The Ins and Outs of Douglas County Temporary Signs -
What We Do 
Code Enforcement is under Douglas County Community Development within the Administration Department. Code Enforcement is charged with protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare of Douglas County residents by enforcing compliance with many sections of the Douglas County Code including zoning ordinances, property maintenance codes, vacation rentals, sign codes, and public nuisances.
Douglas County Code Enforcement is committed to promoting safe, healthy, and attractive neighborhoods and improving the quality of our communities by fair enforcement of the code.
How do I file a complaint and what can I expect? Will the Code Enforcement Officer contact me?
As of November 1, 2018 complaints will only be accepted by filling out the Code Enforcement Complaint Form. The form is available below or you can obtain one at the Public Counter at 1594 Esmeralda Ave. Room 202 Minden, NV 89423. Once complete, The form may be submitted at the public counter, mailed to P.O. Box 218, Minden NV 89423, or emailed to codeenf@douglasnv.us. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted or addressed. You are required to provide us with your information because we may need additional information to address the complaint. You will not be contacted unless additional information is needed. Your information WILL NOT be automatically provided to the violator, however your information can be made available via a public records request. When you file a complaint you will not be provided with any follow up or the outcome of the complaint. Once a complaint is filed, an initial inspection is generally conducted within two business days, however, the entire process can take several weeks to resolve.
Talk It Out:
If you are having a problem, Douglas County recommends that you approach the party responsible for the issue that is causing you concern, to see if the issue can be resolved without hardship or County Involvement. If the “Friendly Neighbor” approach does not work or if the situation is not conducive to neighborly negotiations, a Code Enforcement officer can review a complaint once it is filed with the County. If the Code Enforcement Officer finds that the County Codes are in violation, the Code Enforcement Officer will handle the correspondence and resolution of the violation.
What is not covered by Code Enforcement?
Animal Issues
• Barking dogs and animal related complaints are handled by Douglas County Animal Services.
• Reports of animal cruelty or abuse are handled by Douglas County Animal Services.
Animal Control Services: (775) 782-9061
• Any Bear or wild animal issues are handled by Nevada Department of Wildlife.
• NDOW FOR BEARS: HOTLINE: (775) 688-BEAR
Certain Parking Issues
• Any vehicle parked on Public Streets, including cars, trailers, RV’s, and boats. These issues are handled by the Douglas County Sheriff.
Code Enforcement only addresses vehicles on private property.
• Abandoned vehicles, these issues are handled by the Douglas County Sheriff.
Sheriff Volunteers (775) 783-6466
Certain Property Issues
• Leaves that blow onto your property from a neighbors’ property, please address this issue with your neighbor.
• Any act of Nature that would not be of our control.
• Water and drainage issues are handled by Courtney Walker, Douglas County Storm Water Manager, (775) 782-6215.
What about fences?
Fences are generally not required, however, there are certain rules you should be aware of when building a fence:
• Front yard and side of street yard is limited to three (3) feet in height
• Other yard area is limited to seven (7) feet in height. Currently a building permit is not needed for a fence under 7ft in height, however, a variance is needed to exceed 6ft.
Good Neighbor Fences
Fences on the property line between two properties are owned equally by both property owners. Civil law provides that the cost of necessary repair or replacement are shared equally between owners. This however, is a civil issue between owners and the County will not get involved.
Enforcement of CC&R's
• The County does not enforce neighborhood Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&R’s). For questions regarding CC&R violations in your neighborhood contact your HOA or refer to the copy of the CC&R’s you received upon purchase of your property.
MY NEIGHBOR’S PROPERTY LOOKS TERRIBLE. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?
The Property Maintenance Ordinance (Chapter 20.690) can address many issues related to the poor condition of a property, but it does not address all problems. Many Home Owner Associations have more restrictive rules than the county and may be another avenue for you to address problems. County codes can address:
• Storage of broken or discarded furniture, household equipment and furnishings when visible from a public street
• Overgrown vegetation visible from a public street and/or which causes a sight obstruction or encroaches on the public right-of-way
• Dead, decayed, diseased or hazardous trees, weeds, or other vegetation constituting unsightly appearance and is visible from a public street
• Junk, trash, household items or other debris kept on the property for an unreasonable time and visible from a public street such as abandoned, broken or neglected equipment, machinery, appliances, refrigerators and freezers, hazardous pools, ponds, and excavations.
• Junk/unregistered/inoperable vehicles parked or stored off the pavement on residential properties and visible from a public street.
• Buildings which are partially destroyed, left in an unreasonable state of partial construction, or declared dangerous by the Building Official.
• Unsightly buildings in a state of major disrepair.
• Building exteriors, walls, fences, driveway, sidewalks, or walkways which are maintained in defective or unsightly conditions.
• Storing piles of dirt, rocks, gravel, sand, concrete, or other similar materials for an unreasonable period of time.
Recreation Vehicle Parking and Storage
Per Douglas County Code on parcels smaller than 1/2 acre, recreational equipment, such as motor homes, boats, boat trailers, travel trailers, pick-up campers, utility trailers and similar equipment, and cases or boxes used for transporting recreational equipment, must be parked or stored in a carport or in an enclosed building, or up to two units may be parked behind the nearest portion of a building to the street screened by a solid 6-foot fence. such equipment may be parked anywhere for a time period not to exceed forty-eight hours during a loading or unloading.