Cumberland County, NC Ordinances (2026)

North Carolina bars local governments from forcing short-term-rental owners to register their property. After Schroeder v. City of Wilmington (2022), a registry, lottery or cap is…

Short-term rentals in Cumberland County (including Fayetteville) owe a 6% county room occupancy tax on gross rental receipts, filed monthly with the county Tax Administration. State…

Short-term rentals get no noise exemption. Fayetteville City Code Chapter 17 caps residential sound at 60 dB(A) daytime and 55 dB(A) at night, and separately bans unreasonably loud…

Fayetteville residents must take rollout carts back in the day they are serviced. Carts cannot be stored in front of a dwelling or in front of the building closest to the street…

Group developments and mobile home parks in unincorporated Cumberland County must screen every dumpster and utility area under Subdivision Regulations Section 3.21(l). The pad has to…

Cumberland County specifically bans raking or blowing leaves, grass clippings, or other yard waste into storm drains, streams, or any spot where runoff will carry it into the storm…

Fayetteville supplies one blue 96-gallon cart per unit for bi-weekly curbside recycling. Set the recycling cart out before 6:00 a.m. on your scheduled day. Recyclables must be inside…

Fayetteville collects bulk waste like furniture and appliances, but a compliant load cannot contain more than five items. Set items at the curb the day before collection and by 6:00…

Fayetteville prohibits dumping household trash, tires, appliances, construction debris, and yard waste on any property without the owner's consent. Violators face a $500 civil penalty…

Fayetteville collects household waste weekly. Place all waste in up to two city rollout carts within one foot of the curb on your collection day before 6:00 a.m. Carts set out no…

In unincorporated Cumberland County, solid waste may only leave your property through the specific collection services and facilities the county authorizes: county drop-off facilities…

Cumberland County prohibits livestock from running at large. Under Code Sec. 3-19 it is unlawful to permit or negligently allow any domestic animal or livestock to run loose. Where and…

Cumberland County requires any dog or cat found running at large to be spayed or neutered before animal services returns it to its owner. The same fix-before-release condition applies…

Cumberland County imposes no breed-specific ban. No pit bull, Rottweiler, or other breed is prohibited by name. The county regulates dogs by behavior through its 'dangerous dog'…

Cumberland County requires cats, like dogs, to be rabies-vaccinated and licensed. Under Code Sec. 3-40 it is unlawful to fail to provide current rabies vaccination for any dog, cat, or…

Cumberland County bans keeping, harboring, breeding, selling, or trading any wild or exotic animal, from alligators and bears to poisonous snakes and wolves, unless the state wildlife…

Cumberland County has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but its Nuisance/Reckless Owner rule (Code Sec. 3-29) lets Animal Control order a cited owner to surrender all their dogs…

In unincorporated Cumberland County, dogs and cats must stay confined or under physical control. Under Code Sec. 3-19, any dog or cat not confined and not under the actual physical…

Cumberland County makes it unlawful to knowingly and intentionally harbor, feed, or keep any stray animal that isn't yours unless you notify the Animal Services Department within one…

Cumberland County treats above-ground pools like any private pool: a zoning permit, 10-foot setback, and enclosing four-foot fence apply. Under the NC Residential Code, an above-ground…

Cumberland County requires a fence at least four feet high to completely enclose the yard area holding a pool, with a securely fastening gate for below-ground pools. Fence spacing may…

Fayetteville PWC water customers follow a year-round odd-even sprinkler schedule: even-numbered addresses water Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday; odd-numbered addresses water Tuesday…

Cumberland County does not regulate residential composting or require bins, permits, or setbacks. County Code Sec. 11-22(b) specifically carves compost, mulch, wood chips, and straw…

Cumberland County's Minimum Housing Code requires every yard and exterior property area to stay free of noxious weeds or plant growth that endangers health or breeds flies and insects…

Campfires and small recreational cooking or warmth fires are legal statewide as long as they burn only clean wood, cause no nuisance, and stay at least 25 feet from structures. Burning…

Open burning of yard waste is banned wherever curbside pickup exists, which includes Fayetteville. Elsewhere, state rules allow burning only your own yard vegetation, between 8 a.m…

Cumberland County bans manufacturing, selling, possessing, storing or using pyrotechnic devices for anyone in the county, going further than state fireworks law. Adults 18 and over may…

