Surprise, AZ

Surprise regulates fences through its zoning code with height limits varying by yard location. Front yard fences are limited to 3 feet, side and rear yard fences to 6 feet. Corner lot…

In Surprise's hillside development areas, combined cut and fill, whether retained by a wall or not, is capped at 10 feet measured from natural grade. A basement cut can go deeper only…

Surprise's zoning code normally requires accessory structures, including fencing, to sit at least five feet from another structure and stay on the same lot as the home they serve. Land…

Before building any fence or wall in Surprise, owners must secure a building permit under LDO Chapter 105 and comply with the screening and wall standards in the Planning and…

Surprise's Land Development Ordinance bans chain link, razor wire, barbed wire, and electrified wire fencing citywide under LDO § 107-2.5.E. Chain link is allowed only for an approved…

Surprise prohibits letting a dog run at large, meaning off the owner's property and not on a leash of no more than six feet. Dogs may run off-leash only in a designated dog exercise…

Surprise bans feeding animals, wild or domestic, on any city-owned property, including all parks and recreation facilities. The ban covers grain, seed, bread, food scraps or improperly…

Surprise flatly bans keeping any poisonous reptiles, alligators or crocodiles within city limits, no permit or exception listed. Swine (pigs, hogs) are separately banned outright…

Surprise lets residents on lots over a half-acre keep up to 25 fowl or rodents, while smaller lots of a half-acre or less may keep up to six fowl (no roosters allowed on any…

Backyard beekeeping is allowed in Surprise, but the hives can't sit just anywhere. Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.4(C) requires any structure housing hives to stay at least 80…

Surprise regulates animals by behavior, not breed: an animal is declared 'vicious' through a city magistrate hearing after an attack or threatening conduct, not because of its breed…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, veterinary hospitals and clinics are classified as a Commercial-Medical use requiring Plan of Development (POD) approval before the county issues a…

Maricopa County's animal control ordinance requires dog licenses and bans dogs from running at large, but sets no license, leash, or at-large rule for cats in the unincorporated county.

In unincorporated Maricopa County, keeping five or more dogs on one property makes it a 'kennel' under Ordinance P-13, triggering a mandatory $75 annual permit from the Board of…

Maricopa County does not require pet owners in unincorporated areas to spay or neuter their dogs. Instead, the county's Rabies/Animal Control Ordinance lets the Board of Supervisors…

Pet groomers and pet shops in unincorporated Maricopa County are Non-Food Environmental Health Operating Permit holders under Chapter I of the county's Environmental Health Code. A…

Surprise's general noise ordinance, Sec. 34-105(a)-(c), declares it a public nuisance to play music or operate a sound truck, loudspeaker, radio or similar device so loudly that it…

Surprise bans operating a leaf blower in a way that blows landscape debris, dirt or other debris into a public roadway. The rule, adopted as a criminal nuisance measure under Sec…

Surprise bars loud, unnecessary construction or repair work, or the operation of construction-type equipment, in or near any residential zone between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under City…

Surprise bans running any sound amplification system, from a phone speaker to a full PA rig, in the outdoor part of a city park between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., whenever it can be…

Surprise bans loud or unnecessary vehicle engine noise, tire squealing, and unauthorized use of engine-compression (Jake) brakes under Code § 54-2. Running a Jake brake where a sign…

Surprise is near Luke Air Force Base, which generates significant military jet noise. The city has no authority over military flight operations but maintains compatibility planning…

Surprise bans letting a dog bark or howl in a way that repeatedly or unreasonably disturbs a neighbor's peace and quiet. A citation requires independent proof beyond the enforcement…

Unincorporated Maricopa County's IND-2 general industrial zoning district only permits manufacturing and processing uses that don't produce objectionable noise, vibration, smoke, or…

Surprise limits RV, utility trailer, and boat trailer parking under City Code Sec. 54-114. Street parking is capped at 72 consecutive hours, no more than twice a month, and the RV…

Surprise bars parking a truck (18,000+ lbs, or a combination over 26,000 lbs) or trailer on any city street beyond one hour, except while loading, unloading, providing services, or…

Surprise requires residential parking spaces and driveways to sit on a dust-proof surface, and caps driveway entrances and front-yard parking at 30 percent of the front lot line, with…

