Zoning › Nevada › Washoe County › Reno

Reno, NV Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 34 districts · 12 overlays · 6 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
density-encoded
Worth knowing
  • Density-encoded district naming: SF/MF numbers encode maximum du/ac (SF-3=3 du/ac, SF-5=5 du/ac, SF-8=8 du/ac, SF-11=11 du/ac, MF-14=14 du/ac, MF-21=21 du/ac, MF-30=30 du/ac). LLR numbers encode minimum lot size in acres (LLR-2.5=2.5 ac, LLR-1=1 ac, LLR-0.5=0.5 ac). [confirmed §18.02.108 Table 2-2]
  • SF-3 vs SF-5 front setback gap: SF-3 requires 30 ft front setback vs SF-5 requires only 10 ft — a 20 ft difference despite only 2 du/ac density increase. Noted as policy anomaly in Mercatus Center 2024 brief. [confirmed §18.02.204 vs §18.02.205]
  • Corner lot vs interior lot minimums for SF-8 and SF-11: Both districts have dual minimum lot sizes — SF-8 corner=7,000 sf/70 ft, interior=6,000 sf/60 ft; SF-11 corner=5,000 sf/50 ft, interior=4,000 sf/40 ft. [confirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9 and §18.02.207 Table 2-10]

+ 6 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

spec 8res_sf 7cbd 6mu 4res_mf 3ind 3com 2off 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
LLR-2.5Large Lot Residential — 2.5 Acresres_sf108,900 sf[1]45 ft[2]0.35[3]—0.4[4]1 per unit[5]— / — / —
LLR-1Large Lot Residential — 1 Acreres_sf43,560 sf[6]45 ft[7]0.35[8]—1[9]1 per unit[10]— / — / —
LLR-0.5Large Lot Residential — 0.5 Acreres_sf21,780 sf[11]45 ft[12]0.4[13]—2[14]1 per unit[15]— / — / —
SF-3Single-Family Residential — 3 du/acres_sf15,000 sf[16]35 ft[17]0.4[18]—3[19]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[20]— / — / —
SF-5Single-Family Residential — 5 du/acres_sf9,000 sf[21]35 ft[22]0.4[23]—5[24]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 3/unit)[25]— / — / —
SF-8Single-Family Residential — 8 du/acres_sf[{'variant': 'Interior Lot', 'value': {'v': 6000, 'c': 'confirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9'}}, {'variant': 'Corner Lot', 'value': {'v': 7000, 'c': 'confirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9'}}] sf35 ft[26]0.4[27]—8[28]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[29]— / — / —
SF-11Single-Family Residential — 11 du/acres_sf[{'variant': 'Interior Lot', 'value': {'v': 4000, 'c': 'confirmed §18.02.207 Table 2-10'}}, {'variant': 'Corner Lot', 'value': {'v': 5000, 'c': 'confirmed §18.02.207 Table 2-10'}}] sf30 ft[30]0.4[31]—11[32]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[33]— / — / —
MF-14Multi-Family Residential — 14 du/acres_mf3,000 sf[34]35 ft[35]——14[36]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[37]— / — / —
MF-21Multi-Family Residential — 21 du/acres_mf3,000 sf[38]45 ft[39]——21[40]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 3/unit)[41]— / — / —
MF-30Multi-Family Residential — 30 du/acres_mf3,000 sf[42]45 ft[43]——30[44]1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[45]— / — / —
MD-EDMixed-Use Downtown Entertainment Districtcbd—————None (Downtown Parking District — no minimum)[46]— / — / —
MD-IDMixed-Use Downtown Innovation Districtcbd—————None (Downtown Parking District)[47]— / — / —
MD-NWQMixed-Use Downtown Northwest Quadrant Districtcbd—————None (Downtown Parking District)[48]— / — / —
MD-RDMixed-Use Downtown Riverwalk Districtcbd—————None (Downtown Parking District)[49]— / — / —
MD-UDMixed-Use Downtown University Districtcbd———4[50]—None (Downtown Parking District)[51]— / — / —
MD-PDMixed-Use Downtown Powning Districtcbd4,750 sf[52]40 ft[53]0.5[54]1.5[55]21[56]None (Downtown Parking District)[57]— / — / —
MUMixed-Use Urbanmu—————Level 1 Parking District — 1 per unit residential[58]— / — / —
MSMixed-Use Suburbanmu—————Level 2 Parking District — 1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[59]— / — / —
GCGeneral Commercialcom—65 ft[60]——45[61]Level 2 Parking District[62]— / — / —
NCNeighborhood Commercialcom—35 ft[63]—1.5[64]30[65]Level 2 Parking District[66]— / — / —
POProfessional Officeoff3,000 sf[67]35 ft[68]———Level 2 Parking District[69]— / — / —
MU-MCMixed-Use Midtown Commercialmu—[{'variant': 'Within 1 block of Virginia St', 'value': {'v': 75, 'c': 'confirmed §18.02.312 Table 2-25 Note [8]'}}, {'variant': 'Other areas', 'value': {'v': 35, 'c': 'confirmed §18.02.312 Table 2-25 Note [8]'}}] ft——30[70]Level 1 Parking District — 1 per unit residential[71]— / — / —
MU-RESMixed-Use Midtown Residentialmu—35 ft[72]——30[73]Level 2 Parking District — 1 per 1,250 sf/unit (max 2/unit)[74]— / — / —
IIndustrialind43,560 sf[75]55 ft[76]———Level 2 Parking District[77]— / — / —
ICIndustrial Commercialind21,780 sf[78]45 ft[79]———Level 2 Parking District[80]— / — / —
MEMixed Employmentind—55 ft[81]———Level 2 Parking District[82]— / — / —
MAMixed-Use Airportspec—65 ft[83]———Level 2 Parking District[84]— / — / —
PGOSParks, Greenways, and Open Spacespec—35 ft[85]———Level 2 Parking District (use-specific)[86]— / — / —
PFPublic Facilitiesspec6,000 sf[87]45 ft[88]———Level 2 Parking District (use-specific)[89]— / — / —
UT-5Unincorporated Transition Area — 5 Acresspec217,800 sf[90]35 ft[91]————— / — / —
UT-10Unincorporated Transition Area — 10 Acresspec435,600 sf[92]35 ft[93]————— / — / —
UT-40Unincorporated Transition Area — 40 Acresspec1,742,400 sf[94]35 ft[95]————— / — / —
SPDSpecific Plan Districtspec——————— / — / —
PDPlanned Developmentspec435,600 sf[96]—————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

