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  1. Games
  2. Simulation Games
  3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

How to use Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances

Guides
By Louise Blain Contributions by Grace Dean
Last updated 12 January 2026

How to enact ordinances like Night Owl and Early Bird in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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Animal Crossing Ordinances Guide
(Image credit: Nintendo)
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The Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances won’t be an entirely new concept to those who have played any of the previous games, but if you haven't, there's plenty to learn. The first thing worth knowing is that there's four different Island Ordinances to enact and once you do so, you can change daily life on your island to make it better suit your needs.

Whether you want the shops to open earlier or more flowers to bloom, here’s everything you need to know with this Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances guide. And it's certainly worth reading what each ordinance has to offer before you commit.

Where to go to enact Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances

Animal Crossing New Horizons Ordinance Guide

(Image credit: Nintendo)

For all of your Animal Crossing: New Horizon ordinance needs, you’ll need to head to see Isabelle at Residential Services. Settle down on the stool and go to ‘Review island features’ and then ‘Discuss ordinances’ and you’ll be able to see the options from there.

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It’s important to say that, unsurprisingly, ordinances aren’t free. You’ll pay 20,000 bells for what Isabelle calls a collaboration and filing fee that we all know Tom Nook will be pocketing the majority of. Not only that but you can only have one active at any time so you’re going to have to be careful about which one you’ve got running. If you want to cancel one, you’ll also have to wait until the next day for that to take effect.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each one does

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances: Beautiful Island Ordinance

Animal Crossing: New Horizons flowers

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Beautiful Island ordinance is music to our very tired ears. This is finally a way to make your villagers pull their weight and help out with weeding, watering flowers, and clearing trash. This means you finally don’t have to feel like you’re the only one actually doing anything while Raymond and co lounge around reading books or inspecting flowers with magnifying glasses. Ideal if you’ve been working on some hybrid flowers.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances: Early Bird Ordinance

Animal Crossing Ordinances Guide

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The next two Animal Crossing ordinances are very dependent on your IRL situation. If you do your Animal Crossing dailies before work at 9am then the Early Bird Ordinance will mean your village is much more awake in the morning and your shops will be open significantly earlier than usual. Closing times won't be affected though.

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances: Night Owl Ordinance

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

(Image credit: Nintendo)

In turn, the Night Owl Ordinance means that your shops will be open later and your villagers will have a lie in for a more active nightlife on your island. Again, this is ideal if you love nighttime play and have always been frustrated that everything is shut by the time you load up the game.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons ordinances: Bell Boom Ordinance

Animal Crossing Ordinances Guide

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Now the Bell Boom is a great ordinance if you’re rich on goods. While this does mean the cost of goods will go up if you’re buying, so will the amount that you get from selling. So if you find yourself with all manner of expensive bugs like tarantulas one day, you might want to turn on the Bell Boom Ordinance for the next day to make sure you make as much as possible.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips | Animal Crossing: New Horizons fish guide | Animal Crossing: New Horizons bugs guide | Animal Crossing: New Horizons amiibo support explained | Animal Crossing Sanrio amiibo cards and items | Animal Crossing: New Horizons flowers guide | Animal Crossing: New Horizons sea creatures guide | How to improve your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island rating | Upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons events | Animal Crossing: New Horizons turnips | KK Slider secret songs in Animal Crossing | Animal Crossing: New Horizons golden tools | Animal Crossing: New Horizons secrets

Louise Blain
Louise Blain
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Freelance Writer

Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in gaming, technology, and entertainment. She is the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s monthly Sound of Gaming show and has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland. She can also be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, Netflix UK's YouTube Channel, and on The Evolution of Horror podcast. As well as her work on GamesRadar, Louise writes for NME, T3, and TechRadar. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching horror movies or playing an Assassin’s Creed game and getting distracted by Photo Mode.

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