Henrico County, VA Ordinances (2026)

Henrico bans possessing, selling, storing, or using any fireworks, including 'permissible' fountains and sparklers. Only supervised public displays under a fire marshal permit are…

Before burning brush, grass, or debris, Henrico requires you to cut and pile it or clear the ground around it and control the fire until fully out. For a recreational fire, all…

Open burning of anything other than leaves requires a burn permit from the Henrico Fire Marshal. Leaf burning is allowed only in areas without county leaf pickup, on set dates and…

Henrico County maps no wildfire hazard or WUI zones. Instead, Virginia's '4 PM Burning Law' bars outdoor fires within 300 feet of woodland before 4 p.m. during Feb 15-Apr 30, and the…

Backyard campfires and recreational fires are allowed without a permit if under 3 feet wide and 2 feet high, kept 25 feet from structures, constantly attended with a hose or…

Henrico requires smoke alarms in every building with a dwelling unit, plus hotels, motels, and roominghouses. Owners must inspect alarms annually; landlords must certify working alarms…

A patio fire pit, chiminea, or outdoor fireplace needs no county permit but must be attended and kept clear of combustibles. Open recreational fires must stay under 3 feet wide and 2…

Henrico sets no separate propane-storage ordinance. LP-gas storage is governed by the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code, which the county adopts and enforces. Container limits…

Henrico allows short-term rentals (under 30 days) in one-family residence districts (R-0 through R-4A) and A-1 agricultural, only at the owner's primary residence. Hosted stays are…

Henrico short-term rental operators must collect an 8% transient occupancy tax on lodging charges, effective July 1, 2020, and remit it monthly by the 20th of the following month. Fees…

Henrico's zoning ordinance requires one off-street parking space for each guestroom in a short-term rental, in addition to the parking required for the principal dwelling. This on-site…

A Henrico hosted short-term rental may operate up to 60 days in any calendar year by right. Renting more than a total of 60 days per year requires a Board of Zoning Appeals conditional…

Henrico distinguishes hosted stays (owner present) from unhosted stays (owner away). Hosted stays are allowed by right within limits; any unhosted stay requires a Board of Zoning…

Henrico permits short-term rentals only at the owner's primary residence. Section 24-4431(B) requires the dwelling to be occupied by the resident at least 185 days per year, and the…

Every Henrico short-term rental must conspicuously post the County noise ordinance inside the dwelling, and guests are subject to it. Rentals may not be used for parties, weddings…

Henrico operators must register annually with the Department of Finance before offering any property for short-term rental. Registration requires the operator's name and each property…

Henrico caps short-term rental occupancy at twice the number of bedrooms in the dwelling. Hosted stays over six renters require a conditional use permit. At least one renter must be 18…

Henrico's short-term rental ordinance does not mandate a specific liability-insurance amount. It does require working smoke detectors, carbon-monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers…

Henrico County Code § 17-25 makes it unlawful to dispose of refuse or litter anywhere in the county except a county household refuse disposal area or a permitted private sanitary…

Henrico County contracts a third party to collect residential bulky waste—appliances, TVs, furniture, brush, and bagged leaves—at the contract rate. The county also runs vacuum leaf…

Henrico refuse customers set out the county supercan or a privately purchased 95-gallon, heavy-duty, wheeled cart with a front lifting bar so it works with automated trucks. Waste must…

Henrico's curbside recycling runs through the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA), not the county code. Henrico County Code § 17-2 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for…

County trash service collects weekly on your assigned day; CVWMA handles recycling every other week. Look up your recycling day with CVWMA's address tool and set carts out by 7 a.m. A…

Henrico County Code prohibits property owners from letting trash, garbage, refuse, litter, and 'clutter' (mechanical equipment, furniture, containers) accumulate where it endangers…

On undeveloped Henrico property, weeds or grass more than 12 inches tall within 150 feet of adjacent developed property are declared a nuisance the owner must cut. Accumulated trash on…

Henrico County Code sets no dedicated garage-sale permit or countywide numeric limit. Yard and garage sales are treated as a temporary accessory residential use under the Zoning…

Henrico County caps grass and weeds at 12 inches on developed property within 150 feet of adjacent property and public streets. Taller growth is a nuisance the county can cut and bill…

All garbage, trash, refuse, litter, and clutter on Henrico property must be kept in watertight containers with covers until the county landfill or a hauler removes it. Loose or…

Henrico County has no formal dark-sky ordinance, but its zoning code requires exterior building and security lighting to be full-cutoff, shielded, or angled downward, and caps…

Henrico County limits sign illumination to no more than 0.5 foot candle above ambient light at any property line, and requires exterior lighting to prevent the direct view of the light…

A motor vehicle left unattended on public property in violation of law for more than 48 hours, or on private property without the owner's consent for more than 48 hours, is legally…

In a designated curb loading zone, no one may stop, stand, or park except for the expeditious loading or unloading of materials during posted hours. Delivery vehicles other than…

In Henrico's residential districts, one travel, utility, or boat trailer may be parked as an accessory use only in a rear yard, side yard, carport, or garage. It cannot sit in the…

