Local rules and regulations for Forsyth County, North Carolina. Population: 382,295.
Verified from official government sources
Select a topic to see Forsyth County's rules on that subject.
Large trucks, trailers, and heavy equipment are limited in Winston-Salem residential areas by the front-yard parking rules and the 'storage yard' restriction. Repair and heavy-vehicle storage belong in business or industrial zones. Individual towns add their own size limits.
On-street parking in Winston-Salem is governed by posted signs and meters. Downtown zones range from one to ten hours at $1.50/hour. Elsewhere, park with the flow of traffic and never block driveways, crosswalks, or hydrants. Unincorporated county roads follow NC state law.
In Winston-Salem you generally may not park an RV, camper, boat, or trailer in the front yard except on one paved parking/driveway strip up to ten feet wide. Improved parking may not exceed 30% of the front yard. Towns like Kernersville set their own limits.
Forsyth County has no blanket overnight on-street parking ban for its unincorporated, state-maintained roads. In Winston-Salem, overnight parking is allowed on most residential streets unless a sign, permit zone, or snow route says otherwise; downtown time limits still apply.
Only Winston-Salem and NCDOT may paint or mark public curbs to designate parking restrictions; residents may not paint curbs themselves. Painted curb colors and 'no parking' markings are official traffic-control devices, and unauthorized markings can be removed and cited.
Forsyth County and Winston-Salem set no special ordinance blocking home EV chargers; a Level 2 charger installed by a licensed electrician typically needs an electrical permit under the NC Electrical Code. Public curbside EV stalls in Winston-Salem are marked and enforced by posted signs.
North Carolina defines an abandoned vehicle as one left more than ten days on public or private property without the owner's consent. Winston-Salem and Forsyth County can tag and tow such vehicles. Report abandoned vehicles to Winston-Salem Code Enforcement or the county.
Winston-Salem designates loading zones among its 800-plus downtown on-street spaces, marked by signs or curb markings for commercial deliveries only during posted hours. Parking a passenger vehicle in a loading zone is a citable violation. Unincorporated county roads have no city loading zones.
Winston-Salem's UDO limits parking commercial and business vehicles in residential yards, and repair or storage operations are confined to business/industrial zones. Two or more untagged vehicles in a residential yard is treated as an illegal 'storage yard.' Towns set their own commercial-parking rules.
Winston-Salem's UDO limits front-yard parking to one improved driveway strip up to ten feet wide, with total improved parking/driveway area capped at 30% of the front yard. Surfaces must be paved or gravel at least two inches deep with a defined edge. No parking on the lawn.
No host-presence rule applies to whole-house short-term rentals in Forsyth County or Winston-Salem. The owner need not stay on site. Only a Bed and Breakfast, a distinct permitted use, typically involves an on-premises operator under its Special Use Permit.
Short-term rentals in Forsyth County owe a room-occupancy and tourism-development tax of up to 6% on top of the combined 7.0% state and county sales tax. Occupancy tax applies to accommodations rented for fewer than 90 continuous days.
Neither the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO nor a county STR ordinance sets a guest-count cap for short-term rentals. Occupancy is limited only by the North Carolina building and housing code's minimum floor-area-per-occupant standards and by septic/well capacity in rural areas.
Forsyth County and Winston-Salem set no annual limit on the number of nights a property may be rented short-term. There is no cap because no dedicated STR ordinance exists. The only night-based line is the 90-day threshold that separates taxable short stays from long-term rentals.
No Forsyth County or Winston-Salem ordinance requires short-term-rental operators to carry a specific insurance policy or minimum liability coverage. Insurance is governed by your policy and platform terms, not by a local mandate. A permitted Bed and Breakfast may face insurance conditions through its Special Use Permit.
North Carolina has no statewide short-term-rental licensing preemption, and neither Forsyth County nor Winston-Salem issues a dedicated STR permit. A whole-house rental is treated as a residential use. A Bed and Breakfast, however, needs a Special Use Permit from the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
There is no zoning registry for short-term rentals in Winston-Salem or unincorporated Forsyth County. The only mandatory registration is with Forsyth County Tax Administration so you can collect and remit the county room-occupancy tax, plus a state sales-tax account with NCDOR.
No short-term-rental-specific parking ordinance exists in Forsyth County or Winston-Salem. A dwelling used as an STR follows the same residential parking and driveway standards in the UDO; a permitted Bed and Breakfast must meet off-street parking conditions set through its Special Use Permit.
