Taunton, MA

Any Taunton property with a pool 24 inches or deeper needs a four-foot protective fence or approved barrier, with every gate self-closing and self-latching and its latch mounted at…

Taunton requires a permit before building a swimming pool, plus a protective fence at least four feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate for any pool 24 inches deep or more…

Taunton bars parking in front of driveways, within 20 feet of a crosswalk or intersection, within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, and anywhere your wheels sit more than 12 inches from the…

When the Mayor declares a snow emergency, Taunton bans parking on affected streets to clear the way for plowing, announces the ban at least four times before it takes effect, and fines…

Taunton's Zoning Ordinance requires every parking and loading surface to be graded and subsurfaced with a nondusting material so it doesn't shed dust, erosion or runoff onto streets or…

Trucks, trailers, tractors, tractor-trailers and campers cannot park on any Taunton street between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under § 405-52. Each overnight violation draws its own $50…

Taunton limits parking in a marked service or loading zone to 15 minutes under § 405-48, unless you're actually loading or unloading, in which case the limit stretches to a half hour…

Taunton allows only one utility trailer per residentially utilized lot, and that trailer can't sit in the front yard, but the code specifically excludes boat trailers and camping…

Taunton limits residential lots to one commercial-use vehicle at a time, capped at 7,000 pounds actual vehicle weight excluding payload, and counts tractors, backhoes and other heavy…

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 22C governs removal and disposal of abandoned motor vehicles statewide, setting uniform procedures that apply on public ways and private…

Massachusetts adopts statewide EV-readiness requirements under the State Building Code (780 CMR) and Stretch Energy Code, mandating that new construction include EV-ready parking…

Massachusetts caps what a tow company can charge you after a nonconsensual tow. Under 220 CMR 272.03(1) the maximum charge for towing a passenger automobile up to five miles is $132.00…

Taunton limits building construction, demolition, alteration and excavation noise to the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Work outside that window needs an emergency permit from…

Taunton bars unnecessary horn use, sirens on non-emergency vehicles, and any automobile or motorcycle so out of repair, overloaded or operated that it causes loud grating, grinding or…

Taunton bars playing a radio, television, phonograph or other sound-producing device loudly enough to disturb neighbors, or louder than needed for voluntary listeners to hear it…

Taunton's noise ordinance Chapter 315 prohibits keeping any animal or bird that causes frequent or long-continued sounds plainly audible within a noise-sensitive zone or at 50 feet…

Taunton caps outdoor sound under Chapter 315 with a decibel table keyed to time of day and district: up to 75 db in residential areas on early evenings, tightening to 40 db in other…

Taunton adopted a comprehensive noise ordinance (Chapter 315) on November 2, 2021, prohibiting preventable and unnecessary noise. Noise that annoys or disturbs the quiet, comfort, or…

Massachusetts regulates aircraft noise statewide through 740 CMR 24.00, the Logan Airport Noise Abatement rule enforced by the Massachusetts Port Authority. It bars new, noisier…

Taunton's Zoning Ordinance bars clearing land or clear-cutting trees, along with excavation, gravel removal or filling, before every required approval, permit, variance, license and…

Taunton's Municipal Council can vote to ban lawn watering, car washing and pool filling citywide whenever drought or other conditions require it. The Taunton Police Department enforces…

Taunton caps yard vegetation at 12 inches within 100 feet of any residence under Code § 350-4(B), because taller growth can shelter rodents and vermin or become a fire hazard. The same…

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 87 establishes statewide rules governing the trimming, pruning, and care of public shade trees, requiring a tree warden's authorization for cutting…

Taunton's zoning code cuts two very different paths for home-business signage. An 'accessory business use' registered under § 440-502(B) can't display any sign at all, full stop, while…

Taunton's zoning code lets residents run a limited accessory business, like a professional office or storage for another business, out of a residential structure, but it draws a hard…

Taunton allows a limited accessory business use inside a residential structure in any zoning district, but only for professional offices or storage tied to another business, capped at…

