Raleigh, NC Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Two sections of the general City Code, not the UDO, control these prohibited fence materials. Sec. 13-3011 sets a citywide floor for barbed wire generally, subsection (a) prohibits any barbed wire below five feet above ground level and requires removal of nonconforming installations within one year of the 1985 ordinance taking effect, but subsection (c), added by Ord. No. 1998-305 in 1998, goes further for residential property: barbed wire 'on any lot containing one (1) or more dwellings, congregate care, or congregate living structures is prohibited in the City of Raleigh and shall not be installed after application of this ordinance,' with existing nonconforming wire again required to come down within a year.

The only carve-outs in the section are penal institutions (wire below seven feet must stay at least 15 feet from the nearest public right-of-way) and agricultural livestock enclosures kept at least 15 feet from the street pavement or curb, neither applies to an ordinary residential yard. Electric fences are handled separately under Sec. 13-2030, which makes charging any fence, barrier, or obstruction that a person or animal 'might come in contact with' unlawful unless three conditions are all met: the fence was erected under a City fence permit, it carries Underwriters Laboratory (or equivalent state-approved lab) certification, and its current does not exceed one ampere.

An unpermitted or uncertified electric fence, or one exceeding that current limit, is unlawful regardless of voltage marketing claims. Both sections are enforced by Raleigh's code enforcement and police, independent of the UDO's zoning fence standards in Sec. 8, which separately cross-references Sec. 13-3011 for barbed wire.