Pop. 83,454 · Williamson County
Franklin's general noise rule lives in Title 11 (Municipal Offenses), Chapter 4 (Offenses Against the Peace and Quiet) of the Franklin Municipal Code. Section 11-402 prohibits any…
Franklin allows construction Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or outside that window by special permit. Construction performed outside those hours without…
Barking-dog and other animal-noise complaints in Franklin are enforced under Title 10 (Animal Control) of the Franklin Municipal Code, with the general 'unnecessary noise' standard of…
The City of Franklin does not publish a leaf-blower-specific ordinance. Use of gas-powered and electric leaf blowers is governed by the general 'unnecessary noise' standard of Title…
Amplified music in Franklin is regulated by Title 11, Ch. 4 (Sec. 11-402 / 11-403) and, for public-space events, by the Title 16 Public Gathering and Expression Event ordinance…
Outdoor music at Franklin venues - downtown Public Square, Harlinsdale Farm, Carnton, and any City-owned property or public right-of-way - is regulated by the Title 16, Ch. 5 Special…
Aircraft-in-flight noise is preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration. The City of Franklin does not operate an airport and does not regulate aircraft noise; the nearest…
Industrial and commercial noise from Franklin's office and light-industrial corridors - including the Cool Springs corporate park (home to Mars Petcare US, Nissan North America's…
Franklin's noise ordinance does NOT publish a property-line dBA cap by zoning district. The only hard, measurable numeric thresholds tied to Franklin enforcement are (a) the Title 16…
Franklin's short-term vacation rental program does not impose a flat citywide guest headcount but caps occupancy through three intersecting standards verified at compliance inspection…
Franklin requires proof of insurance as a condition of the short-term vacation rental compliance certificate; the operator must provide documentation of property and liability…
Franklin does not impose a fixed annual cap on the number of nights a licensed short-term vacation rental may host. There is no '90-day,' '120-day,' '113-day,' or '180-day' booking…
Franklin's short-term vacation rental compliance program requires adequate off-street parking for all guest vehicles as a condition of the use permit and the 12-month compliance…
Registering a short-term vacation rental in Franklin is a multi-step process administered by the Building and Neighborhood Services Department (109 3rd Avenue South, 615-791-3217) in…
Short-term vacation rentals in Franklin TN collect a four-layer tax stack on every reservation of fewer than 30 continuous days: 7% Tennessee state sales tax under TCA 67-6-202, 1.5%…
Operating a short-term vacation rental (STVR) inside the City of Franklin requires a use permit issued under the Franklin Zoning Ordinance administered by the Building and Neighborhood…
Franklin's December 2019 ordinance effectively imposed a strong host-presence requirement on new short-term vacation rentals in residential zoning districts: the dwelling must be…
Franklin does not codify a separate decibel table or quiet-hours schedule that applies only to short-term vacation rentals; STVR guests are subject to the citywide general noise…
Franklin's December 2019 STVR ordinance effectively imposes a primary-residence-only restriction on all new short-term vacation rentals in residential zoning districts: the homeowner…
Franklin's Property Maintenance Code prohibits parking motor vehicles on the lawn - all vehicles must sit on an approved parking pad or driveway - to prevent erosion and stagnant water…
Franklin does not impose a citywide weight or length cap on commercial vehicles in residential neighborhoods, but every vehicle on the street is subject to Title 15 (Motor Vehicles…
Street parking in Franklin is governed by Title 15 (Motor Vehicles, Traffic and Parking) of the Franklin Municipal Code, with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen's authority to restrict…
Loading zones in Franklin are installed and signed by the city under Title 15 (Motor Vehicles, Traffic and Parking) of the Franklin Municipal Code, with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen…
Curb markings and colored-curb paint on Franklin public streets are installed only by the city (the Franklin Street Department installed 29 new downtown parking signs in 2023 alone)…
Franklin does not maintain a separate citywide ban on RV or boat storage, but the city Property Maintenance Code prohibits any inoperable or unlicensed motor vehicle from being kept on…
Franklin does not maintain a separate length- or weight-based oversized-vehicle ordinance on residential streets. The functional limits come from Title 15 (Motor Vehicles, Traffic and…
Abandoned vehicles in Franklin are governed primarily by Tennessee Code Annotated Title 55, Chapter 16 (Abandoned, Immobile or Unattended Vehicles). Under TCA 55-16-105, after a…
Franklin does not impose a citywide overnight parking ban on passenger vehicles. The functional limit on the street comes from posted no-parking ordinances adopted by the Board of…
Franklin has not adopted a stand-alone EV charging ordinance; installations follow the adopted Tennessee Building Code and the city's adopted electrical code. Both of the free downtown…
Title 13 (Property Maintenance Regulations) of the Franklin Municipal Code requires every property owner or tenant to periodically cut grass and weeds and keep the property free of…
