An ordinance to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of persons and property within the Township of________ by the adoption of regulations requiring the location of identification numbers upon buildings and premises within the Township; to impose penalties for the violation thereof; and to repeal all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict therewith.

THE TOWNSHIP OF _________, ________ COUNTY, MICHIGAN, ORDAINS;

Section 1: Name
This ordinance shall hereafter be known and cited as the __________ Township Building Numbering Ordinance.

Section 2: Purpose
The purpose of this ordinance is to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare of the persons and property (MCL 41.181, et seq.) within the Township of ___________ by requiring proper identification numbers to be located upon buildings and premises within the Township so that the same can be readily identifiable for proper and efficient fire and police protection; for mail delivery services, and for the convenience of all members of the public having any need to determine or describe the location of such building or premises.

Section 3: Regulations
The owner or owners of all premises within the Township of _________ improved with buildings or occupied for public business purposes shall securely affix thereon a proper identification number as determined and assigned by the Township Engineer which can be easily read from the abutting street upon which the property fronts.

Where a multiple number of buildings are assigned one identification number, each building shall be assigned a further number or letter by the Township Engineer in the event the owner or owners of the same have not located an appropriate identification number or letter upon the premises occupied by each such building. Such identification of a multiple number of buildings shall not, however, apply to outbuildings which are subordinate and incidental to the principal building upon the premises and which do not exceed three in number.

Section 4: Penalty
Any person, firm or corporation which violates any of the provisions of the within ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $100.00. Each day that a violation continues shall be considered a separate offense.

Note: This ordinance is written to be enforced as a criminal misdemeanor. If your township intends to enforce this ordinance as a civil infraction, the penalty provision will need to be revised. Please consult your local attorney, or contact Michigan Townships Association for sample civil infraction penalty provisions and enforcement guidelines.

Section 5: Effective Date
This ordinance shall take effect on ______. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

The purpose of this sample ordinance is to provide a suggested guideline for the types of items that should be included within an ordinance. Certainly, no sample ordinance should be used unless, after careful review, it is the professional judgment of your legal counsel that using the sample will accomplish the particular objectives and intentions of your township. Although these sample ordinances are the result of much thought and effort, neither the authors nor the Michigan Townships Association assumes any responsibility for the results of using these samples word-for-word in individual cases.