Waterloo, IA

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, vehicles parked outside a garage must sit on an approved hard surface, concrete, asphalt, or gravel, and gravel is barred entirely from front yards…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, no more than three recreational vehicles, including boats, trailers, campers, and motor homes, may be parked on a one- or two-family residential…

City Code § 4-4-7 declares storing a junk motor vehicle on public or private property in the City of Waterloo, Iowa a public nuisance. Code enforcement can order it removed, impound…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, marked loading zones and Grab-n-Go zones restrict parking to vehicles actually loading or unloading passengers or merchandise. A Grab-n-Go zone caps…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, the Traffic Code's "No Parking" section bars stopping, standing, or parking on sidewalks, in front of driveways or within five feet of where a driveway…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, no vehicle may sit on any street or in a city-owned parking lot or ramp for more than 48 continuous hours; a car left in the same block through that…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, once the Mayor or the Director of Public Works declares Snow Removal on a Priority One street, no one may park, stop, or leave a vehicle unattended on…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, no one may park a motor truck, farm implement, special mobile unit, van, or other freight-or-passenger-carrying vehicle on a residential street, or on…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, only City employees the City has authorized may paint or mark a street, curb, or sidewalk with the paint colors the City uses to designate no-parking…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, hunting and trapping are banned in every public park, and the ban expressly reaches harassment of bird and animal life. Waterloo City Code section…

Waterloo requires every cat six months or older to carry an annual city license, bans letting a cat run at large, and separately bans feeding an unlicensed, uncollared stray cat unless…

Waterloo has no breed list; instead animal control classifies any dog as potentially dangerous, dangerous or vicious based on its bite or attack history under City Code article B. Once…

Waterloo bans keeping big cats, bears, wild canids, primates, crocodilians, venomous snakes and reptiles, venomous arachnids and most mustelids as pets. City Code section 5-1B-1 lists…

Waterloo requires permanent identification for dogs picked up running at large and for any dog registered as potentially dangerous, dangerous or vicious. City Code sections 5-1A-9 and…

Waterloo requires spaying or neutering in two situations: any dog or cat picked up at large for the third time in a calendar year, and any dog registered as potentially dangerous…

Waterloo bans discharging air rifles, pellet guns and similar devices citywide, but carves out a licensed bow hunting season for deer in the Leonard Katoski Greenbelt Park and other…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, a dog or cat off its owner's property is legally "at large" unless it is on a leash, rope, cord or chain at least ten feet long, safely restrained in a…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, cattle, horses, mules, swine, sheep, goats, geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens and other fowl can't run at large or be staked out to graze on someone else's…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County does not cap the number of dogs a household may keep, but four or more dogs on one parcel legally becomes a "private kennel," a zoning use confined to…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County allows veterinary clinics as a permitted use in the Agricultural-Limited and Commercial-Manufacturing districts, but only if the clinic sits at least…

Anyone moving honeybee colonies, packages, or used equipment with combs into Iowa must apply to the state apiarist for a written entry permit at least sixty days before entry, backed…

Iowa sets no statewide ban on backyard wildlife feeding, but Natural Resource Commission rule 571, 106.7(6) makes it unlawful to hunt deer with the aid of bait, grain, salt, mineral…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, City Code § 4-3-7 makes accumulating solid waste in or about a building, cellar, street or alley unlawful and states that all open burning of solid waste…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, consumer fireworks may only be set off on July 3, July 4 and December 31, and only on property the user owns or has permission to use. Waterloo City Code…

Inside a licensed mobile home park in the City of Waterloo, residents can use natural or liquefied petroleum gas at their individual spaces, but only if the installation meets the…

The state fire marshal may prohibit open burning across any designated area of Iowa during extremely dry conditions that make fire a danger to life or property. Violating an active…

City Code § 4-5-3, Table II sets maximum sound levels in the City of Waterloo, Iowa by zone and time of day: 80 dBA daytime and 55 dBA at night in residential areas, 80/60 dBA in…