The City of Franklin has prohibited the sale and use of consumer fireworks since 1999 by ordinance adopted under Title 7 of the Franklin Municipal Code. Sky lanterns are also…
Franklin sits in Middle Tennessee's Central Basin / Highland Rim transition in Williamson County and is not within a federally mapped Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zone. Tennessee…
Open burning of residential brush, yard waste, and trash is prohibited inside Franklin city limits per the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office under Title 7, Chapter 2 (Fire Code) of the…
Backyard fires in Franklin fall into three categories under Title 7, Chapter 2 (Fire Code) of the Franklin Municipal Code, which adopts the 2024 IFC: (1) above-ground fire pits…
The City of Franklin Fire Marshal's Office permits residential use of above-ground fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits without a burn permit. Open burning of brush or trash…
Propane (LP-gas) storage, use, and dispensing in Franklin is regulated by the Tennessee LP-Gas Code (Tennessee adoption of NFPA 58, 2020 edition) under Tennessee's Liquefied Petroleum…
Smoke alarm requirements in Franklin homes follow Tennessee Code Annotated 68-120-112 (Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in residential buildings) and the statewide 2018…
The City of Franklin does not have a breed-specific dog ban. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other commonly-restricted breeds are legal to own in Franklin. Tennessee currently has no…
Title 10 of the Franklin Municipal Code (Animal Control) prohibits dogs from running at large within the corporate city limits. State law reinforces this: Tennessee Code Annotated…
The City of Franklin Municipal Code Title 10 (Animal Control), as restated by Ordinance 2011-16, makes it unlawful for any person owning chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or other…
Title 10 of the Franklin Municipal Code (Animal Control), restated by Ordinance 2011-16, makes it unlawful to allow cattle, horses, mules, sheep, goats, swine, or domestic fowl to run…
The City of Franklin Municipal Code does not contain a beekeeping-specific ordinance. Beekeeping in Franklin is governed by the Tennessee Apiary Act of 1995 (TCA 44-15-101 through…
The City of Franklin Municipal Code does not authorize keeping wild or exotic animals as personal pets within the corporate limits. Exotic-animal possession is governed at the state…
The City of Franklin Municipal Code does not include a city-specific wildlife-feeding ordinance, but state-level Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) rules apply citywide…
Tennessee animal cruelty statutes apply uniformly statewide and treat aggravated cruelty as a felony, allowing prosecution of hoarding cases regardless of city or county ordinances.
Per Section 13.1.6 of the Franklin Zoning Ordinance, residential fences must be built from a combination of treated wood posts, pickets, rot-resistant wood (such as cypress or…
Fences in the City of Franklin are reviewed by the Department of Planning and Sustainability for compliance with Chapter 13 of the Zoning Ordinance, and building permits for fences and…
Franklin fences are regulated by Chapter 13 (Fences, Walls, and Screening) of the City of Franklin Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Department of Planning and Sustainability. Per…
Fences in the City of Franklin are governed by Chapter 13 of the Zoning Ordinance, which sets height limits in Section 13.1.2, opacity rules in 13.1.4, material standards in 13.1.6…
Residential pool barriers in Franklin must comply with the City-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) - the 2018 edition for plans submitted before January 1, 2026…
Neither the City of Franklin Municipal Code nor the Franklin Zoning Ordinance contains a 'good-side-out' requirement, a partition-fence statute, or a mandatory cost-sharing rule…
Franklin restricts fence materials by zoning district under Section 13.1.6 of the Zoning Ordinance. Chain link fencing and chain link gates are prohibited everywhere except the LI…
Retaining walls in Franklin are regulated under Section 13.2 of the Zoning Ordinance and under the City-adopted International Building Code and International Residential Code. For…
Franklin's pool safety rules come from the City-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (2018 ISPSC pre-1/1/2026, 2024 ISPSC via Ordinance 2025-37 thereafter) and from the…
Franklin pool barriers are governed by Section 305 of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as adopted by the City (2018 ISPSC for plans pre-1/1/2026, 2024 ISPSC via Ordinance…
All swimming pools in the City of Franklin require a building permit issued by Building and Neighborhood Services (615-794-7012, 109 3rd Avenue South). The City has adopted the…
Hot tubs and spas in the City of Franklin are governed by the City-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (2018 ISPSC pre-1/1/2026, 2024 ISPSC via Ordinance 2025-37…
An above-ground pool holding more than 30 inches of water needs a permit in unincorporated Williamson County. The pool wall can replace a fence only if it stands four feet above grade…
Per the Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 17.2 (Tree Protection) and § 17.2.9 (Tree Removal Permits), existing trees on a lot or development site may not be removed unless removal is…