Home childcare in Massachusetts licensed by EEC (Department of Early Education and Care). Family Child Care licenses allow up to 6 or 10 children. MGL ch. 40A §3 prevents local zoning…

Massachusetts Residential Kitchen Operator program under 105 CMR 590 requires registration with local Board of Health. Permitted non-potentially hazardous foods only. Bristol County…

Massachusetts has no microenterprise home kitchen permit and no home restaurant category. The one route to serving cooked meals out of a private kitchen is the bed-and-breakfast branch…

Taunton bars accessory dwelling units from operating as short-term rentals. Zoning Ordinance § 440-710A states plainly that the accessory dwelling unit shall not be utilized as a short…

Taunton lets small accessory structures like sheds skip a building permit, but caps their shape and cuts required setbacks for the smallest ones. Under Zoning Ordinance § 440-711, a…

Taunton allows accessory dwelling units under Zoning Ordinance § 440-710, capped at 900 square feet or 50% of the principal dwelling's floor area, whichever is smaller. ADUs that don't…

Garage conversions throughout Bristol County require building permits and must comply with local zoning ordinances and 780 CMR building code. Conversions to living space must meet…

Taunton requires a permit from the Municipal Council before anyone erects, places or changes a fence adjoining a public street, way or sidewalk. Before that permit can issue, the City…

Taunton's zoning code treats any retaining wall taller than four feet as a regulated 'structure,' the same category as buildings, towers and tall fences. That means a wall over four…

Taunton caps hedges, shrubs and fences at two feet within the sight-triangle portion of a corner lot's front yard, an area extending 50 feet along each street frontage from the corner…

Fence materials in Bristol County cities follow local zoning bylaws. Wood, vinyl, and wrought iron are standard. Historic districts in New Bedford and Taunton require HDC approval. MGL…

Massachusetts law under MGL Ch. 49 §21 prohibits spite fences over 6 feet erected maliciously throughout Bristol County. There is no state shared-cost statute. Boundary disputes are…

Taunton charges $50 to license the storage, manufacture or sale of rockets and fireworks under City Code Section 250-8, and the Fire Department separately charges $50 for a fireworks…

Before a dwelling in Taunton changes hands, the Fire Department must inspect it for the number and placement of approved smoke detectors, under City Code § 19-42 and MGL c. 148. The…

Most Bristol County towns allow open burning from January 15 to May 1 with a free fire department permit under 310 CMR 7.07. However, Fall River and New Bedford are on the MassDEP list…

Massachusetts requires a state fire marshal license and local fire chief permit to store flammable gases including propane above specified threshold quantities.

Massachusetts bans any open-air fire statewide unless the local forest warden or fire chief issues a permit good for no more than two days. Violators face a fine up to $500 plus the…

Taunton has no separate STR insurance ordinance, but Massachusetts MGL c. 175, § 4F (enacted by 2018 Ch. 337) requires every STR operator to maintain at least $1,000,000 in liability…

STR parking requirements in Bristol County are governed by individual town zoning ordinances and parking regulations. Each municipality sets its own off-street parking requirements…

Massachusetts imposes a statewide 5.7% room occupancy excise on short-term rentals, plus optional local and community impact fees collected uniformly through DOR.

Taunton treats any lot with three or more dogs as a kennel under City Code Section 191-8, requiring a Municipal Council license. Class I covers four to six dogs, Class II seven to 12…

Taunton requires every dog to be under leash or direct control whenever it leaves its owner's property, on someone else's premises, or anywhere on public land. The leash must be a…

Taunton does not regulate dogs by breed; instead City Code Section 191-6 targets dogs of fierce, dangerous or vicious propensities and female dogs in heat. Such a dog cannot run at…

Massachusetts authorizes its chief apiary inspector to require registration of every bee colony kept in the commonwealth, with a fee capped at five dollars per registrant regardless of…

Massachusetts law directs every town field driver to take up horses, mules, asses, neat cattle, sheep, goats, or swine running at large on public ways or common land, then impound the…

Massachusetts prohibits private possession of most exotic and wild animals statewide. MassWildlife regulates permits, and the list of prohibited species is uniform across the…

