Indiana limits association rules and requires some airport zoning

Property owners associations may not bar members from displaying the United States or Indiana flag. This applies to property owners associations, including homeowners, condominium, cooperative, and similar associations, and their members. Associations may set reasonable rules for flag display, flagpoles, lighting, upkeep, and noise. They may prohibit flags and flagpoles on property they own or maintain, or on property members own together. Rules may not prevent at least one qualifying flagpole on each property. The chapter takes effect July 1, 2026, and covers governing documents adopted or enforced before, on, or after that date.

Homeowners associations may not restrict covered vehicles or outdoor equipment based on type or fuel source. This applies to homeowners associations and rules in their governing documents. Covered outdoor equipment includes motor-powered devices used outdoors for home, lawn, or construction tasks, such as lawn mowers, trimmers, and leaf blowers. A covered motor vehicle is self-propelled, designed for street or highway use, and certified to meet federal standards for sale in the United States. The chapter takes effect July 1, 2026, and covers governing documents adopted or enforced before, on, or after that date.

Homeowners associations may not use automated license plate readers or allow them on association property, except for tightly limited law enforcement use. This applies to homeowners associations established before, on, or after July 1, 2026. A reader is a camera system that captures plate images and compares plate numbers with databases; an ordinary security camera that may incidentally capture a plate is excluded. Law enforcement must install the reader, have the only access to its images and data, and keep the association from accessing them. The chapter takes effect July 1, 2026.

Counties and municipalities may not adopt or enforce rules requiring reports of building utility use. This applies to counties and municipalities and to ordinances requiring building owners, tenants, or utilities to report utility use. The rule covers required reports of retail electric, natural gas, water, or wastewater use at a building, whether the report goes to the local government or another party. It does not bar voluntary reporting. Starting March 16, 2026, a county or municipality may not adopt or enforce a utility use reporting ordinance.

Some local governments near major public airports must adopt zoning rules to address airport activity and protect airspace. The airport must be publicly owned, open to public use, and classified as a primary, national, or regional airport by the Federal Aviation Administration. This applies to a local government with planning and zoning powers that is within five miles of a runway at a qualifying public-use airport and has not adopted a compliant airspace zoning ordinance. The airport administration must provide a draft ordinance, and the local government must adopt rules for compatible land use and airspace protection under cited requirements. The airport administration must provide a draft by July 1, 2028. The local government must adopt its ordinance within one year after receiving the draft.