Environmental Rules in Ohio (2026)
77 rules on the books across Ohio, 19 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Stormwater Management
Requirements for managing rainwater runoff on your property, including retention basins, permeable surfaces, and drainage plans.
Ohio: statewide
StatewideHeavy RestrictionsOhio Revised Code Chapter 6111 grants the Ohio EPA exclusive authority to regulate stormwater discharges to waters of…
Read full rule →Dayton
Significant RestrictionsDayton's stormwater ordinance bars dumping sewage, industrial waste, oil, pesticide runoff, or any other pollutant into…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Significant RestrictionsFranklin County's zoning resolution bars new stormwater management and drainage facilities inside riparian setbacks…
Read full rule →Marion
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Marion, Ohio, the owner of each development area must prepare a Post-Construction Storm Water Management…
Read full rule →Medina
Significant RestrictionsMedina requires a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan for new development and redevelopment, with review fees up…
Read full rule →Newark
Significant RestrictionsUnder Section 1054.16 of the Newark Code of Ordinances, no one in the City of Newark, Ohio can discharge anything other…
Read full rule →Toledo
Significant RestrictionsToledo bans dumping anything but stormwater into its municipal storm sewer system and requires Best Management…
Read full rule →Akron
Some RestrictionsAkron's General Code bars any storm water discharger from releasing anything other than pure storm water into the…
Read full rule →Canton
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Canton, Ohio, Codified Ordinances Section 961.04 designates the City Engineer, under the Director of…
Read full rule →Cincinnati
Some RestrictionsCincinnati requires a utility-division permit before anyone builds, alters, or connects into a storm sewer, drainage…
Read full rule →Cleveland
Some RestrictionsCleveland requires a storm water permit before any construction activity disturbing one acre or more of land begins…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsEvery lot and parcel in Columbus pays a stormwater service charge based on impervious area, billed with a flat 1-ERU…
Read full rule →Elyria
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Elyria, Ohio, no person can discharge anything other than storm water into the MS4 or a watercourse…
Read full rule →Middletown
Some RestrictionsMiddletown's storm sewer ordinance bans discharging anything but storm water into the City's MS4 storm drain system or…
Read full rule →Oregon
Some RestrictionsAny site development of one acre or more in the City of Oregon, Ohio must build on-site storm water detention or…
Read full rule →Parma
Some RestrictionsParma bans discharging anything but storm water into the city's storm drain system or watercourses under Codified…
Read full rule →Springfield
Some RestrictionsDevelopers and redevelopers in the City of Springfield, Ohio must control stormwater runoff and file a Comprehensive…
Read full rule →Summit County
Some RestrictionsSummit County's Comprehensive Storm Water Management chapter requires any development or redevelopment in the…
Read full rule →Youngstown
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Youngstown, Ohio, anyone building, altering, or relocating a storm sewer, natural watercourse, or other…
Read full rule →Erosion Control
Rules to prevent soil erosion during construction and landscaping, including required sediment barriers and ground cover standards.
Akron
Significant RestrictionsAkron requires city approval before any construction disturbs an acre or more of soil. Sec. 50.80 makes anyone doing…
Read full rule →Cincinnati
Significant RestrictionsCincinnati requires an excavation and fill permit for grading work, and bars issuing one for any excavation or fill…
Read full rule →Dayton
Significant RestrictionsDayton requires anyone disturbing one acre or more of earth to get a stormwater pollution prevention plan approved by…
Read full rule →Marion
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Marion, Ohio, a parcel disturbing one (1) acre or more needs an approved Storm Water Pollution…
Read full rule →Medina
Significant RestrictionsMedina requires an approved Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan before soil-disturbing construction begins, backed by…
Read full rule →Middletown
Significant RestrictionsAny new development in the City of Middletown disturbing one acre or more, or part of a larger common plan of…
Read full rule →Newark
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Newark, Ohio, Section 1054.16(p) requires anyone performing construction to use Best Management…
Read full rule →Summit County
Significant RestrictionsSummit County requires a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan for any project in the unincorporated county that…
Read full rule →Toledo
Significant RestrictionsToledo Municipal Code § 941.12 requires construction sites disturbing more than one acre to file a Storm Water…
Read full rule →Canton
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Canton, Ohio, Chapter 961 of the Codified Ordinances folds erosion and sediment control into the city's…
Read full rule →Cleveland
Some RestrictionsAny grading or filling that permanently changes the elevation or contour of a Cleveland property needs a permit from…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus requires an approved site drainage plan and permit before anyone grades, excavates, or fills land, so runoff…
Read full rule →Elyria
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Elyria, Ohio, any earth-disturbing activity that disturbs one or more acres, or moves 500 cubic yards or…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Some RestrictionsNew development in unincorporated Franklin County must submit a grading plan and storm sewer layout with its…
Read full rule →Oregon
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Oregon, Ohio, Codified Ordinances Sec. 1177.06(d) requires every storm water collection system built…
Read full rule →Parma
Some RestrictionsParma requires a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and City Engineer approval before any soil-disturbing…
Read full rule →Springfield
Some RestrictionsSpringfield's Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan ordinance, Codified Ordinances Chapter 961, sets erosion and…
Read full rule →Youngstown
Some RestrictionsConstruction projects that disturb an acre or more of land in the City of Youngstown, Ohio must have a Stormwater…
Read full rule →Coastal Development
Building restrictions near coastlines, including setbacks from the water, dune protection rules, and coastal commission permits.
