Town Ordinances

Section 3.1 in the Michiana Shores Municipal code covers rules and exemptions for open fires within our town. You can find all the town ordinances and the full code here. Excerpts related to open burning are listed below.

Section 3-1-6-1. Definitions

• Clean wood Products – means dry wood products that are not coated with stain, paint, glue, or other coating material.
• Open burning – the burning of any materials wherein air contaminants resulting from combustion are emitted directly into the air, without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber.

Section 3-1-6-2. Open Burning Prohibited

It shall be unlawful for any person to burn, kindle, or incinerate any type of garbage, refuse, waste, yard waste or other like materials.

Section 3-1-6-3. Exemptions –

A. Recreational or ceremonial fires, such as camp fires, subject to the following conditions:

• Only clean wood products:
• Burning shall not be conducted for the purpose of disposal.
• A person who Open Burns shall extinguish the fire if the fire creates a nuisance or fire hazard.
• Burning may not be conducted during unfavorable meteorological conditions such as: high winds, temperature inversions, air stagnation or when a pollution alert or ozone action day has been declared.
• All fires must be attended at all times during burning until completely extinguished.
• All burning shall comply with other federal, state, and local laws, rules, and ordinances.
• Adequate firefighting equipment shall be on-site for extinguishing purposes during burning times.

B. Burning, for the purpose of heating, using Clean Wood Products in a noncombustible container that is sufficiently vented to induce adequate primary combustion, and has enclosed sides and a bottom. Burning shall not be conducted for the purpose of disposal.

Section 3-1-6-4. Enforcement

This section shall be enforced by the Police Department or the Chief of the Fire Department.

Section 3-1-6-5. Penalty and Fines

Any person violating this section shall pay a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation. Each day a violation exists or continues shall constitute a separate offense

Section 3-1-6-6. Service fee

Violators shall pay the Fire Department a service fee of $50.00 for responding to or for extinguishing any illegal open burning.

Town of Michiana Shores Noise Regulations

For full details see Town of Michiana Shores Ordinance 2022-07, Noise Abatement and
Quiet Hours. (Note: all times listed are Central Time)

• Construction Noise (including landscaping work requiring noise-generating equipment)
  • Monday – Saturday allowed 8am – 7pm
  • Sunday – Prohibited
  • Legal Holidays (see below) – Prohibited
• Yard Maintenance (using noise-generating equipment such as but not limited to, lawnmowers, leaf-blowers, chainsaws)
  • Monday – Saturday allowed 8am – 7pm
  • Sunday – allowed 10am – 7pm
• Quiet Hours (no discernible noise beyond the residence or lot)
  • Sunday – Thursday 10pm – 8am the following day
  • Friday – 11pm to 8am the following day
  • Saturday – 11pm to 10am the following day
• Legal Holidays
  • New Year’s Day
  • Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day
• STR update regarding fireworks
  • No use of fireworks by Short-Term Rental guest at any time

Noise generated by snow removal or emergency responses are exempt from the regulations

STEPS TO A SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT*

STEP 1 – Read and review the zoning variance details in the STR Ordinance of the Town Code, which includes all the requirements you will need in order to apply for a BZA hearing to gain a variance to allow for short-term rental business in a single-family residential neighborhood.  Once you have an approved zoning variance, then you can proceed to next step.

STEP 2 – You must obtain a Merchant Certificate through the Indiana Secretary of State’s office and Indiana Department of Revenue to ensure that you are collecting and submitting sales and innkeepers’ tax to the State.

STEP 3 – Have a thorough inspection of your home completed by a licensed home inspector. Be sure that all the items mentioned in Ordinance 2023-05 are addressed in the inspection. 

STEP 4 – Complete the request for a special use by filling out the BZA Application to Request a Special Use form, and make sure that all required attachments are sent to sent to the Building Commissioner at michianashorescodeenforcement@gmail.com. The filing fee (check made out to, “Town of Michiana Shores”), must be mailed or delivered to the Town Clerk at 601 El Portal Road, Michiana Shores, IN 46360. The Building Commissioner will contact you to verify that the application packet is complete and to let you know when your Request will be heard by the BZA. You must be present to answer questions from the BZA.

STEP 5 – If the BZA approves the Special Use request, the written decision along with the attachments must be submitted to the Building Commissioner with a completed STR Permit Application.  The Building Commissioner will contact you to let you know when your application will be heard by the Town Council.  You must be present to answer questions from the Town Council..