Households in Taunton's curbside program must place recyclables only in the City-approved plastic bins the City provides free of charge; recyclables cannot go in the paid trash bags…

Taunton's Commissioner of Public Works, with the Municipal Council Committee on Solid Waste's approval, adopts the written rules governing how residents must prepare, sort and set out…

Every household on Taunton's curbside program must bag its trash in City-approved bags of 30 to 33 gallons, sold for $2 apiece, before it will be collected by the City or its…

Taunton bans dumping or tipping garbage, trash or refuse anywhere other than the City dump upon payment of the required fee, and punishes any violation with a flat $300 fine, no…

Taunton protects historically and culturally significant buildings through the Taunton Historic District Ordinance, adopted under MGL c. 40C. A seven-member Historic District…

Taunton requires anyone selling food from a vehicle or stand to obtain a temporary fixed-location vendor license from the Municipal Council for a $250 fee. Applicants need a Board of…

Anyone selling goods or food from a cart, wagon or other vehicle on Taunton's streets and sidewalks needs a hawker and peddler license from the Sealer of Weights and Measures. The…

Taunton limits how long a street vendor can stay in one spot: no more than 30 minutes per location, and a vendor cannot return within 300 feet of a previous spot for two hours. The…

Taunton bans smoking, including vaping, on every City-owned park, playground, athletic field, pool, splash pad and conservation area, plus Taunton Green and Church Green and their…

Within 300 feet of an officer directing traffic, a working traffic signal or a marked crosswalk, Taunton pedestrians must cross there and nowhere else under § 405-101. Cross outside…

Taunton bars drinking alcoholic beverages on any public way, park, playground or place the public can access as an invitee or licensee, and on private land without the owner's consent…

Taunton bans riding or operating skateboards or scooters of any kind, mechanical or otherwise, inside the Municipal Parking Garage. The ban applies notwithstanding any conflicting…

Taunton closes every park and playground under the Park and Recreation Department between sunset and sunrise. Anyone found on the grounds during those hours without a scheduled public…

Taunton's Zoning Ordinance bars any marijuana retailer from locating within 500 feet of another marijuana retailer, with distance measured on a straight line between the two closest…

Taunton's marijuana ordinance reduces the state's default 500-foot school buffer to zero feet for parcels in the Highway Business Zoning District that sit within 500 feet of the…

Adults 21+ in Bristol County can grow up to 6 cannabis plants (12 per household) under MGL c. 94G §7. Plants must be enclosed and not visible from public areas.

Taunton exempts holiday lights and decorations from its sign permit requirement, but only if they carry no commercial message and stay up no longer than 60 continuous days and no more…

Taunton exempts political signs from its sign-permit requirement citywide under § 440-706C(1)(j), with no size or number cap in the Zoning Ordinance. Inside the Historic District…

Taunton limits electronic message signs under City Code § 440-706E(2): LED and other changeable-face signs may show only static images and text, with no flashing, scrolling or…

Taunton caps how much of a storefront window can be covered by permanent signage. Under City Code § 440-706E(5), a permanent window sign, one that isn't easily removed, cannot cover…

Anyone soliciting money, goods, or services door to door or on Taunton streets needs a written license from the Chief of Police at least 45 days before the activity, proving honesty…

Several Bristol County municipalities maintain no-knock lists. Posted 'No Soliciting' signs must be honored by permitted commercial canvassers. Political and religious canvassing…

Taunton residents may hold up to three yard sales a year, each capped at two consecutive days, under a free permit from the City Clerk. Taunton Code § 337-6 requires the permit to be…

Taunton Code § 350-1 targets dilapidated buildings, overgrowth, debris, stagnant water and abandoned structures as nuisances that blight neighborhoods and hurt property values. Section…

Owners of vacant or foreclosing residential property in Taunton must register the property with the Building Commissioner, name a local contact responsible for security and…

Owners of property bordering a sidewalk in a business, central business or highway business district must clear the full width of snow within four hours of daytime snowfall ending, or…

