Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide (2024)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 now has ordinances, which let you set a rule for your island to fit your play style. Our Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide discusses how ordinances work, the best ordinances, ordinance times and hours, and why maybe ordinances are not showing up yet.

Table of contents

ACNH ordinances

ACNH ordinances, explained

Ordinances are rules that you can set for your island. Ordinances may change the times your shops open and your villagers wake up, or even make it so that weeds are automatically pulled up across your island. You can only have one ordinance active at a time, so you’ll need to pick what’s best for your play style.

How do I unlock ordinances in Animal Crossing?

To unlock ordinances, you’ll first need to upgrade your island enough to unlock Resident Services so Isabelle shows up on your island.

Then you’ll need to get a three-star town rating.

The day after you get a three-star rating, K.K. Slider will arrive on the island and perform.

The day after K.K. Slider performs, Isabelle will start the day by letting you know that ordinances have been unlocked.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide (1) Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

To set an ordinance, choose the following options when speaking to Isabelle in the Resident Services building:

  1. Review island features
  2. Discuss ordinances

Setting up an ordinance requires a hefty 20,000 Bells to begin. After choosing to pay the fee, Isabelle will walk you through the process of selecting and enacting an ordinance.

What do the different ordinances do?

There are several ordinances you can enable in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update. Each one does something different to your island. We’ll explain ACNH ordnance times, ordnance hours, and you can chose the best ordnance for your needs.

Beautiful Island ordinance

No co*ckroaches will appear, no trash will get fished up, weeds grow less often, and villagers will water flowers more often.

Early Bird ordinance

Your villagers will wake up about an hour or so earlier, and shops will also open an hour earlier. (They’ll still close at the usual time.)

Night Owl ordinance

Your residents will go to bed anywhere from 1-2 hours later, and shops will close an hour later. (They’ll still open at the usual time.)

Bell Boom ordinance

The cost of goods goes up, but so does the amount of money you make from selling items.

After choosing an ordinance, it will take effect starting the next day. If you want to change your mind after setting up an ordinance, you’ll have to wait for the next day for it to go into effect before switching to something new.

Update (Nov. 8): We’ve updated this guide with more specific information about the ordinances.

Update (Nov. 12): After (lots of) testing, we confirmed that you must first have a three-star town rating in Animal Crossing: New Horizons before Isabelle makes ordinances available. We’ve updated the guide to reflect this.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide (2024)

FAQs

What is the point of ordinances in Animal Crossing? ›

Ordinances are rules that you can set for your island. Ordinances may change the times your shops open and your villagers wake up, or even make it so that weeds are automatically pulled up across your island. You can only have one ordinance active at a time, so you'll need to pick what's best for your play style.

What is the best ordinance in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? ›

The best Ordinance in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Beautiful Island.

How do you choose an ordinance in Animal Crossing? ›

To set your an Island Ordinance in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, talk to Isabelle at the counter inside of Resident Services. Select the 'Review Island Features' option, and then select the 'Discuss Ordinances' option. You'll need to pay a fee of 20,000 Bells to set or change an Island Ordinance.

Is Bell Boom Ordinance worth it? ›

Much of the Island Ordinances' usefulness depends on how the player approaches the game, but the Bell Boom Ordinance may be useful to all New Horizons players. The Bell Boom Ordinance, in the words of Isabelle, “would cause the cost of goods on the island to go up, but so would the amount folks get from selling!”.

Do ordinances affect Harv's Island? ›

Island Ordinances do not affect any of the shops on Harv's Island. They only work on your island.

What does Bell Boom Ordinance mean? ›

The Bell Boom Ordinance, also known as the Wealthy Ordinance, increases both buying and selling prices by exactly 20%, effectively "inflating" the entire economy of the village. For example, if you were to sell a red snapper, which would normally net you 3,000 Bells, you would instead receive 3,600 Bells.