No. Forsyth County and Winston-Salem impose no primary-residence requirement for short-term rentals. Non-owner-occupied and investment properties may be rented short-term as a residential use, subject only to the applicable zoning district and the county occupancy tax.
Short-term-rental guests must obey the same Winston-Salem/Forsyth County noise ordinance that applies to every resident. There is no separate STR noise code, but a rental generating repeated disturbances can trigger citations and, for a permitted B&B, permit consequences.
Land-clearing open burning of cleared vegetation requires registration and an in-person office visit with Forsyth County. It must be at least 500 feet from dwellings, burned only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., contain no man-made materials, and needs an N.C. Forest Service permit.
Recreational fires must be confined to a container such as a fire pit or chiminea, kept no larger than 3 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, and located at least 25 feet from any structure. In Winston-Salem the Fire Department must approve the container.
Forsyth County follows the North Carolina Fire Code, which requires all LP-gas equipment to be installed per NFPA 58 and NFPA 59. Portable cylinders must be stored outdoors, upright, and away from ignition sources; large stationary tanks require setbacks and, for bulk plants, permits.
Residential open burning of leaves and yard trimmings is only allowed where no yard-waste pickup is provided, so it is banned inside Winston-Salem. Where allowed, burning may start no earlier than 8:00 a.m., must be on your own property, and cannot create a nuisance.
North Carolina bans most consumer fireworks countywide. Only non-aerial, non-explosive novelties (wire sparklers, fountains, snakes, smoke devices, party poppers) are allowed. Firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets and all aerial shells are illegal statewide, including Forsyth County.
Forsyth County is not a designated high wildfire-hazard zone and imposes no defensible-space mandate. Wildfire preparedness is handled voluntarily through the N.C. Forest Service Firewise program, which recommends clearing the home ignition zone and using fire-resistant landscaping.
Small recreational backyard fires are allowed if contained and kept small, but burning yard waste for disposal is treated as open burning and is banned inside Winston-Salem where pickup exists. The Fire Department does not issue permits for burning yard waste or land clearing.
North Carolina law requires landlords to provide operable smoke alarms and, in units with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms. Since 2013, replacement smoke alarms must be tamper-resistant 10-year lithium-battery models. New homes must meet the state building code.
Forsyth County's "Loud and disturbing noise" ordinance singles out the hours between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., when playing a radio, instrument or amplifier that disturbs a reasonable resident in any nearby dwelling is prohibited. Winston-Salem adopts the county ordinance citywide.
Neither Forsyth County's Sec. 15-1 nor Winston-Salem's Chapter 46 sets a numeric construction-hours window. Instead, Winston-Salem Sec. 46-5 bans loud domestic tools, garage machinery and refuse front-end loaders near residences from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.; daytime construction is judged by the reasonable-person standard.
Outdoor amplified or live music is governed by Forsyth County Sec. 15-1's reasonable-person standard, tightened at 11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. Winston-Salem exempts permitted outdoor gatherings, public dances, shows and sporting events, and applies a 300-foot rule inside entertainment districts.
Forsyth County and Winston-Salem set no local decibel limit on aircraft; aircraft noise and operations are regulated federally by the FAA, which preempts most local rules. Winston-Salem's sound-amplification distance limits expressly do not apply to sound issued from aircraft.
Forsyth County and Winston-Salem do not use a numeric decibel (dBA) standard. Enforcement is based on a "plainly audible" / reasonable-person test measured by distance, such as disturbing noise at 100 feet (county) or 50 feet from a vehicle stereo (Winston-Salem).
Forsyth County Code Sec. 15-1 bans playing a radio or amplifier in a vehicle on public right-of-way loud enough to be disturbing at 100 feet, and covers loud, defective or improperly loaded vehicles. Winston-Salem tightens the car-audio distance to 50 feet under Sec. 46-36.
Forsyth County Code Sec. 15-1 lists keeping any animal whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs a reasonable neighbor as a prohibited "loud, disturbing" noise at any time of day or night. Lawful farm operations are expressly protected from this rule.
Forsyth County Code Sec. 15-1 prohibits playing any radio, instrument or amplifying equipment at a volume that disturbs a reasonable resident, especially between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Winston-Salem adopts this citywide and, in designated entertainment districts, sets a 300-foot plainly-audible limit.
Forsyth County and Winston-Salem set no leaf-blower-specific decibel or model ban. Winston-Salem Code Sec. 46-5 does make it unlawful to run lawn mowers and other gasoline-powered domestic tools outdoors near residences between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; leaf blowers fall in that category.
