Raleigh, NC Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sec. 13-2030 of the Code of Ordinances singles out electrified fencing for its own permit gate: placing or maintaining an electrically-charged fence, barrier, partition, or obstruction that persons or animals might come into contact with is unlawful unless three conditions are all met, it is erected pursuant to a fence permit, it is approved by Underwriters Laboratory or another testing laboratory approved by the State of North Carolina, and it carries a current that does not exceed one ampere. Missing any one of the three makes the installation illegal, regardless of intent.

This is the only fence-specific permit trigger in Raleigh's general Code of Ordinances; conventional fencing is instead addressed dimensionally in the Unified Development Ordinance at Sec. 8 (Walls and Fences), which sets height and thoroughfare-setback limits rather than requiring a standalone permit application. Sec. 13-2030 itself was adopted by Ord. No. 1991-831 on August 6, 1991, and has not been separately amended since. Because the section does not state its own penalty, enforcement falls to the Code's general default in Sec. S. 14-4, punishable by up to a $500 fine or imprisonment, and it may alternatively be pursued as a $250 civil penalty, with each day the fence remains up counting as a separate violation.

Property owners planning livestock containment, garden deterrent, or security fencing that carries an electric current should apply for the fence permit and retain UL documentation before energizing the fence, since code enforcement can act on the wiring and current draw alone without needing to show any injury occurred.