Pop. 116,559 · Cabarrus County
Under Concord Code Sec. 30-204, unreasonably loud construction, demolition, alteration, repair or street-excavation noise is allowed only between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on weekdays. Work outside those hours requires an emergency or a permit from a code enforcement officer.
Concord's noise ordinance (Code of Ordinances Sec. 30-204) sets nighttime quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. for yelling, shouting and noise from commercial establishments near homes. It also bars amplified sound from radios and stereos that is plainly audible 30 feet away in residential areas at any hour.
Concord Code Sec. 30-204 makes it a violation to allow unreasonably loud and raucous noise from any animal or bird in your care, such as a persistently barking dog. Day-to-day animal complaints are handled by Cabarrus County Animal Control, which serves Concord under a unified ordinance.
North Carolina prohibits local governments from regulating aircraft noise except through airport zoning compatible with federal law.
North Carolina protects established agricultural and industrial operations from nuisance suits through right-to-farm and zoning preservation laws.
Concord does not have its own consumer-fireworks ordinance; fireworks are governed by North Carolina state law (NCGS Chapter 14, Article 54). Only ground-based, non-aerial 'sparkling devices,' wire sparklers, fountains, smoke devices and a few novelties are legal for consumers. Anything that explodes, leaves the ground or spins is illegal.
Concord Code Sec. 34-4 bans open burning inside the city limits, with narrow exceptions. Burning leaves and yard waste is not allowed. Small cooking, heating and ceremonial fires are permitted if contained, and bonfires require a fire-department permit.
Recreational fires in Concord are governed by the open-burning ordinance, Sec. 34-4(c)(2). A backyard fire pit is allowed without a permit if it stays in a campfire pit or container no larger than a 55-gallon drum, burns only natural wood, charcoal, propane or natural gas, and does not become a smoke nuisance.
North Carolina vests statewide wildfire response and burn ban authority in the Commissioner of Agriculture and the State Forester, whose declared bans override local burn permits.
Animal control in Concord is handled through the Cabarrus County unified animal ordinance, enforced by the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office Animal Control. Section 10-6 requires that an animal off its owner's premises be under sufficient physical restraint such as a leash, bridle or cage.
The Concord Development Ordinance allows backyard hens as an accessory use on single-family lots: up to 10 hens on a lot of at least 1 acre, or up to 15 hens on at least 2 acres. Roosters are prohibited, hens are for personal use only, and coops must meet setback and sanitation rules.
North Carolina criminalizes animal cruelty under N.C.G.S. Chapter 14, Article 47, applying uniform statewide standards that prosecute neglect, hoarding, and inadequate care of animals.
North Carolina restricts possession of native wildlife under Wildlife Resources Commission rules and sets statewide standards for inherently dangerous animals through county-level enabling authority.
North Carolina regulates wildlife feeding through Wildlife Resources Commission rules, with statewide bear feeding restrictions and prohibitions on baiting that apply uniformly across all counties.
Under the Concord Development Ordinance, front-yard fences, including fences on corner lots, may not exceed four (4) feet in height and may not be placed within the sight triangle. Side and rear yard residential fences are not capped at a specific city height, but must meet zoning, setback and visibility rules.
In Concord a building permit is not required for a standard residential fence 7 feet in height or lower, but fences must still comply with the Concord Development Ordinance's zoning, setback and sight-triangle rules. Historic-district fences need a Certificate of Appropriateness, and prohibited materials apply citywide.
North Carolina common law governs boundary fences and tree disputes, with limited statutory livestock fence-out rules.
North Carolina enforces residential pool barrier rules through the state building code, applying uniformly across all jurisdictions.
North Carolina building code requires permits and engineering review for retaining walls over four feet in height.
Concord does not have a dedicated short-term-rental permit program. The Concord Development Ordinance classifies 'short-term rental' under the Household Living use category, which it defines as residential occupancy of a dwelling on a month-to-month or longer basis. Vacation rentals under 90 days are governed statewide by NC's Vacation Rental Act (Ch. 42A).