Non-residential buildings in Surprise must provide off-street loading space sized to the building's floor area, and where a loading area abuts residential zoning, LDO § 107-4.7.B…

Surprise enforces street parking regulations including time limits on public streets. Vehicles may not be parked on residential streets for more than 72 consecutive hours. Parking on…

Surprise prohibits abandoned, inoperable, or junk vehicles on public streets and visible on private property. Vehicles without current registration or that are clearly inoperable must…

Maricopa County doesn't require EV charging spaces in parking lots. Instead, the Travel Reduction Program lets major employers earn plan credit for installing on-site charging stations…

Arizona sets no statewide cap on what a private towing company can charge to remove a vehicle from private property: A.R.S. § 9-499.05(A) only lets an incorporated city or town…

Surprise treats irrigation runoff that leaves your yard as unlawful water waste under City Code § 58-657, banning turf in hard-to-irrigate strips and requiring every hose used for…

City Code § 58-596 gives Surprise homeowners an outright right to install artificial or synthetic turf anywhere natural landscaping could go, voiding any HOA covenant, deed clause, or…

Surprise requires property owners to maintain trees so they do not obstruct sidewalks, streets, or sight lines. Trees overhanging public rights-of-way must provide minimum clearance…

Surprise encourages desert-compatible landscaping using native and drought-tolerant plants. The city's landscape code requires water-efficient plant selections for new development…

Surprise does not have a heritage tree ordinance or strict tree removal permit requirement for private property. However, trees within the public right-of-way require city permission…

Unincorporated Maricopa County doesn't require a permit for a backyard compost bin, but the Environmental Health Code does require one the moment composting rises to an 'establishment'…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, uncultivated vegetation over six inches deep, dried grass, weeds, tumbleweeds, dead brush, is a code violation under the Abatement Ordinance…

A Surprise home business that sees clients can only do so between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.23(A)(5) sets those hours, and separate provisions bar the…

Surprise treats a home-based business as a permitted accessory use in every residential zoning district, not a special exception, as long as it stays subordinate to the home's…

Surprise caps an in-home day care run as a home occupation at four children or adults who aren't related to the caregiver. Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.23(B)(6) sets that…

A Surprise home occupation can post only one small, temporary sign to advertise on-site. Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.23(A)(11) bans all other on-site advertising and limits…

Unincorporated Maricopa County lets food establishments serve or sell food made in a private home under Arizona's cottage food law, but only if the customer gets a copy of the required…

Arizona has no home restaurant permit. There is no microenterprise home kitchen operation licence, no meal count allowance, and nothing in A.R.S. § 36-136(I)(4) that exempts a home…

Surprise allows one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit on most single-family lots under Article XI, capping each ADU at 1,000 square feet or 75 percent of the primary…

Sheds and other accessory structures in Surprise must sit on the same lot as the main house, keep at least 5 feet of separation from other structures, and stay out of easements and…

Maricopa County does not require an owner to live on the property when adding an accessory dwelling unit. ADUs may be rented long-term independently, with no familial or employment tie…

An accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Maricopa County can be rented long-term with no family or employment tie to the main house, but only one ADU per lot may ever be used as a…

Under ARS 9-461.18, every Arizona municipality with more than 75,000 residents must permit at least one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit on any lot zoned for a…

Arizona state law (ARS 9-500.39) preempts cities from imposing annual night caps or rental frequency limits on short-term rentals. Surprise cannot restrict the number of nights a…

Arizona SB 1350 (2022) allows cities to impose occupancy limits on short-term rentals. Surprise enforces limits based on bedroom count. Rentals may not exceed the number of bedrooms…

Arizona's short-term rental framework does not mandate specific insurance requirements at the state level. Surprise recommends but may not require hosts to carry liability insurance…

Arizona state law (ARS 9-500.39) preempts cities from requiring local STR permits or licenses. Surprise cannot require a city-issued vacation rental permit. However, operators must…

Short-term rental properties in Surprise must comply with all city noise regulations. Arizona SB 1350 (2022) authorizes cities to enforce against STR properties that create…

Arizona's STR preemption limits Surprise's ability to impose specific parking requirements on vacation rentals beyond general residential parking rules. Guests must comply with…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, an accessory dwelling unit used with a short-term rental means the property owner must live on-site, unless the ADU's certificate of occupancy…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, an owner renting out a short-term rental with an accessory dwelling unit must live on the property, unless the ADU's certificate of occupancy…