Cumberland County has no separate propane-storage ordinance; LP-gas is governed by the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 58). A key local rule: propane and charcoal grills may…

North Carolina law requires every landlord in Cumberland County to provide an operable, UL-listed smoke alarm in each rental unit, keep it working at the start of every tenancy, and…

Any development, including grading, filling, new structures or substantial improvements, located within a mapped special flood hazard area of unincorporated Cumberland County needs a…

Cumberland County requires an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan before any land-disturbing activity uncovers more than one acre for residential work or 20,000 square feet…

In special flood hazard areas with mapped base flood elevations, unincorporated Cumberland County requires new and substantially improved buildings to sit two feet above the base flood…

Cumberland County bans discharging anything other than stormwater into its municipal storm sewer system, plus illicit physical connections and improper disposal into storm drains or…

Cumberland County's Subdivision Ordinance requires every deed and final plat inside the designated Farmland Protection Area to carry a written warning that neighboring farms may cause…

Subdivisions inside Cumberland County's designated Farmland Protection Area must carry a right-to-farm disclosure on every final plat or deed. Subdivision Regulations Section 5.2(g)…

Cumberland County bans smoking inside every county-owned or leased building and on the outdoor grounds around them, plus in county vehicles. The ban exempts civic center and parks and…

Cumberland County Code Sec. 9.5-2(b) bars selling or drinking beer, wine or liquor on any public building, lot, park, sidewalk, street or driveway the county owns or leases, with two…

Article VII of the county code makes it a misdemeanor to loiter in a public place in unincorporated Cumberland County under circumstances suggesting an intent to engage in illegal drug…

Anyone going door-to-door in unincorporated Cumberland County to sell goods, take orders or peddle merchandise needs a $25 permit from the county manager first, especially at homes…

Cumberland County's Minimum Housing Code sets enforceable space, plumbing, heating, electrical, and structural standards for every rental dwelling in the unincorporated county, backed…

Cumberland County does not license or register rental units, but Sec. 4-83(f)(4) of the Minimum Housing Code requires every non-resident owner of rental property to designate a local…

Unincorporated Cumberland County caps motor vehicle noise by weight class and speed, from 76 dB(A) for cars up to 95 dB(A) for heavy trucks, and separately requires every vehicle's…

Unincorporated Cumberland County bars construction, drilling, repair or demolition tools between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays within 50…

In Fayetteville, unreasonably loud noise within 100 yards of a home is prohibited 10 p.m.-7 a.m., and residential sound may not exceed 55 dB(A) overnight (60 dB(A) daytime). Cumberland…

Unincorporated Cumberland County treats leaf blowers as domestic power tools: no outdoor use between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays or 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekends and holidays…

Fayetteville City Code Sec. 17-10 sets maximum sound levels by land use and time of day: 60 dB by day and 55 dB at night for residential and public space, 65/60 dB for commercial, and…

Sec. 9.5-29 makes it unlawful in unincorporated Cumberland County to let a dog bark continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for a half hour, with a defense when a trespasser…

Cumberland County's noise ordinance carves aircraft entirely out of its rules: normal aircraft operations, including noise from Fayetteville Municipal Airport's mapped NEF zones, are…

In unincorporated Cumberland County, radios, TVs, instruments and loudspeakers cannot create excessive noise across a residential property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., loudspeakers…

Cumberland County requires a permit before installing, extending, or generally repairing any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, or equipment in the unincorporated area, and the…

Cumberland County requires a permit from the Inspection Department before any construction, alteration, repair, or demolition of a building in the unincorporated area, plus plans…

Cumberland County requires a permit before installing, extending, or generally repairing any plumbing system in the unincorporated area, and the county has adopted Volume II of the…

Fayetteville limits how much of a residential front or corner side yard can be paved for vehicles and how it must be surfaced under UDO Sec. 30-5.A.5. Within the first 40 feet from the…

Fayetteville requires off-street loading spaces sized to a development's use and floor area under UDO Sec. 30-5.A.10, so delivery trucks load off the public street. Retail over 100,000…

Fayetteville's UDO bars the customary overnight parking of heavy trucks, trailers and major recreational equipment in residential yards and rights-of-way under Sec. 30-4.D.3.t…

In unincorporated Cumberland County it is unlawful to keep an abandoned, nuisance or junked vehicle on private property for more than 30 days. Violations carry a $100-per-day civil…

