Accessory Structures in Carteret County, NC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Carteret County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Unincorporated Carteret County bans living in a detached accessory building. Section 1102 states 'under no circumstances shall an accessory building or structure be used for residential occupancy,' though a limited attached efficiency unit inside the main house, capped at 25 percent of its floor area, is separately allowed.
Accessory Structure Residential Occupancy Ban, Carteret County
Heavy RestrictionsCarteret County Zoning Ordinance § 1102
Accessory building or structure. A detached subordinate building or structure, the use of which is incidental and secondary to that of the principal building or use on the same lot or tract of land as the principal building or use. Under no circumstances shall an accessory building or structure be used for residential occupancy. ... Efficiency unit. ... An additional dwelling unit within a sing...
Shed & Carport Rules
Sheds and other accessory structures in unincorporated Carteret County cannot sit in the required front yard or within five feet of a side or rear property line under Zoning Ordinance Section 1605. Corner-lot accessory buildings cannot sit nearer the side street than the main house, and small items like doghouses and mailboxes are exempt.
Accessory Structure Setbacks in Carteret County
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Zoning Ordinance § 1605
Accessory structures will not be permitted in any required front yard or within five feet of any side or rear exterior property line. If located on a corner lot, the accessory structure will not be nearer to the side street than the principal structure. Security guard stations and gates may be located within any required setback or yard provided that the site has been approved by the zoning enf...
Tiny Homes
Carteret County's flood damage prevention ordinance draws a hard line around tiny homes: County Code § 7-26 excludes any tiny home or park model that fails the county's recreational-vehicle definition from RV status, meaning it must instead meet the same building and floodplain standards as a full-size residential structure wherever it sits in a special flood hazard area.
Carteret County Tiny Home Flood Rules
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Code § 7-26
Recreational vehicle (RV) means a vehicle, which is:(1)Built on a single chassis;(2)Four hundred square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection;(3)Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck;(4)Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling, but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use, and(5)I...
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