City Code § 4-5-4(A) in the City of Waterloo, Iowa bars operating a radio, television, musical instrument or similar amplifying device in a way that creates a noise level above the…

Waterloo bans letting a dog, cat or other animal cause serious annoyance through frequent, habitual barking, howling, whining or yelping. City Code section 5-1-11 requires a first…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, running construction, drilling or demolition tools that create noise across a residential property line is barred on weeknights from 11:00 P.M. to 7:00…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, every motor vehicle and motorcycle on a public right of way must run within the Table I sound limits and stay equipped with a working muffler that isn't…

Waterloo, Iowa exempts fences four feet tall or shorter from the building permit requirement under its amendment to the adopted building code. A taller fence falls back under the…

Iowa Code Chapter 359A imposes a statewide statutory duty on adjoining landowners to share construction and maintenance of partition fences upon written request, with disputes resolved…

Waterloo, Iowa exempts small detached accessory buildings from a building permit under its amendment to the adopted residential code: a one-story shed or similar structure with no more…

In unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa, a tiny home wider than eight feet is legally a mobile home, not a recreational vehicle. County code confines mobile homes used for dwelling…

Waterloo, Iowa exempts swimming pools accessory to one- and two-family dwellings from the building permit requirement, under the city's amendment to the adopted International…

Every public or commercial swimming pool in Iowa must be enclosed by a fence, wall, or building at least 4 feet high, with no gap wide enough to pass a 4-inch sphere and gates that are…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, nobody may remove, cut or trim a tree or shrub in any park, street or public property without a job permit from the city forester, and that permit can…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, trees and shrubs growing over streets or public property must be trimmed by the adjacent property owner so branches never hang lower than eight feet…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, weeds, grass and other growth on any lot may not exceed twelve inches, and the limit drops to eight inches on residentially zoned lots, under Waterloo…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, native plantings are exempt from the citywide weed height limit if they follow regulations set by the City Engineer or City Forester and are approved by…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County lets residents compost their own yard waste on the same property where it was generated, without a permit, as long as the compost pile does not become…

A facility caring for six or more preschool-age children for pay is a "day nursery" under county code, and unincorporated Black Hawk County permits day care or nursery facilities as a…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County allows home occupations under BHCC 18.70.190, but the business must stay clearly secondary to residential use, run entirely inside the existing…

BHCC 18.70.190 bars a home occupation in unincorporated Black Hawk County from generating excessive traffic or letting any noise, odor or activity reach beyond the property line…

A home occupation in unincorporated Black Hawk County can display one identification sign under BHCC 18.70.190(G), capped at 32 square feet and no more than 12 feet high or wide. The…

Iowa Code Chapter 137D exempts cottage food, non-time/temperature-controlled foods made at home, from licensing and inspection. Refrigerated or TCS foods instead require a home food…

Iowa is one of the few states that lets a home cook sell meals prepared to order. Iowa Code section 137D.1(4)(b)(2) puts made-to-order food, regularly prepared and promptly served or…

Iowa imposes a flat 5% state excise tax on the sales price of every short-term rental, collected from the guest by the host or platform like Airbnb and remitted to the Department of…

The City of Waterloo runs red-light and speed cameras under City Code section 6-1-4, with a private contractor operating equipment under Police Department control. Vehicle owners are…

Waterloo City Code section 6-2-1.C sorts electric-assist bicycles into three classes by motor behavior and top speed. Class 1 and Class 2 bikes, capped at 20 mph, cannot ride on…

Waterloo City Code section 6-2-7 tells cyclists and electric scooter riders to keep right on streets without a marked bike lane, sets rules for entering and leaving a bicycle lane, and…

Waterloo licenses shared mobility device operators under City Code chapter 3-8, capping speed at 15 mph inside the council-set operating area and requiring riders to be 18 or older…