Forsyth County sets no separate industrial decibel standard; commercial and industrial noise falls under Sec. 15-1's general prohibition on disturbing a reasonable person. Winston-Salem also has no numeric industrial table, relying on the same reasonable-person and plainly-audible tests plus zoning.
At single-family and two-family homes in Forsyth County there are no distance restrictions on charcoal or propane grills. The North Carolina Fire Code only bans open-flame cooking within 10 feet of combustible construction and on balconies of larger multi-family buildings.
Backyard smokers are treated as open-flame cooking devices under the North Carolina Fire Code. At single-family and two-family homes they are unrestricted; at apartments and condos they cannot be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of the building unless it is sprinklered.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO sets minimum yards by zoning district — for example RS9 requires a 20-ft front, 25-ft rear, and 7-ft one-side setback. RS7 requires 15-ft front, 20-ft rear, 5-ft side. No setback is required for twin homes; all other uses need at least five feet.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County single-family districts cap impervious surface cover at 40% of the zoning lot. Detached accessory structures cannot exceed 5% of the lot (576 sq ft always allowed) and may occupy no more than 25% of the required yard.
In unincorporated Forsyth County, a detached accessory structure is limited to 17 feet maximum height under the UDO; a detached accessory dwelling unit may go up to 25 feet. Principal-building heights are set district-by-district in the UDO dimensional tables.
Residential pools deeper than 24 inches must be surrounded by a barrier at least 48 inches high, measured from the outside grade. This is set by the North Carolina Residential Code (adopted IRC), which applies statewide across Forsyth County.
A building permit is required before you install any residential pool, spa, or hot tub holding water over 24 inches deep. Electrical, plumbing, and building inspections apply. Permits are issued under the North Carolina State Building Code before work begins.
Beyond the 48-inch barrier, NC Residential Code requires pedestrian gates to swing outward away from the pool and be self-closing and self-latching. Electrical bonding and grounding under NEC Article 680 protect against shock. Public pools face additional state health rules.
Above-ground pools holding water over 24 inches deep need a permit and a 48-inch barrier just like in-ground pools. NC Residential Code lets the pool's own wall serve as the barrier only if it is 48 inches high everywhere and the manufacturer allows it.
Hot tubs and spas holding water over 24 inches deep are regulated as pools under the NC Residential Code, requiring the 48-inch barrier and permits. A spa with a locking safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from the barrier requirement.
The county sets no fence setback, so you may place a fence anywhere on your own property except in easements and rights-of-way. Inspections advises staying at least six inches off the line to avoid neighbor disputes over the exact boundary.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County code does not restrict materials for standard single-family residential fences in the unincorporated county. Wood, vinyl, chain-link, and similar materials are allowed; over-six-foot fences need engineered footing plans.
A building permit is only required for fences over six feet tall in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. Those need engineer-sealed plans. Fences six feet or under need no permit, though you may buy one; cost is $0.15/sq ft with a $100 minimum.
No county rule dictates residential fence materials in unincorporated Forsyth County. Standard wood, vinyl, aluminum, and chain-link fences are fine; the practical constraints are the six-foot permit threshold, easements, and corner-lot sight triangles.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO does not set a special retaining-wall height table for the unincorporated county; walls are regulated under the adopted North Carolina Building Code, which requires a permit for walls retaining a surcharge or over four feet measured from the bottom of the footing.
Under the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO, a residential fence six feet or under needs no building permit; anything over six feet triggers a permit and engineer-stamped plans. No zoning setback applies to the fence itself.
Fences in unincorporated Forsyth County must stay on your own property, out of easements and rights-of-way, and clear of corner-lot sight triangles. Fences over six feet need a permit and engineered plans; six feet or under need none.
Forsyth County Sec. 6-54 makes it unlawful for any person or business to possess, harbor, or have an inherently dangerous exotic mammal, an inherently dangerous reptile, or a wild animal. Only carnivals, circuses, pet shops, zoos, veterinarians, and permitted wildlife rehabilitators are exempt.
Forsyth County does not ban any dog breed. North Carolina law (NCGS 67-4.1) defines a 'dangerous dog' by behavior, not breed - a dog that without provocation kills or severely injures a person, is kept for fighting, or is declared potentially dangerous after biting or menacing.
Forsyth County's animal code has no general ordinance against feeding backyard wildlife, but it bars keeping or harboring wild animals (Sec. 6-54) and prohibits public-nuisance conditions (Sec. 6-9). North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission regulates feeding and taking of native wildlife statewide.
