Shawnee County, KS Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sec. 04(a)(1) of the Shawnee County Zoning Regulations draws the permit line at six feet: 'For all fences six (6) feet or greater in height, where a new fence is constructed or an existing fence is being extended, or 50% or more of the linear feet of the entire existing fence is being replaced or reconstructed, a fence permit shall be obtained. ' That means a fence under six feet generally does not need a permit, but any six-foot-plus fence, any extension of an existing fence regardless of the resulting height, or a replacement job touching half or more of an existing fence's total linear footage triggers the requirement, and the whole fence then has to meet every current standard in Article XXIX, not just the portion being rebuilt.

Sec. 04(a)(2) places the burden of locating boundaries on the applicant: the property owner is responsible for locating property lines, platted and recorded easements, and floodplain boundaries, and the permit application must include an accurate, to-scale site plan confirming those locations and dimensions. Once submitted, the planning department reviews the application but Sec. 04(c)(3) makes clear the department is not responsible for determining whether the fence will encroach on a utility or other easement; that risk stays with the applicant. A permit will not be issued until the county engineer confirms under Sec.

04(c)(2) that the fence location will not create a traffic hazard, per Sec. 24-132 of the Shawnee County Code. Fences are also barred from platted or recorded drainage easements under Sec. 04(c)(4) unless the Shawnee County Public Works Department determines the fence will not obstruct overland water flow or collect debris that causes backwater, and a five-foot clearance must be kept around fire hydrants under Sec. 04(c)(5) unless the applicable fire district waives it in writing. R. Resolution 2011-2, Sec. R. Resolution 2012-8, Sec. 2, effective October 8, 2012.