G
Gaming Overlay District
SPEC
§18.02.602(c)

GC or MD-ED districts where nonrestricted gaming has been approved by business license, building permit, or conditional use permit; 5 sub-overlay areas (Convention Center, Redfield, Reno-Tahoe Airport, Corridor, Western Gateway)

AF
Airport Flight Path Overlay District
AP
§18.02.602(a)

Properties within airport critical areas per Fig. 2-1 (Reno-Tahoe International) and Fig. 2-2 (Reno-Stead Airport)

AN
Airport Noise Exposure Overlay District
AP
§18.02.602(b)

Properties within 80 dBA Lmax contour or 1998 65 dBA DNL contour for Reno-Tahoe International Airport (Fig. 2-5); Reno-Stead Airport noise contours

HL
Historic Landmark Overlay District
HP
§18.02.602(d)

Properties or resources individually listed or within a district on the City Register of Historic Places

MGOD
Mortensen-Garson Neighborhood Planning Area Overlay
SPD
§18.02.603(c)

Western Gateway Regional Center Plan and Mortensen-Garson Neighborhood Plan areas (~2,723.9 acres; Fig. 2-6)

CCAN
Country Club Acres Neighborhood Planning Area Overlay
SPD
§18.02.603(a)

Properties within Country Club Acres Neighborhood Plan area

NH-PN-WA-CON
Conservation Overlay Districts (Newlands Heights / Powning / Wells Avenue)
HP
§18.02.604

NH: Newlands Heights conservation area; PN: Powning conservation area; WA: Wells Avenue conservation area

FP-FEMA
FEMA Floodplain — National Flood Insurance Program
FP
§18.04.101-102

Properties within FEMA FIRM boundaries (adopted FIRM dated September 30, 1994 and subsequent amendments); primarily Truckee River corridor

HP-NOT-FOUND
Historic/Heritage Overlays — Search Result
HP
§18.02.602(d) + §18.02.604

N/A — documentation of search

TOD-NOT-FOUND
TOD/Transit Overlay — Search Result
TOD
§18.04.705

N/A — documentation of search

ENV-NOT-FOUND
Environmental Overlay (Steep Slope / Riparian / WUI) — Search Result
ENV
§18.04.101-102