You may not park on someone else's private lot without the owner's consent, and once a lot is posted no-parking, entering it to park is unlawful. On your own lot, trailers and RVs must…

Henrico bars parking any truck or commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds gross weight, or any commercial trailer or wrecker, on any street or alley in agricultural or residential zoning…

Henrico prohibits parking an unlicensed vehicle on any public street, roadway, or alley, and bars parking in signed no-parking zones. Vehicles must display a current state license to…

Henrico bans parking oversized commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross weight, and any commercial trailer or wrecker, on residential or agricultural streets except while loading…

Henrico has no blanket countywide ban on overnight parking of a licensed, operable car on a public street. However, a vehicle left unattended on public property for more than 48 hours…

Henrico County has no separate residential ordinance dictating home EV charger installation or curbside EV parking; installations follow the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code…

Residents may not paint curbs or install their own no-parking markings. Only the county manager or an authorized representative may designate limited or prohibited parking areas, and…

Henrico does not require a distinct home-occupation license; a home occupation is allowed as an accessory use if it meets the § 24-4419 standards. Service and goods-sales home…

A Henrico home occupation may display no more than two non-illuminated signs totaling two square feet and no taller than four feet, and these need no sign permit. No other outside…

Henrico County zoning (Chapter 24, § 24-4419) permits home occupations as an accessory use in dwellings countywide, provided everyone working there lives in the home, only…

Henrico zoning lets a home occupation sell home cooking and packaged food made on site, along with handicrafts and clothes made on site, but reselling purchased products is not…

Henrico zoning defines a family day home as in-home care for up to 12 children. A small family day home (five or fewer children) is a by-right accessory use in residential districts; a…

Because Henrico County governs its entire territory (no towns), any residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub built here needs a Henrico Building Inspections permit. Pools are…

Above-ground pools in Henrico holding water over 24 inches deep still require a building permit and the same 48-inch barrier as in-ground pools. A pool wall at least 48 inches high can…

In Henrico, pedestrian gates in a pool barrier must open outward, be self-closing, and have a self-latching device, with the latch placed to keep small children out. These Virginia…

A spa or hot tub in Henrico is exempt from the pool-barrier requirement if it has a lockable safety cover meeting ASTM F1346. Without such a cover, the hot tub needs the same 48-inch…

Every outdoor residential pool in Henrico must be surrounded by a barrier at least 48 inches high, measured from the outside, with openings too small to pass a 4-inch sphere. Henrico…

In Henrico County a fence or wall is permitted on the property line between two privately owned parcels (Sec. 24-5403.A). Where a fence has visible support framing on one side only…

Henrico County does not require a standalone fence permit for a typical residential fence, but Chapter 24 standards are reviewed with any building permit, plan of development, or…

Henrico County Chapter 24 (Sec. 24-5405.A) requires fences and walls to be built of durable all-weather materials such as masonry, stone, wrought iron, welded steel, electroplated…

Beyond height, Henrico's Chapter 24 requires fences to preserve sight lines, not block drainage, and stay clear of utility easements and fire hydrants. Fences must not obstruct vision…

Henrico's Chapter 24 Zoning Ordinance (Sec. 24-5404, Table 5404) limits fences in a single-family front yard or street-side yard within 10 feet of the right-of-way to 3 feet 6 inches…

Henrico County Chapter 24 (Sec. 24-5405.B) prohibits barbed or razor wire (except with a security plan, agricultural use, or utility high-voltage sites), plus chicken wire, corrugated…

Retaining walls in Henrico County are governed by Sec. 24-5407 of Chapter 24. A wall more than six feet higher than a property line within 20 feet, or more than ten feet higher within…

Under Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(3), a barking or noisy animal is unlawful when plainly audible inside a neighbor's dwelling, or at 100+ feet, at least once a minute for ten…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68 sets residential quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sound-producing devices audible 50+ feet, or inside a neighbor's dwelling, during that window are…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(5) bans construction and demolition noise plainly audible in a residential area between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Work is effectively allowed 6 a.m.-11…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(2) bans radios, speakers, instruments and amplifiers, indoors or out, that are plainly audible inside a neighbor's dwelling, or at 50+ feet in…

No. Henrico County Code Article III (Sec. 10-67 to 10-69) enforces noise by a plainly-audible standard measured inside a neighbor's dwelling or at set distances (50 or 100 feet), not…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(8) bans leaf blowers, mowers and other lawn or landscaping noise plainly audible in residential areas between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Daytime use (7…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(2) applies to sound devices located inside or outside a structure. Outdoor speakers or music audible 50+ feet in residential areas between 11 p.m. and 7…

Henrico County does not regulate aircraft noise. County Code Sec. 10-69(9) expressly exempts aircraft from the noise ordinance, and Sec. 10-69(14) defers to federal law, which preempts…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(7) bans amplified sound from a motor vehicle plainly audible from outside at a distance of 50 feet or more. Ice-cream trucks may play music only 7 a.m.-9…

Henrico County Code Sec. 10-68(2) exempts commercial, industrial and other non-residential noise sources between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.; overnight they remain limited. Urban-mixed-use…