What does the beautiful island ordinance do? ›

The Beautiful Ordinance helps keep the town looking neat and tidy. The purpose of this is to better accommodate players who might not be able to visit and help maintain their town on a daily basis. The key benefits of choosing this ordinance are: Villagers are more likely to water.

Does Bell Boom Ordinance affect turnips? ›

Bell Boom Ordinance

Turnips are not affected by the Bell Boom.

What should you not do in Animal Crossing New Horizons? ›

Common Animal Crossing: New Horizons errors players must avoid
  • Spending Bells recklessly. Animal Crossing: New Horizons will show players a bunch of attractive things that they will want to own in the game. ...
  • Buying art without checking. ...
  • Playing at the same time every day. ...
  • Selling items before donating them.
Jun 6, 2022

Is Night Owl Ordinance worth it? ›

Night Owl Ordinance

Take everything from Early Bird and shift it later into the night instead of in the morning. Importantly, this ordinance likely keeps shops open until almost midnight! Much more appropriate for weekend gaming.

What to do with gyroids on Animal Crossing? ›

In ACNH, gyroids are special little decorations that make funky, unique sounds, and they'll toot and tingle to music you play. (Gyroids only dance and sing when they're placed around music, but they'll wiggle around indoors or outdoors.)

How do you get co*ckroaches in Animal Crossing? ›

co*ckroaches in Animal Crossing New Horizons appear after not playing the game for a whole month, or if you've time travelled ahead by that long. Return and they'll be crawling over your house, your character making a little startled motion when you enter and see them for the first time.

What is the max amount of bells you can have in savings? ›

You can carry a maximum of 99,999 Bells in your wallet. Collect more, or sell items that put you above the limit, and it'll turn into money bags in your pockets. While you can carry around tons of Bells if you want, consider storing it in the ABD banking system at the Nook Stop if you don't need them all at once.

Does 10000 burying bells work? ›

If you're looking to farm money trees to make the most amount of money possible, you should bury 10,000 Bells each day (3,650,000 each year). This guarantees that you'll triple your investment with each tree, earning a profit of 20,000 Bells each day and 7,300,000 Bells each year. That's a 200 percent increase.

Does the Bell boom ordinance affect Nook shopping? ›

Night Owl ordinance: Makes all villagers awake and active, and businesses open an extra hour later in the evening (Nook's Cranny closes at 11 pm, Able Sisters at 10pm) Bell Boom ordinance: The cost of island costs increase by 20%, but so does the amount you earn from selling by 20%

What is the point of Tortimer on Harv's island? ›

Tortimer's service is simple. Speak to him and you'll have access to your in-home storage. He works just like a Storage Shed, so you'll be able to put items into your home storage or take things out.

How do I improve Harv's island? ›

After updating Animal Crossing: New Horizons to Version 2.0, you'll receive a letter from Harv asking you to come to his island for a visit. When you do, Harv will tell you about his island upgrade project, and you'll be able to talk to a set of Lloids around the island's plaza to donate Bells to each one.

How do I get full Harv's island? ›

Harv's Island Plaza is unlocked after you get a photo studio in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which happens when you have at least three villagers living on your island if you're just starting out. You can start working on the Plaza after your first visit, once you've spoken to Harv and Harriet.

How do you kick villagers off the island? ›

Don't talk to them, don't fulfill requests or tasks for them, don't even ask them what they're building. Pretend like they don't even exist, while socializing with your other villagers to the extreme. This can help build up neglect, which can help trigger the next phase.

How much does the pile of cash sell for ACNH? ›

The Pile of cash is crafted with 3 bags of 99,000 Bells (or 297,000 Bells), and has a base selling price of 148,500 Bells. However, when it is a Hot Item, and with Bell Boom active, this price increases to 356,400 Bells, meaning it can be sold for almost a 60,000 Bell profit.

Do Bell vouchers change value? ›

Bell vouchers are more efficient in converting miles to Bells, as although Nook Miles tickets sell for 10,000 Bells each, they cost 2,000 miles. This means a bell voucher is worth 6 bells per point spent, and a nook miles ticket is worth 5 bells per point spent.

