NUMBERING BUILDINGS

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code tit. II, ch. 431, art. III

in effect

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-301 Base lines for numbering.

Sec. 431-301. - Base lines for numbering. (a) All lots, houses or buildings located on the north and south directional streets, or on streets running approximately in a northerly or southerly direction, shall be numbered from Washington Street and a continuation of the line of Washington Street in an east and west direction, as a base line, to Rockville Road at 3500 west whereupon Rockville Road becomes the base line, beginning with number 1 at the north line of Washington Street and increasing towards the north, and beginning with number 1 at the south line of Washington Street and increasing towards the south. (b) All lots, houses or buildings located on east and west directional streets, or on streets running approximately in an easterly or westerly direction, shall be numbered from Meridian Street, and a continuation of the line of Meridian Street in a north and south direction, as a base line, beginning with number 1 at the east line of Meridian Street and increasing towards the east, and beginning with number 1 at the west line of Meridian Street and increasing towards the west. (Code 1975, § 28-298)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-302 Directional initials.

Sec. 431-302. - Directional initials. (a) All north and south streets, or streets running in a northerly and southerly direction, and so provided by this article to be numbered on the north and south house numbering basis, shall bear the prefix "N." or "S." according to their location with reference to Washington Street. (b) All east and west streets, or streets running in an easterly or westerly direction, and so provided to be numbered by this article on the east and west house numbering basis, shall bear the prefix "E." or "W." according to their location with reference to Meridian Street. (Code 1975, § 28-299)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-303 Allocations of block numbers.

Sec. 431-303. - Allocations of block numbers. (a) There shall be assigned by the metropolitan development department, or under its direction, to each mile on all streets within the city, eight hundred (800) to one thousand (1,000) numbers, or approximately one hundred (100) numbers to each one-eighth (⅛) to one-tenth ( 1/10 ) of a mile, representing the average length of city blocks. Such numbers, in the second and subsequent blocks, or sections thereof, if not intersected by any street for two (2) or more blocks, shall be changed from one hundred (100) to the succeeding hundred at the intersecting street, if any, nearest the one-eighth (⅛) to one-tenth ( 1/10 ) of a mile line, or at such intervals where there are no intersecting or entering streets. (b) Avenues and diagonal streets shall take numbers for each block to correspond, as nearly as practicable, with those indicating the distance north or south, or east or west, of streets intersecting such avenues or diagonal streets. (Code 1975, § 28-300)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-304 Utilization of odd and even numbers.

Sec. 431-304. - Utilization of odd and even numbers. (a) The even numbers on north and south streets, or streets running in a northerly or southerly direction, shall be on the west side of the streets. The even numbers on east and west streets, or streets running in an easterly or westerly direction, shall be on the north side of the streets. (b) The odd numbers shall be respectively on the east or south sides of all streets. (Code 1975, § 28-301)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-305 Assignment of number.

Sec. 431-305. - Assignment of number. There shall be assigned by the metropolitan development department, or under its direction, to each lot, part of a lot or parcel of land, or to each residence, apartment building or place of business, its legal number, selected from one (1) or more numbers assigned to any lot. (Code 1975, § 28-302)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-306 Notice of assigned number.

Sec. 431-306. - Notice of assigned number. The metropolitan development department, upon request, shall inform the owner of any premises as to the proper number thereof. (Code 1975, § 28-303)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-307 Display.

Sec. 431-307. - Display. (a) A building number assigned pursuant to this article needs to be displayed only on improved public and private lots and parcels, and such building numbers shall be posted so that the number can readily be seen from the street: (1) On the building, on or near the main entrance door; and/or (2) On a decorative display, painted on a street curb or mailbox near the street, but identifiable as being associated with its corresponding house or business. (b) Businesses that regularly use a back door for deliveries or customers shall also display the proper building number on or near that secondary entrance. (c) Any dwelling that abuts an alley that is used by motor vehicles must not only display its building number on the front, but also display its building number visible from the back alley side of the property. (Code 1975, § 28-304)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-308 Acquisition of numerals.

Sec. 431-308. - Acquisition of numerals. All numerals used to comply with this article, unless provided by the city, shall be acquired at the cost of, and shall be placed and maintained by, the owner or occupant of the premises in a conspicuous place on or near the entrance to the building to which they are to be attached, or on the premises where readily visible; however, the metropolitan development department, in its discretion, may furnish all or any of such numbers free, or at the cost thereof, or may require the owner of each lot or parcel to do so at the owner's own cost. (Code 1975, § 28-305)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-309 Size of numerals.

Sec. 431-309. - Size of numerals. Each of the numerals of building numbers shall be kept legible. Those used for a residence or apartment building shall be not less than three (3) inches in height, and those used for a store or place of business shall be not less than four (4) inches in height, unless otherwise ordered or permitted by the metropolitan development department. (Code 1975, § 28-306)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-310 Replacement of numerals.

Sec. 431-310. - Replacement of numerals. When numerals representing building numbers are removed or become illegible, or if the metropolitan development department so requires, such numerals shall be renewed or replaced by the owner or occupant of the premises. (Code 1975, § 28-307)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-311 Adjustment of numbers.

Sec. 431-311. - Adjustment of numbers. It shall be the duty of the metropolitan development department to adjust and reassign building numbers in all cases where there is a mistake or conflict in the numbers. (Code 1975, § 28-308)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-312 Change of numbers.

Sec. 431-312. - Change of numbers. Whenever any house or building has been numbered or renumbered in accordance with the provisions of this article, the number shall not be changed or altered without application to and consent of the metropolitan development department. (Code 1975, § 28-309)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-313 Violations and enforcement.

Sec. 431-313. - Violations and enforcement. (a) It shall be the duty of the owner of any building in the city to comply with all provisions of this article relating to the placing and maintaining of a building number. (b) Any person, being the owner of any building in the city who neglects or refuses to place or to maintain the proper number for any public or private building owned, managed or occupied by such person in conformity with the provisions of this article, after being assigned a number shall be in violation of this article. (c) The provisions of this article requiring numerals to be on buildings may be enforced by any public safety officer, including reserves and volunteers acting in their official capacity, and by designated employees of the city departments of metropolitan development, asset management and public works and capital asset management acting in their official capacity. (d) Monies collected from the enforcement of this article shall be remitted to the department or agency that instituted the enforcement action, minus reasonable processing expenses, no less frequently than semiannually. (Code 1975, § 28-310)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 431-314 Penalties.

Sec. 431-314. - Penalties. (a) The first premises address violation in any calendar year shall be subject to a written warning explaining how to correct the violation and explaining subsequent violation penalties. (b) A second premises address violation in any calendar year after thirty (30) days of the warning shall be subject to admission of violation and payment of the designated civil penalty through the ordinance violations bureau in accordance with Chapter 103 of this Code. (c) All subsequent violations in the calendar year are subject to the enforcement procedures and penalties provided in section 103-3 of this Code. (Code 1975, § 28-311)

Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIPUORSA_CH431STSIPUWA_ARTIIINUBUFetched: 10/27/2026