Section 1102 C of the Cumberland County Zoning Ordinance sets core fence standards: three-foot front and seven-foot side/rear solid-fence limits, a special corner-lot rule keeping tall…

Cumberland County classifies a fence by openness: a 'solid' fence or wall is one whose openings pass no more than 25 percent clear vision and airflow, and all others are 'open' fences…

Cumberland County requires a zoning permit from the Coordinator before erecting any structure, including a fence or wall, on unincorporated land. Separately, the NC State Building Code…

Cumberland County zoning limits where a solid fence may sit near shared and street lines but does not allocate cost or ownership of a boundary fence. On a through lot, a privacy fence…

Cumberland County's zoning setback requirements do not apply to any retaining wall, so a retaining wall may be built within a required yard. A retaining wall that also acts as a solid…

Cumberland County allows a small home day care as an accessory home occupation. No more than eight unrelated children may be cared for in any 24-hour period, and any outdoor play area…

A home occupation in unincorporated Cumberland County may display only one attached sign no larger than two square feet. Freestanding signs, illuminated signs, and any outdoor display…

Cumberland County allows a home occupation as an accessory use in any dwelling. The business may use no more than 25 percent of combined floor area or 500 square feet, whichever is…

Cumberland County's zoning ordinance defines building lot coverage as the percentage of a lot covered by principal buildings, but the district dimensional chart controls density…

Cumberland County does not cap the height of multifamily, office, commercial, or industrial buildings, but each foot above 35 feet requires one added foot of side and rear yard…

Setbacks in unincorporated Cumberland County are set by zoning district in the Section 1104 dimensional chart. In the common R6 residential district, the minimums are a 25-foot front…

In Fayetteville, an undeveloped lot is declared a nuisance lot after two or more verified violations within one year, triggering a property maintenance plan. County-wide, vacant lots…

Cumberland County's Minimum Housing Code requires every dwelling to meet minimum fitness standards, and any structure that falls short must be repaired, removed, or demolished. The…

Converting a detached garage into a rented or separate living space is not allowed on unincorporated county land, because the zoning ordinance says accessory structures may not be…

The county zoning ordinance says a manufactured home meant for residential occupancy cannot be classed as an accessory or storage structure, so a tiny house cannot be parked as a…

Cumberland County's zoning ordinance bars accessory structures from being rented or lived in by anyone but on-site employees, so a standalone backyard rental ADU is not allowed in the…

In the unincorporated county a shed or other accessory structure cannot sit in a required front or side yard, must stay at least five feet from any interior lot line, and any accessory…

Cumberland County's Youth Protection Ordinance bars minors under 18 from public places overnight: midnight to 5 a.m. on weeknights, 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends, and additionally bars…

Grilling at single-family homes is generally unrestricted. At apartments and condos, the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code bans charcoal and propane grills on combustible balconies…

Backyard smokers at single-family homes are generally allowed. At multi-family buildings, the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code treats smokers as open-flame cooking devices, which…

In unincorporated Cumberland County no permit is required for a yard sale, but a household is limited to four separate sales per calendar year, each one or two days, during daylight…

Cumberland County Public Utilities will adjust a water bill inflated by a hidden leak, but only once every 12 months per account and only with documented proof the leak was found and…

Anyone buying secondhand gold, silver or platinum items in unincorporated Cumberland County must get a county manager's permit for each location and post a $10,000 bond. Dealers must…

Operating a massage parlor, health salon or club in unincorporated Cumberland County requires a $5,000 annual county premises license, and every masseur or masseuse needs a separate…

Before Cumberland County tows an abandoned, nuisance or junked vehicle under Code Sec. 9-46, it must post or mail written notice giving the owner at least seven days to move it, then…

Anyone organizing a parade, march or procession on county-controlled streets in unincorporated Cumberland County needs a permit from the county manager, applied for through the sheriff…

Cumberland County's Minimum Housing Code requires every dwelling, premises and accessory structure in the unincorporated county to be kept free of rodent and vermin harborage, and…

North Carolina highway law only authorizes political and farm signs in the state right-of-way, so garage- and yard-sale signs placed in the public right-of-way are not permitted and…

North Carolina law lets you place political signs in the state highway right-of-way only from 30 days before early voting until 10 days after the election, with placement limits on…