Shelby County, TN Ordinances (2026)

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…

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…

Shelby County has no breed-specific dog ordinance. Sec. 4-2 defines a "dangerous/vicious dog" solely by documented conduct such as biting, attacking, or dog fighting, with no reference…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Shelby County makes a hosting platform like Airbnb or Vrbo solely liable for collecting and remitting the county's occupancy and sales taxes once it signs a voluntary collection…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Shelby County Code Sec. 16-64 bans keeping any animal, dog, cat, fowl or otherwise, whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs a neighbor's comfort or repose. It applies only in…

Unincorporated Shelby County sets no decibel-meter reading anywhere in its noise law. County Code Article III instead bans any "unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise" and…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Shelby County government does not provide universal curbside garbage collection in most unincorporated areas; residents typically contract a private hauler for service. The county…

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…

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…

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…

In unincorporated Shelby County, businesses and multi-unit properties using bulk-type garbage and trash containers, dumpsters, must get their pickup frequency, placement method and…

Shelby County has no curbside recycling ordinance for households; its one recycling-specific rule targets tire businesses. Any shop in the unincorporated county that resells tires or…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Shelby County bans the sale or use of fireworks outright except where state law authorizes it. A public fireworks display is legal only with a permit issued by the state fire marshal…

Unincorporated Shelby County property owners must cut rank weeds, grasses, and underbrush the county health department deems a health or traffic hazard. Growth over 12 inches is…

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…

Shelby County requires every short-term rental unit to have UL 217-listed smoke alarms in each sleeping area and along the escape path out of it, plus a five-pound ABC fire…

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…

Shelby County bars skateboards, roller skates, coasters and similar toy vehicles from any roadway except while crossing at a marked crosswalk. Riders crossing there get pedestrian…

Shelby County bans alcoholic beverages in every park and playground area within Shelby Farms, the county-run park on the edge of Memphis. The only way around the ban is a written…

Shelby County requires written notice to the sheriff 72 hours to 30 days before any street procession that could impede traffic, covering routes, timing and expected participants…

Shelby County requires written permission before anyone stages a sports event, pageant, reenactment, regatta or other public spectator attraction at Shelby Farms park. The executive…

Anyone doing work on a sidewalk, driveway apron, or the street area from the curb to the property line in unincorporated Shelby County must get a work permit from the county engineer…

In unincorporated Shelby County, the owner of any lot abutting a public street must keep the adjacent sidewalk clean, open for foot traffic, and in good repair. Ignore a county…

Blocking a public sidewalk or walkway in unincorporated Shelby County with boxes, barrels or anything else that interferes with pedestrian passage is an offense under Sec. 38-64…

Every Shelby County short-term rental permit holder must install approved carbon monoxide detectors on every habitable floor of the unit, per Code § 8-810(c). The requirement rides…

Unincorporated Shelby County enforces its building regulations through county-created offices of building official, electrical inspector and plumbing inspector, and the county can…

Unincorporated Shelby County requires electrical work to follow the 2020 National Electric Code, adopted by reference and packaged with a locally drafted Appendix A covering electrical…

Unincorporated Shelby County's version of a green building code is the 2021 ICC International Energy Conservation Code, adopted by reference and amended locally under Joint Ordinance…

Unincorporated Shelby County requires building permits under the 2021 ICC International Building Code, which the county has adopted by reference along with the code's Appendix A on…

Unincorporated Shelby County plumbing work runs under the 2021 ICC International Plumbing Code, adopted by reference and paired with a locally re-drafted Appendix A that sets plumbing…

Unincorporated Shelby County bans dumping oil, antifreeze, paint, pesticides, pool backwash and 27 other contaminants into the county storm sewer system (MS4) under Code Sec. 36-58…

Any construction disturbing one acre or more in unincorporated Shelby County needs a state stormwater discharge permit before work starts, with notice of intent copied to the County…

Shelby County allows development in the floodplain, but the County Engineer can require the developer to prove no adverse impact on upstream or downstream facilities, uses, residences…

Wrecker and towing operators can't work the roads of unincorporated Shelby County without a license from the county clerk, one per truck, at $1.00 for handling plus a $25.00 annual…

Shelby County requires every dealer in secondhand automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and their accessories to log each transaction in a bound register and report it to police…

Operating a food truck in unincorporated Shelby County requires a permit for each vehicle from the county health department, backed by a $150.00 application fee and a $150.00 annual…

Shelby County limits mobile food trucks to specific zoning districts, plus set distances from schools, restaurants, and permitted special events. County Code § 8-681 spells out the…

Selling food or drinks directly off public streets, highways or rights-of-way in unincorporated Shelby County is unlawful under the county's itinerant vendor and peddler ordinance…

Anyone peddling, soliciting or canvassing door-to-door in unincorporated Shelby County must first hold a state peddler's license under T.C.A. § 67-4-101 et seq. before the county's…

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…

Trailer courts in unincorporated Shelby County must actively control rodents and insects under Code § 26-142. Operators must eliminate every rodent harborage and insect breeding site…