Arizona requires short-term rental operators to license with the Department of Revenue and remit transaction privilege tax plus any applicable county and city transient lodging taxes…

Arizona law (ARS 36-1601 through 36-1613) restricts consumer fireworks. Only permissible consumer fireworks (ground-based, non-aerial) may be sold and used in Surprise. Aerial…

Maricopa County bans igniting any open outdoor fire countywide unless it falls under one of Rule 314's permitted categories, agricultural burning, firefighter training, disease…

Recreational fires for cooking, warmth, or enjoyment using clean dry wood or charcoal do not require a permit in Maricopa County. Propane and natural gas fire pits are allowed without…

Arizona law (ARS 36-1681) and the Surprise building code require barriers around all residential swimming pools. Pool barriers must be at least 5 feet high with self-closing…

Above-ground pools in Surprise must comply with pool barrier requirements under Arizona law (ARS 36-1681). Pools capable of holding 18+ inches of water require safety barriers…

Surprise requires anyone smoking outdoors to stay at least 15 feet away from any enclosed area where smoking is banned, so secondhand smoke does not drift back in through doors…

Surprise bans possessing or drinking beer or spirituous liquor on any city property, including parks, the community center and city hall, unless the activity falls under the city's…

Surprise bans smoking or consuming marijuana anywhere on city-owned or city-operated property, in any 'open space' such as a public park, sidewalk, trail or right-of-way, and smoking…

Surprise prohibits roller skates, skateboards, in-line skates, rollerblades, motorized play vehicles, non-motorized scooters and bicycles on any city property that the city manager or…

Surprise makes it a class 1 misdemeanor to urinate or defecate anywhere exposed to public view unless you're using a toilet or other suitable facility provided for that purpose. City…

Outside a marked crosswalk, Surprise requires pedestrians to cross a roadway by the shortest route straight across, at right angles to the curb, under Code § 54-6. Standing or stopping…

Surprise property owners and property managers must act fast on a discovered water leak. City Code Sec. 58-803 requires repair work to begin within 72 hours after anyone responsible…

Surprise prohibits homeowners associations and other private agreements from banning artificial or synthetic turf as a lawn replacement. City Code Sec. 58-596 states synthetic turf…

Surprise requires landscaped areas near its reclaimed-water network to irrigate with nonpotable water instead of drinking water under City Code § 58-247: any area of a tenth of an acre…

Surprise property owners, lessees or occupants must remove rubbish, trash, filth, debris or dilapidated structures that endanger public health and safety from buildings, lots, and…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, letting weeds, rubbish, trash, or debris pile up on a vacant lot triggers a written abatement notice, and the county can remove it and lien the…

Surprise adopts the 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Residential Code by ordinance as its local construction codes, with local amendments effective January 1…

Surprise adopts the 2023 National Electrical Code by ordinance as its governing electrical code, modified by local amendments effective January 1, 2026. Electrical work performed…

Plumbing work in Surprise must comply with the 2024 International Plumbing Code, adopted by reference under City Code § 105-19, plus the city's local amendments effective January 1…

Before final sign-off, Maricopa County requires a floor/stemwall/foundation inspection ahead of the final building inspection, plus a separate final drainage clearance inspection…

Unincorporated Maricopa County's own building code sets no fire-sprinkler mandate for homes: the Local Additions and Addenda delete IRC §R313.2 and IPC §P2904 outright and defer the…

Unincorporated Maricopa County has adopted the International Green Construction Code, but only as a voluntary standard: the Local Additions and Addenda make clear no builder has to…

Surprise pawnbrokers must electronically report every pawn, pledge, trade or purchase transaction worth more than $25 to the city within 24 hours, post a state-mandated notice sign…

Surprise requires every secondhand dealer and auction house to file an electronic report with the city's LeadsOnline system for each item worth more than $500 received by purchase…

Surprise caps what private towing carriers can charge for non-consent tows under City Code Sec. 54-117. The city council sets maximum rates by resolution at least every five years, no…

Surprise requires anyone operating or working at an adult service business, cabaret, or adult video facility to hold a sexually oriented business license or manager permit under City…