N/A — documentation of search

AH-NOT-FOUND
Affordable Housing Bonus Overlay — Search Result
AH
§18.02.601-604

N/A — documentation of search

State preemptions

NRS Chapter 278 — Planning and Zoning Enabling Actapplies
Qualifying condition
Trigger: always. Reno is an incorporated city in Nevada. All zoning authority derives from NRS 278; no population threshold. Confirmed per §18.02.601 citing NRS 278.250.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_NRS278_PLANNING_ZONING_ENABLING. notes: All Reno zoning regulations are subordinate to NRS 278 authority. Code cites NRS 278.250 at §18.02.601.
Nevada AB 241 (2025) — By-Right Multifamily on Commercial-Zoned Landapplies
Qualifying condition
Trigger: parcel base zone is commercial/mu/office/retail AND not inside Tahoe compact area AND not inside airport overlay. Reno has extensive GC, NC, PO, MU, MS zones. Tahoe compact area does not include Reno city limits. Airport-overlay parcels (AF and AN overlays per §18.02.602) are carved out. Net effect: multifamily by-right on commercial-zoned parcels outside airport overlay as of 2025-10-01.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_AB241_2025_BYRIGHT_COMMERCIAL_MULTIFAMILY. notes: Reno is in Washoe County (~481,587; 2020 Census), which exceeds 100k. The city contains commercial-zoned land not inside TRPA compact boundary. Airport overlay carve-out per AB 241 §5 protects AF/AN overlay parcels.
NRS 278.02095 — ADU Mandate (Cities in ≥100k Counties)applies
Qualifying condition
Trigger: city.county_population ≥ 100,000. Washoe County 2020 decennial population: 481,587 (source: US Census 2020 Decennial). Threshold: 100,000. 481,587 ≥ 100,000 = TRUE. Reno must authorize ADUs on single-family lots.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_NRS278_02095_ADU_MANDATE. notes: Reno adopted a conforming ADU ordinance in October 2025 per zoning code quirk. City imposes 5,000 sf minimum lot and siting requirements per §18.03.401 (accessory uses).
NRS 278.02083 — Manufactured Housing in SF Districtsapplies
Qualifying condition
Trigger: always (statewide). Reno's SF districts must permit HUD-Code post-1976 manufactured homes. Confirmed: Reno code §18.03 (Use Regulations) permits manufactured homes in SF districts consistent with NRS 489.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_NRS278_02083_MANUFACTURED_HOUSING. notes: Reno cannot categorically exclude HUD-Code manufactured homes from SF-zoned lots. Manufactured home park overlay (MH) is a separate district category per §18.02.108 Table 2-1.
Nevada SB 394 (2025) — 120-Day Decision Shot-Clock (≥100k Counties)applies
Qualifying condition
Trigger: city.county_population ≥ 100,000 AND project.use_type = multifamily. Washoe County 2020: 481,587 ≥ 100,000 = TRUE. Reno multifamily applications must be decided within 120 days as of 2025-10-01.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_SB394_2025_SHOTCLOCK_100K. notes: Procedural preemption. Pairs with AB 241 substantive by-right entitlement.
Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency (TMRPA) Conformance — NRS 278.0262-278.0291applies
Qualifying condition
Trigger: city.is_washoe_county = true. Reno is in Washoe County = TRUE. All Reno master plan and zoning amendments must be found in conformance by TMRPA before taking effect.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_TMRPA_WASHOE_REGIONAL_CONFORMANCE. notes: Unique Washoe County preemption. TMRPA reviews all master plan amendments and major zoning changes. Regional Plan currently: Truckee Meadows Regional Plan 2020-2040.
Non-applicable laws (2)
NRS 244.3358 — STR Ordinance Mandate (Clark County ≥700k)does not apply
Qualifying condition
Trigger: city.county_population ≥ 700,000. Washoe County 2020 decennial population: 481,587. Threshold: 700,000. 481,587 < 700,000 = FALSE. Clark County only.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_NRS244_3358_STR_MANDATE_CLARK. notes: Washoe County is well below the 700k threshold. Reno has discretionary STR authority under NRS 268.095.
Tahoe Regional Planning Compact — TRPA bistate land-use authoritydoes not apply
Qualifying condition
Trigger: parcel.inside_tahoe_compact_area = true. Reno city limits are entirely outside the TRPA compact boundary. Compact area covers unincorporated Washoe County parcels near Incline Village / Crystal Bay, not the Truckee Meadows urban area. Reno = FALSE.
Effect
overlay_id: NV_TRPA_TAHOE_BISTATE_COMPACT. notes: Not applicable to Reno. Applies to unincorporated Washoe County parcels in the Lake Tahoe basin.