North Carolina regulates insurance products statewide through the Department of Insurance, preempting local mandates that would require specific liability insurance products for short-term rental operators.
North Carolina's State Building Code, adopted under G.S. 143-138, sets uniform maximum occupancy standards for residential and lodging structures that local governments cannot weaken.
North Carolina imposes statewide sales tax on short-term rental accommodations and authorizes counties and cities to add room occupancy taxes only under specific state enabling legislation.
Concord regulates residential vehicle storage through its Development Ordinance and state junked-vehicle law. The CDO bars open storage of junk and salvage in residential districts and prohibits parking in required front yards. Junked, abandoned and inoperable vehicles are controlled under NC Gen. Stat. 160A-303.
In unincorporated Cabarrus County, off-street parking and driveway standards are set by the Cabarrus County Development Ordinance Chapter 10 (Parking & Loading), supplemented by Code of Ordinances Chapter 46 (Off-Street Parking) and Chapter 74 (Traffic & Vehicles). Junk or inoperable vehicles are prohibited in every zoning district.
North Carolina General Statute 20-137.7 and Chapter 160A-303.2 set the framework for declaring and removing abandoned, junked, or nuisance motor vehicles, defining minimum criteria municipalities must follow before towing or disposing of such vehicles.
North Carolina applies a uniform State Building Code to all accessory dwelling units, preempting local technical building standards while leaving zoning to municipalities.
North Carolina exempts accessory sheds under 12 feet in any dimension from building permits, though zoning and electrical permits may still apply locally.
North Carolina adopted IRC Appendix Q in the State Building Code, providing uniform standards for tiny dwellings under 400 square feet statewide.
North Carolina exempts certain low-risk home-produced foods from inspection under N.C.G.S. 106-130 and Department of Agriculture rules, while still requiring labeling, ingredient compliance, and limits on what may be sold from a residential kitchen.
North Carolina General Statute 110-86 and Chapter 110 Article 7 require state licensure for any home caring for three or more unrelated children, preempting most local attempts to ban regulated family child care homes from residential zones.
North Carolina encourages rainwater harvesting and prohibits state agencies and local governments from imposing unreasonable barriers on residential collection systems.
North Carolina law restricts local governments from regulating private tree removal on most parcels unless authorized by specific statute or local act.
North Carolina enforces pool barrier requirements through the State Building Code, which adopts International Code provisions requiring four-foot fences around residential swimming pools statewide.
North Carolina requires building permits for residential and commercial swimming pool construction under the State Building Code, with uniform standards enforced by local inspections departments.
North Carolina regulates public swimming pools under N.C.G.S. 130A-280 and related rules, setting uniform statewide safety, sanitation, and operational standards enforced by local health departments.
North Carolina delegates setback rules to local governments but enforces minimum septic and floodplain setbacks statewide.
North Carolina sets statewide building height standards through the uniform building code with local zoning overlays.
North Carolina has not enacted a medical or recreational marijuana program, so dispensaries are prohibited under N.C.G.S. 90-95. No local government may license or zone for marijuana retail sales, regardless of zoning ordinance language.
North Carolina General Statute 90-95 classifies marijuana as a Schedule VI controlled substance and prohibits all cultivation, manufacture, and possession for non-medical purposes statewide, fully preempting any local attempt to authorize home growing.
North Carolina General Statute 63-95 requires commercial unmanned aircraft operators to obtain a state UAS Commercial Operator Permit from the NC Department of Transportation, in addition to FAA Part 107 certification, before flying for hire.
North Carolina General Statute 15A-300.1 and Chapter 63 Article 10 set statewide rules for unmanned aircraft, including a knowledge test, no-surveillance protections, and limits that preempt cities from imposing inconsistent recreational drone ordinances.
North Carolina preempts local minimum wage ordinances under NCGS 95-25.1, requiring employers statewide to follow the state and federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
North Carolina has no statewide paid sick leave mandate and preempts local governments from requiring paid leave or benefits from private employers under the state Wage and Hour Act.
