Every town writes its own rules, and Southgate, Michigan's live in its municipal code — 232 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 Southgate, Michigan's code a questionWhat's in the Southgate, Michigan code
- 1. Southgate, Michigan
- 2. CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF SOUTHGATE, MICHIGAN
- 3. CERTIFICATION
- 4. DIRECTORY OF OFFICIALS (2025)
- 5. COMPARATIVE SECTION TABLE
- 6. 1974 Code
- 7. References to Ordinances
- 8. CHARTER
- 9. TITLE TWO - General Provisions
- 10. CHAPTER 202 Codified Ordinances
- 11. CHAPTER 204 Wards and Boundaries
- 12. CHAPTER 206 Elections
- 13. CHAPTER 208 City Records
- 14. CHAPTER 209 Civil Liability for Costs of Emergency Response
- 15. CHAPTER 210 Purchases, Contracts and Sales
- 16. TITLE FOUR - Legislation
- 17. CHAPTER 212 Council
- 18. CHAPTER 214 Ordinances and Resolutions
- 19. TITLE SIX - Administration
- 20. CHAPTER 216 Administration Generally
- 21. CHAPTER 218 Mayor
- 22. CHAPTER 220 City Administrator
- 23. CHAPTER 222 City Clerk
- 24. CHAPTER 224 City Auditor
- 25. CHAPTER 226 City Treasurer
- 26. CHAPTER 228 City Assessor
- 27. CHAPTER 230 Department of Law
- 28. CHAPTER 232 Finance Department
- 29. CHAPTER 234 Police Department
- 30. CHAPTER 236 Fire Department
- 31. CHAPTER 238 Department of Engineering
- 32. CHAPTER 240 Building Department
- 33. CHAPTER 242 Department of Public Services
- 34. CHAPTER 244 Department of Parks and Recreation
- 35. CHAPTER 246 Water Department
- 36. CHAPTER 248
- 37. CHAPTER 250 Economic Development Corporation
- 38. CHAPTER 251 City Historian/Historical Preservation
- 39. TITLE EIGHT - Boards, Commissions and Authorities
- 40. CHAPTER 252 Boards and Commissions Generally
- 41. CHAPTER 253 Board of Electrical Examiners
- 42. CHAPTER 254 Board of Health
- 43. CHAPTER 256 Board of Review
- 44. CHAPTER 258 Reserved
- 45. CHAPTER 260 Board of Zoning Appeals
- 46. CHAPTER 262 Building Authority
- 47. CHAPTER 264 Building Code Board of Appeals
- 48. CHAPTER 266 Cable Television and Telecommunications Advisory Commission
- 49. CHAPTER 268 City Beautiful Commission
- 50. CHAPTER 270 Civil Service Commission
- 51. CHAPTER 272 Commission on Aging
- 52. CHAPTER 274 Community Advisory Commission
- 53. CHAPTER 276 Cultural, Arts and Special Events Commission
- 54. CHAPTER 278 Dangerous Buildings Board
- 55. CHAPTER 280 Election Commission
- 56. CHAPTER 280.5 Electrical Examining and Appeals Board
- 57. CHAPTER 281 Historical Commission
- 58. CHAPTER 282 Library Commission
- 59. CHAPTER 284 Local Officers Compensation Commission
- 60. CHAPTER 286 Parks and Recreation Commission
- 61. CHAPTER 288 Planning Commission
- 62. CHAPTER 290 Public Safety Commission
- 63. CHAPTER 292 Water Board
- 64. CHAPTER 294 Youth Commission
- 65. CHAPTER 295 Downtown Development Authority
- 66. TITLE TEN - Employment Provisions
- 67. CHAPTER 296 Employees Generally
- 68. CHAPTER 297 Employees Retirement System
- 69. TITLE TWELVE - Judiciary
- 70. CHAPTER 298 District Court
- 71. TITLE FOURTEEN - Municipal Civil Infractions
- 72. CHAPTER 300 Municipal Civil Infractions Bureau and Citation Procedure
- 73. PART FOUR - TRAFFIC CODE
- 74. CHAPTER 414 Aircraft Regulations
- 75. CHAPTER 418 Bicycles
- 76. CHAPTER 422 Commercial and Heavy Vehicles
- 77. CHAPTER 460 Motor Vehicle Insurance
- 78. CHAPTER 466 Parades and Street Parties
- 79. CHAPTER 468 Parking
- 80. CHAPTER 470 Motorized Low Speed Vehicles and Motorized Skateboards
