The City of Tucson adopts model building codes published by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC) on a six-year cycle. The 2023/2024 editions of these publications are effective as of January 1, 2026, except for the energy code, which transitions to the 2024 edition on July 1, 2026. Local amendments to these model codes are listed below. Adopting Local Amendments to the Building Code is authorized by Ordinance #12171. The applicable code edition is based on the date the City of Tucson received the permit application. Please see the table below to determine which code applies to your project.
Model codes are created through international consensus by the ICC and the NFPA. After the codes are published, the City of Tucson and Pima County review them at the local level and establish local amendments prior to adoption. When referencing an applicable code section, both the model code and the amendments must be considered. The model codes can be found at the public library and through the ICC or the NFPA. The amendments to these codes are available at the links below.
In addition to the codes listed above, several other building regulations apply that are updated less frequently.
Previously Adopted Building Code Amendments
The City of Tucson is dedicated to environmental stewardship and has implemented the following building regulations in addition to the model codes listed above.
If you wish to file an administrative appeal to the codes, please visit Code Modification for information.