Fort Smith, AR Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed
- wood, metal, stone, chainlink
- Banned
- barbed wire, chicken wire, glass
- Barbed wire exception
- 1+ acre, large animals
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 7-11, 2011
Summary
Fort Smith allows wood, metal tubing, wrought iron, stone, masonry, and chainlink residential fencing, but bans barbed wire, chicken wire, chain, broken glass, and other non-fencing materials.
On properties zoned or developed for residential purposes, allowable fencing materials shall include wood, metal tubing or wrought iron, stone, masonry and chainlink... Fencing material...shall not use rope, string, wire products including but not limited to chicken wire, hog wire, wire fabric, barbed wire, razor ribbon wire and similar welded or woven wire fabrics, chain, netting, cut or broken glass, paper, metal panels, corrugated metal panels, galvanized sheet metal, plywood, tarps, fiberglass panels or plastic panels.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 14-56 sets the allowed and banned fencing materials for residential lots citywide: wood, metal tubing or wrought iron, stone, masonry, chainlink, and listed vinyl/fiberglass composite products are permitted, while rope, string, chicken wire, hog wire, wire fabric, barbed wire, razor ribbon wire, chain, netting, broken glass, corrugated or galvanized metal panels, plywood, tarps and plastic panels are all prohibited. The one exception: barbed wire is allowed if the fenced lot is at least one acre and used to keep large domestic animals under Sec. 27-701-2. Existing nonconforming fences got six months from the 2011 ordinance's adoption to comply.
Violations & Fines
Violating the material restrictions is a code violation subject to the general penalty in Sec. 1-9; nonconforming fences got a one-time six-month grace period after the 2011 ordinance to comply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a chain-link fence in my Fort Smith yard?
Is barbed wire fencing legal on a Fort Smith residential lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Smith
Compare Fort Smith to another location·View the Arkansas fence regulations overview
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