- 81. CHAPTER 472 Operating Vehicles While Under the Influence
- 82. PART SIX - GENERAL OFFENSES CODE
- 83. CHAPTER 606 Advertising, Billposting and Handbills
- 84. CHAPTER 608 Alcoholic Beverages
- 85. CHAPTER 610 Animals
- 86. CHAPTER 615 Downriver Central Animal Control Agency
- 87. CHAPTER 620 Drugs
- 88. CHAPTER 628 Fireworks
- 89. CHAPTER 630 Gambling
- 90. CHAPTER 632 Hazardous Materials Incident Cost Recovery
- 91. CHAPTER 658 Noise Control
- 92. CHAPTER 660 Nuisances
- 93. CHAPTER 664 Offenses Relating to Persons
- 94. CHAPTER 666 Offenses Relating to Property
- 95. CHAPTER 670 Peace Disturbances
- 96. CHAPTER 678 Safety, Sanitation and Health
- 97. CHAPTER 679 Shopping Cart Regulation
- 98. CHAPTER 682 Sex Related Offenses
- 99. CHAPTER 692 Weapons and Explosives
- 100. CHAPTER 694 Weeds
- 101. TITLE TWO - Business Regulation
- 102. CHAPTER 802 Licensing in General
- 103. CHAPTER 806 Auctions and Auctioneers
- 104. CHAPTER 810 Bakeries and Bulk Food Establishments
- 105. CHAPTER 812 Billiard and Pool Rooms
- 106. CHAPTER 813 Body Art
- 107. CHAPTER 814 Bowling Alleys
- 108. CHAPTER 818 Cable Television
- 109. CHAPTER 820 Carnivals
- 110. CHAPTER 822 Christmas Tree Sales
- 111. CHAPTER 824 Coin-Operated Dry Cleaning Establishments
- 112. CHAPTER 828 Eating and Drinking Establishments
- 113. CHAPTER 832 Hotels, Motels and Extended Stay Hotels
- 114. CHAPTER 833 Pawnbroker, Secondhand and Scrap Dealer
- 115. CHAPTER 834 Junk Dealers
- 116. CHAPTER 838 Massage Parlors
- 117. CHAPTER 840 Mechanical Amusement Device Arcades
- 118. CHAPTER 842 Mechanical Amusement Devices
- 119. CHAPTER 843 Motion Picture, Television, Radio and Photographic Production
- 120. CHAPTER 844 Motorcycle Rental Agencies
- 121. CHAPTER 850 Peddlers
- 122. CHAPTER 852 Public Dances and Dance Halls
- 123. CHAPTER 860 Snow Removal Operations
- 124. CHAPTER 862 Solicitors
- 125. CHAPTER 864 Tattoo Parlors
- 126. CHAPTER 866 Taxicabs
- 127. CHAPTER 867 Teen Clubs
- 128. CHAPTER 868 Transient Merchants
- 129. CHAPTER 872 Used Precious Metals Sales
- 130. CHAPTER 873 Personal Property Sales
- 131. CHAPTER 874 Marijuana Production and Sale Business Regulation
- 132. TITLE FOUR - Taxation
- 133. CHAPTER 880 Real Estate Tax
- 134. CHAPTER 882 Taxation of Low Cost Housing
- 135. CHAPTER 884 Tax Increment Finance Authority
- 136. CHAPTER 886 Service Charge for Tax Exempt Housing for Senior Citizens
- 137. TITLE TWO - Street and Sidewalk Areas
- 138. CHAPTER 1020 Streets
- 139. CHAPTER 1022 Sidewalks
- 140. CHAPTER 1024 Curb Cuts
- 141. CHAPTER 1026 Driveway Culverts
- 142. CHAPTER 1028 Woodlands and Tree Preservation
- 143. TITLE FOUR - Utilities
- 144. CHAPTER 1040 Sewers Generally
- 145. CHAPTER 1041 Wayne County Sewer Use Ordinance
- 146. CHAPTER 1042 Downriver Sewage Disposal System
- 147. CHAPTER 1044 Water
- 148. CHAPTER 1046 Water and Sewer Rates
- 149. CHAPTER 1048 Storm Water Runoff Control
- 150. CHAPTER 1049 Public Utility Franchises
- 151. CHAPTER 1050 Illicit Discharges and Connections
- 152. TITLE SIX - Other Public Services
- 153. CHAPTER 1060 Garbage and Rubbish Collection and Disposal
- 154. CHAPTER 1062 Parks and Public Grounds
- 155. CHAPTER 1064 Use of Public Facilities
- 156. CHAPTER 1066 Alarm Systems
- 157. TITLE EIGHT - Telecommunications Systems
- 158. CHAPTER 1080 Right-of-Way Use Permits
- 159. TITLE TWO - Planning
- 160. CHAPTER 1220 Planning Commission
- 161. CHAPTER 1222 Comprehensive Development Plan