STEP 6 – If the Town Council approves the permit you will be issued a signed window placard that must be displayed in a street facing window and fully visible from the roadway, designating the property as an Approved Short-Term rental establishment.

STEP 7 – Ensure that all guests follow the Short-Term rental requirements to avoid future citations at the property.  Any Short-Term rental receiving 3 citations will have their permit revoked for 12 months.  Any illegal activity at the Short-Term rental will result in immediate permit revocation.

STEP 8 – Permit renewals are needed on an annual basis. Permit holders should contact the the Town Building Commissioner to work through the renewal process.

There is NO PARKING allowed on the roads of Michiana Shores. Due to our narrow streets, cars must be parked completely off of the roadways for safety purposes. Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles have difficulty navigating the narrow roads. This means that cars must be completely off the roadway – 2 wheels on the roadway is not sufficient. This is an enforced ordinance.

• If you are going to have a bonfire on the beach at Stop 37 or any Michiana beach, you must acquire a permit from the Village of Michiana MI.

It shall be unlawful to light or maintain any fire anywhere upon the public beaches of the Village of Michiana; provided, however, this section shall not apply to persons maintaining fires authorized and approved by permit issued by the Village of Michiana.

You must complete this form in order to request a fire permit from the Village of Michiana.

Michiana Shores

• It is YOUR responsibility to become aware of what fireworks (IC 22-11-14-1) are permitted. All times listed here are Central Time.
• The approved fireworks are permitted ONLY from June 29 to July 3 between 5 pm and (2) hours after sunset.
• The approved fireworks are permitted ONLY on July 4 from 10 am til midnight.
• The approved fireworks are permitted ONLY from July 5 to July 9 between 5 pm and (2) hours after sunset.
• ANY VIOLATION of this ordinance shall be subject to a $100 fine. A second occurrence will be fined $250. A fine of $2500 will be imposed for a third occurrence. 
• All fines to be paid to the Town Clerk as an Ordinance Violation

Michiana, Michigan

• Fireworks Rules in Michiana per Code chapter 159
  • Fireworks are legal only on the following days and times:
  • December 31st 11:00 AM ET through January 1st 1:00 AM ET
  • Following dates run 11:00 AM ET – 11:45 PM ET:
    • The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day
    • June 29th through July 4th
    • July 5th, IF the date is a Friday or Saturday
    • The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day
  • Fines are $1,000 per occurrence.
  • Fireworks are NOT allowed on any public property like the beaches.

Last Updated: July 2023

(NOTES: If you plan to operate your golf cart in Long Beach, you will need to register (now a 2-year registration) and abide by their laws as well. Read more on the Long Beach website. The Village of Michiana Michigan also requires licensed drivers only, and requires residences to have permits for their golf carts – owned or rented. More info here on their website. )

Michiana Shores Ordinance 2012-17 (November 13, 2012)

1). A driver of any golf cart must be a licensed driver under Indiana law and must have such license on his or her person at all times during operation of said golf cart on any road in the Town of Michiana Shores. No unlicensed drivers. No children driving.

2). All golf carts must have bodily injury and property damage insurance on said golf cart and have proof of such insurance in the golf cart at all times during operation of the golf cart. 

3). All golf carts must display an amber flashing light when headlamps are necessary for other motor vehicles. This must be visible from no less than 500 feet from the rear of the golf cart. In addition, if the golf cart is operated at times when headlamps are necessary, the golf cart must be equipped with both headlights and taillights that are in working order. In addition, all golf carts must be equipped with a rearview mirror.

4). All operators of golf carts within the Town of Michiana Shores must abide by all applicable State of Indiana traffic laws during operation, including provisions of the Slow Moving Vehicle Statute {IC9.21.9}. A Low Speed Vehicle is not a golf cart.  It looks like a golf cart, but it has a license plate. 

5). Any person who wishes to operate a golf cart in the Town of Michiana Shores must annually register the particular cart to be operated with the Clerk Treasurer’s office and pay the registration fee ($50) and display the receipt/sticker at all times while operating the golf cart.

6). While in operation, no golf cart shall carry no more passengers than such golf carts are equipped to carry and all passengers must be seated at all times.

7). Violations will be subject to fines.