ORDINANCES For local governments
A searchable ordinance library residents can use.
The Ordinances tool turns your code into web pages residents can search by keyword or browse by chapter, with each section's amendment history. If your code is already published on Municode or eCode360, it links straight to the right place instead, so residents never have to open a stack of PDFs to find a rule.
- Every tool included
- WCAG 2.1 AA
- Works with BS&A
Why do residents call to ask what an ordinance says?
Ordinance books often live online as one PDF per chapter, or one per amendment. The answer is posted, but nobody outside the office can find it.
What residents run into
- A resident wants the fence height limit and has to open a dozen chapter PDFs to find it.
- Search on the website returns the PDF name, not the section that answers the question.
- There's no way to tell whether a section was changed after the PDF was posted.
What your staff deal with
- Your staff answer the same zoning and nuisance questions by phone every week.
- Each new amendment means editing or replacing a PDF and hoping links still work.
- Residents sometimes rely on an outdated copy because it ranked first in search.
How do ordinances get onto the website?
You choose the setup that matches where your code lives today.
Decide where the code lives
If your code is codified on Municode or eCode360, the website links residents straight to it. If not, your ordinances become searchable pages on your community's website.
Organize by chapter
Ordinances are arranged by chapter and section, the way your code book already reads, so residents can browse as well as search.
Record amendments
When the board amends a section, the change is added to that section's history, so residents see what changed and when.
What's in the Ordinances tool?
A pile of chapter PDFs becomes a code residents can actually read.
Search by keyword or chapter
Residents type "chickens" or "fireworks" and land on the section that covers it, or browse chapter by chapter the way the code book is laid out.
Links to Municode or eCode360
If your code is already published with one of those services, there's no reason to keep two copies. The website sends residents straight to your code there.
Amendment history
Each section shows the amendments that changed it, so residents and staff can see when a rule changed instead of guessing from file dates.
Built accessible
Ordinance pages, not image PDFs
Ordinances posted as scanned PDFs can't be read by a screen reader and are hard to use on a phone. As web pages built to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, they have real headings for each chapter and section, so people using assistive technology can jump straight to the part they need. The ADA Title II rule sets that standard for your website.
Do state laws say where ordinances have to be published?
Usually the law asks for newspaper publication or a posted summary, and a searchable website is an addition, not a replacement. These rows come from our state guides.
| State | Requirement | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | City ordinance summaries | List where the full text is, including "a website, if any" | Wis. Stat. § 62.11(4) (opens in a new tab) |
In Michigan, a township ordinance is still published once in a local newspaper within 30 days after passage, as a true copy or a summary, and MCL 41.184 (opens in a new tab) says nothing about websites. See the Michigan guide for the rest of the state's posting rules.
In Ohio, cities and villages can meet the publication rule for ordinance summaries through the municipality's website and social media as one of the options. The Ohio guide has the details.
Questions about Ordinances.
Short answers, linked to the law where it applies. Ask us anything else on a demo.
Can we keep our code on Municode or eCode360?
Yes. If your code is already published by one of those services, the Ordinances tool links residents straight to it rather than keeping a second copy that could drift out of date. Your codifier keeps doing the codification, and residents get a clear path from your community's website to the current code.
Does a searchable ordinance page replace newspaper publication?
Usually not. Most states still require publication or a posted summary, and the website is an extra. In Michigan, for example, township ordinances are published in a local newspaper within 30 days after passage (MCL 41.184 (opens in a new tab)). Check your state's rule with your attorney.
How do residents know an ordinance is current?
Each section shows its amendment history, so residents can see the latest change and when it was adopted. If your code lives with a codifier, the link takes them to the version that service maintains. Either way, nobody has to rely on a PDF that may have been replaced.
Do ordinances posted online have to meet ADA Title II?
Yes. Ordinances on your website are web content or posted documents, and the rule applies WCAG 2.1 AA to both by April 26, 2027 or April 26, 2028, depending on population (ADA.gov (opens in a new tab)). Ordinances as web pages are easier to keep accessible than scanned chapter PDFs.
Want residents to find the fence rule on their own?
We'll show a sample code searched by keyword and browsed by chapter, with amendment history on each section.