Franklin defines 'weeds, grass and plant growth' as 'all grasses, annual plants and vegetation' and prohibits any of it from exceeding twelve (12) inches in height on any premises…
The City of Franklin does not have a specific ordinance prohibiting or regulating artificial turf on residential lots. Synthetic turf may be installed in rear and side yards without…
Per the City of Franklin's Property Maintenance program (administered by Building & Neighborhood Services), all premises in Franklin — including the perimeter of vacant lots adjacent…
The City of Franklin Water Management Department operates under a Drought Management Plan approved by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). When drought…
Franklin is a recognized Tree City USA community operating an Urban Forestry program with an Urban Forestry Superintendent and Supervisor. Tree topping is expressly prohibited in the…
Rainwater harvesting is legal and unregulated for residential use throughout Tennessee — including Franklin. There are no volume limits, no permit requirements, and no…
Franklin does not require native-plant landscaping, but the Tree Commission maintains a Recommended Tree List that prioritizes species suited to Middle Tennessee, and the Zoning…
Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.7.G allows limited on-site customer traffic but caps it tightly: most home occupations may host no more than two individuals or one family on-site at a…
Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.7.G expressly prohibits any signs or other means of advertising on the property of a home occupation. The 'no change in exterior appearance' rule…
The Tennessee Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. § 53-1-118) gives Franklin residents one of the most permissive cottage-food regimes in the country: no state license, no permit, no inspection…
Franklin does not require a Conditional Use Permit, zoning permit, or special home occupation permit for a compliant home occupation under § 5.2.7.G — operation is by right in all…
The Franklin Zoning Ordinance (effective January 13, 2026) regulates home-based businesses as 'Home Occupations' under Title 14 Ch. 5, § 5.2.7.G. Home occupations are permitted by…
Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.7.G permits in-home care of up to 4 unrelated children as a by-right home occupation. Larger Family Child Care Homes under Tennessee Department of Human…
Carports in Franklin are accessory structures under Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.3 (or § 5.2.4 Minor Accessory Structure if ≤200 sq ft). Carports must sit behind the front facade of…
Franklin permits Accessory Dwellings under Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.7 with a 50 percent of principal-building footprint cap, owner-occupancy requirement, parking compliance, and a…
Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.4 classifies storage sheds with a footprint of 200 square feet or less as 'Minor Accessory Structures' — permitted in all residential districts. Sheds…
Converting a garage into habitable space in Franklin requires a building permit and electrical permit from Building & Neighborhood Services because it is a change of occupancy under…
A tiny home on a permanent foundation in Franklin is treated as either a single-family dwelling or an Accessory Dwelling under the Franklin Zoning Ordinance and must meet the Tennessee…
The City of Franklin Zoning Ordinance includes a dedicated Lighting chapter (Chapter 13 in the current Zoning Ordinance) that applies to commercial, multi-family, mixed-use, and…
Williamson County's Zoning Ordinance bars exterior lighting from shining into a neighbor's yard or windows and caps illumination at the property line at 0.2 footcandles for site-plan…
The Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 17.2 protects 'specimen trees' as the City's functional equivalent of a heritage-tree designation. Specimen trees cannot be approved for removal under §…
Under Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 17.2.9 (Tree Removal Permits), a tree removal permit must be obtained from Building & Neighborhood Services before removing trees on commercial…
When trees are removed under a Franklin tree removal permit or as part of an approved development plan, the Zoning Ordinance § 17.2 imposes tree replacement standards that require new…
Franklin's tree ordinance framework consists of three pieces: (1) Zoning Ordinance Chapter 17 (Natural Resources) — substantive tree protection including § 17.2 (Tree Protection), §…
Tennessee does NOT have a strong statewide solar-rights statute that overrides HOA restrictions — a sharp contrast with Florida, California, Texas, Colorado, and Arizona. The Tennessee…
Residential rooftop and small ground-mount solar installations in Franklin require a building (and electrical) permit through Building & Neighborhood Services, applying the statewide…
Operating a food truck in Franklin requires a Mobile Food Vendor Permit from Building & Neighborhood Services (BNS), governed by Title 9 Chapter 11 (Mobile Food Vending) of the…
Under Franklin Municipal Code Title 9 Chapter 11 (Mobile Food Vending), adopted Aug. 28, 2023, mobile food units in Franklin may operate ONLY on developed and occupied property within…
Home cultivation of marijuana is PROHIBITED in Franklin and across Tennessee. Tennessee has no recreational marijuana program and no commercial medical marijuana program. The only…
