How do I find the zoning district for a Dover, NH property?

Dover's Planning & Community Development Department maintains the official zoning map and the ordinance text, and can confirm a parcel's district for a proposed project.

Is Dover's downtown mill district zoned for mixed use?

The historic mill buildings along the Cocheco River in downtown Dover have generally been redeveloped for mixed residential and retail use; confirm current district standards with the Planning & Community Development Department for a specific building.

Are ADUs allowed in Dover, NH?

Yes. New Hampshire's statewide ADU law (RSA 674:73) requires Dover to permit at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on a lot with an existing single-family home.

Dover, New Hampshire · city zoning districts · 15 districts

Dover, NH zoning map & districts

Dover's zoning is administered by the Planning & Community Development Department under the City of Dover Zoning Ordinance, with a Planning Board handling site plan and subdivision review and a Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing variances, per New Hampshire's RSA 674 framework used statewide. As a Seacoast-region growth market within commuting distance of Portsmouth and Boston, Dover has seen active redevelopment of its downtown mill buildings along the Cocheco River into mixed-use residential and retail space, and the city has generally been more receptive to downtown density than several of its Seacoast neighbors.

The code City of Dover Zoning Ordinance

Dover zoning map

Dover's Planning & Community Development Department maintains the zoning map and ordinance text; the City Clerk's office processes rezoning petitions.

There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Dover planning or zoning department.

A published summary is never the authority. The adopted ordinance and the city's official zoning map govern, and both change — verify the district and every standard on your parcel before you rely on it.

How zoning works in Dover

Dover must also comply with New Hampshire's statewide ADU law (RSA 674:73), which guarantees at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on single-family lots.

Dover zoning districts by family

The 15 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Dover, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Dover Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 6 districts
R-40	Rural Residential District	Largest-lot residential zone, Dover's outer-edge default.
R-20	Low-Density Residential District	Standard suburban single-family lot size.
R-12	Medium-Density Residential District	Tighter lot minimums, closer-in neighborhoods.
RM-U	Urban Density Multi-Residential District	Multifamily zone for the denser urban parts of the city.
RM-SU	Suburban Density Multi-Residential District	Lower-density multifamily tier than RM-U; missing from the prior dataset.
HR	Heritage Residential District	Historic-fabric residential district with its own form standards.
Mixed-use 3 districts
G	Gateway District	Corridor entry zone, mixed commercial form.
O	Office District	Office-focused district; real Dover district that the prior dataset omitted.
CWD	Cochecho Waterfront District	Riverfront redevelopment district along the Cochecho — the mill-building conversion zone.
Commercial 1 district
C	Commercial District	Base commercial zone along Dover's arterials.
Downtown / core 2 districts
CBD-MU	Central Business Mixed Use District	Downtown's mixed-use core; a plain 'CBD' code no longer exists — downtown is split into CBD-G/CBD-MU/CBD-R/CBD-TOD.
CBD-TOD	Central Business Transit-Oriented Development District	Transit-oriented downtown subdistrict.
Industrial 2 districts
CM	Commercial Manufacturing District	Hybrid zone pairing light manufacturing with commercial uses.
IT	Innovative Technology District	Tech/flex-industrial district distinct from standard manufacturing zoning.
Special purpose 1 district
H	Hospital District	Carved out around Dover's hospital campus.

Dover zoning — common questions

How do I find the zoning district for a Dover, NH property?: Dover's Planning & Community Development Department maintains the official zoning map and the ordinance text, and can confirm a parcel's district for a proposed project.
Is Dover's downtown mill district zoned for mixed use?: The historic mill buildings along the Cocheco River in downtown Dover have generally been redeveloped for mixed residential and retail use; confirm current district standards with the Planning & Community Development Department for a specific building.
Are ADUs allowed in Dover, NH?: Yes. New Hampshire's statewide ADU law (RSA 674:73) requires Dover to permit at least one accessory dwelling unit by right on a lot with an existing single-family home.

Working in New Hampshire? Get on the list.

The parcel layer lands in the order demand does. Illinois went first because that's where the deals were; the next state is decided by who tells us what they're trying to underwrite. Tell us where you're building and what you wanted to run — you'll hear from us when New Hampshire opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

← New Hampshire zoning — who holds the zoning power in New Hampshire, under which enabling statute, and the reforms that override local rules.

Other New Hampshire cities

The zoning reference → — every state, plus city-level district guides like this one.

Dover zoning summaries on this page are provided for information, not legal advice. Confirm every project against the current adopted code for the jurisdiction.