Iowa Code section 321.247 gives no statewide right to drive a golf cart on the road. Incorporated areas may, upon approval of their governing body, allow golf carts on city streets…

Anyone running a pawn business in the City of Waterloo, Iowa must hold a pawnbroker license issued by the City Clerk under Waterloo City Code title 3, chapter 4, article A. Applicants…

The City of Waterloo, Iowa requires anyone buying or selling previously owned goods for resale to hold a secondhand goods dealer license under Waterloo City Code title 3, chapter 4…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, a commercial towing firm must apply to the Waterloo Police Department and meet minimum standards set by City Code Title 3, Chapter 5, Article C before it…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, a retailer's cigarette or tobacco permit can be revoked or suspended under Waterloo City Code section 5-2A-2(F) for willfully selling to a minor or…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, convenience stores and late-night businesses must run a working surveillance camera during overnight hours under City Code section 5-4-3. The Chief of…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, abutting property owners must clear 2 inches or more of snow and ice from sidewalks within 24 hours near schools and hospitals and within 48 hours…

Waterloo, Iowa's building official can inspect, order boarded up, and abate unsafe, vacant or abandoned buildings under section 9-1-4 of the city code, on top of authority already…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, an unimproved lot that has never been developed and sits more than three hundred feet from any developed property line is exempt from the general weed…

Anyone carrying on the business of a peddler, solicitor or transient merchant in the City of Waterloo, Iowa must first obtain a license under Waterloo City Code title 3, chapter 4…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, the abutting property owner must repair a defective public sidewalk within 45 days of city notice or the city engineer will do the work and assess the…

A business that wants tables, chairs or similar fixtures on a public sidewalk in the City of Waterloo, Iowa needs a sidewalk café permit under City Code § 3-4G-4. Without one…

Waterloo bans obstructing or encumbering public streets, alleys and sidewalks with fences, buildings, materials or excavations under City Code §§ 4-2-1(E) and 7-1-3. Anyone who blocks…

A garage, yard or moving sale on a home's own property in the City of Waterloo, Iowa is exempt from secondhand dealer licensing only if it runs no more than 96 consecutive hours and no…

A licensed mobile food business in the City of Waterloo, Iowa may not sell or operate on any portion of a street, sidewalk or public right-of-way. Waterloo City Code section 3-4F-8…

Selling food or beverages from a food truck or food cart in the City of Waterloo, Iowa requires a mobile food business license under Waterloo City Code title 3, chapter 4, article F…

Waterloo City Code sections 3-4F-8 and 3-4F-9 set where licensed mobile food businesses may operate in the City of Waterloo, Iowa: hard-surfaced areas or metered stalls on public…

A restaurant or bar in downtown Waterloo, Iowa needs a sidewalk café permit under Waterloo City Code title 3, chapter 4, article G to put tables and chairs on the public sidewalk…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, a restaurant or bar in the Central Business District must get a city permit before building a parklet, a platform installed over public parking spaces…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, any public meeting, picnic, religious or political gathering held in a city park needs prior permission from the leisure services commission under…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, no parade or procession, other than a circus parade approved separately, may use the city's streets without the Mayor's permission, under rules the Chief…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, it is unlawful to drink alcoholic liquor or beer on public streets or highways, or alcoholic liquor in any public place, unless the premises hold a…

Waterloo does not have a standalone loud-party ordinance, but a loud party is a listed nuisance activity under the city's Chronic Nuisance Properties chapter, City Code section 5-5-1…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, it is unlawful to urinate on any public or common property, including streets, alleys, sidewalks, golf courses, pools and parks, or anywhere else a…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, the Traffic Code adopted under Waterloo City Code section 6-1-1 requires pedestrians in the business district to cross streets only in marked crosswalks…

The City of Waterloo, Iowa imposes a 7% hotel and motel tax on gross receipts from renting rooms in hotels, motels, inns, rooming houses, tourist courts, and other transient lodging…

