Every town writes its own rules, and Boston's live in its municipal code — 141 chapters covering day-to-day questions like fences, parking, pets, permits and property upkeep. Below is the full map of what the code covers.
Ask Boston's code a questionWhat's in the Boston code
- Ch u1 — PROOF ONLY ZONING CODE CITY OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTSrecently amended
- Ch u2 — Enabling Act - CHAPTER 665 OF THE ACTS OF 1956recently amended
- Ch u3 — All Zoning Maps
- Ch 1 — TITLE, PURPOSE AND SCOPE
- Ch 2 — DEFINITIONSrecently amended
- Ch 3 — ESTABLISHMENT OF ZONING DISTRICTSrecently amended
- Ch 4 — APPLICATION OF REGULATIONS
- Ch 5 — ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE
- Ch 6 — CONDITIONAL USES
- Ch 6A — OTHER EXCEPTIONS
- Ch 7 — VARIANCES
- Ch 8 — REGULATION OF USESrecently amended
- Ch 9 — NONCONFORMING USES
- Ch 11 — SIGNSrecently amended
- Ch 11 — APPENDIX
- Ch 12 — TRANSITION ZONING
- Ch 13 — DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Ch 13 — TABLES
- Ch 14 — LOT SIZE, AREA AND WIDTH
- Ch 15 — BUILDING BULK
- Ch 16 — HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS
- Ch 17 — OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENT FOR RESIDENCES
- Ch 18 — FRONT YARDS
- Ch 19 — SIDE YARDS
- Ch 20 — REAR YARDS
- Ch 21 — SETBACKS
- Ch 22 — YARD REGULATIONS
- Ch 23 — OFF-STREET PARKING
- Ch 24 — OFF-STREET LOADING
- Ch 25 — FLOOD HAZARD DISTRICTS
- Ch 25A — COASTAL FLOOD RESILIENCE OVERLAY DISTRICT
- Ch 26 — SQUARES + STREETS DISTRICTSrecently amended
- Ch 27 — INTERIM PLANNING OVERLAY DISTRICTrecently amended
- Ch 28 — DESIGN REVIEW
- Ch 29 — GREENBELT PROTECTION OVERLAY DISTRICT
- Ch 30 — BARRIER-FREE ACCESS
- Ch 31 — SKYLINE DISTRICTSrecently amended
- Ch 32 — GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION OVERLAY DISTRICTrecently amended
- Ch 33 — OPEN SPACE SUBDISTRICTS
- Ch 36 — LIGHT MANUFACTURING DISTRICT
- Ch 37 — GREEN BUILDINGS AND NET ZERO CARBON
- Ch 37 — APPENDIX
- Ch 38 — MIDTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT
- Ch 38 — APPENDICES
- Ch 39 — NORTH STATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREA
- Ch u46 — APPENDICES to ARTICLE 39
- Ch 40 — SOUTH STATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREArecently amended
- Ch 40 — APPENDICES
- Ch 41 — HUNTINGTON AVENUE/PRUDENTIAL CENTER DISTRICT
- Ch 41 — APPENDICES
- Ch 42A — HARBORPARK DISTRICT, NORTH END/DOWNTOWN WATERFRONT AND, DORCHESTER BAY/NEPONSET RIVER WATERFRONTrecently amended
- Ch 42A — APPENDICES
- Ch 42B — HARBORPARK DISTRICT - CHARLESTOWN WATERFRONTrecently amended
- Ch 42C — WATERFRONT SERVICE DISTRICT
- Ch 42D — WATERFRONT MANUFACTURING DISTRICT
- Ch 42E — HARBORPARK DISTRICT - FORT POINT WATERFRONT
- Ch 42E — APPENDICES
- Ch 42F — HARBORPARK DISTRICT - CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARDrecently amended
- Ch 42F — APPENDICES
- Ch 43 — CHINATOWN DISTRICT
- Ch 43 — APPENDICES
- Ch 44 — LEATHER DISTRICT
- Ch 44 — APPENDICES
- Ch 45 — GOVERNMENT CENTER/MARKETS DISTRICT
- Ch 45 — APPENDICES
- Ch 46 — BULFINCH TRIANGLE DISTRICT
- Ch 46 — APPENDICES
- Ch 47A — CAMBRIDGE STREET NORTH DISTRICT
- Ch 47A — APPENDICES
- Ch 48 — STUART STREET DISTRICT
- Ch 48 — APPENDIX
- Ch 49 — CENTRAL ARTERY SPECIAL DISTRICT
- Ch 49 — APPENDIX
- Ch 49A — GREENWAY OVERLAY DISTRICT
- Ch 49A — APPENDICES
- Ch 50 — ROXBURY NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 50 — TABLESrecently amended
- Ch 51 — ALLSTON-BRIGHTON NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 51 — APPENDIX
- Ch 51 — TABLES
- Ch 53 — EAST BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 53 — APPENDIX
- Ch 53 — TABLES
- Ch 54 — NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 54 — TABLES
- Ch 55 — JAMAICA PLAIN NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 55 — APPENDIX
- Ch 55 — TABLES
- Ch 56 — WEST ROXBURY NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 56 — TABLES
- Ch 59 — MISSION HILL NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 59 — APPENDIX
- Ch 59 — TABLES
- Ch 60. — GREATER MATTAPAN NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 60 — TABLES
- Ch 61 — AUDUBON CIRCLE NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 61 — APPENDIX
- Ch 61 — TABLES
- Ch 62 — CHARLESTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICTrecently amended
- Ch 62 — TABLESrecently amended
- Ch 63 — BAY VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 63 — TABLES
- Ch 64 — SOUTH END NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 64 — APPENDIX
- Ch 64 — TABLES
- Ch 65 — DORCHESTER NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 65 — TABLES
- Ch 66 — FENWAY NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 66 — TABLES
- Ch 67 — ROSLINDALE NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 67 — APPENDIX
- Ch 67 — TABLES
- Ch 68 — SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 68 — TABLES
- Ch 69 — HYDE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
- Ch 69 — APPENDIX
- Ch 69 — TABLESrecently amended
- Ch 70 — BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT EAST
- Ch 70 — APPENDIX
- Ch 70 — TABLES
- Ch 71 — MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT
- Ch 71 — TABLES
- Ch 72 — NEW ENGLAND DEACONESS HOSPITAL INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT
- Ch 72 — TABLES
- Ch 73 — DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE INSTITUTIONAL DISTRICT
- Ch 73 — TABLES
- Ch 79 — INCLUSIONARY ZONING
- Ch 80 — DEVELOPMENT REVIEW AND APPROVALrecently amended
- Ch 80 — APPENDICES
- Ch 81 — BOSTON CIVIC DESIGN COMMISSION
- Ch 85 — DEMOLITION DELAY
- Ch 86 — WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
- Ch 87 — SMART GROWTH OVERLAY DISTRICTS
- Ch 87 — APPENDIX
- Ch 87A — OLMSTED GREEN SMART GROWTH OVERLAY DISTRICT
- Ch 88 — WIND ENERGY FACILITIES
- Ch 89 — URBAN AGRICULTURErecently amended
- Ch 89 — APPENDIXrecently amended
- Ch 90 — NEWMARKET 21ST CENTURY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTrecently amended
- Ch 90 — TABLES
- Ch u141 — APPENDICES TO ZONING CODErecently amended