Franklin, TN Local Ordinances Guide

Franklin, Tennessee may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 127 tracked ordinances across 41 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Animal Ordinances

Pet Store Rules: Franklin, Tennessee bars pet stores from selling dogs and cats obtained from commercial breeders or brokers. Franklin Municipal Code § 10-302 limits stock to animals sourced from a licensed animal care facility or a nonprofit animal rescue organization, bans sale of any dog or cat younger than eight weeks, and requires the source organization's name posted on every cage.

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Chickens & Livestock (restrictive), Veterinary Clinic Zoning (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Franklin for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Franklin makes it unlawful to dump municipal solid waste into any stream, ditch, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, or other drain, to dispose of it anywhere except a site approved under Tennessee Department of Solid Waste Management guidelines, or to burn it anywhere in the city, public or private property alike..

Also covered: Recycling Requirements (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Franklin for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: In Franklin's R1 (Residential 1) zoning district, a principal house is capped at 2 1/2 stories under the 2026 Franklin Zoning Ordinance. Accessory structures can't exceed the height of the principal building on the same lot, and minor accessory structures are capped at one story..

Also covered: Lot Coverage Limits (moderate), Setback Rules (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Franklin for details.

HOA Rules

Assessment & Dues: Franklin's 2026 zoning ordinance requires any homeowners association deeded open space to record covenants giving the HOA lien authority over unpaid assessments, and lets the City itself lien and jointly assess owners if the HOA lets shared open space fall into disrepair..

Also covered: Board Governance (moderate). See the full hoa rules guide for Franklin for details.

Accessory Structures

Shed & Carport Rules: Franklin caps a shed, workshop or greenhouse at 200 square feet as a "minor accessory structure" under Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.4; go over that and it must match the house's exterior materials, roof elements and colors under § 5.2.7.B. Every accessory structure is capped at 50 percent of the principal building's footprint and must sit outside recorded easements..

Also covered: ADU Owner Occupancy (moderate), Garage Conversions (moderate), ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Franklin for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Every vocation, occupation and business that Tennessee law names a taxable privilege owes Franklin an annual municipal privilege tax at the maximum rate the state's Business Tax Act allows, and no one may exercise that privilege inside city limits without a currently effective privilege license from the city recorder..

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Franklin bans the manufacture, sale and storage of fireworks across the entire city, and discharging them anywhere in city limits is unlawful unless the fire marshal has approved it under the fire code and the applicable NFPA fireworks standards..

Also covered: Outdoor Burning (restrictive), Propane Storage (moderate), Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Franklin for details.

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Lawn watering isn't banned in Franklin by default, but once the mayor declares a Water Shortage Emergency the city can prohibit it outright as a Category 1 nonessential use, along with pool filling and car washing. Status 1 kicks in when the raw water reservoir drops below a 30-day supply at the plant's 2.0 MGD design capacity..

Also covered: Weed Ordinances (moderate), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Franklin for details.

Building Safety

Electrical Permits: Franklin adopts the National Electrical Code, 2023 edition, by reference for every electrical installation in the city, and Sec. 12-304 bars any electrical work until the State of Tennessee has issued a permit.

Also covered: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (moderate), Building Inspections (moderate), Building Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Franklin for details.

Noise Ordinances

Construction Hours: Franklin limits permitted construction activity to Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.

Also covered: Vehicle Noise (moderate), Aircraft Noise (permissive), Quiet Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Franklin for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Franklin requires every short-term vacation rental (STVR), a dwelling with four or fewer sleeping rooms rented for transient stays, to hold a certificate of use and occupancy from Building and Neighborhood Services before operating or even advertising (Sec. 13-202).

Also covered: Extended Home Share (moderate), Noise Rules (moderate), Taxes & Fees (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Franklin for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Shared E-Scooter Rules: Franklin outright prohibits offering, parking, or operating any on-demand shared electric scooter anywhere in the city, with violations fined up to $50 and scooters impounded..

Also covered: Bike Lane Rules (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Franklin for details.

Parking Rules

Abandoned Vehicles: Franklin, Tennessee makes it unlawful to leave a disabled or unlicensed vehicle on any public way for more than 24 consecutive hours, and City Code § 15-614 has the vehicle impounded and stored at the owner's expense the moment that clock runs out. Section 15-704 then treats any unlawfully parked, unattended vehicle as a public nuisance, sets a per-day impound fee, and lets the city sell it if it goes unclaimed..

Also covered: Loading Zones (moderate), EV Charging (moderate), Driveway Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Franklin for details.

Filming & Production

Street Closures: Franklin, Tennessee requires any film, video, or photography production that wants to close or restrict a public street to spell that out in its permit application to the city administrator. City Code § 16-604(1)(a) makes street-closure identification the first required item on the application, and § 16-603 conditions any use of a public street, road, alley, right-of-way, or facility on getting that permit first..

Also covered: Location Permits (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Franklin for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Franklin's zoning code bans LED electronic message center signs and LED display screens outright: digital billboards aren't permitted anywhere in the city..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Holiday Displays (restrictive). See the full sign regulations guide for Franklin for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Franklin's zoning code caps light spill: fixtures must minimize glare on neighbors, stay within a 35-degree beam angle, and can't be visible from any residential lot..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Franklin for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Home occupations in Franklin are barred from having any sign or other advertising on the property: the zoning code's home-occupation rules and sign chapter agree: none at all..