Adopted building codes

Statewide w/ local amendments

IBC
Local adoption
IRC
2024
NEC
2023
IFC
Local
IECC (Residential)
2024
IECC (Commercial)
2024

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Amendment history

DateKindCitation
2024-07-24amendment effective
2021-01-13supplement effective

Quirks & notes

  • Density-encoded district naming: SF/MF numbers encode maximum du/ac (SF-3=3 du/ac, SF-5=5 du/ac, SF-8=8 du/ac, SF-11=11 du/ac, MF-14=14 du/ac, MF-21=21 du/ac, MF-30=30 du/ac). LLR numbers encode minimum lot size in acres (LLR-2.5=2.5 ac, LLR-1=1 ac, LLR-0.5=0.5 ac). [confirmed §18.02.108 Table 2-2]
  • SF-3 vs SF-5 front setback gap: SF-3 requires 30 ft front setback vs SF-5 requires only 10 ft — a 20 ft difference despite only 2 du/ac density increase. Noted as policy anomaly in Mercatus Center 2024 brief. [confirmed §18.02.204 vs §18.02.205]
  • Corner lot vs interior lot minimums for SF-8 and SF-11: Both districts have dual minimum lot sizes — SF-8 corner=7,000 sf/70 ft, interior=6,000 sf/60 ft; SF-11 corner=5,000 sf/50 ft, interior=4,000 sf/40 ft. [confirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9 and §18.02.207 Table 2-10]
  • Gaming Overlay hotel height linked to room count: MD-ED hotels with nonrestricted gaming may be 300 ft (201-399 rooms), 400 ft (400-599 rooms), or 500 ft (600+ rooms). SUP required to exceed those heights. [confirmed §18.02.602(c) Table 2-38]
  • Downtown MD districts: No minimum parking required (Downtown Parking District). MD-UD (University District) prohibits cannabis AND gaming establishments including accessory uses. MD-RD height governed by §18.04.1004 Truckee River standards. [confirmed §18.02.305, §18.02.304, §18.04.705]
  • MF-14 density formula: Expressed as 1 du/3,000 sf lot area, equating to ~14.52 du/ac maximum. Min lot width is 40 ft with no minimum for zero-lot-line development. Allows building separation of 10 ft. [confirmed §18.02.208 Table 2-11]
  • Country Club Acres Neighborhood Overlay (CCAN): Explicitly prohibits ADUs — may conflict with NRS 278.02095 ADU mandate (2021) requiring ADU authorization in Washoe County cities. Local ordinance prohibition may be unenforceable post-2021. [confirmed §18.02.603(a)]
  • TMRPA regional conformance required: All Reno master plan amendments and major zoning changes must be found in conformance by TMRPA before taking effect — unique Washoe County constraint not present in Clark County or rural Nevada cities. [confirmed by NRS 278.0262-278.0291; state overlays file]
  • PDF source note: Dimensional standards extracted from ALDC Chapter 18.02 PDF (Effective January 13, 2021) via Municode Azure blob storage. Municode live site shows amendments through 2025 but the PDF chapter captures base code dimensions which have not been substantively amended per available update records.

