Keeping livestock in unincorporated Knox County is a zoning question. The Agricultural (A) zone permits horses, cattle, goats, and other farm animals; residential zones generally prohibit them. Tennessee's Right-to-Farm Act (TCA 43-26-103) presumes an established, compliant farm operation is not a nuisance.
Knox County directly zones unincorporated land, so where you can keep livestock depends on your parcel's zoning district. The Agricultural (A) zone allows farm animals as a normal agricultural use, while lower-density residential zones generally prohibit keeping livestock. Owners of residential parcels sometimes seek an agricultural rezoning to keep animals. Under Tennessee's Right-to-Farm Act, TCA 43-26-103, an established farm operation carries a rebuttable presumption that it is not a public or private nuisance; that presumption can only be overcome by showing the operation departs from generally accepted agricultural practices or violates an applicable law.
Keeping livestock in a district that prohibits it is a zoning violation; Knox County Codes Administration can require removal and issue citations, with fines for continued noncompliance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Knox County does not prohibit backyard composting for households. The zoning code only regulates commercial-scale composting facilities, which are solid-wast...
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Knox County has no ordinance regulating artificial turf on residential property. Synthetic lawns are neither required nor banned; large installations should ...
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Knox County has no rule requiring native plants in home yards, but its zoning ordinance requires native shade trees in new parking lots and along streets in ...
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Knox County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially regulating residential rain barrels or rainwater collection. Tennessee does not restrict rainwater harv...
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Knox County does not impose a general ordinance restricting lawn or garden watering days or hours. Any watering limits come from your individual water utilit...
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Knox County treats vines, grass, weeds and other vegetation that reaches 12 inches or more as a presumed public nuisance on residential property. Owners must...
See how Knox County's livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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