Backyard smokers count as open-flame cooking devices under the fire code. They may not be used within 10 feet of combustible construction, except at one- and two-family homes or on…

Charcoal and gas grills may not be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, except at one- and two-family homes or where decks are sprinklered…

In Henrico's common R-3 One-Family Residence District, a dwelling must have a minimum front yard of 40 feet, interior side yard of 12 feet, street side yard of 25 feet, and rear yard…

Henrico's one-family residence districts (like R-3) do not cap lot coverage by a fixed percentage; instead density is controlled by a minimum lot area (11,000 sq. ft. in R-3) and yard…

In Henrico's R-3 One-Family Residence District, the maximum structure height for a dwelling is 40 feet under Chapter 24, Sec. 24-3309. Height maximums vary by zoning district, and…

Henrico County Code imposes no fixed limit on the number of dogs or cats per home. However, Sec. 5-1 defines a 'kennel' as any establishment keeping five or more canines, felines or…

Henrico County Code Sec. 5-29(6) prohibits any dog (except hunting dogs) from running at large countywide, year-round. A dog is 'at large' when off the owner's property and not under…

Henrico County Code has no beekeeping ordinance, so keeping honeybees is generally allowed, subject to zoning. Virginia Code Sec. 3.2-4411.1 shields a beekeeper who operates an apiary…

Henrico County Code Chapter 5 sets no numeric limit on backyard chickens and requires no county chicken permit. 'Poultry' is defined as all domestic fowl and game birds raised in…

Henrico County Code Sec. 5-199 makes it unlawful to confine or keep any fox, skunk or raccoon as a pet or otherwise, and bans importing or selling them in the county. These…

Henrico County Code Chapter 5 has no ordinance prohibiting feeding of wildlife, birds or feral animals. It does bar keeping foxes, skunks and raccoons (Sec. 5-199) and protects birds…

Henrico County has no breed ban. Virginia Code Sec. 3.2-6540(K) forbids a court from finding any dog dangerous 'solely because it is a particular breed,' so pit bulls, Rottweilers and…

Henrico County Code Article V regulates swine: no hog pen may sit within 400 feet of any lot in a residential district, and no more than 20 hogs may be kept in a pen at one time. Other…

Henrico County does not license or leash cats, but Sec. 5-90 makes it unlawful to keep any dog or cat four months or older without a current rabies vaccination administered by a…

Henrico County Code has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but Sec. 5-5 establishes a public county animal-cruelty registry for felony cruelty convictions, and Virginia Code Sec…

Henrico defines regulated 'weeds' broadly and caps growth at 12 inches on residential and subdivision property. Trees, ornamental shrubbery, flowers, and garden vegetables are excluded…

Henrico has no mandatory watering schedule ordinance and has not imposed mandatory restrictions since the early 2000s. During drought the county requests voluntary conservation rather…

Ordinary trimming of your own trees is not regulated in Henrico. Routine and seasonal pruning is expressly exempt from the county tree-protection standards, and single-family homes on…

Henrico County requires grass and weeds to be kept at or below 12 inches on residential yards, platted subdivision lots, and property near homes. The county governs countywide, since…

A homeowner removing trees from an individual single-family or duplex lot is exempt from Henrico's tree-protection rules. Tree-removal regulation targets new development, subdivisions…

Henrico does not require native plants in ordinary yards, but land inside a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area must keep a vegetated buffer at least 100 feet wide. New lawn areas…

Henrico County does not prohibit residential backyard composting. There is no permit for a home compost pile, but it must be maintained so it does not become a nuisance, harbor…

Henrico County sets no ordinance prohibiting residential rain barrels or rainwater harvesting, and it promotes stormwater capture for water-quality reasons. Virginia law generally…

Henrico County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting artificial turf in residential yards. Single-family homes on individual lots are exempt from the county landscaping-division…

A tree removal permit is required before removing a 'protected tree' on regulated development in Henrico, but single-family homes on individual lots are exempt. The Planning Director…

In Henrico County a detached shed must sit 10 ft from the house, 6 ft from other structures, 10 ft from street/alley lines, and 3 ft from other lot lines. It cannot exceed 20 ft tall…

Henrico County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, only accessory to a single-family detached home. It cannot exceed 800 sq ft or 35% of the main house, must share the address…

Henrico County has no standalone garage-conversion ordinance, but converting a garage into livable space needs a USBC building permit. If the conversion creates a separate living unit…

A carport in Henrico County is an accessory structure. A detached carport must meet accessory-structure setbacks (10 ft from the house, 3 ft from lot lines, 10 ft from streets/alleys)…

Henrico County has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A tiny house on wheels, an RV, or a travel trailer cannot be used as a dwelling or ADU. A tiny house on a permanent foundation that…

Henrico County lets a lot post up to two non-illuminated signs, each no larger than 1 square foot or 4 feet tall, without a permit. Garage-sale signs cannot be attached to trees or…

In Henrico County's residential and agricultural districts, temporary noncommercial signs (including political signs) need no permit but cannot exceed 16 square feet in aggregate per…

Henrico County parks are open only during posted hours and are closed after sunset. Entering or remaining in a park outside the designated hours is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine…