Richmond, VT

Vermont preempts ADU restrictions statewide. Under the HOME Act (Act 47 of 2023, S.100) amending 24 V.S.A. §4412(1)(E), every municipality - including all 17 towns and cities in Chittenden County - must allow at least one accessory dwelling unit as a permitted use on any single-family residential lot meeting state criteria. Chittenden County itself has no zoning authority - regulation is town-level (Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Williston, Colchester, Shelburne, Winooski, etc.).

Chittenden County has no county pool code. Vermont enforces pool barrier rules through the Vermont Fire and Building Safety Code adopted by the Division of Fire Safety under 20 V.S.A. §2731, which incorporates the International Residential Code (IRC) Appendix G and the International Swimming Pool & Spa Code (ISPSC). Residential pools deeper than 24 inches require a 48-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates. Towns enforce through local building permits.

Chittenden County has no county-level STR permit. Vermont state law (32 V.S.A. §9241) imposes a 9% Meals & Rooms Tax plus a 3% short-term rental surcharge added by Act 183 of 2024, plus an optional 1% local option tax adopted by some Chittenden County towns. STR operators must register with the Vermont Department of Taxes, post the MRT account number on advertisements, and self-certify with the Department of Health. Towns regulate further - Burlington has its own STR ordinance.

Chittenden County does not regulate STR occupancy. Vermont Division of Fire Safety sets statewide occupancy classes under the Vermont Fire and Building Safety Code (NFPA 101): up to 8 occupants self-certify under Chapter 24, 9–16 occupants follow stricter Chapter 26 standards, and over 16 occupants are treated as hotel/lodging occupancies under Chapters 28–29. Burlington and other towns add local caps.

Chittenden County has no parking authority. Vermont state law sets no STR-specific parking minimum; off-street parking standards are established by each town's zoning bylaws under 24 V.S.A. §4414. Burlington requires hosts to disclose vehicles and dedicated parking at STR registration; South Burlington, Williston, Essex, and other Chittenden towns enforce off-street parking minimums through their land development regulations.

Chittenden County has no taxing authority. Vermont law imposes a 9% Meals & Rooms Tax (32 V.S.A. §9241) plus a 3% short-term rental surcharge added by Act 183 of 2024 effective August 1, 2024, on stays under 30 days. A 1% local option rooms tax (32 V.S.A. §138) is adopted by Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, and other towns, bringing the combined burden to up to 13%.

Vermont bans virtually all consumer fireworks under 20 V.S.A. §3132. Only sparklers under 14 inches with no more than 20 grams of pyrotechnic mixture, plus snakes, party poppers, glow worms, smoke devices, snappers, and drop pops with under 0.25 grains of explosive mixture, are legal. Aerial fireworks, firecrackers, rockets, and Roman candles are banned without a state-issued display permit. Chittenden County has no county authority - towns enforce locally with the Department of Public Safety.

Chittenden County, Vermont has no operational county government with regulatory power - Vermont counties are judicial-only entities. All noise regulation is handled by individual towns and cities under authority of 24 V.S.A. §2291 (general municipal powers) and 24 V.S.A. §2210 (public nuisance authority). In Burlington, the largest city in the county, the Burlington Code of Ordinances Sec. 21-13 prohibits unreasonable noise 24 hours a day, with stricter "quiet hours" from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. when noise plainly audible between dwellings is presumed unreasonable. Power equipment and construction work are prohibited 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Report violations to Burlington Police at (802) 658-2704.

Chittenden County itself does not regulate fences - Vermont counties have no zoning authority. Each town and city sets its own fence rules through its zoning bylaw or development ordinance under 24 V.S.A. Chapter 117 (Vermont Planning and Development Act). Burlington's Comprehensive Development Ordinance (CDO) requires zoning permits for fences and limits fences within clear sight triangles at corners and driveways to no more than 3 feet above curb height. South Burlington allows fences under 4 feet without a permit, requires a zoning permit for 4-8 ft fences, and Development Review Board approval above 8 feet. There is no statewide Vermont fence-height cap.

Chittenden County has no countywide dog leash law - Vermont counties cannot legislate. State law (20 V.S.A. §3549) authorizes towns and cities to regulate dog leashing, restraint, impoundment, and at-large behavior. Statewide, 20 V.S.A. §3581 requires every dog over 6 months to be licensed annually by April 1 with the town clerk, with proof of current rabies vaccination ($4 neutered, $8 unneutered, plus $4 spay/neuter surcharge). In Burlington, BCO Article 5-2 (Dogs and Cats) requires dogs to be leashed or otherwise physically restrained at all times, except in designated off-leash dog parks where voice control is permitted. Cats must be leashed or in a carrier.

Chittenden County is exposed to Lake Champlain and Winooski River flooding. Vermont enforces flood-hazard rules stricter than the FEMA NFIP minimum. Towns must adopt flood-hazard bylaws under 24 V.S.A. §4424 to participate in NFIP. The 2024 Flood Safety Act (Act 121, S.213) gives the Agency of Natural Resources authority to require state permits for development in River Corridors statewide for watersheds 2 square miles or greater, effective January 1, 2028.