residential property line under the…
Low-Frequency Bass Limits
Some RestrictionsReno bans amplified sound, including bass-heavy car stereos, that's audible 25 feet from a parked or operating vehicle under Reno Municipal Code Section 6.06.290; emergency vehicle…
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Some RestrictionsReno caps noise from HVAC units and other mechanical equipment on nonresidential sites at 65 dB daytime and 49 dB nighttime, measured at the adjacent residential property line, under…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Light Trespass & Shielding
Some RestrictionsReno's zoning code requires floodlights and spotlights to be fully shielded so the light element isn't visible from residential property or public rights-of-way, with all fixtures…
Billboard Lighting
Some RestrictionsReno requires all lighting on permanent off-premises advertising displays to be directed onto the sign face itself, not outward, and bans digital billboards citywide under the zoning…
Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsReno requires fully shielded, downward-directed exterior fixtures and caps color temperature below 4,000K, banning white and blue-white light citywide.
🔍 Rental Inspections
Tenant Complaint Process
Some RestrictionsReno's Motel Inspection Program lets anyone file a complaint about a converted non-transient lodging rental with the city, triggering faster enforcement than the routine annual…
Inspection Programs
Some RestrictionsReno requires annual code inspections for non-transient lodging rental properties, former motels converted to long-term housing, and bars renting any unit that hasn't passed inspection…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Some RestrictionsNevada AB 341 (2021) authorized cannabis consumption lounges statewide. Reno permits lounges in approved commercial zones subject to Cannabis Compliance Board licensing and Reno…
Buffer Zones
Heavy RestrictionsReno requires cannabis retail establishments to maintain minimum separation distances from schools, daycare centers, parks, and community facilities under state-mandated buffer rules…
Home Cultivation
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaNevada permits adults 21 and older to cultivate up to six cannabis plants per person, capped at twelve per household, only when the residence is more than 25 miles from a licensed…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsReno sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks per zoning district in Title 18's district tables: for example SF-3 requires a 30-foot front and rear setback with a 5-foot side…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsReno's SF-3 single-family zoning district caps principal buildings at 35 feet and limits accessory structures to 29, 16, or 12 feet depending on type, per the height table in the…
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsReno caps building coverage at 40% of the lot in its standard single-family districts (35% in large-lot districts), measured against gross property area.
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Repairs & Habitability
Some RestrictionsReno enforces the International Property Maintenance Code as its citywide habitability standard for rental housing, covering structural, sanitation, and occupancy conditions in every…
Security Deposit Rules
Some RestrictionsReno landlords follow Nevada NRS 118A.242, which caps residential security deposits at three months of periodic rent and requires return within thirty days of tenant move-out, with…
Rent Control
Few RestrictionsNevada preempts local rent control; Reno cannot cap rents. NRS 118A governs landlord-tenant, requiring 45-day written notice for month-to-month rent increases but no cap on the amount.
Eviction Notice & Process
Some RestrictionsNevadaFor nonpayment, NRS 40.253 requires a 7-judicial-day pay-or-quit notice before summary eviction. Nevada uses a unique 'tenant-initiated' process: the tenant must file an affidavit…
Just Cause Eviction
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada eviction procedures are exclusively set by state law under NRS 40.251 through 40.254, allowing summary eviction for nonpayment, lease violation, or no-cause termination after…
Landlord Entry & Notice
Some RestrictionsNevadaNRS 118A.330 requires a Nevada landlord to give the tenant at least 24 hours' notice before entering and to enter only at reasonable times during normal business hours, except in an…
Late Fees & Grace Periods
Some RestrictionsNevadaNRS 118A.210 caps a Nevada late fee at 5 percent of the periodic rent and requires it to be set out in the rental agreement. For tenancies longer than week-to-week, no late fee may be…
Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate
Some RestrictionsNevadaUnder NRS 40.251, either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' written notice (7 days for week-to-week). Tenants who are 60 or older or have a disability may request an…
Rent Increase Notice
Some RestrictionsNevadaUnder NRS 118A.300, a Nevada landlord may not raise rent without serving written notice 60 days before the first increased payment, or 30 days in advance for a periodic tenancy of less…
Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaNevada requires 5 years of continuous, adverse occupancy plus payment of all state, county, and municipal taxes for that period before a claim of adverse possession can succeed (NRS…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Some RestrictionsReno licenses sidewalk vendors and restricts where their carts can sit: no blocking building entrances, no more than half the sidewalk, and a ten-foot buffer from fire hydrants…
Food Truck Permits
Significant RestrictionsReno requires a separate city Mobile Vendor Business License for every food truck, plus a valid Washoe County Health District permit, before any food sales can begin within city limits.