North Carolina has no statewide predictive scheduling law and effectively preempts local fair workweek or predictive scheduling ordinances through its Wage and Hour Act framework.
The Coastal Area Management Act, N.C.G.S. 113A-100 through 113A-134.3, requires CAMA permits for development in 20 coastal counties and Areas of Environmental Concern, preempting local rules that conflict with state coastal protection standards.
The North Carolina Sedimentation Pollution Control Act, codified at N.C.G.S. 113A-50 through 113A-66, requires erosion and sediment control plans for land-disturbing activities exceeding one acre and applies statewide to public and private projects.
North Carolina General Statute 143-215.51 through 143-215.61 and the state Uniform Floodplain Management Program require minimum flood damage prevention standards that all participating local governments must enforce to maintain National Flood Insurance Program eligibility.
North Carolina General Statute 143-214.7 establishes the state stormwater program administered by the Department of Environmental Quality, setting minimum design and runoff standards that apply statewide and that local programs must meet or exceed.
North Carolina issues concealed handgun permits through county sheriffs under NCGS 14-415.10 and recognizes reciprocity with many states; permitless carry is not authorized statewide.
North Carolina preempts local governments from regulating firearms, ammunition, and concealed handgun permitting beyond what state law expressly allows under NCGS 14-409.40.
North Carolina generally permits open carry of handguns and long guns without a permit, but local discharge ordinances and posted-property restrictions may apply under state law.
North Carolina permits transporting firearms in a vehicle, but a handgun carried concealed within reach generally requires a concealed handgun permit under NCGS 14-269 and 14-415.10.
North Carolina requires private employers with 25 or more employees and all government employers to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm work authorization under NCGS 64-26.
North Carolina prohibits sanctuary policies under NCGS 153A-145.5 and 160A-205.2, requiring local governments to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and honor lawful immigration detainers.
North Carolina sets uniform statewide eviction procedures under Chapter 42, with no just-cause requirement, preempting most local tenant protection ordinances.
North Carolina law prohibits any city or county from enacting rent control ordinances on private residential property, preempting all local rent regulation.
North Carolina restricts cities from requiring residential rental registration, permits, or fees absent a specific qualifying public safety problem.
North Carolina limits county zoning of bona fide farms under NCGS 160D-903, exempting most agricultural activities on qualifying farms from county zoning regulation.
North Carolina protects established agricultural and forestry operations from nuisance lawsuits under NCGS 106-701, the Right to Farm Act, with strict limits on plaintiff eligibility and damages.
North Carolina has no statewide plastic bag ban or fee, and a former Outer Banks plastic bag ban was repealed in 2017, leaving most local bag regulation preempted in practice.
North Carolina has no statewide ban on polystyrene foam food containers and does not authorize local governments to ban expanded polystyrene packaging or food service ware.
North Carolina has no statewide ban on plastic straws and does not authorize local governments to ban single-use plastic straws or other utensils.
North Carolina's solar access statute N.C.G.S. 22B-20 voids most HOA covenants and deed restrictions that prohibit installation of solar collectors on detached single-family residences statewide.
North Carolina requires building and electrical permits for solar panel installations under the State Building Code, with uniform statewide technical standards and licensed contractor requirements.
North Carolina enforces a minimum age of 21 to purchase tobacco, vapor products, and e-cigarettes under NCGS 14-313, aligning with the federal Tobacco 21 law.
North Carolina has not enacted a statewide flavored tobacco or flavored vape ban, and NCGS 14-313 does not authorize local governments to ban flavored tobacco products.
North Carolina regulates retail sale of vapor products and e-cigarettes under NCGS 14-313, requiring age verification, licensure under NCGS 105-113, and compliance with federal Tobacco 21 standards.
Under North Carolina law, local heritage or champion tree protection ordinances are generally preempted unless backed by specific legislative authorization for that municipality.
North Carolina law generally prohibits cities and counties from regulating tree removal on private property unless specifically authorized by a local act of the General Assembly.
North Carolina preempts mandatory tree replacement ordinances on private property except where local governments hold specific legislative authorization or apply rules to public rights-of-way.