Keeping horses, cattle, goats, sheep, swine, and fowl on qualifying property in unincorporated Forsyth County is protected as a bona fide farm use under NC right-to-farm law (NCGS 106-701) and Ch. 160D, so county zoning cannot bar it. The animal code still bars public-nuisance conditions.
Forsyth County's animal code does not regulate honey bees. Keeping bees is an agricultural activity protected from county zoning as a bona fide farm use under NC right-to-farm law (NCGS 106-701) and Ch. 160D. The NC Department of Agriculture handles apiary inspection statewide.
In Forsyth County it is unlawful to let any animal, including cats, run at large (Sec. 6-13). Dogs must be leashed in any public park, except inside a legal dog park. Legally hunting dogs are excluded if not trespassing. Loose animals may be impounded.
Cats in Forsyth County must be licensed (Sec. 6-10) and rabies-vaccinated at three months or older (Sec. 6-25). Cats are covered by the running-at-large rule (Sec. 6-13) just like dogs, so owners may not let a cat roam. Cats need not wear a rabies tag, but proof of vaccination is
Keeping chickens, fowl, and livestock on qualifying property in unincorporated Forsyth County is broadly allowed because NC right-to-farm law (NCGS 106-701) and Ch. 160D bar county zoning from barring bona fide farm uses. Animals must still avoid public-nuisance conditions under the animal code.
Forsyth County's animal code sets no flat numeric limit on how many dogs or cats you may keep. Instead, keeping animals so as to create a public nuisance is prohibited (Sec. 6-9), and every dog and cat must be licensed and rabies-vaccinated. Winston-Salem and towns may set stricter numeric limits.
Forsyth County has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but Sec. 6-7 (Cruelty) bars neglect and depriving animals of necessary sustenance, and Sec. 6-9 prohibits keeping animals so as to create a public nuisance. Severe cases are prosecuted under NC criminal animal-cruelty law.
On any Forsyth County lot, open dumps and unsanitary accumulations of waste are prohibited. Owners must immediately close any open dump. Weeds or noxious vegetation over eight inches around a junked vehicle can also make a lot a nuisance.
Any owner or occupant is responsible for the sanitary storage of all solid waste on the property. Garbage must be stored in durable, watertight containers with a close-fitting, fly-tight cover, kept clean so no odor or nuisance exists.
Forsyth County's code sets no county-level garage or yard sale permit or frequency limit for unincorporated areas. Garage sales are governed by local municipal rules where they apply; the county's Unified Development Ordinance governs signage and land use.
In unincorporated Forsyth County, code enforcement targets abandoned, unsafe, and dilapidated structures under the county Minimum Housing Code. Junked/abandoned vehicles that become a health or safety hazard are a separate violation. The county does not handle trash, business, or camper complaints.
Unincorporated Forsyth County has no general grass-height ordinance. The county's weed rule appears only in its junk-vehicle code: a heavy growth of weeds or other noxious vegetation over eight inches in height around a vehicle helps make it a health or safety hazard.
North Carolina has no statewide homeowner watering ban, and there is no permanent year-round schedule in Winston-Salem/Forsyth. Mandatory odd/even watering days and night-only hours apply only when WSFC Utilities declares a drought/water-shortage stage.
In Winston-Salem it is a nuisance to let grass or unmanaged vegetation exceed eight inches. Owners must cut and remove it. Registered turf lawns must also stay under eight inches; violations bring a civil penalty plus abatement cost.
There is no general permit to cut down a tree on your own home lot. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County tree-preservation rules attach to development and land-disturbing (erosion control) permits, not to homeowners removing their own trees without construction.
Winston-Salem defines 'rank noxious vegetation' over eight inches as a nuisance, including non-native grasses, invasive plants, poisonous plants, and untended growth. Owners must cut and remove it or face a civil penalty and abatement costs.
Winston-Salem's Urban Forestry program cares for and enforces rules on trees in the public right-of-way. Topping street trees is against city ordinance. On your own private trees you may generally prune freely, but street and right-of-way trees need city coordination.
Home backyard composting is allowed in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. There is no ordinance requiring or banning it, but a compost pile must not become a nuisance that harbors rodents or vermin, and food furniture/refuse rules still apply.
Collecting rainwater is legal in North Carolina, and no county or city may prohibit cisterns or rain barrels used for irrigation. Forsyth County sets no ban. State law expressly protects rainwater collection for non-potable use.
