MCALLEN – An ordinance that requires clear visible addresses on houses, businesses and any building inside the city limits is sparking concerns.

Anything less than four inches is a violation and residents could get fined.

The fine is what concerns resident Lourdes Rios.

Her house numbers are barely visible, her mailbox numbers are scratched out, the years of wear and tear are evident on her other identifier and the city of McAllen is forcing her to improve them.

Roy Rodriguez, the city manager, tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS it’s all for peoples safety.

“If you're trying to find a location of a specific location you need a number. It's kind of something we all take for granted,but in an emergency it becomes critical”, explains Rodriguez.

Rodriguez adds it could also help when its census time.

Watch the video above for the full story.