Does the beautiful island ordinance make more flowers grow? ›

Flowers already grow extremely quickly, and the Beautiful Island ordinance basically makes them grow ... even faster. As a result, the “Beautiful Island” ordinance has had the opposite effect of “beautification,” for some players — instead spamming them with oceans of unassailable flowers.

Does the beautiful island ordinance help with hybrid flowers? ›

This helps to keep flower beds looking immaculate, but also leads to other benefits. Alongside the nicer flower parches in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with the Beautiful Island ordinance, hybrid flowers become easier to obtain as well.

How do you force high turnip prices? ›

So if you want a price, get some friends and start trading stalk market prices: you can get a much better chance of getting good prices if you're checking multiple islands on a day. When someone has a good price, everyone can head over and sell there. You can do the same on Sundays for extra returns.

Will turnips rot if I bury them ACNH? ›

Even though the turnips will rot over time, nothing bad will happen to them if you decide to bury them. If you aren't worried about friends or other players stealing them, you can store the turnips outside. The most effective way to do this and save space is to bury them in the ground.

What happens if you don't sell your turnips? ›

Your stash of turnips will rot within a week if you don't sell them on, so the clock is ticking if you want to make your millions.

Does wearing a snorkel help in Animal Crossing? ›

Although Nintendo sends every Animal Crossing: New Horizons player a snorkeling mask for downloading and installing the update, these are not actually required; they just add to the look. What is required is a wetsuit, which can be purchased via the Nook Shopping App or at Nook's Cranny.

Can you have a pet in Animal Crossing? ›

Players can even choose from various designs to select the kind of cat they would like to keep as a pet inside their house. Furthermore, players can even choose from many different options for fish and turtles to keep as pets.

Can you cuss in Animal Crossing? ›

Bizarrely, there is no profanity filter in New Horizons (yet.) It's possible to swear like a sailor with the in-game chat. Of course, using naughty language on Mr. Nook's island can still result in a report, which can in turn lead to a ban.

What are the disadvantages of being a night owl? ›

"Night owls have been shown to have poorer attention, slower reaction times and increased sleepiness throughout the day. While this is really only an issue for people who work during the day, it can affect any morning parenting obligations you might have, too."

Is Early Bird or night owl better? ›

As a general rule, early birds find society more accommodating than night owls do. Early risers generally have an easier time adjusting to standard daytime schedules, which can make it easier to function at workplaces that operate during the day.

Can you become an early bird if you're a night owl? ›

The answer for most night owls is “Yes, you can,” according to sleep experts. How successful you will be at changing your sleep preferences, however, may be dependent on your genes and your willpower.

Can I give gyroids to Brewster? ›

In his appearances throughout the Animal Crossing series, Brewster has been known to love Gyroids, which were another welcome addition in the 2.0 update. Gyroids are charming animated furniture items that sing and dance when the player gets close to them, and they sing along to music that is playing nearby.

Can you give gyroids to villagers? ›

You'll also be able to hang Gyroids on the wall, which includes a small shelf automatically to display them on. You can also give them to your villagers as gifts to decorate their homes. Additionally, you can place Gyroids around your island, and other villagers will stand next to them and enjoy their tunes!

What do I do with Brewster's photo? ›

Page actions. Brewster's photo is an item in Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduced in the 2.0 Free Update. The item can be placed on the ground, placed on the surfaces of tables and other similar furniture items that have surfaces for items, or mounted on a wall.

What is a wharf roach in Animal Crossing? ›

Wharf roaches can be seen along the sea, usually just above the waterline on rocky cliffs. They feed mainly on microalgae and detritus that drift to the seashore, making them cleaners of sorts. They often move in groups and run away quickly when they hear people approaching.

How to sell turnips for 999999999? ›

Step 1: Visit a modded island, and set up the max buy price to the maximum amount of 999,999,999 bells. Step 2: You need to gather 30 turnips and sell them to Nook's Cranny. Do not offer more than 30 turnips, stick to this exact same amount.

