City Charter and Ordinances

The City Charter and Code of Ordinances are now online!

Click here to access the South Burlington Code of Ordinances

This new interface is the most complete, up-to-date, and searchable way to view the City Charter, Code of Ordinances, and proposed ordinances.


Please note: the information below may be outdated and will be removed soon. For the most accurate information, click the link above.



City Charter
The South Burlington City Charter is a law, approved by the voters of South Burlington and ratified by the Vermont legislature.  While the charter in its current form has had several amendments over the years, the original charter stems from when the town of South Burlington first incorporated as a city in 1971.  The charter is codified as a state statue in Title 24A of the Vermont Statutes Annotated.

The charter lays out city-specific powers and authority as well as other governance and election processes and guidelines. These include: the method of adopting ordinances; the election and term of city officers; the timing and format of annual city meetings; the city manager's powers and duties; the planning commission's powers and composition; the composition of a steering committee; and the method of adopting both a city and school district annual budget.
Existing Ordinances

“The city’s ordinances are laws specific to the city of South Burlington adopted by the city council pursuant to its authority under the city’s charter and Vermont law. The ordinances touch on a wide range of matters concerning the health, safety and general welfare of the City - from fire prevention and safety, to the care and control of backyard chickens. Violations of ordinances may result in tickets, fines and other penalties."
**There is a complete index of all City Ordinances available in the City Clerk's Office.

Proposed Ordinances

City Interim Bylaws approved Nov. 18, 2018
Interim Zoning Excluded Area Maps Nov. 13, 2018