Before any building in Taunton can be torn down, the owner must hire an exterminator within the 14 days leading up to demolition and file the exterminator's written statement that the…

Every rooming house and boardinghouse in Taunton must pass a yearly inspection by the Fire Department, Board of Health, and Building Department, completed by May 1 each year. Code §…

Taunton requires a stormwater management permit before any construction activity disturbs an acre of land or more, or a smaller phase of a larger project that will eventually reach an…

Any construction, filling, grading, mining or paving inside Taunton's Floodplain Overlay District needs a City permit, and the district is drawn straight from the 2021 FEMA flood maps…

Chapter 381 of the Taunton Code bans dumping or discharging anything but stormwater into the City's storm drain system, a watercourse, or the waters of the Commonwealth. The Department…

Taunton overlays a Floodplain Overlay District on top of every zone A and AE area shown on the 2021 Bristol County FEMA flood maps. Every proposed construction or development inside…

Massachusetts regulates all tidelands and coastal development statewide under Chapter 91 (MGL c.91) and 310 CMR 9.00, requiring state licenses for structures and fill in tidelands…

Taunton requires Municipal Council permission, and a $100 fee, before anyone hangs a sign, awning, marquee, clock or similar structure that projects over a street or sidewalk line. The…

Taunton puts ongoing sidewalk repair on the City itself, not the abutting owner: the Supervisor of Streets must keep every sidewalk in the City in repair and safe for travel…

Taunton bans placing a pole, sign, mailbox, permanent trash receptacle or any other object on a municipal sidewalk if it leaves less than 36 inches of clear path around it, with a…

Taunton makes it unlawful to use any street, roadway or sidewalk for a parade, rally, demonstration, speech or public entertainment without a Chief of Police permit. Applications must…

Taunton requires a license from the Board of License Commissioners before any business sells food or drinks on a City street or sidewalk. Applicants submit three sets of cafe plans…

Taunton's Transit-Oriented Development District, the zoning overlay built around the East Taunton MBTA commuter rail station on County Street, requires a minimum ten-foot front, side…

Taunton caps buildings in its Transit-Oriented Development District at 65 feet and five stories, with maximum lot coverage of 85%. Section 440-1705 sets these limits alongside the…

Inside Taunton's Transit-Oriented Development District, buildings and pavement can cover no more than 85% of a lot. The same dimensional table caps height at 65 feet and five stories…

Taunton has accepted Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 64G, Section 3A, the local-option room occupancy excise, twice: a 4% local option hotel/motel excise tax accepted March 28…

Taunton bans gas-powered scooters, powerboards and mini-motorbikes from every sidewalk in the city and restricts street use to riders 16 or older carrying a valid driver's or…

Massachusetts treats a golf cart and a low-speed vehicle as different machines with different rights. A true golf cart may be driven on a public way only under one narrow carve-out in…

Every plumbing job in Taunton needs a permit under City Code § 250-1, and the Inspector of Plumbing appointed under § 96-31 enforces the Massachusetts State Plumbing Code, 248 CMR 10…

Taunton requires a permit before any construction, addition, alteration, repair, demolition or foundation work covered by City Code Sections 250-2 through 250-6. Residential building…

All electrical work in Taunton requires a permit administered under City Code § 250-3, enforced by the Inspector of Wires appointed under § 96-68, who must be a licensed journeyman…

Taunton bars stores, garages, theaters and other places of amusement or trade from disturbing neighbors with loud music, boisterous songs or other noise within 300 feet, and flatly…

Taunton requires anyone acting as a pawnbroker to hold an annual license from the Municipal Council, issued by the City Clerk for a $100 fee and backed by a bond under state law…

Taunton confines adult entertainment businesses to Industrial Districts and requires a special permit from the Municipal Council under Zoning Ordinance § 440-713. Permitted locations…

Taunton requires anyone who buys, sells or barters junk, old metal, coins, antiques or secondhand articles to hold a license from the Municipal Council. Licensed shops must keep a…

