Many rural Iowa homes don’t have their address numbers posted, as the locals know who lives where. But eastern Iowa’s Scott County is now warning residents they’ll face stiff fines if the numbers aren’t posted in plain sight. Larry Guy, fire chief in the town of Blue Grass, says house numbers are vital to fire, police and ambulance crews.

Guy says people who don’t have address numbers posted are sometimes bypassed, forcing an emergency responder to backtrack and waste time when seconds count. Notices are being left on homes in Scott County that don’t have numbers posted. Residents have 60 days to comply or they’ll face a fine of up to 250-dollars, plus another 50-dollars for court costs.