Vending Zones
Some RestrictionsReno confines mobile food vending to commercial private property with the owner's written permission, bans it on residential lots, streets, sidewalks and city parking lots, keeps units…
🚬 Tobacco & Vaping
Tobacco Age Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsNevada law NRS 202.2493 prohibits the sale of tobacco, vapor products, and alternative nicotine products to anyone under 21. Reno retailers must verify ID for all buyers appearing…
Flavored Tobacco Bans
Few RestrictionsNevadaNevada has no statewide ban on flavored tobacco or vapor products, leaving flavor regulation primarily to federal FDA authority and limited local action.
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Significant RestrictionsReno Municipal Code makes it unlawful for any owner, lessee, or occupant to let a building, including its cellar or basement, become unsafe or dangerous, with unsecured cellar…
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Some RestrictionsReno requires every property owner to keep lots free of weeds, dry grass, dead trees, and debris, whether the lot is built on or vacant.
☀️ Solar Energy
Panel Permits
Some RestrictionsReno treats solar panels as an alternative utility system allowed in every zoning district, exempt from the screening other systems need, but still subject to building- and fire-code…
HOA Restrictions
Few RestrictionsNevadaNevada rebuilt its HOA solar law in 2025. Under NRS 116.333 an association that has adopted solar rules must approve or deny a request to install a residential solar system within 35…
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
🌙 Curfew Laws
Juvenile Curfew
Significant RestrictionsReno bars minors under 18 from public places between midnight and 5 a.m. citywide, and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the downtown corridor.
Park Curfew
Some RestrictionsReno parks close nightly, 5 a.m.-10 p.m. in summer, 6 a.m.-7 p.m. in winter, and staying past closing without authorization is a misdemeanor.
🍖 Outdoor Cooking
BBQ & Propane Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyUnder TMFPD's fire code, charcoal and open-flame cooking devices cannot be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Small LP-gas grills (container…
Smoker Rules
Some RestrictionsWashoe CountyBackyard smokers and barbecue grills are exempt from the recreational-fire size rule, but the same 10-foot combustible-construction clearance for open-flame cooking devices applies…
🚁 Drone Rules
Commercial Drones
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaCommercial drone operators in Nevada must hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and follow NRS 493. NRS 493.109 bars flying within 500 feet horizontally or 250 feet vertically…
Recreational Drones
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaNevada regulates drones by statute: NRS 493.103 lets a property owner sue for trespass when a drone flies below 250 feet over their land, and NRS 493.109 bars flying within 500 feet…
💼 Employment Preemption
Minimum Wage Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaNevada sets minimum wage statewide through constitutional and statutory provisions, preempting local wage ordinances and standardizing employer obligations.
Paid Leave Preemption
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada requires private employers with 50+ employees to provide paid leave, with statewide standards limiting local government modification of leave rules.
🔫 Firearms
Concealed Carry
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaNevada is a shall-issue state requiring a permit to carry concealed firearms, with sheriff-issued CCW permits valid for five years subject to training requirements.
Local Firearms Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaNevada law preempts local firearm ordinances, reserving regulation of firearms, ammunition, and components to the state legislature, with narrow exceptions.
Open Carry
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada generally permits open carry of firearms by adults without a permit, subject to location restrictions and the state preemption framework.