Flood Zones
Building requirements for properties in FEMA flood zones, including elevation standards, flood insurance mandates, and construction limits.
Ohio: statewide
StatewideHeavy RestrictionsOhio Revised Code Chapter 1521 designates the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Water Resources as the…
Read full rule →Cincinnati
Heavy RestrictionsCincinnati participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and regulates development in FEMA-designated Special…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Heavy RestrictionsFranklin County flood hazards concentrated along Scioto River, Olentangy River, Big Walnut Creek, and Alum Creek. FEMA…
Read full rule →Parma
Heavy RestrictionsParma FEMA flood zones concentrated along Big Creek and other Cuyahoga River tributaries. Properties in Special Flood…
Read full rule →Akron
Significant RestrictionsAkron requires a development permit from the Superintendent of Building Inspection before any construction begins in a…
Read full rule →Cleveland
Significant RestrictionsCleveland makes it unlawful to build, fill, grade, or alter a structure or watercourse in a special flood hazard area…
Read full rule →Dayton
Significant RestrictionsAny filling, grading, construction, or watercourse alteration within Dayton's mapped special flood hazard areas…
Read full rule →Middletown
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Middletown, Ohio, Chapter 1411 of the Codified Ordinances bars locating, constructing, repairing…
Read full rule →Newark
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Newark, Ohio, it is unlawful to begin construction, filling, grading or any other development in an…
Read full rule →Springfield
Significant RestrictionsThe City of Springfield, Ohio requires a floodplain development permit from the Floodplain Administrator before any…
Read full rule →Toledo
Significant RestrictionsToledo requires a floodplain development permit from the Floodplain Administrator before any construction, filling…
Read full rule →Youngstown
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Youngstown, Ohio, any construction, filling, grading, or watercourse alteration in a special flood…
Read full rule →Canton
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Canton, Ohio, Chapter 1166 of the Codified Ordinances creates a Flood Hazard Zoning District covering…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus requires a Special Flood Hazard Area Development and Use Permit before any construction, fill, or grading in a…
Read full rule →Elyria
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Elyria, Ohio, Section 1386.14 makes it unlawful to begin construction, filling, grading or any other…
Read full rule →Lakewood
Some RestrictionsLakewood participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA FIRM panels show Rocky River and Lake Erie…
Read full rule →Medina
Some RestrictionsMedina's floodplain code bans specific hazardous uses inside any FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area and requires a…
Read full rule →Oregon
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Oregon, Ohio, any construction, grading, filling or watercourse alteration within a mapped special flood…
Read full rule →Summit County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Summit County requires a floodplain development permit before any construction, filling, grading, or…
Read full rule →Boat Dock Permits
Permits required to build or modify boat docks, lifts, and davits on waterfront properties, including size limits, setbacks, and environmental reviews.
Columbus
Some RestrictionsRenting a city-owned boat dock, stake, or mooring in Columbus requires a permit from the Department of Recreation and…
Read full rule →Toledo
Some RestrictionsToledo exempts small residential boat docks from its marina zoning standards, but only up to two berths per dwelling…
Read full rule →Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Limits on how long heavy-duty vehicles, buses, and passenger cars may idle, including bans near schools and residential areas.
Cleveland
Some RestrictionsCleveland caps vehicle idling at five minutes in any 60-minute period under Codified Ordinances § 431.44, extended to…
Read full rule →Newark
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Newark, Ohio, Section 634.04(a)(5)A prohibits running a motor vehicle over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle…
Read full rule →Flood Elevation Requirements
FEMA NFIP minimum base flood elevation (BFE) construction standards for properties in mapped flood zones, including freeboard requirements above BFE.
Akron
Significant RestrictionsAkron requires new and substantially improved homes in mapped flood zones to have their lowest floor, including…
Read full rule →Cincinnati
Significant RestrictionsNew construction and substantial improvements to residential structures in Cincinnati's special flood hazard areas must…
Read full rule →Newark
Significant RestrictionsIn the City of Newark, Ohio, new residential construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor…
Read full rule →Toledo
Significant RestrictionsToledo defines Flood Protection Elevation as the base flood elevation plus one foot of freeboard, and requires new or…
Read full rule →Canton
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Canton, Ohio, Canton Codified Ordinances Chapter 1166 sets the Flood Protection Elevation (FPE) at the…
Read full rule →Cleveland
Some RestrictionsCleveland requires new and substantially improved buildings in special flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus requires new and substantially improved buildings in mapped flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor at…
Read full rule →Dayton
Some RestrictionsNew and substantially improved residential structures in Dayton's flood hazard areas must have their lowest floor…
Read full rule →Elyria
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Elyria, Ohio, new and substantially improved homes in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Some RestrictionsNew homes in Franklin County's floodplain must set their lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood elevation…
Read full rule →Medina
Some RestrictionsMedina requires two feet of freeboard above base flood elevation for any new or substantially improved residential…
Read full rule →Oregon
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Oregon, Ohio, new and substantially improved residential structures in a mapped flood zone must have…
Read full rule →Parma
Some RestrictionsParma requires new construction and substantially improved residential structures in special flood hazard areas to have…
Read full rule →Springfield
Some RestrictionsSpringfield, Ohio's floodplain code sets a Flood Protection Elevation equal to the base flood elevation plus one foot…
Read full rule →Summit County
Some RestrictionsIn Summit County's unincorporated special flood hazard areas, new homes and substantial improvements must have their…
Read full rule →Youngstown
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Youngstown, Ohio, new construction and substantial improvements in a special flood hazard area must have…
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