Shelby County, TN Ordinances (2026)

Shelby County Code Chapter 16, Article III sets no fixed construction-hours curfew for unincorporated Shelby County. Construction noise is governed by the general Sec. 16-61 ban on unreasonably loud, unnecessary noise, with a narrow exemption for nighttime public roadwork.

Shelby County Code Chapter 16, Article III has no leaf-blower-specific rule for unincorporated Shelby County. Leaf-blower noise is regulated only under the general Sec. 16-61 ban on unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise.

Shelby County Code Sec. 24-368 sets dB(A) limits for motor vehicles in the county, and Sec. 16-65 bans using any vehicle so as to cause loud, unnecessary noise. Passenger cars are capped at 78 dB(A) at 50 feet.

Shelby County Code Chapter 16, Article III governs noise in unincorporated Shelby County. Sec. 16-61 bans any unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise 24/7, and Sec. 16-63 sets an amplified-sound quiet window of 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Shelby County Code Chapter 16, Article III has no industry-specific decibel standard. Industrial and commercial noise in unincorporated Shelby County is governed by the general Sec. 16-61 ban and the Sec. 16-69 legitimate-business allowance.

Shelby County Code Sec. 16-64 prohibits keeping any animal that, by frequent or long-continued noise, disturbs the comfort or repose of any person nearby. It applies in unincorporated Shelby County and is enforced by fine under Sec. 16-67.

Shelby County Code Sec. 16-63 restricts radios, instruments, loudspeakers and other amplified sound devices, especially between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., when they disturb residents or nearby persons in unincorporated Shelby County.

Shelby County's only numeric decibel limits are the motor-vehicle dB(A) ceilings in Sec. 24-368. The general noise ban in Chapter 16, Article III uses a reasonableness standard rather than ambient decibel tables.

Outdoor music in unincorporated Shelby County falls under Chapter 16, Article III. Sec. 16-63 limits amplified sound, especially 11 p.m.–7 a.m., while Sec. 16-66 exempts noncommercial public addresses and certain election-day sound trucks.

Aircraft noise over Shelby County, including Memphis International Airport, is regulated by the FAA under federal law, not the county noise ordinance. Chapter 16, Article III governs ground noise only.

Unincorporated Shelby County requires a Short-Term Rental Property Permit issued by the Shelby County Clerk under Chapter 8, Article XVIII of the County Code. An original permit costs $100 and must be renewed annually. Incorporated cities such as Memphis run their own separate STR permit programs.

Shelby County requires STR permit holders and their guests to follow the county's noise control provisions in Section 16-61 et seq. of the Code of Ordinances, plus the litter and garbage rules in Section 16-137 et seq. A 24/7 Responsible Party must handle noise and nuisance complaints.

Shelby County levies a 5% hotel/motel room occupancy tax on transient lodging, collected by the County Clerk under Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969. STR permit fees are $100 original and $50 renewal, and Tennessee also requires state and local sales tax on stays under 30 days.

Shelby County does not require the host to be present during a stay, but it does require a Responsible Party whose name and phone are posted in the unit and who answers complaints 24 hours a day. The Responsible Party's address must be within 50 miles of the rental.

Shelby County's STR registration is handled by the County Clerk under Chapter 8, Article XVIII. A permit expires 365 days after issuance and renewal must be requested at least 30 days before expiration. Permits are non-transferable, and applicants must certify eligibility and pass a code inspection.

Shelby County's STR permit application sets the maximum transient capacity per night on the permit and limits a detached accessory dwelling unit rental to no more than four sleeping rooms. The principal renter must be at least 18, and rentals shorter than 24 hours are prohibited.

Shelby County requires STR applicants to submit proof of homeowner's fire, hazard, and liability insurance, with liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence. Proof is submitted with the permit application, and applicants must also certify compliance with county technical codes.

Shelby County's STR ordinance does not set a dedicated short-term rental parking ratio. Instead, the application requires a scaled site plan showing each unit and site features, and STR guests are bound by the county's general nuisance, traffic, and litter provisions in unincorporated areas.

Shelby County's STR ordinance does not require a short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence. Non-owner-occupied and investor STRs may be permitted in unincorporated areas, subject to registration, insurance, and a Responsible Party. State law also grandfathers pre-existing STRs.

Shelby County's STR ordinance sets no annual cap on the number of nights a property can be rented. It requires a minimum stay by prohibiting paid stays under 24 hours, but does not limit total rental nights per year in unincorporated areas.