Massing explorer

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Sources & references

Citations
  1. [1] onfirmed §18.02.201 Table 2-4
  2. [2] onfirmed §18.02.201 Table 2-4
  3. [3] onfirmed §18.02.201 Table 2-4
  4. [4] onfirmed §18.02.201 Table 2-4
  5. [5] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  6. [6] onfirmed §18.02.202 Table 2-5
  7. [7] onfirmed §18.02.202 Table 2-5
  8. [8] onfirmed §18.02.202 Table 2-5
  9. [9] onfirmed §18.02.202 Table 2-5
  10. [10] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  11. [11] onfirmed §18.02.203 Table 2-6
  12. [12] onfirmed §18.02.203 Table 2-6
  13. [13] onfirmed §18.02.203 Table 2-6
  14. [14] onfirmed §18.02.203 Table 2-6
  15. [15] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  16. [16] onfirmed §18.02.204 Table 2-7
  17. [17] onfirmed §18.02.204 Table 2-7
  18. [18] onfirmed §18.02.204 Table 2-7
  19. [19] onfirmed §18.02.204 Table 2-7
  20. [20] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  21. [21] onfirmed §18.02.205 Table 2-8
  22. [22] onfirmed §18.02.205 Table 2-8
  23. [23] onfirmed §18.02.205 Table 2-8
  24. [24] onfirmed §18.02.205 Table 2-8
  25. [25] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  26. [26] onfirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9
  27. [27] onfirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9
  28. [28] onfirmed §18.02.206 Table 2-9
  29. [29] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  30. [30] onfirmed §18.02.207 Table 2-10
  31. [31] onfirmed §18.02.207 Table 2-10
  32. [32] onfirmed §18.02.207 Table 2-10
  33. [33] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  34. [34] onfirmed §18.02.208 Table 2-11
  35. [35] onfirmed §18.02.208 Table 2-11
  36. [36] onfirmed §18.02.208 Table 2-11
  37. [37] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  38. [38] onfirmed §18.02.209 Table 2-12
  39. [39] onfirmed §18.02.209 Table 2-12
  40. [40] onfirmed §18.02.209 Table 2-12
  41. [41] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  42. [42] onfirmed §18.02.210 Table 2-13
  43. [43] onfirmed §18.02.210 Table 2-13
  44. [44] onfirmed §18.02.210 Table 2-13
  45. [45] onfirmed §18.04.705 Table 4-6
  46. [46] onfirmed §18.04.705
  47. [47] onfirmed §18.04.705
  48. [48] onfirmed §18.04.705
  49. [49] onfirmed §18.04.705
  50. [50] onfirmed §18.02.305 Table 2-18
  51. [51] onfirmed §18.04.705
  52. [52] onfirmed §18.02.306 Table 2-19
  53. [53] onfirmed §18.02.306 Table 2-19
  54. [54] onfirmed §18.02.306 Table 2-19
  55. [55] onfirmed §18.02.306 Table 2-19
  56. [56] onfirmed §18.02.306 Table 2-19
  57. [57] onfirmed §18.04.705
  58. [58] onfirmed §18.04.705
  59. [59] onfirmed §18.04.705
  60. [60] onfirmed §18.02.309 Table 2-22
  61. [61] onfirmed §18.02.309 Table 2-22
  62. [62] onfirmed §18.04.705
  63. [63] onfirmed §18.02.310 Table 2-23
  64. [64] onfirmed §18.02.310 Table 2-23
  65. [65] onfirmed §18.02.310 Table 2-23
  66. [66] onfirmed §18.04.705
  67. [67] onfirmed §18.02.311 Table 2-24
  68. [68] onfirmed §18.02.311 Table 2-24
  69. [69] onfirmed §18.04.705
  70. [70] onfirmed §18.02.312 Table 2-25
  71. [71] onfirmed §18.04.705
  72. [72] onfirmed §18.02.313 Table 2-26
  73. [73] onfirmed §18.02.313 Table 2-26
  74. [74] onfirmed §18.04.705
  75. [75] onfirmed §18.02.401 Table 2-27
  76. [76] onfirmed §18.02.401 Table 2-27
  77. [77] onfirmed §18.04.705
  78. [78] onfirmed §18.02.402 Table 2-28
  79. [79] onfirmed §18.02.402 Table 2-28
  80. [80] onfirmed §18.04.705
  81. [81] onfirmed §18.02.403 Table 2-29
  82. [82] onfirmed §18.04.705
  83. [83] onfirmed §18.02.404 Table 2-30
  84. [84] onfirmed §18.04.705
  85. [85] onfirmed §18.02.501 Table 2-31
  86. [86] onfirmed §18.04.705
  87. [87] onfirmed §18.02.502 Table 2-32
  88. [88] onfirmed §18.02.502 Table 2-32
  89. [89] onfirmed §18.04.705
  90. [90] onfirmed §18.02.503 Table 2-33
  91. [91] onfirmed §18.02.503 Table 2-33
  92. [92] onfirmed §18.02.504 Table 2-34
  93. [93] onfirmed §18.02.503 Table 2-33
  94. [94] onfirmed §18.02.505 Table 2-35
  95. [95] onfirmed §18.02.505 Table 2-35
  96. [96] onfirmed §18.02.507

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedhttps://library.municode.com/nv/reno/codes/land_development_code — HTTPS, not an aggregator domain
no aggregator citedpassedScan clean — no Zoneomics, Steadily, SitePlanGuide, Propwire, Zonara, or Unzoned domains cited
confidence tags full formpassedAll confirmed fields carry §-citations (e.g., §18.02.204 Table 2-7, §18.04.705 Table 4-6). 31 districts fully cited. Partial fields explicitly flagged with what_is_confirmed + what_is_missing.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassedAll 11 overlay entries have parameters[], geographic_trigger, status, and citation. 3 overlays have status=not_found with search_performed. 2 have status=partial with what_is_confirmed + what_is_missing.
preempt section city specificpassed7 laws evaluated with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked. Each includes: (a) numeric inputs (county pop 481,587 vs 100k/700k thresholds), (b) vintage (2020 decennial), (c) threshold comparison result. Nevada is not in the active-preemption 10-state list but overlays.json required evaluation.

Other cities in this state

Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.

HendersonLas VegasNorth Las Vegas