Goodyear, AZ Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban
- Electric fences and barbed wire citywide
- Zoning exception
- Industrial storage yards only
- Exception limit
- 3-strand barbed wire/tape, 8 ft max
- Always prohibited
- Rolled barbed wire or razor wire
- Remedy
- City court abatement order
- Default penalty
- Up to $2,500 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Goodyear bans barbed wire and electric fences everywhere in the city unless zoning specifically allows them, under City Code § 11-1-6. Any fence that does not fit the narrow zoning exception is declared a public nuisance the City court can order removed. The Zoning Ordinance's only carve-out lets industrial-district storage yards use three-strand barbed wire or barbed tape up to eight feet high, never rolled barbed wire or razor wire.
Unless permitted by zoning, it is unlawful for any person to erect or maintain within the City any electric fence or any fence constructed in whole or in part of barbed wire. Any such fence is declared a public nuisance and subject to abatement by order of the City court.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1648, passed April 27, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 11-1-6 flatly bars erecting or maintaining an electric fence or any fence built in whole or in part of barbed wire anywhere in Goodyear, unless permitted by zoning. A fence that violates the ban is not merely subject to a citation; the code declares it a public nuisance and subject to abatement by order of the City court, meaning the City can seek an order from the Goodyear Municipal Court forcing removal rather than relying solely on a notice-and-fine process. The zoning exception referenced in § 11-1-6 is narrow.
3(A)(6) allows barbed wire only in industrial zoning districts, and only as part of a walled storage area for materials and equipment: up to three strands of barbed wire or barbed tape on top of a wall, capped at eight feet total height, installed for maximum security. Even there, the ordinance draws a hard line against rolled barbed wire or razor wire, which stays prohibited citywide regardless of zoning district. Residential, commercial and agricultural properties get no barbed-wire or electric-fence allowance at all; a homeowner or rancher who wants extra security fencing has to use a compliant material such as masonry, wrought iron or standard chain link built to the applicable height limit under the same fences-and-walls article of the Zoning Ordinance.
Violations & Fines
A prohibited fence is declared a public nuisance under § 11-1-6, letting the City seek an abatement order directly from the Goodyear Municipal Court rather than only citing the owner. Because the section carries no separate penalty clause, a general code violation defaults to the citywide penalty in Article 1-8: a misdemeanor conviction punishable by a fine up to $2,500 for an individual or $20,000 for a business, up to six months in jail, with each day the fence stays up counted as a new offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Goodyear homeowner put up a barbed wire fence for security?
Where is barbed wire actually allowed in Goodyear?
What happens if someone builds an illegal barbed wire fence in Goodyear?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Goodyear
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Material Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle material restrictions.