Smoke alarms in Shelby County follow Tennessee law and the adopted building and fire codes. State law requires approved smoke alarms in every one- and two-family rental unit, and the International Fire and Residential Codes require alarms in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas, and on each level of a dwelling.

Unincorporated Shelby County adopted the 2021 International Fire Code, codified at Chapter 22, Article II and enforced by the Shelby County Fire Department. Fire Code Section 307 governs fire pits: recreational fires stay 25 feet from structures, portable outdoor fireplaces 15 feet.

Tennessee allows consumer (Class C/1.4G) fireworks statewide, but local governments may restrict them. In practice, discharging fireworks without a permit is treated as illegal across unincorporated Shelby County and inside Memphis, where the city code bars nearly all fireworks activity absent a city permit.

Open burning in Shelby County is prohibited except by permit. The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department Air Pollution Control Section issues burn permits under Shelby County (3-16) and Memphis City (16-50) air codes. Only on-site trees and brush may burn; a $100 fee applies.

Flat, humid West Tennessee has low wildfire risk, so Shelby County has no wildfire-driven defensible-space mandate. Overgrown weeds, grass, and brush are instead handled as public nuisances and health hazards, with owners required to cut and remove excessive growth or face abatement by the county or city.

Small backyard recreational fires in unincorporated Shelby County follow the adopted 2021 International Fire Code (county code Chapter 22), enforced by the Shelby County Fire Department. Fires must stay 25 feet from structures and be attended. Burning yard debris is separately prohibited without a Health Department permit.

Shelby County is not a designated wildfire-hazard region. Sitting in the flat, humid Mississippi River delta of West Tennessee, the Memphis area has low burn probability and no CAL-FIRE-style Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. There are no wildfire-zone building overlays or defensible-space mandates here.

Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Shelby County is regulated by the adopted 2021 International Fire Code (county code Chapter 22), enforced by the Shelby County Fire Department. Fire Code Chapter 61 sets container, separation, and permit rules. Large aggregate quantities need a permit; household grill cylinders are generally exempt.

Unincorporated Shelby County has no blanket overnight-parking ban, but Section 24-191(a) caps parking on any residential street at 24 consecutive hours, and any vehicle stored more than 30 days in a lot or garage must be reported to the sheriff's department.

Chapter 24, Article V bars parking in front of any public or private driveway on unincorporated Shelby County streets, and Section 24-193 makes it unlawful to store property in a public street, highway, or right-of-way; driveway sight lines must stay clear under the Unified Development Code.

In unincorporated Shelby County, no vehicle may be parked on a residential street for more than 24 consecutive hours, and Chapter 24, Article V bars parking within 12 inches of the curb, in front of driveways, within 15 feet of a hydrant, and other specified locations.

When a motor vehicle is wrecked or abandoned in a street, highway, or alley in unincorporated Shelby County, Section 24-199 authorizes the sheriff to tow and store it until the owner claims it, and storing inoperable vehicles in a residential zone is barred by the Unified Development Code.

In unincorporated Shelby County, no recreational vehicle may be parked or left unattended on any residential street or in any residential district except while actively loading or unloading, and campers, boats, and trailers are barred entirely from residential streets under Chapter 24, Article V.

In unincorporated Shelby County, no truck, truck trailer, tractor, or bus over 8,000 pounds may be parked or left unattended on a residential street except during active loading, and the Unified Development Code bars parking trucks or tractor-trailers on residential-zone lots.

In unincorporated Shelby County no truck, trailer, tractor, or bus over 8,000 pounds may sit on a residential street except during active loading, and Section 24-362 requires a permit to move any vehicle whose width with load exceeds eight feet on a county road.

Shelby County Code Chapter 24 defines a loading and unloading zone as street space designated by official signs, and Section 24-186 bars using a roadway to display, wash, grease, or repair a vehicle, while heavy trucks may stop on residential streets only during active loading.

Shelby County's Chapter 24 traffic code and the joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code contain no dedicated EV-charging-station parking ordinance for the unincorporated county, so charger installations follow the electrical permit process rather than a specific parking rule.

Curb colors and parking markings in unincorporated Shelby County are set by official traffic control devices under Chapter 24, not by resident painting; owners must obey official parking signs and cannot park within 12 inches of the curb or where markings prohibit it.

