Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Environmental Rules in Pender County, NC (2026)

5 rules for unincorporated Pender County, North Carolina.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Pender County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Stormwater Management

New subdivisions within Pender County's designated public water supply watersheds must submit a stormwater drainage plan under Pender County Code § 14-165(c), which requires a drainage system that "diverts stormwater runoff away from surface waters and incorporates best management practices to minimize water quality impacts." Violations of the Watershed Protection Ordinance are misdemeanors punishable by up to $500.00 per offense under § 14-130.

Stormwater Drainage Rules in Pender County

Some Restrictions

Pender County Code §§ 14-165, 14-130

Sec. 14-165. - Subdivision standards and required improvements. ... (c)Stormwater drainage facilities. The application shall be accompanied by a description of the proposed method of providing stormwater drainage. The subdivider shall provide a drainage system that diverts stormwater runoff away from surface waters and incorporates best management practices to minimize water quality impacts. .....

Erosion Control

In unincorporated Pender County, any subdivision inside the county's public water supply watershed must show the watershed administrator a written statement that a sedimentation and erosion control plan has already been submitted to and approved by the state Division of Land Quality before the plat can be recorded.

Erosion Control in Pender County Watersheds

Some Restrictions

Pender County Code §§ 14-130, 14-164(a), 14-165(d)

Any person violating any provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished in accordance with G.S. 14-4. The maximum fine for each offense shall not exceed $500.00. Each day that the violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. ... In addition, subdivisions within a WS-IV watershed are subject to the provisions of this article only w...

Flood Zones

Unincorporated Pender County requires a floodplain development permit before any development activity begins inside a mapped special flood hazard area, and a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $50.00 and 30 days in jail per day of noncompliance.

Floodplain Development Permit in Pender County

Significant Restrictions

Pender County Code §§ 18-8, 18-13

A floodplain development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this chapter prior to the commencement of any development activities within special flood hazard areas determined in accordance with section 18-7 of this chapter. ... Violation of the provisions of this chapter or failure to comply with any of its requirements, including violation of conditions and safeguard...

Boat Dock Permits

In unincorporated Pender County, building a dock or other water-dependent structure in a state-designated Area of Environmental Concern requires a minor development permit under the county's Coastal Area Management Act program in Pender County Code § 14-19. Applications go to the county's lead AEC permit officer and the state; § 14-91 sets a 30-day decision deadline, and building without the required permit is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000.00 and 60 days under § 14-21.

Boat Dock Permits in Pender County

Significant Restrictions

Pender County Code §§ 14-19, 14-89, 14-21

Sec. 14-19. - Purposes. The purpose of the implementation and enforcement program and this article is to establish: (1)Procedures to be followed in issuing minor development permits in areas of environmental concern within the jurisdiction, including methods of coordinating with other local permits; ... Sec. 14-89. - Permit application. (a)An application for a permit for minor development in th...

Flood Elevation Requirements

Pender County adds two feet of freeboard on top of FEMA's base flood elevation to set its regulatory flood protection elevation, the minimum height to which structures in special flood hazard areas must be built or floodproofed.

Base Flood Elevation Freeboard in Pender County

Significant Restrictions

Pender County Code § 18-5

The base flood elevation plus the freeboard establishes the "regulatory flood protection elevation". ... Regulatory flood protection elevation means the elevation above mean sea level to which the reference level of all structures and other development located within special flood hazard areas and future conditions flood hazard areas must be protected.(1)In "special flood hazard areas" where ba...

All Pender County ordinances

See every category we cover for Pender County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.

Pender County Ordinance Hub →