🎰 Gambling & Gaming
Casino Zoning Districts
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada law won't let the Gaming Commission license a full casino inside the Las Vegas Boulevard corridor or the rural Clark County gaming zone unless the site sits in a designated…
Charitable Bingo and Raffles
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada regulates charitable bingo, poker, blackjack and raffle-style lotteries entirely through NRS Chapter 462, administered by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Only a "qualified…
Social Gambling Rules
Light RestrictionsNevadaNevada's gambling laws exempt one narrow category from licensing: card games played in a private home or residence where nobody profits from running the game, with winnings going only…
Sports Betting Law
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada legalized sports wagering statewide long before other states, but you can only bet through a sports pool licensed under NRS 463.160. Operating a race book or sports pool without…
🏘️ HOA Rules
Assessment & Dues
Heavy RestrictionsNevadaUnder the Nevada Common-Interest Ownership Act, NRS 116.3116, an association has a statutory lien for unpaid assessments. A portion is super-priority over a first mortgage, and the…
Board Procedures
Some RestrictionsNevadaA Nevada association's executive board must meet at least once every quarter and not less than once every 100 days, and at least twice a year at a time outside standard business hours…
CC&R Enforcement
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada law overrides HOA restrictions in several areas: NRS 278.0208 voids CC&Rs that prohibit or unreasonably restrict solar energy systems, NRS 116.320 protects display of the U.S…
Drought Landscaping Rights
Few RestrictionsNevadaNRS 116.330 bars a Nevada homeowners association, and its governing documents, from prohibiting an owner from installing or maintaining drought tolerant landscaping in the yard and…
Flag Display Rights
Some RestrictionsNevadaNRS 116.320 forbids a Nevada homeowners association, and the association's own governing documents, from banning display of the flag of the United States or the flag of the State of…
HOA Fines & Enforcement
Some RestrictionsNevadaFor a violation of the governing documents that does not pose an imminent threat of causing a substantial adverse effect on health, safety or welfare, NRS 116.31031 limits a Nevada…
Lien & Foreclosure Limits
Significant RestrictionsNevadaA Nevada association gets a lien the moment an assessment, fine or construction penalty falls due, and NRS 116.3116(3) puts part of that lien ahead of the first mortgage: nine months…
Rental Restriction Limits
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada rewrote NRS 116.335 effective July 1, 2026, and the section now runs in the association's favor rather than the owner's. The version in force lets an association whose…
⚖️ Know Your Rights
DUI Checkpoint Legality
Few RestrictionsNevadaThe word "checkpoint" does not appear anywhere in the Nevada Revised Statutes or in the Nevada Administrative Code. What Nevada does have is a two-part roadblock scheme in NRS chapter…
Recording Police
Few RestrictionsNevadaNevada does not leave the right to film police to case law. NRS 171.1233, added in the 2020 32nd Special Session, says a person who is not under arrest or in the custody of a peace…
Stop & Identify Laws
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada is a stop-and-identify state, and the duty sits in a statute rather than in case law. NRS 171.123 lets a peace officer detain anyone the officer encounters under circumstances…
Vehicle Search & Consent
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada decriminalized most traffic offenses in 2021, and in doing so the Legislature wrote down exactly what a peace officer may do after pulling a driver over. NRS 484A.7033(1) lets…
🚗 Vehicle Equipment Laws
Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada counts auxiliary lamps rather than rating them. NRS 484D.180 lets any motor vehicle carry up to two spot lamps, up to two auxiliary driving lamps mounted 16 to 42 inches above…
Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada never wrote a dash-cam rule, so a windshield camera is governed by the general obstruction section. NRS 484D.435(1) bars driving with "any sign, poster or other nontransparent…
Lane Splitting & Filtering
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada prohibits lane splitting outright. NRS 486.351(1) says a person other than an on-duty police officer "shall not drive a motorcycle or moped between moving or stationary vehicles…
Plate Covers & Obstruction
Significant RestrictionsNevadaNevada has no statute that uses the words "plate cover" or "plate frame." What it has instead is NRS 482.275(5), which requires every license plate to be securely fastened, positioned…
Radar Detector Rules
Few RestrictionsNevadaNevada traffic law says nothing whatever about radar detectors. The word does not appear in NRS chapters 484A through 484E, which together are the whole of the state traffic code, nor…
Studded Tire & Chain Rules
Light RestrictionsNevadaNevada allows metal studded tires only between October 1 and April 30, and only where the studs are tungsten carbide or similar material and the metal touching the pavement never…
Window Tint Limits
Some RestrictionsNevadaNevada allows aftermarket film on the two windows beside the driver only if the glass and film together pass at least 35 percent of the light striking them, with a statutory tolerance…