How can I make 100k bells fast? ›

On this page:
  1. Sell fruit and shells.
  2. Sell fossils.
  3. Sell fish and bugs.
  4. Shake trees.
  5. Hit rocks.
  6. Sell weeds.
  7. Plant money trees.
  8. Exchange a Bell voucher (500 Nook Miles) for 3,000 Bells.
Nov 2, 2021

What happens if you bury 100000 bells? ›

The likelihood of a tree blooming is dependent on the amount of Bells buried. The maximum amount of Bells any tree may produce is 90,000, and it will bloom only once, meaning that it is detrimental to bury an amount exceeding 90,000 Bells. Unfortunately, money trees are not statistically profitable.

What is the max money tree Animal Crossing? ›

In Animal Crossing: City Folk, money trees can be grown by burying Bells with a golden shovel. If the tree grows, it will always bear three bags of 30,000 Bells, regardless of the amount buried. No more than one money tree can be grown per day, for a maximum profit of 89,000 Bells.

What is the most profitable crop in ACNH? ›

If cooking is the aim of your game, you are going to need a lot of wheat. Wheat is the backbone of pretty much every cooking recipe, particularly the most profitable ones.

Do bell trees regrow bells? ›

They'll only produce Bells one time, and after you shake the money bags off the trees, they'll go back to being a regular tree. To grow a money tree, you'll have to do the following: Look for a glowing spot in the ground. Dig at the glowing spot.

What does the Night Owl Ordinance do? ›

Night Owl ordinance

Your residents will go to bed anywhere from 1-2 hours later, and shops will close an hour later. (They'll still open at the usual time.)

What is a beautiful island ordinance? ›

The Beautiful Island ordinance, one of the most-used ordinances, affects the island's looks. It stops trash from spawning and eliminates co*ckroaches from the entire island. In addition, flowers won't wilt and will look beautiful all the time. Each ordinance costs the same: 20,000 bells.

What does beautiful island ordinance do? ›

The Beautiful Ordinance helps keep the town looking neat and tidy. The purpose of this is to better accommodate players who might not be able to visit and help maintain their town on a daily basis. The key benefits of choosing this ordinance are: Villagers are more likely to water.

How long do ordinances last in Animal Crossing? ›

There can only be one ordinance in effect at a time, and an active Ordinance can be cancelled for free. Cancelling or enacting an ordinance takes effect the following day at 6:00 AM. When an ordinance has been active long enough, villagers may start to comment about it.

Do you have to water flowers with beautiful island ordinance? ›

If you enact the Beautiful Island ordinance, you won't ever have to worry about watering flowers, pulling up weeds or fishing trash out of the rivers — it's all taken care of for you. The Beautiful Island ordinance is perfect if you breed lots of flowers and watering them takes a long time.

What does the bell boom ordinance do in Animal Crossing New Leaf? ›

The Bell Boom ordinance is one of four ordinances that can be enacted once the Mayor of a town has received their Development Permit. Like the other three ordinances, it costs 20,000 bells to enact. When this ordinance is in effect, all purchase prices and selling prices are raised by 20%.

What's the point of pitfall seeds? ›

The primary use of a pitfall seed is for the player to bury it, at which point it will look like any other buried item. When a villager or player walks over a buried pitfall seed, they will fall into it. If the player speaks to a trapped villager, they will rattle about their situation and jump out.

Can you have multiple ordinances at once in Animal Crossing? ›

An ordinance in Animal Crossing is basically a rule that you can set for your island - you can set an ordinance for all sorts of things, including what time your islanders wake up and how much they help you out with island maintenance. However, you can only have one ordinance active at any given time.

Is there a bell limit in Animal Crossing? ›

Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch limits the total amount of Bells you can hold at once. You can carry a maximum of 99,999 Bells in your wallet. Collect more, or sell items that put you above the limit, and it'll turn into money bags in your pockets.

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