City Code § 4-4-6(A) in the City of Waterloo, Iowa bars putting refuse or trash in any street, median, alley or public travelway, or on private property outside the approved storage…

City Code § 4-3A-4(B) makes it unlawful in the City of Waterloo, Iowa to dump garbage, dead animal matter, rubbish, recycling or yard waste on any lot, open space, street or roadway…

City Code § 4-4-6(B) requires every business establishment in the City of Waterloo, Iowa to store its refuse in containers, using refuse receptacles, bulk containers or detachable…

City Code § 4-3-5(F) requires everyone in Waterloo to separate recycling materials from garbage, refuse and yard waste and to use only the container the city provides for recyclables…

Waterloo's collection rules in City Code § 4-3-5 require every property to keep suitable trash, recycling and yard waste containers on hand and to set them at ground level within three…

Waterloo runs a voluntary curbside recycling program for single-family dwellings only under City Code § 4-3-4; multi-dwelling and business properties must instead use a private…

Waterloo defines yard waste as small vegetative debris like grass, leaves and branches under 2 1/2 inches thick and offers a voluntary curbside pickup program under City Code §…

Waterloo residents can schedule curbside pickup of up to ten large bulky items like furniture, tires and appliances through a public works work order under City Code § 4-3-6(A)(5). The…

City Code § 4-3-4 requires the city to provide garbage, refuse, recycling and yard waste disposal service to every premises in Waterloo, except that business establishments and…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, every property that discharges runoff into the city's storm sewer system must pay a monthly stormwater user fee, and the whole city is declared a…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, most new construction needs a local Construction Site Runoff (CSR) permit from the City Engineer, even projects too small for a state NPDES permit. Sites…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, the subdivision code requires any new plat in a flood-prone area to raise the lowest water entry level of every structure at least twelve inches above…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County splits its floodplain into four overlay sub-districts, Floodway, Floodway Fringe, General Floodplain and Shallow Flooding, each with its own permitted…

In the floodplain districts of unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa, a boat dock placed on any river or stream (other than a lake) needs approval from the Iowa Department of Natural…

Waterloo bans steel, leghold, conibear, snare and box traps outdoors except in specific cases. City Code section 5-1-5 lets a private property owner trap small rodents such as gophers…

The City of Waterloo, Iowa adopted the 2021 International Building Code, International Residential Code and International Existing Building Code, requiring a permit before erecting…

Waterloo, Iowa deleted the International Residential Code's automatic fire sprinkler requirement in its entirety. New one- and two-family homes built under the adopted 2021 IRC are not…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, City Code § 9-3-7 lets a homeowner pull their own electrical permit to wire a home they own and occupy, without a contractor's license, so long as only…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, an amendment to the property maintenance code at City Code § 9-1B-2 requires carbon monoxide alarms in any dwelling unit with a fuel-fired appliance or…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, City Code § 9-4-8 puts the notification duty on the permit holder for plumbing and building work: the inspector must get twenty-four hours' notice before…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, City Code § 9-4A-1 adopts the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the State Plumbing Code as controlling for all plumbing work. A permit is required before…

Black Hawk County's lead program requires owners to fix hazardous lead-based paint within 30 days once the county Health Officer confirms a hazard tied to a child with elevated blood…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, anyone under seventeen may not be in alleys, streets, businesses, amusement places, buildings or vacant lots between 12:30 A.M. and 5:00 A.M. under…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, public parks close to everyone from 11:00 P.M. to 5:00 A.M. under Waterloo City Code section 7-8-1(C), and no one may stay past 11:00 P.M. without…

Waterloo, Iowa inspects rental property, rental units and their common areas on a regular three-year cycle under section 9-1B-2 of the adopted property maintenance code, or more often…