Surprise requires every massage establishment to hold a city license issued under City Code § 26-97, backed by fingerprint-based state and FBI background checks under § 26-100. Section…

Surprise requires every tattoo and body piercing establishment and artist to hold a city license under City Code §§ 26-179 and 26-180, backed by fingerprint background checks. Section…

Surprise won't let you run a vehicle repair or paint business out of your house. Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.23(C)(4) puts motor vehicle repair, paint shops, restoration…

Surprise requires anyone conducting significant construction activity, defined as one acre or more of land disturbance, to keep erosion and sediment controls in place and maintained…

Surprise bans discharging anything but storm water into its public storm drain system under City Code § 58-491, naming landscape irrigation runoff, draining pools and spas, and dirty…

Surprise did not set up its own floodplain program. The city adopts Maricopa County's Floodplain Regulations and Flood Insurance Study by reference, and the city engineer serves as the…

Unincorporated Maricopa County requires livable buildings to elevate finished floors at least one foot above the highest grade within ten feet of the foundation, with higher elevations…

Diesel trucks over 14,000 pounds are barred from idling more than five consecutive minutes anywhere in Maricopa County, with $100 first-offense and $300 repeat civil penalties under…

Surprise parks close by default from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. unless the city manager posts different hours at a specific park, and it is a violation for anyone other than a peace…

Surprise bars anyone under 18 from being on a public street, alley or public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between midnight and 5:00 a.m. on…

Surprise makes it unlawful to obstruct any public street, alley, sidewalk, park or other public ground, whether by an act injurious to health, indecent or offensive conduct, or any act…

Digging, tunneling, or excavating in any Surprise street, alley, sidewalk or other public place, including for utility work in the right-of-way, requires an excavation permit under…

Surprise puts sidewalk and landscape-strip repair on the abutting property owner under Section 107-2.2: if code enforcement finds a sidewalk defective, unsafe, or hazardous and the…

Surprise requires trash and recycling carts to sit at the curb with wheels against the curb and lid facing the street, clear of mailboxes, parked cars, and other obstructions within 15…

Surprise runs a weekly automated curbside recycling program under City Code Sec. 58-120(a), giving each serviced residence its own recycling cart alongside the trash cart…

Surprise caps free curbside brush and bulk collection at ten loose cubic yards per residence per scheduled pickup, with a 20-cubic-yard annual limit for no-charge service under City…

Surprise lets the city manager provide roll-off container service to residential, commercial, and municipal customers under City Code § 58-131, but every placement requires the Solid…

Surprise bans trash and recycling collection between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under City Code Sec. 58-113 whenever the pickup point sits within 300 feet of a home, covering both the…

Surprise residents get free curbside pickup of large household items and yard brush under City Code Sec. 58-130, but only through the Solid Waste Division's schedule, not on demand…

Dumping solid waste on any property you don't own or control is a Code violation in Surprise under § 58-134, and each day the material remains is a separate offense. The city can abate…

Anyone who wants exclusive use of a Surprise park, ramada, sports field, or other recreation area for an event must apply to the parks and recreation director at least two working days…

Surprise requires a written permit before anyone conducts a parade or an assembly of 50 or more people under City Code Sec. 54-222. Applications go to the community development…

Surprise lets restaurants add outdoor dining and patio seating under Section 106-10.30, but only on private property: seating can encroach up to 10 feet into a setback yet must stay at…

Surprise requires a temporary use permit for carnivals, festivals, fairs, and other street events that need extra parking, equipment, or security, capping each event at 7 consecutive…

A neighborhood block party in unincorporated Maricopa County counts as a "Special Event" occupying county right-of-way, and Ordinance P-36 requires a Right-of-Way Permit from the MCDOT…

Surprise makes it unlawful and a public nuisance to camp, occupy, establish or maintain camp facilities, or store camp paraphernalia on any public or private property in the city. City…

Surprise bars mobile food vendors from parking within 25 feet of any building entrance or exit and within 25 feet of any intersection under City Code § 26-29(3). Vendors also cannot…

Surprise requires anyone operating a mobile food unit, vehicle, or pushcart to hold a city business license before selling food within city limits. Under City Code § 26-29, mobile…

Maricopa County requires a Mobile Food Type I permit for pushcart and stand vendors selling packaged food or drinks, with signage, permit-display, and handwashing rules when operating…