Also covered: Home Daycare (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Franklin for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Franklin allows only an office for a mobile auto-detailing or maintenance provider as a home business: actual repair work can't be done on-site, and client contact must stay off-site or by phone..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Tobacco Retail License (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Franklin for details.

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Zoning & Siting: Franklin requires a data center's building footprint to sit at least 500 feet from any arterial street, unless the building isn't visible from that street..

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Sidewalk Repair: Franklin, Tennessee's City Charter puts the burden on the abutting property owner: build and repair the sidewalk yourself, or the city does it and charges you for it, backed by a property lien..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Franklin for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Franklin requires short-term vacation rental owners to apply for a certificate of use and occupancy and keep a local responsible party on file before renting to guests..

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Franklin for details.

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: Franklin bans open burning citywide but expressly exempts non-commercial cooking fires, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces, which need no permit under the fire code..

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Pushcart food vendors in Franklin need a mobile food vending permit and cannot operate in the street right-of-way where licensed motor vehicles travel..

Also covered: Vending Zones (moderate), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Franklin for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Franklin requires peddlers, solicitors, and itinerant merchants to obtain an individual city permit before going door-to-door, issued only after a police background investigation..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (moderate). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Franklin for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Franklin caps garage and yard sales at four per dwelling per year, each requiring a City permit and lasting at most two consecutive days..

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: Franklin requires a permit from the city administrator or Board of Mayor and Aldermen before anyone organizes a parade or other special event, with applications due 90 to 120-plus days ahead..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (moderate), Block Party Permits (limited), Park Event Permits (limited). See the full special events & permits guide for Franklin for details.

Code Violation Reporting

Common Violations: Franklin bans placing graffiti on any public or private property citywide and requires owners to remove graffiti visible from public rights-of-way once Building and Neighborhood Services gives notice..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Franklin's historic downtown sits inside the Historic Preservation Overlay (HPO). Any construction, alteration, rehabilitation, relocation, or demolition there needs a certificate of appropriateness reviewed against the Historic District Design Guidelines..

Public Conduct

Skateboarding Rules: Franklin bans skateboards, roller skates, and coasters on public streets, sidewalks, alleys, and public places, limiting their use to areas the Board of Mayor and Aldermen specifically designates..

Also covered: Loud Party Ordinance (moderate), Loitering Rules (restrictive), Public Alcohol Use (strict). See the full public conduct guide for Franklin for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Franklin prohibits chain-link fencing citywide except in the LI and HI industrial districts, and allows wire or electrified livestock fencing only within the AG agricultural district..

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Franklin for details.

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Franklin's 2026 zoning ordinance bars removing, harming, or disturbing any specimen tree, a canopy tree 24 inches or greater in diameter, without meeting an approved exemption, permit exception, or arborist-certified root zone review..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Franklin for details.

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Franklin's landscape standards bar developers from using any species on the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council's invasive list to meet required plantings: those plants get zero credit toward the Ordinance's landscaping minimums..

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Franklin requires a permit for any pool built, installed, repaired, or altered in the city under its adopted 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code..

Also covered: Fencing & Safety Requirements (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Franklin for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Elevation Requirements: Franklin's 2026 zoning ordinance requires new or substantially improved homes in AE flood zones to elevate the lowest floor at least three feet above the base flood elevation, one foot more than FEMA's minimum..

Also covered: Flood Zones (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Franklin for details.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Franklin's AG--Agricultural District requires 15-acre minimum lots and exempts agricultural structures from the city's normal accessory-structure standards..

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Franklin charges a 5% privilege tax on every hotel, motel, and short-term rental room billed to transient guests staying under 90 days, collected by the operator and remitted to the city recorder by the 20th of each month..

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Franklin requires large developments, over 5 acres, 10+ units, or mandatory-landscaping projects using 7,500+ gallons a day near an existing line, to install a dual reclaimed water system and get a use permit before connecting..

Noise from Specific Sources

Generator Noise: Franklin treats continual use of a portable generator as regulated 'construction activity' under Sec. 12-1301(2)(d), so generator noise on a permitted job site is confined to the same construction-hours window: weekdays 7 a.m.

Also covered: Bar & Nightclub Noise (moderate), Low-Frequency Bass Limits (moderate), Delivery Truck Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Franklin for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Franklin bans minors under 18 from public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Public Health Rules

Food Handler Certification: Franklin requires every employee of a retail beer permit holder to carry a current state health card for food handlers before they can start work..

Also covered: Restaurant Grade Cards (permissive), Rodent Control (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Franklin for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Franklin's unsafe and unsanitary structures ordinance lets the building official order repair, vacate-and-close, or demolition of any structure found unfit for human occupancy due to dilapidation, fire hazards, or unsanitary conditions..

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Franklin, buying a home, or starting a project, use this as a starting point. Each category links to detailed pages with the full text, penalties, and FAQs. Verify anything time-sensitive with Franklin's city hall or code enforcement office.