Backyard smokers are central to Memphis barbecue culture and are allowed at single-family homes. Under the adopted 2021 International Fire Code (county code Chapter 22), enforced by the Shelby County Fire Department, they count as open-flame cooking devices and are restricted on multifamily balconies near combustible construction.

In Memphis and Shelby County, backyard grilling is a way of life and is allowed at single-family homes. The adopted 2021 International Fire Code (county code Chapter 22), enforced by the Shelby County Fire Department, restricts charcoal and larger LP-gas cooking devices on multifamily balconies near combustible construction.

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code exempts retaining walls from the fence height and setback provisions of Section 4.6.7, so retaining walls in unincorporated Shelby County are not limited by the fence-height rules.

The Unified Development Code sets construction standards for fences in unincorporated Shelby County, including quality materials, clear sight triangles at corners and driveways, and a 100-foot maximum for unbroken fence planes along public rights-of-way.

In unincorporated Shelby County the Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code caps front-yard fences at four feet, with decorative metal permitted up to eight feet, and side or rear fences at nine feet in required setbacks.

The Unified Development Code sets fence heights and materials but not private cost-sharing; in unincorporated Shelby County boundary-fence disputes and shared costs fall under Tennessee partition-fence law and property lines rather than the county code.

In unincorporated Shelby County fences must comply with the Unified Development Code and are reviewed by the Division of Planning and Development through the Develop901 portal; larger or nonconforming fences may require an administrative deviation.

The Unified Development Code bars electrified, barbed-wire, and concertina fences in residential districts of unincorporated Shelby County, and restricts uncoated chain link and metal-panel fencing outside industrial zones.

The Unified Development Code requires fences in unincorporated Shelby County to use high-quality materials such as decorative block, brick, stone, masonry, stucco, treated wood, and wrought iron, with coated chain link allowed only where permitted.

Shelby County Code Sec. 4-171 makes it unlawful for owners of livestock to willfully allow them to run at large, mirroring Tennessee's Sec. 44-8-401. Owners are liable for damage caused, and where livestock may be kept in the unincorporated county depends on the parcel's zoning district.

In unincorporated Shelby County, Code Sec. 4-131 makes it unlawful to willfully or negligently let a dog be at large on any public or private property. Sec. 4-2 defines 'animal at large' as any dog running loose without a leash or other restraint.

Shelby County's animal Code Chapter 4 does not set backyard-chicken or poultry limits; it only bars livestock from running at large (Sec. 4-171). Where chickens and farm animals may be kept in the unincorporated county is governed by the joint Memphis and Shelby County zoning code, by district.

Shelby County does not ban or restrict any dog breed. Its Code classifies a 'dangerous/vicious dog' by behavior, not breed (Sec. 4-2). Tennessee has no statewide breed preemption, but the county's rules turn on individual conduct, and owners face state duties under T.C.A. 44-8-413.

Shelby County's animal Code defines 'animal' as dogs and cats and contains no exotic-pet permit scheme. Possession of exotic and wild animals in the unincorporated county is governed by Tennessee state law, which classifies dangerous wildlife and requires state permits from the Wildlife Resources Agency.

Shelby County's animal Code contains no ban on feeding wildlife; its scope is dogs, cats, and livestock. Feeding of wild animals is instead governed by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency rules, and food left out that attracts strays or vermin can trigger the county's nuisance rule.

Shelby County's animal Code Chapter 4 covers only dogs, cats, and livestock and contains no beekeeping or hive provisions. Whether beehives are allowed on an unincorporated parcel is a zoning question under the joint Memphis and Shelby County zoning code, and beekeeping is otherwise regulated at the Tennessee state level.

Shelby County's animal Code sets no numeric limit on how many dogs or cats a household may keep in the unincorporated county. Sec. 4-140 authorizes the board to regulate animal numbers, but a code note states no such rules were enacted.

Shelby County exempts cats from the dog at-large ban (Sec. 4-131), so cats are not required to be leashed. But every cat three months or older must be vaccinated against rabies (Sec. 4-65) and licensed annually (Sec. 4-68), and diseased cats may not be allowed at large.

Shelby County has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but its humane-care article (Secs. 4-181 to 4-187) bars keeping animals in inhumane conditions and sets minimum food, water, shelter, and space standards. Tennessee's cruelty statutes add criminal penalties for neglect.