Surprise caps window signs at 40 percent of an individual window pane's area, and sunscreen graphics or murals also can't exceed 40 percent coverage even though sunscreen material…

Surprise permits digital billboards only inside a narrow stretch of the State Route 303 corridor, capped at 45 feet tall and 672 square feet, and requires a conditional use permit for…

Arizona law (ARS 16-1019) protects the right to display political signs on residential property. Cities cannot prohibit political signs within prescribed size limits. Surprise permits…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, freeway-facing pylon signs are limited to C-S and C-2 zoning districts, capped at 65 feet (80 feet with cellular antennas), and must sit back at…

Surprise's residential low density (R-1) and residential medium density (R-2) zoning districts cap building height at 35 feet across every lot category, under City Code § 106-2.3…

Maximum lot coverage in Surprise's residential low density (R-1) zone falls as lot size rises under City Code § 106-2.3, Table 106-2c: 45 percent on Category B lots down to 25 percent…

Front, rear and side yard setbacks in Surprise's residential low density (R-1) zone scale with lot size under City Code § 106-2.3, Table 106-2c, ranging from a 12-foot front and…

Surprise levies a combined 7.32 percent tax on hotel and transient-lodging income: a 2.8 percent base privilege tax on every hotel's gross income under Code § 46-3.14-444, plus a 4.52…

City Code § 58-595 voids any HOA covenant, deed clause, or private agreement that blocks a homeowner from installing water-efficient landscaping in Surprise, as long as the design…

Under A.R.S. § 33-1807, unpaid assessments in an Arizona planned community become an automatic lien on the lot, and the association may charge late fees and interest if the declaration…

Arizona heavily regulates HOA governance: A.R.S. § 33-1804 requires open board and member meetings (with limited executive sessions) and lets members record them, A.R.S. § 33-1812…

Arizona does not give homeowners a general right to xeriscape, gravel, or desert landscaping over an HOA's objection; that stays governed entirely by each community's own declaration…

Arizona law bars homeowners associations from banning outdoor display of eight protected flags, including the American, Arizona state, POW/MIA, Gadsden and first responder flags. Under…

Arizona law caps how much a homeowners association can fine a member and forces the board to give notice and a hearing first. A.R.S. § 33-1803 limits late charges on an unpaid penalty…

Arizona bars an association from foreclosing an assessment lien until the owner passes a dollar figure or a time period, and the trigger is not the same in every community. In a…

Arizona homeowners associations cannot block a member's right to rent unless the declaration itself prohibits it or limits rental time periods. Once a unit is rented, A.R.S. §…

Surprise inspectors may inspect any residential rental to check compliance with the Rental Accountability Ordinance and the city's property maintenance code, under City Code § 105-95…

Surprise's Rental Accountability Ordinance sets a minimum habitability floor: under City Code § 105-92, a residential rental is a 'slum property' if it shows hazardous wiring or gas…

Every owner of residential rental property in Surprise must file registration information with the Maricopa County Assessor under City Code § 105-99, and out-of-state owners must…

Surprise does not have a just cause eviction ordinance. Arizona law does not require landlords to have a specific reason to terminate month-to-month tenancies, only proper notice. The…

Under A.R.S. § 33-1368, Arizona landlords must give a 5-day written notice for nonpayment of rent and a 10-day notice to cure for other material lease violations before filing…

Under A.R.S. § 33-1343, an Arizona landlord must give at least two days' notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times for legitimate purposes such as inspections…

A.R.S. § 33-1375 requires 30 days' written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (10 days week-to-week). Breaking a fixed-term lease early can incur damages, though landlords must…

Arizona prohibits local rent control. State law makes rent regulation on private residential property a matter of statewide concern and preempts the field, so cities, charter cities…

Arizona has no statutory cap on how much a landlord may raise rent and no dedicated rent-increase notice statute. For a month-to-month tenancy, a rent change is implemented by serving…

Arizona caps security deposits at one and one-half month's rent. After the tenancy ends and the tenant requests it, a landlord has 14 days (excluding weekends and legal holidays) to…

Arizona's adverse possession periods are tiered: 2 years by right of possession alone (A.R.S. § 12-522), 3 years under color of title (§ 12-523), 5 years under a recorded deed with…