Massachusetts heavily restricts vape retail under M.G.L. c. 270 § 28, banning flavored vape products statewide and limiting flavored nicotine vape sales to licensed adult-only smoking…

Taunton requires a building permit before any solar array goes up, plus a separate electrical permit, under City Code §§ 250-1 through 250-3. Ground-mounted panels must sit in a side…

Massachusetts MGL ch. 184 §23C limits private restrictions on solar energy systems. HOAs and condo associations may impose reasonable aesthetic conditions but cannot effectively…

Taunton's zoning code treats agriculture, including keeping poultry, swine, cattle and other livestock, as a use permitted by right in every zoning district, not just in a designated…

Massachusetts protects farms from nuisance lawsuits under M.G.L. c. 243 § 6: a farm operating more than one year using generally accepted agricultural practices cannot be found a…

Taunton lets developers request up to a 100% density boost above the zoning code's normal cap for multifamily and mixed-use projects of four or more units, but only on a brownfield…

Taunton requires outdoor light fixtures near the street to be shielded so neighbors and passersby never see the bare light source. Under City Code § 440-707, any private outdoor…

Bristol County municipalities regulate outdoor lighting through local zoning to reduce light pollution. Fully shielded fixtures are standard for new commercial development. Residential…

Heritage and specimen trees in Bristol County receive enhanced protection under local bylaws and MGL c. 87. Historic districts and conservation land have added restrictions.

Massachusetts has no statewide omnibus drone statute, so recreational flying follows federal FAA rules. But across the roughly 450,000 acres the Department of Conservation and…

Massachusetts sets a statewide minimum wage of $15.00 per hour under MGL Chapter 151, and generally preempts cities from adopting higher local minimum wages.

Massachusetts provides paid family and medical leave through the PFML program under MGL Chapter 175M, plus paid sick time under the Earned Sick Time Law for most employees.

Massachusetts requires a License to Carry under MGL Chapter 140 Section 131 to carry concealed handguns, with applications processed by local police chiefs subject to suitability…

Massachusetts requires a valid License to Carry under MGL Chapter 140 Section 131 to transport loaded handguns in a vehicle, with strict storage rules applying to long guns and…

Beyond frost depth and snow load, the Massachusetts design criteria table sets weathering, termite risk, ice barrier, flood and air freezing index values that apply to every home built…

Massachusetts sets one frost line depth for the whole state: 48 inches. Footings must bear below that depth anywhere in the Commonwealth, and cities and towns do not set their own…

Massachusetts publishes a ground snow load for every one of its 351 cities and towns in a single state table, ranging from 25 psf on the Cape and Islands to 60 psf in the hill towns.

Massachusetts lists a minimum flat roof snow load for every city and town, and requires designers to use whichever is larger: that listed floor or the load calculated from the local…

The Expanded Gaming Act divides Massachusetts into three casino license regions and caps category 1 licenses at one per region. A resort casino can open only in a city or town that…

Massachusetts law bans commercial gambling but carves out G.L. c. 271 § 7A for nonprofit raffles and bazaars: veterans', religious, fraternal, educational, and civic groups that have…

Massachusetts bans gaming for money only in a public conveyance or public place, or in a private place where the player is trespassing. G.L. c. 271, § 2 does not reach cards, dice, or…

Massachusetts legalized sports wagering under G.L. c. 23N, with retail betting live January 31, 2023 and mobile apps following March 10, 2023. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission…

Massachusetts has no comprehensive HOA act. Condominium associations get a powerful statutory lien under M.G.L. c. 183A § 6 that carries a six-month super-priority over a first…

M.G.L. c. 183A, § 10(c) requires a Massachusetts condominium to keep a defined set of records up to date within the Commonwealth and to make them available for reasonable inspection by…

Massachusetts overrides some HOA and condo restrictions by statute. M.G.L. c. 184 § 23C voids deed covenants and condo-document provisions that forbid or unreasonably restrict solar…

Massachusetts gives owners an affirmative right to install electric vehicle supply equipment in their own unit or in a parking area they hold exclusive use of, and M.G.L. c. 183A, §…