Waterloo inspects every rental unit once every three years, but a single tenant or owner complaint triggers an inspection immediately under City Code § 9-7-7.A. Two substantiated…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, no one may plant a tree or shrub in any park, street or other public property without first notifying the city forester under Waterloo City Code section…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, loading, unloading or otherwise handling boxes, crates, containers, building materials or garbage cans is a prohibited noise act under the Noise Control…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, a motor vehicle burglar alarm must automatically shut itself off within three minutes of activation. The same section bars sounding any fire, burglar or…

Waterloo has no ordinance written for digital billboards by name, but City Code § 9-6B-11 governs the electric and flashing-sign technology any digital display uses: no simultaneous…

In the City of Waterloo, Iowa, every sign needs a building-official permit before it goes up, except one category: political signs. City Code § 9-6A-1.B.8 exempts political signs…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa exempts 'For Sale' and 'garage sale' signs under six square feet from its zoning sign permit process, but only on the actual days of the sale…

Every rental unit in the City of Waterloo needs its own annual permit before a landlord can rent it out. City Code § 9-7-5 bars leasing a unit without a current permit, charges…

Waterloo's rental housing code splits maintenance duty between landlord and tenant. City Code § 9-7-9 makes the landlord responsible for a rental unit's structural soundness and the…

Iowa Code Sec. 562A.27(2) lets a landlord terminate after 3 days' written notice for nonpayment of rent. For other material lease breaches, Sec. 562A.27(1) requires a 7-day notice with…

Under Iowa Code Sec. 562A.19, a landlord must give the tenant at least 24 hours' notice before entering and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency. Tenants may not…

Iowa Code Sec. 562A.9(4) caps late fees by rent amount. If monthly rent is $700 or less, a lease may not charge over $12 per day or $60 per month total. If rent is more than $700, the…

Iowa Code Sec. 562A.34 lets either party end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date, a week-to-week tenancy with at least 10…

Iowa preempts local rent control. Iowa Code 364.3(9) bars any city from adopting or enforcing an ordinance that limits the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or…

Iowa caps a security deposit at two months' rent. Under Iowa Code 562A.12, a landlord must return the deposit, or a written statement of deductions, within 30 days after the tenancy…

Iowa requires 10 years of open, hostile, exclusive, and continuous possession under a claim of right or color of title to claim title by adverse possession, drawing on the 10-year…

To become a protected historic landmark in the City of Waterloo, a building, structure, object or site must meet the historic significance criteria in City Code § 9-8-2 and go through…

Anyone can trigger a Black Hawk County health-nuisance investigation by filing a complaint with the Health Officer, who also investigates on his or her own initiative. A written notice…

Black Hawk County's nuisance ordinance lists 13 specific conditions the Health Department treats as public health nuisances, from junk and garbage accumulation to rodent breeding…

In the agricultural and residential zoning districts of unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa, outdoor advertising signs and billboards are prohibited outright, and even the narrow…

In the residential zoning districts of unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa, the required front yard is set by the district's base standard, but where at least 30 percent of nearby…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa lets public, semi-public and institutional buildings rise to 60 feet, and churches and temples to 75 feet, if they add extra side and rear…

In unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa, an accessory building placed in a required rear yard cannot occupy more than 30 percent of that rear yard. BHCC § 18.120.010(D) sets the cap…

Unincorporated Black Hawk County ties its right-to-farm protections to three zoning classifications. BHCC 18.75.030 defines an agricultural district as land zoned A agricultural, A-L…

Black Hawk County Code Section 18.75.040 blocks nuisance lawsuits against a farm operating in an agricultural zoning district, using accepted practices, since before the alleged…

Iowa Code 124E and Iowa Admin Code 641 chapter 154 control medical cannabidiol dispensary licensing, location count, and operations. Only state-licensed dispensaries may sell…

Recreational drone use in Iowa is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 and the Recreational Flyers exception, with state limits in Iowa Code 808.15 on government surveillance. Iowa…

Iowa Code 331.301(6) preempts counties and cities from adopting minimum wage rates that exceed the Iowa state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Iowa has allowed permitless concealed carry for adults 21 and older since July 2021, while still issuing optional non-professional permits for reciprocity.