Anyone going door-to-door in Surprise to sell goods or services must hold a valid city business license and carry it at all times while soliciting, per City Code § 26-20(c). The…

Surprise lets residents block door-to-door solicitors by posting a clearly legible 'No Solicitation' or 'No Soliciting' sign near their address numbers under City Code § 26-222. No…

Surprise's shared-mobility ordinance, Code § 54-58, defines an 'electric bicycle' as a two- or three-wheeled pedal bike with a motor of no more than 750 watts and a motor-only top…

Surprise's shared-mobility ordinance, Code § 54-58(g), requires bicycle and shared e-bike/scooter (SATV) riders in a bike lane or roadway to travel in the same direction as vehicle…

Surprise regulates rented, dockless electric scooters and bikes (SATVs) through a temporary pilot program under Code § 54-58, capping the citywide fleet at 100 vehicles, requiring…

Arizona runs two separate low-speed classes and gives neither one a local street-designation scheme. A neighborhood electric vehicle, the state's version of a federal low-speed…

Surprise confines marijuana facilities to permanent buildings under 2,500 square feet, or 5,000 for a co-located dual-licensee dispensary and retail store, and bans stand-alone…

Surprise's Table 106-10c sets hard buffers for every marijuana facility: 500 feet from residentially zoned parcels, places of worship, and dwelling units, and 1,500 feet from schools…

Under Arizona Proposition 207 (Smart and Safe Act), adults 21+ may grow up to 6 cannabis plants at home, or 12 for households with 2+ adults. Plants must be in an enclosed, locked area…

Surprise allows agricultural operations under Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.5, but only on parcels of at least 40 acres, and it bans commercial feedlots and garbage-feeding…

Arizona's Right to Farm Act in ARS 3-112 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits when surrounding land use changes.

Surprise allows a garage or yard sale to run without a permit only up to 32 hours and only twice per calendar year; go beyond either limit under Section 106-10.43 and the sale becomes…

Surprise requires every outdoor light fixture, including security lighting, to be located, aimed, and shielded so its direct illumination stays entirely within the property line where…

Surprise requires full cut-off fixtures citywide and layers on stricter dark-sky protection in its LZ0 zone, where scenic and environmentally sensitive lands preserve 'an intrinsically…

Unincorporated Maricopa County limits offsite sign (billboard) lighting to four fully shielded luminaires per sign face at no more than 40,000 lumens each, lit top-down to stop glare…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, it's illegal to run a bar or nightclub's radio, loudspeaker, or sound amplification equipment so loudly it can be heard inside a closed home within…

Maricopa County's noise ordinance bans generator noise reaching neighboring homes: if generator sound is audible from inside a closed residential structure within 500 feet of your…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, noise from heating and cooling equipment and pool pumps is exempt from the county noise ordinance if it operates per manufacturer specs and can't be…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, amplified music and bass-heavy stereo or speaker noise is illegal once it can be heard inside a closed residential structure within 500 feet of the…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, a car alarm or other warning device is exempt from Ordinance P-23's noise ban only if it doesn't sound continuously for more than thirty minutes per…

Maricopa County requires every food establishment's Person in Charge to train Food Employees on foodborne disease prevention within 30 days of starting food-handling work, and to keep…

Maricopa County's Environmental Health Code bans harboring bed bugs on any premises and requires owners to eliminate an infestation once Environmental Services orders it, with permit…

Maricopa County bans rodent, roach, bedbug, and flea infestations on any property, and the Environmental Services Department can order the owner or occupant to abate an infestation…

Unincorporated Maricopa County has no separate curbside rule for used needles or sharps. Instead it regulates them as biohazardous medical waste under Chapter II, Section 10 of the…

Cryptocurrency mining rigs and server farms fall under Maricopa County's 'Data Center' zoning definition, restricting them to industrial-zoned parcels in unincorporated county land…

Maricopa County has no decibel limit; Noise Ordinance P-23 uses an audibility standard. Data center cooling and generators must not be heard inside closed homes within 500 feet of the…

A density bonus exists only in the Highway 74 Scenic Corridor overlay, letting developers double base density if they leave part of a parcel undeveloped.