Massachusetts gives a condominium's organization of unit owners express statutory power to levy fines, and attaches almost no conditions to it. M.G.L. c. 183A, § 10(b)(5) authorizes…

Massachusetts is not a UCIOA state, and its condominium lien rules sit in a home-grown statute, G.L. c. 183A, § 6. The lien attaches automatically when an assessment falls due and is…

Massachusetts runs the opposite way from states that cap association leasing bans. M.G.L. c. 64G, § 15 provides that nothing in the short-term rental chapter confers a right to lease…

The Massachusetts General Laws contain no sobriety checkpoint statute. A full-text search returns nothing for roadblock, roadblocks or sobriety checkpoint, and the single hit for…

Massachusetts has no statute granting a right to record police. It has G.L. c. 272, section 99, one of the strictest wiretap laws in the country, and the operative word in it is…

Massachusetts has no general stop-and-identify law reaching people on foot. The duty at G.L. c. 90, section 25 attaches only to a person operating or in charge of a motor vehicle, and…

Massachusetts has no clause saying lawful cannabis possession is not grounds for a search, unlike Michigan or Maryland. What it has instead is G.L. c. 276, section 1, which narrows…

For nonpayment of rent, Massachusetts requires a 14-day notice to quit under M.G.L. c. 186 § 11 (leases) or § 12 (tenancies at will). After the notice expires, the landlord must bring…

Massachusetts recognizes an implied warranty of habitability and gives tenants strong remedies. Under M.G.L. c. 111 § 127L, after certified code violations and proper notice, a tenant…

MGL Chapter 239 sets uniform statewide summary process eviction procedures for residential tenancies, establishing notice requirements, court process, and tenant defenses applicable in…

Massachusetts has no general statute requiring advance notice before a landlord enters. M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B(1)(a) instead limits when a lease may permit entry, to inspect, make…

Massachusetts strictly limits late fees. Under M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B(1)(c), no lease or rental agreement may impose any interest or penalty for late rent until the rent is at least 30…

To end a tenancy at will (month-to-month), Massachusetts requires written notice equal to one full rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer, under M.G.L. c. 186 § 12. Fixed-term…

Massachusetts prohibits rent control statewide. Voters abolished it through a 1994 ballot referendum codified as Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40P, the Massachusetts Rent Control Prohibition…

Massachusetts has one of the nation's strictest security deposit laws. A landlord may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, must hold it in a separate…

Massachusetts requires 20 years of continuous adverse possession to claim title to land. Under M.G.L. c. 260 § 21, an action to recover land must be brought within 20 years after the…

Massachusetts requires purchasers of tobacco and vape products to be at least 21 years of age under MGL Chapter 270 Section 6, predating the 2019 federal Tobacco 21 law.

Massachusetts became the first state to ban all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and flavored vapes, under M.G.L. c. 270 § 28, effective June 1, 2020.

Massachusetts bars any vehicle from mounting or displaying a flashing, rotating or oscillating light in any direction except under G.L. c. 90, section 7E, and section 7E hands out red…

Massachusetts has no dash camera statute, but G.L. c. 90, section 13B expressly permits a device to be mounted on or affixed to a vehicle windshield, dashboard or centre console so…

Lane splitting is illegal in Massachusetts. G.L. c. 89, § 4A tells the operator of a motorcycle that he shall not pass any other motor vehicle within the same lane, and the ban carries…

Massachusetts bans plate covers by naming the device rather than by regulating tint or reflectivity. G.L. c. 90, § 6 says number plates shall be kept clean with the numbers legible and…

Nothing in the Massachusetts General Laws prohibits a radar detector in a private car. A full-text search of the General Laws returns no hit at all for radar detector, speed measuring…

Massachusetts writes its studded tire rule as a ban on the warm half of the year rather than as a permission for winter. G.L. c. 90, § 16 makes it unlawful to operate a motor vehicle…

Massachusetts lets you put aftermarket film on the front side windows, the rear side windows and the rear window only if it transmits at least 35 per cent of visible light and reflects…