Skip to content
DWT logo
People Services Insights
About Offices Careers
Search
People
Services
Insights
About
Offices
Careers
Search
Insights

Municipalities Shut Down Haunted Houses as "Unsafe Structures"

10.21.09
Share
Print this page
If your Halloween festivities include building a haunted house, take care to comply with any local regulations that apply to the structures or your attraction could be shut down. Examples abound this time of year. Officials in Tonawanda, New York, have shut down one haunted house that had become a 15-year long tradition in its neighborhood. In an article on the structure, it is described as being “approximately 1200 square feet,” and “built with over 300 2x4s [and] 400 feet of plastic.”  In Simi Valley, California, the City shut down another 1,200 square foot “amusement building,” deeming it an “unsafe structure” due to fire hazards. Even if your haunted house is smaller than these structures, it may still trigger a permit requirement or other obligations under local codes. When in doubt, check with your local planning department for details, or you may have unexpected visitors this Halloween.

Related Articles

DWT logo
©1996-2025 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Media Kit Affiliations Legal notices
Privacy policy Employees DWT Collaborate EEO

SUBSCRIBE
©1996-2025 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Close
Close

CAUTION - Before you proceed, please note: By clicking "accept" you agree that our review of the information contained in your e-mail and any attachments will not create an attorney-client relationship, and will not prevent any lawyer in our firm from representing a party in any matter where that information is relevant, even if you submitted the information in good faith to retain us.