Iowa Code 724.28 broadly preempts cities and counties from regulating firearms, ammunition, components, and accessories more strictly than state law.

Iowa permits open carry of handguns by qualifying adults statewide, though local preemption under Iowa Code 724.28 prevents stricter city rules.

Iowa Code 99F.7 gives the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission sole authority to decide the number, location, and type of licensed gambling structures and excursion gambling boats…

Iowa Code chapter 99B bars any nonprofit from running bingo, raffles, games of skill or chance, or a game night until the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing issues a…

Iowa Code § 99B.45 lets individuals gamble against each other in card and parlor games, including poker, without a state gambling license, but caps it hard: no one may win or lose more…

Iowa restricts sports wagering licenses to operators already licensed to run gambling games at a pari-mutuel racetrack enclosure or an excursion gambling boat. Under Iowa Code section…

Iowa has no general HOA assessment statute, so a planned-community HOA's lien rights come from its recorded declaration plus contract law. For condominiums under the Horizontal…

Iowa's records law for homeowners associations is Iowa Code chapter 499C, added by 2023 Acts, chapter 137. It gives a unit owner or the owner's authorized agent five categories of…

Iowa sets no dollar cap on a homeowners association fine and requires no notice, cure period or hearing before one is imposed. The amount and the process come from your declaration and…

Iowa gives an association a statutory assessment lien only where the community is a condominium under the Horizontal Property Act or a multiple housing cooperative under chapter 499A…

Iowa gives its police an express roadblock statute, chapter 321K, and then confines it. A routine vehicle roadblock may be run only as provided in that section, and the section lists…

Iowa has no statute granting an express right to film police, but it does not need one: Iowa Code section 727.8(3)(a) exempts from the eavesdropping offence any recording made by a…

Iowa is not a stop and identify state. No provision of the Iowa Code requires a person detained on suspicion to give a name, and the closest section, Iowa Code 719.1A, criminalizes…

Iowa has never legalized adult-use cannabis, and it has no statute about consenting to a vehicle search. The one search-limiting provision in the Iowa Code is section 124E.12(9), which…

Iowa Code 364.3(3)(c) (cities) and 331.301(6) (counties) preempt local governments from regulating consumer merchandise containers, including plastic bags, foam containers, cups, and…

Iowa has no statute that voids a homeowners association covenant banning solar panels. The only covenant provision in Iowa's solar chapter, Iowa Code section 564A.8, does nothing more…

Iowa Code section 476.49 requires rate-regulated electric utilities to offer net metering to customer-owned solar up to one megawatt AC that produces no more than 110 percent of annual…

Iowa Code 453A.6 sets the minimum age to purchase or possess tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products at 21 in alignment with federal law.

Iowa answers add-on lighting with numbers rather than generalities. Iowa Code section 321.403 allows no more than three auxiliary driving lamps, mounted on the front between 12 and 42…

Iowa never enumerates what may be stuck to a windshield. Chapter 321 mentions the windshield in only four places, and none of them is a list of permitted items, so a dash cam is judged…

Iowa Code section 321.275(4) does four things in one paragraph. It bans a motorcycle or motorized bicycle from being operated between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Iowa Code section 321.37(3) makes it unlawful for a vehicle owner to place any frame around or over the registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters…

The word detector does not appear anywhere in Iowa Code chapter 321. What Iowa outlaws is the speed detection jamming device, defined in Iowa Code section 321.232(4)(a) as equipment…

Iowa Code section 321.442 starts from a flat ban: no tire moved on a highway may carry a block, stud, flange, cleat or spike of any material other than rubber projecting beyond the…

Iowa Code section 321.438(2) bans operating a vehicle whose front windshield, front side windows or front sidewings are excessively dark or reflective, and it leaves the number to the…