Since 2024 Winston-Salem lets residents replace lawns with registered Natural Landscape Areas of native plants. Turf grass must stay under eight inches, areas need a 5-foot setback and defined borders, and registration is required if plants will exceed eight inches.
Neither Winston-Salem nor Forsyth County has a specific ordinance banning or mandating artificial turf for home lawns. Its use is governed by general zoning, setback, stormwater, and property-maintenance standards rather than a dedicated turf rule.
Home cooking, baking, and preserving are expressly allowed as a home occupation under the Forsyth County UDO. To sell packaged foods you also need North Carolina Department of Agriculture home-processing/cottage-food approval; the county does not license kitchens.
A Forsyth County home occupation may display only one occupancy sign no larger than 144 square inches (one square foot). There may be no salesroom or display window, and neon or illuminated signs visible from outside the building are prohibited.
In-home child care in North Carolina is licensed by the state, not the county. A Family Child Care Home license from NC DCDEE is required to care for more than two unrelated children for more than four hours a day, up to a maximum of eight children.
A zoning permit from the Director of Inspections is required for a home occupation in the unincorporated county. The permit is granted only when all UDO conditions are met and is revoked if the home occupation ever fails to meet them.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO permits home occupations in residential districts only as a clearly incidental and secondary use to living in the home. One home occupation is allowed per dwelling, and it must not significantly increase traffic, noise, glare, dust, smoke, or odors.
Recovered material to be recycled must be removed at least every 14 days. North Carolina law bans certain items from landfill disposal—including plastic bottles, aluminum cans, electronics and tires—so residents must recycle or divert them rather than throw them in the trash.
Owners or occupants must remove solid waste at least once each week. Unincorporated households and small businesses use affordable franchised garbage collection. Franchise haulers must collect at least weekly, provided the account is under 30 days in arrears.
Forsyth County requires solid waste receptacles to be stored sanitarily and maintained to prevent nuisance or unsanitary conditions. The code does not fix a specific curb setback or set-out time countywide; those come from your franchise hauler or town.
Bulky waste includes appliances, furniture, trees, branches and other oversize items. Forsyth County residents dispose of household garbage, construction debris and yard waste at county landfills (call 336-727-8000), and drop household hazardous waste and electronics free at the 3RC EnviroStation.
It is unlawful to dump litter or waste anywhere in Forsyth County except in an authorized container or location. Open dumps are prohibited. Report unauthorized dumping to Environmental Assistance and Protection at (336) 703-2440. State litter law adds criminal penalties.
In Winston-Salem/Forsyth County an on-premises yard or garage sale sign may not exceed two square feet, limited to one sign per lot. It may go up seven days before the sale and must come down within two days after, and residents may hold no more than two sales a year.
Under the Forsyth County/Winston-Salem UDO, the base rule limits political signs to two square feet, but Winston-Salem does not enforce that cap for noncommercial signs — instead allowing up to 6 square feet in most residential districts. Signs go on private property with the owner's permission and out of the
Detached sheds and other accessory structures are governed by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO's accessory-structure standards. They are permitted in required side and rear yards subject to a minimum setback (about 3 feet from side and rear lot lines) and yard-coverage limits.
A carport is treated as an accessory structure under the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO and must meet the same yard-placement, setback, and size limits as other detached accessory structures. Attached carports also count toward the principal structure's setbacks.
Forsyth County has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A permanent tiny house on a foundation is treated as a dwelling (or a detached ADU) under the UDO and NC Residential Code, while a tiny house on wheels (RV/trailer) may not be used as an ADU or permanent residence.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot, attached or detached, in districts that permit the principal single-family use. A detached ADU is capped at 1,000 square feet and 25 feet tall on a permanent foundation.
You may convert an existing detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit, but the conversion must meet the UDO's ADU standards and the North Carolina Residential Code. Converting a garage into living space requires permits and dimensional compliance.
Forsyth County and Winston-Salem regulate light trespass only from non-residential property, requiring lighting to be shielded so it does not spill onto neighbors. Glare from one home onto another is not covered by a specific ordinance and is treated as a private nuisance.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County UDO regulates outdoor lighting only on non-residential property, requiring fixtures to be shielded and aimed so light and glare do not spill onto neighbors. There is no dark-sky lighting rule for ordinary single-family homes.
These cities are located within Forsyth County and may have their own ordinances.
These communities are in unincorporated Forsyth County. County ordinances apply directly to these areas.
Ordinance data for Forsyth County is sourced from the following official government references. Click any topic above for detailed citations.