- 162. TITLE FOUR - Subdivision Regulations
- 163. CHAPTER 1240 General Provisions and Definitions
- 164. CHAPTER 1242 Administration, Enforcement and Penalty
- 165. CHAPTER 1244 Subdivision Procedure
- 166. CHAPTER 1246 Design Standards
- 167. CHAPTER 1248 Improvements
- 168. TITLE SIX - Zoning Code
- 169. CHAPTER 1260 General Provisions and Definitions
- 170. CHAPTER 1262 Administration, Enforcement and Penalty
- 171. CHAPTER 1264 Board of Zoning Appeals
- 172. CHAPTER 1266 Districts Generally and Zoning Map
- 173. CHAPTER 1268 R-1, R-1A and R-1B One-Family Residential Districts
- 174. CHAPTER 1270 R-2 Two-Family Residential Districts
- 175. CHAPTER 1272 RM Multiple-Family Residential Districts
- 176. CHAPTER 1274 RO Restricted Office Districts
- 177. CHAPTER 1276 C-1 Community Business Districts
- 178. CHAPTER 1278 C-2 General Business Districts
- 179. CHAPTER 1280 C-3 Thoroughfare Service Districts
- 180. CHAPTER 1281 Market Center Overlay District
- 181. CHAPTER 1282 M-1 Light Industrial-Research Districts
- 182. CHAPTER 1284 M-2 Medium Industrial Districts
- 183. CHAPTER 1286 MH Mobile Home Districts
- 184. CHAPTER 1288 PD Planned Development Districts
- 185. CHAPTER 1289 Hotel Overlay District (HOD)
- 186. CHAPTER 1290 P-1 Vehicular Parking Districts
- 187. CHAPTER 1291 RC Recreational District
- 188. CHAPTER 1292 Off-Street Parking and Loading
- 189. CHAPTER 1294 General Exceptions
- 190. CHAPTER 1296 Nonconforming Uses
- 191. CHAPTER 1298 Provisions Relating To All Districts
- 192. APPENDIX A - CELLAR BASEMENT AND STORY
- 193. APPENDIX B - BUILDING HEIGHT
- 194. APPENDIX C - BUILDING LINE
- 195. APPENDIX D - INTERIOR, THROUGH AND CORNER LOTS
- 196. APPENDIX E - BASIC STRUCTURAL TERMS
- 197. APPENDIX F - YARDS
- 198. APPENDIX G - DISTANCE SPACING FOR MULTIPLE DWELLINGS
- 199. APPENDIX H - CLUSTER EXAMPLE
- 200. APPENDIX I - TRANSITION DETAILS (GREENBELT PLANTING SCREEN ILLUSTRATIONS)
- 201. APPENDIX J - CORNER CLEARANCE
- 202. APPENDIX K - TRANSITION DETAILS (WALLS)
- 203. APPENDIX L - TRANSITION DETAILS (BERM ILLUSTRATIONS)
- 204. TITLE TWO - Building Standards
- 205. CHAPTER 1420 Michigan Building Code
- 206. CHAPTER 1422 International Property Maintenance Code
- 207. CHAPTER 1423 Multifamily Housing Certification
- 208. CHAPTER 1424 Michigan Plumbing Code
- 209. CHAPTER 1426 Michigan Mechanical Code
- 210. TITLE FOUR - Building Administration
- 211. CHAPTER 1440 Building Department
- 212. CHAPTER 1442 Registration of Building Contractors
- 213. CHAPTER 1444 Permits and Fees
- 214. TITLE SIX - Miscellaneous Building Regulations
- 215. CHAPTER 1460 Dangerous Buildings
- 216. CHAPTER 1461 Excavation, Removal and Filling of Land
- 217. CHAPTER 1462 Fences
- 218. CHAPTER 1464 Flood Plain Management
- 219. CHAPTER 1466 House Trailers
- 220. CHAPTER 1468 Residential Exterior Inspection Upon Transfer
- 221. CHAPTER 1470 Moving of Buildings
- 222. CHAPTER 1476 Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control
- 223. CHAPTER 1478 Swimming Pools
- 224. CHAPTER 1479 Vacant or Abandoned Property
- 225. TITLE EIGHT - Electrical Code
- 226. CHAPTER 1480 National Electrical Code
- 227. CHAPTER 1481 Administration of Electrical Standards
- 228. CHAPTER 1482 Administration and Enforcement
- 229. CHAPTER 1484 Electrical Inspections
- 230. CHAPTER 1486 Electrical Permits
- 231. CHAPTER 1488 Licensing of Electrical Contractors
- 232. PART SIXTEEN - FIRE PREVENTION CODE