A Resident's Guide to Nashville's Local Ordinances

As one of the larger cities in Tennessee, Nashville has a substantial set of local ordinances that govern everything from noise levels to what you can build in your backyard. With about 689000 residents, the city maintains 167 distinct rules across 42 categories. This guide gives you the big picture.

Special Events & Permits

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés: Metro Nashville requires a yearly NDOT permit before any restaurant can set up permanent sidewalk cafe dining in the public right-of-way, with a $100 application fee plus an annual per-square-foot use charge..

Also covered: Parklets (restrictive), Parade Permits (restrictive), Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Nashville for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Commercial door-to-door solicitors must get a permit and photo ID badge from the Metro Clerk, pass a criminal background check, and pay a nonrefundable fee before knocking on doors anywhere in Davidson County..

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

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Metro Nashville's zoning code bars auto repair as a home occupation outright: repairing automobiles or other transportation equipment from your house is never a permitted home business, permit or not..

Also covered: Towing Companies (moderate), Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Tobacco Retail License (permissive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Nashville for details.

Public Conduct

Aggressive Panhandling: Metro Nashville bans aggressive panhandling, blocking, touching, or persisting after someone says no, and prohibits all panhandling near ATMs, bus stops, sidewalk cafes, and building entrances, or after dark..

Also covered: Public Marijuana Use (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (restrictive), Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Nashville for details.

Building Safety

Electrical Permits: Metro Nashville requires an electrical permit from the Department of Codes Administration before installing, connecting, or altering any electrical system, wired under the 2023 National Electrical Code adopted by Metropolitan Code of Laws § 16.20.140..

Also covered: Plumbing Permits (moderate), Building Inspections (moderate), Anti-Mansionization (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Nashville for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Metro Nashville bans leaving rocks, lumber, abandoned property or other obstructions on any sidewalk, street or public right-of-way; police, fire and NDOT officers can remove and impound the material at the owner's expense..

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Nashville for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Open burning of brush, leaves, and yard waste is prohibited in Davidson County under an EPA regulation in effect since the 1980s. Metro Nashville does not issue burn permits for residential yard waste..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Propane Storage (moderate), Fireworks (strict). See the full fire regulations guide for Nashville for details.

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Metro Water Services gives a one-time bill credit for concealed leaks, but only if the customer repairs the leak and stops using water once notified of it..

Animal Ordinances

Bird Protection: Metro Nashville makes it unlawful to kill or attempt to kill any bird, game or nongame, except English sparrows, or squirrels in public parks and cemeteries under Metropolitan Code of Laws § 8.20.170..

Also covered: Wildlife Rescue Permits (restrictive), Pet Groomer Rules (restrictive), Pet Store Rules (restrictive). See the full animal ordinances guide for Nashville for details.

Landscaping Rules

Native Plants: Nashville allows natural landscaping in place of a mowed lawn only if the design is filed with and approved by the beautification commission horticulturalist and Metro's chief traffic engineer, with a three-foot setback from the front and side property lines..

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

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Metro Nashville requires all landlords to register rental units with the Department of Codes Administration for $10 a year, while physical inspections apply only inside 14 designated deteriorating-neighborhood districts, not citywide, under Metro Code Chapter 16.33..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Nashville for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Metro Nashville bans dumping waste anywhere but an approved disposal facility or into someone else's private receptacle without permission, with fines running per day the violation continues..

Also covered: Valet Trash Rules (moderate), Pickup Rules & Schedules (moderate), Dumpster Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Nashville for details.

Noise Ordinances

Decibel Limits: Metro Nashville caps overnight noise from business equipment, vehicles, and heavy machinery at 70 Db(A) near residential structures, rising to an 85 Db(A) ceiling for facilities in the DTC and contiguous CF zoning districts, between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m..

Also covered: Aircraft Noise (permissive), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Nashville for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Metro Nashville bans exterior signage entirely for home occupations: any sign, product display, or exterior clue that a dwelling is used for business voids the residential character requirement and violates the home occupation permit..

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

Parking Rules

Overnight Parking: Metro Nashville prohibits overnight parking, stopping, or standing by large vehicles, USDOT Class 4 and up, including box trucks, semi-trailers and dump trucks, anywhere in the public right-of-way, with no permit exception for the overnight hours..

Also covered: Curb Color Rules (moderate), Abandoned Vehicles (restrictive), Loading Zones (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Nashville for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Digital billboards in Metro Nashville must sit at least 2,000 feet apart along the roadway, are confined to CL, CS, CF, IWD, IR and IG zoning districts, and each message must hold static for eight seconds before changing..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Holiday Displays (permissive), Freeway-Facing Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Nashville for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Repeat Violator Strikes: Metro Nashville can revoke a short-term rental permit once the zoning administrator finds three violations of the Metro Code tied to that unit's operation..

Also covered: Insurance Requirements (moderate), Occupancy Limits (moderate), Primary-Residence-Only Rule (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for Nashville for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Sit-Lie Rules: Metro Nashville has no sit-lie ordinance banning people from simply sitting or lying on a sidewalk. Metropolitan Code § 13.08.040(B)(1) instead bars obstructing any public right-of-way, sidewalks included, but only when passage, access, or safety is actually impaired..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Metro Nashville requires business buildings to be ratproofed and bans letting garbage or trash pile up if it could feed or shelter rats, enforced by the Health Department's chief medical director..

Also covered: Syringe Disposal (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Nashville for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Metro Nashville adopted the Downtown Code (DTC), a separate development-standards document that sets building placement, height, and design rules for the DTC zoning district and overrides the citywide bulk-regulation tables in Chapter 17.12..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Nashville for details.