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code sets minimum front, side, and rear setbacks by zoning district for unincorporated Shelby County, and accessory structures must sit at least five feet from side and rear property lines.

The Unified Development Code caps single-family building height at 40 feet in most residential districts of unincorporated Shelby County, and an accessory structure may not exceed the height of the principal structure it serves.

In unincorporated Shelby County the Unified Development Code caps cumulative accessory-structure footprint at 75 percent of the principal structure, and sets a 40 percent building-coverage limit for manufactured-home-park residential lots.

Shelby County's Code of Ordinances sets no countywide permit or frequency limit for residential garage or yard sales in unincorporated areas. Signs and merchandise are still governed by county litter and public-property rules, so sellers must not leave litter or block rights-of-way. Cities like Memphis regulate garage sales separately.

The Shelby County sanitary code (Chapter 44, Division 2) requires every occupant or owner in the unincorporated county to keep enough covered garbage containers for waste on the premises. Containers must be watertight galvanized or plastic and kept tightly lidded; the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department enforces these rules.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the litter-control division of the Code (Chapter 44) prohibits maintaining a nuisance and defines urban blight from deteriorated property. Blighted and nuisance properties are prosecuted in the Shelby County Environmental Court, the court of original jurisdiction for all county ordinance violations.

Shelby County Code section 44-89 bars anyone in charge of property, improved or vacant, from allowing litter to accumulate, and section 44-88 prohibits high weeds that permit urban blight. Vacant lots are enforced through the Environmental Court, which can also pursue vacant nuisance buildings under the Neighborhood Preservation Act.

Shelby County Code section 44-88(b) prohibits allowing high weeds or grass to accumulate so as to permit urban blight in unincorporated areas. Section 44-87 defines urban blight from uncut weeds and undergrowth. Complaints are enforced through the Environmental Court, and the county Vegetation Control section abates overgrowth along county rights-of-way.

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code requires pruning of required landscape trees to follow ANSI A300 standards and prohibits topping, lollipopping, or meatballing that harms a tree's natural form on development sites.

The Code of Shelby County authorizes the county to compel owners of unincorporated property to cut rank weeds, grasses, and underbrush deemed a health or traffic hazard, enforced by the Health Department through notice, county cutting, liens, and fines.

Shelby County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially licensing residential rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels and cisterns are generally allowed, and Tennessee encourages capturing rainwater, though plumbing cross-connections to potable systems remain regulated.

In unincorporated Shelby County the county code treats rank weeds and grasses over 12 inches tall as harmful vegetation. Owners must cut within ten days of a Health Department notice or face a fine up to $50 per day.

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code regulates clearing of trees in unincorporated Shelby County, generally requiring a tree survey and tree removal permit for development, with exemptions for small residential lots and limited cutting.

Shelby County has no mandatory outdoor watering schedule. Water is supplied by Memphis Light, Gas and Water from the Memphis Sand Aquifer, and MLGW promotes voluntary conservation rather than odd-even or day-of-week watering limits.

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code favors native landscaping, directing that trees and shrubs be predominately hardy Tennessee native species and providing an approved native-plant list for naturalized screens and buffers.

Shelby County has no ordinance banning or specially permitting artificial turf. Synthetic turf is not counted as living landscaping under the Unified Development Code, so required landscape and buffer areas must use real plant material.

Backyard composting is allowed in Shelby County and has no dedicated permit, but compost and organic material must be managed so it does not become harmful vegetation, attract rodents, or run off the property under county code.

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code requires a tree removal permit or an approved alternative before clearing trees on non-exempt parcels, with a notice of intent, a tree survey, and removals limited by the tree removal matrix.

Residential pools in unincorporated Shelby County must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high, following the International Residential Code adopted as the Memphis and Shelby County Residential Code and enforced by Construction Code Enforcement.

Above-ground pools in unincorporated Shelby County need a building permit and a compliant barrier unless the pool is a prefabricated unit less than 24 inches deep, under the adopted Memphis and Shelby County Residential Code.

In unincorporated Shelby County, a residential swimming pool needs a building permit from the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement. The county enforces the adopted Memphis and Shelby County Residential Code, based on the International Residential Code (IRC).

Beyond the barrier, Shelby County enforces gate self-latching, limited openings, and pool electrical/bonding safety through the adopted Memphis and Shelby County Residential Code and Electrical Code, inspected by Construction Code Enforcement.

Hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Shelby County follow the adopted Memphis and Shelby County Residential Code. A spa needs a barrier like a pool unless it has an approved safety cover, and electrical work must be permitted and inspected.

A home occupation in unincorporated Shelby County may not have any sign advertising the business. UDC Section 2.7.4 prohibits home-occupation signage and any visible evidence of the business from the exterior.

In unincorporated Shelby County, a home occupation is allowed as an accessory use under the Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code (UDC) Section 2.7.4, so long as it stays clearly incidental to residential use and does not change the neighborhood's residential character.

A compliant home occupation in unincorporated Shelby County needs no separate zoning permit under UDC 2.7.4, but it must obtain any applicable business license and pay business taxes, and only household residents may work in the business.

In-home child care in Shelby County is licensed by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS). A family child care home caring for five to seven unrelated children for three or more hours a day must be DHS-licensed.

Homemade food producers in Shelby County are governed by the Tennessee Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. 53-1-118). Foods produced in a home kitchen under the Act are exempt from state licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling requirements.

Shelby County government does not provide universal curbside garbage collection in most unincorporated areas; residents typically contract a private hauler for service. The county sanitary code (Chapter 44) governs how garbage is stored. Northaven is an exception, where a county-contracted hauler collects trash weekly with bulk pickup twice a month.

Shelby County's sanitary code (Chapter 44, Division 2) governs how garbage containers are kept in the unincorporated county, requiring lids kept tightly closed and containers in safe, watertight condition. Bulk-container placement and pickup frequency must meet Health Department requirements; curb setout schedules are set by each hauler or city.

Shelby County's litter-control code defines 'bulky refuse' as discarded appliances, furniture, and inoperable vehicles over 75 pounds or 35 gallons. In unincorporated areas, bulky items go through a private hauler's bulk service or lawful disposal; the county also runs a Household Hazardous Waste facility and a Waste Tire site.

Shelby County Code section 44-88 prohibits throwing, dumping, or depositing litter on another's or public property, and section 44-92 fines violators up to $50 per offense. Illegal dumping is prosecuted in the Shelby County Environmental Court, and Tennessee's litter statutes (T.C.A. 39-14-501 et seq.) add escalating criminal penalties.

Shelby County does not impose a mandatory residential recycling ordinance on unincorporated households; recycling is voluntary and arranged through private haulers. The county supports the regional solid-waste system through the Municipal Solid Waste Regional Board, a Household Hazardous Waste facility, electronics recycling, and the state-required Waste Tire Program.

Shelby County operates its own parks, and county park land such as Shelby Farms Park and the Greenline is generally open sunrise to sunset. State-run Meeman-Shelby Forest and municipal parks post their own hours; entering a closed park is trespassing.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Unified Development Code treats sheds as accessory structures: at least five feet from side and rear property lines, shorter than the main house, and their combined footprint cannot exceed 75 percent of the principal structure's square footage.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Unified Development Code treats carports as accessory structures. A detached carport must sit at least five feet from side and rear lines and stay under the 75 percent cumulative-size cap; attached carports count as part of the principal structure.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, only accessory to a single-family detached home, with living area capped by lot size and subject to administrative site plan review.

Converting a garage to living space in unincorporated Shelby County is governed by the Unified Development Code. If it creates a separate dwelling it is an accessory dwelling unit under UDC 2.7.2D; attached garages count as part of the principal structure and must meet its setbacks.

Unincorporated Shelby County has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A permanent tiny house is regulated by the Unified Development Code as a single-family dwelling or, as a second unit, an accessory dwelling unit under UDC 2.7.2D, and must meet county building and residential codes.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Unified Development Code sign chapter (UDC 4.9) allows any permitted sign to carry a lawful noncommercial message, including political speech, and treats campaign yard signs as temporary residential signs subject to size, number, and setback limits.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Unified Development Code sign chapter treats garage and yard-sale signs as temporary signs. They may advertise a lawful occasional sale and must be removed within 24 hours after the sale ends.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Unified Development Code (UDC 4.7) sets outdoor site-lighting standards to curtail light pollution, reduce skyglow, and follow IES practices, but these apply to larger developments; single-family and two-family residential lighting is exempt.

In unincorporated Shelby County, the Unified Development Code (UDC 4.7) requires regulated outdoor lighting to minimize light trespass and obtrusive light onto neighboring property, using shielding and BUG ratings, but lighting on single-family and two-family homes is exempt.