In unincorporated Maricopa County, no parcel inside a Planned Area Development (PAD) overlay can be built on until the county approves a Specific Development Plan for it. The plan must…

Grills, ovens and smokers used exclusively for cooking are exempt from Maricopa County's residential burning ban, but any solid-fuel cooking fire must still follow Air Quality Rule…

Unincorporated Maricopa County treats a commercial drone or autonomous-vehicle fleet operation as an industrial land use, not a home or retail one. The Zoning Ordinance's use table…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, solar panels are allowed as a by-right accessory use in every zoning district, no special use permit required, subject to development standards on…

Arizona law bars homeowners associations from banning solar energy devices outright. A.R.S. § 33-1816 lets an association adopt only reasonable placement rules, and only if those rules…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, anyone can report rubbish, weeds, filth, debris, or a dilapidated building on a property to the Planning and Development abatement officer, who must…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, building or using land without a permit or against zoning rules is a class 2 misdemeanor and a declared public nuisance, with each day of continued…

In unincorporated Maricopa County, the Abatement Officer must inspect a property after any weeds, rubbish, or dilapidated-building complaint, then give the owner at least 30 days to…

Arizona preempts most local paid leave mandates, while requiring statewide earned paid sick time under Proposition 206 and ARS 23-371.

Arizona allows permitless concealed carry for adults 21 and older, while still issuing optional CCW permits that enable reciprocity with other states.

Arizona broadly preempts cities, towns, and counties from regulating firearms, ammunition, components, and related accessories beyond state law.

Arizona permits open carry of firearms by adults 18 and older without a license in most public spaces, subject to limited location restrictions.

Arizona lets a nonprofit with federal 501(c) tax-exempt status run a raffle without a gambling license under A.R.S. Section 13-3302(B), so long as it has operated in-state for a full…

Arizona law defines "social gambling" in ARS § 13-3301(9) and excludes it from criminal liability under § 13-3302(A)(2). A private game qualifies only if no player collects more than…

Arizona legalized event wagering, commonly called sports betting, in 2021 under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 5, Chapter 11. The Department of Gaming may issue no more than ten event…

Arizona has no DUI checkpoint statute at all. The words "checkpoint" and "roadblock" appear nowhere in the Arizona Revised Statutes, so nothing in state law authorizes sobriety…

Arizona's only statute aimed at filming police, A.R.S. § 13-3732, has never taken effect. It would have made it a class 3 misdemeanor to keep video recording law enforcement activity…

Arizona does have a stop-and-identify statute, but it is a narrow one. A.R.S. § 13-2412 compels you to state your true full name only after a peace officer has lawfully detained you on…

Arizona is one of the few states whose legalisation act says in terms that lawful adult conduct "may not constitute the basis for detention, search or arrest." A.R.S. § 36-2852(A)…

Arizona prohibits cities, towns, and counties from regulating or banning auxiliary containers like plastic bags, cups, and bottles under ARS 9-500.38.

Arizona preempts local bans and fees on polystyrene foam food containers as auxiliary containers under ARS 9-500.38 and ARS 11-269.16.

Arizona bans the sale or furnishing of tobacco, vapor, and alternative nicotine products to anyone under 21 under A.R.S. 13-3622. The state raised its own minimum age from 18 to 21 in…

Arizona allows a vehicle four kinds of extra forward lighting and puts a mounting-height band on each: one spot lamp, two fog lamps mounted 12 to 30 inches off the ground, two…

Arizona is one of the few states whose code names dash cam recording and permits it in so many words. A.R.S. section 28-963(A)(3) forbids recording or broadcasting video on a device…

Arizona still prohibits lane splitting as most riders picture it, but A.R.S. § 28-903(F) opens a narrow lane-filtering exception. A two-wheeled motorcycle may move between lanes to…

Arizona bans any plate cover, spray, electronic device or electrochromatic film that obscures the numbers, characters, year tabs or issuing state name "from any angle", under A.R.S. §…

A radar detector is legal in a private vehicle anywhere in Arizona. The state's vehicle equipment article, A.R.S. sections 28-921 through 28-966, names no radar detector, laser jammer…

Arizona lets you run metal studded tires anywhere in the state from October 1 to May 1, and bans them for the other five months. A.R.S. § 28-958(B)(3) also caps the hardware itself…

Arizona lets the front side windows carry film with a light transmission of thirty-three percent plus or minus three percent, so a front window measuring down to 30 percent still…