Accessory Structures

Tiny Homes: Metro Nashville allows tiny homes only as Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) on a permanent foundation, capped at 700 sq ft (or 850 sq ft on lots 10,000+ sf), and only in the Urban Services District, DADU overlays, or qualifying UDO/SP plans. Tiny houses on wheels are not permitted as full-time residences..

Also covered: ADU Rules (restrictive), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), ADU Owner Occupancy (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Nashville for details.

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Metro Nashville requires a director-approved license before you can photograph on government-owned property, with fees set case-by-case and sign-off from the property's board, the insurance department and a metropolitan attorney..

Also covered: Street Closures (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Nashville for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Metro Nashville requires all outdoor lighting, including residential security floodlights, to be full cutoff and shielded so light stays on the property, capping spill at adjacent residential lines at 0.5 foot-candles..

Also covered: Billboard Lighting (moderate), Dark Sky Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Nashville for details.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Metro Nashville designates AG and AR2a agricultural zoning districts to preserve rural and environmentally constrained land, permitting only very low-density development on unsubdivided tracts across Davidson County outside the satellite cities..

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Downtown bars and nightclubs are capped at 85 Db(A) measured 50 feet from the building during business hours, dropping to 70 Db(A) after hours; live music is exempt from the cap, but exterior speakers are banned outright..

Also covered: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Nashville for details.

Privacy & Surveillance

License Plate Readers: Metro Nashville requires council approval before installing license plate readers in the public right-of-way, caps LPR data retention at ten days, and bars police from using ICE-provided hot lists under Metro Code section 13.08.080..

Also covered: Doorbell Camera Disclosures (limited), Facial Recognition Ban (restrictive), Security Camera Rules (limited). See the full privacy & surveillance guide for Nashville for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Shared E-Scooter Rules: Metro Nashville caps shared scooter operators through a Transportation Licensing Commission RFP process: no new permits or fleet expansions may be issued until an RFP selects operators, each capped at 500 units initially..

Also covered: Bike Lane Rules (moderate), TNC Pickup Zones (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Nashville for details.

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Metro Nashville designates heritage trees by trunk diameter thresholds, 24 inches for oak, maple and poplar, down to 8 inches for dogwood and holly, or registration in the historic/specimen tree program, and protects them with a mandatory construction buffer zone..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate), Protected Tree Species (limited). See the full tree protection guide for Nashville for details.

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Metro Nashville bans hibachis, grills, and other open-flame cooking devices on balconies, under overhangs, or within 10 feet of any building for apartments and other multifamily structures, but single- and two-family homes are exempt..

Also covered: Smoker Rules (moderate). See the full outdoor cooking guide for Nashville for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Metro Nashville caps most single-family and two-family homes at 24 feet to the eave and 35 feet to the roof ridge, with flat 3-story caps in large-lot districts and inside the I-40/I-65 loop..

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

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Landlords with one or more dwelling units in Nashville and Davidson County must register with the department of codes administration or face a $50-per-week fine..

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

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Metro's Department of Codes Administration can order owners of dwellings unfit for habitation to repair, vacate, or demolish them under Metropolitan Code of Laws § 16.24.590, following a formal complaint, hearing, and appeal process..

Also covered: Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Nashville for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Metro Nashville bans new structures in the floodway under Metropolitan Code § 15.64.170, and requires floodplain construction to sit at least four feet above the base flood elevation..

Also covered: Erosion Control (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate), Boat Dock Permits (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Nashville for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Metro Nashville requires a codes-administration permit to erect an above-ground pool, and the pool must sit at least three feet from the side property line under the zoning setback rule for accessory structures..

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

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Metro Nashville confines licensed street vending to downtown's DTC and CF zoning districts, carving out no-vending pockets around Union Street, Symphony Place and the pedestrian bridge, and barring sales anywhere else in the public right-of-way..

Also covered: Food Truck Permits (moderate), Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (restrictive). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Nashville for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Metro Nashville limits fences to specific materials, chain link, wrought iron, wood/vinyl/metal slats, masonry, treated synthetic, or decorative split rail, under the property standards code, with exceptions for certain zoning districts..

Also covered: Neighbor Fence Rules (permissive), Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (permissive). See the full fence regulations guide for Nashville for details.

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Metro Nashville's zoning code bars invasive exotic pest plants from being planted or credited toward required landscaping, buffers, or tree density, per Metropolitan Code of Laws § 17.24.030(A)(4)..

Also covered: Tree-of-Heaven Removal (moderate). See the full invasive plant rules guide for Nashville for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Metro Nashville charges a 6% hotel occupancy privilege tax on transient stays under 30 days, plus a $2.50 per-room convention center surcharge, collected by the Department of Finance..

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Metro Nashville has no solar-specific ordinance. Installing panels requires a standard electrical permit before hookup, plus a building permit for the roof or ground mount, both from Codes Administration..

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Metro Nashville prohibits anyone 17 or younger from public places without a parent from 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and midnight Friday-Saturday during the school year, midnight nightly in summer, until 5 a.m..

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Nashville for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Metro Nashville caps garage sales at two events per calendar year per residence, each lasting one to three days, under Metropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.250.C.3..

Code Violation Reporting

How to Report: Report a suspected property-standards violation, an unsafe, unsanitary, or dilapidated building or premises, by filing a complaint with Metro's Department of Codes Administration, which can then inspect the property and issue a written notice of violation under the Property Standards Code..

What to Do With This Information

Whether you are renting, buying, or renovating in Nashville, knowing the local rules upfront saves headaches later. Dig into the individual ordinance pages linked above for the complete picture, including fines and exemptions.