There are NO marijuana dispensaries in Franklin or anywhere in Tennessee — the state has not authorized commercial medical or recreational cannabis sales. There is no state licensing…
Franklin applies the same property maintenance standards to vacant and occupied lots. Under Title 13 (Property Maintenance Regulations), all premises — including the perimeter of…
Franklin adopts the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) through Title 12 (Building, Utility, Etc. Codes) and enforces blight, junk, and rubbish accumulation through Title 13…
Franklin requires a $5 yard-sale permit from Billing & Licensing for any sale conducted inside city limits. Each dwelling is limited to a maximum of four (4) yard sales per year, each…
Residential trash collection in Franklin is provided by the City of Franklin Sanitation and Environmental Services Department (615-794-1516), governed by Title 17 (Municipal Solid…
Williamson County imposes no sidewalk snow-clearing duty on residents. Middle Tennessee winters are mild and measurable snow is rare. The county highway department and TDOT clear…
Franklin's rollout containers, yard waste, brush, and other refuse must be placed at the curb no earlier than 7:00 PM the day BEFORE collection and no later than 7:00 AM on the…
Franklin operates its OWN municipal Sanitation and Environmental Services Department (NOT contracted to Republic Services, Waste Connections, or another private national hauler)…
Franklin Sanitation collects bulky items (furniture, mattresses, etc.) every Tuesday and large appliances/white goods every Thursday — set out at curbside by 7:00 AM with at least 5…
Recycling in Williamson County is voluntary, not mandatory. Tennessee has no statewide residential recycling law. Residents drop off metal, cans, glass, paper, cardboard, plastic…
Franklin requires a $5 yard-sale permit through Billing & Licensing, with a maximum of four sales per dwelling per year, two consecutive days each, daylight only. Signs are not allowed…
Campaign signs in Franklin are governed by the Tennessee Freedom of Speech Act (TCA 2-7-143), which preempts local governments and HOAs from restricting the number or shape of…
Franklin's Zoning Ordinance Chapter 15 (Signs) does not impose a calendar take-down date for residential holiday lights, wreaths, garlands, or inflatable decorations that carry only a…
Franklin participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and is regulated by the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Williamson County. Updated FIRMs were approved…
Franklin is a Phase II MS4 community permitted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and runs its stormwater program out of Title 23 of the Franklin…
Grading, drainage, and post-construction stormwater quality in Franklin are regulated by Title 23 of the Franklin Municipal Code, including the green stormwater infrastructure…
Franklin enforces erosion and sediment control through Title 23 of the Franklin Municipal Code and through the TDEC NPDES Construction General Permit (CGP) TNR100000, which Franklin…
Williamson County is landlocked in Middle Tennessee, so coastal rules do not apply. Development near its streams and drainageways is instead governed by open-space buffers, floodplain…
Franklin residential setbacks are set in Chapter 3 of the Franklin Zoning Ordinance (effective Jan. 13, 2026). R1: 60 ft front / 25 ft side / 50 ft rear on a 30,000 sq ft minimum lot…
The county controls development intensity mainly through minimum lot area and residential density rather than a single lot-coverage percentage, under Tenn. Code Ann. §13-7-101…
The county Zoning Ordinance caps building height by district, usually measured in stories rather than feet. Most residential districts allow up to 3 stories; rural and agricultural…
Federal law (FAA Part 107 for commercial; 49 U.S.C. § 44809 for recreational) governs the airspace over Franklin — the City cannot regulate altitude or flight paths. Tennessee adds the…
Commercial drone operators follow FAA 14 CFR Part 107: hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft, stay below 400 feet, keep visual line of sight. Tennessee's §39-13-903…
Door-to-door sales in Williamson County are licensed by the cities. Franklin, Brentwood, and other municipalities require a permit before soliciting, and residents can ask any…
A posted no-soliciting sign carries weight in Williamson County. Under the cities' solicitation ordinances, a permitted salesperson who ignores a clear no-soliciting notice can be…
Sale hours are set by city. Franklin and Nolensville limit sales to 7 a.m.–7 p.m. over three consecutive days or two consecutive weekends. Brentwood caps each sale at two consecutive…
Permits are a city matter in Williamson County. Franklin requires a $5 permit displayed on the property; Nolensville uses a free downloadable permit. Brentwood requires no permit, and…
Caps are set city by city. Franklin and Nolensville allow four sales a year; Brentwood allows two. Unincorporated Williamson County sets no numeric cap, though continuous selling can…
Tennessee sets a statewide child curfew by statute (Tenn. Code Ann. §39-17-1702): minors 17 to 18 must be off public places 11 PM to 6 AM on weeknights and midnight to 6 AM on…
Williamson County parks and city parks in Franklin and Brentwood close at posted hours, generally dawn to dusk or a fixed evening time. Being in a closed park after hours is criminal…
Rent control is illegal across Williamson County. Tennessee Code §66-35-102 bars every county and city from enacting or enforcing any ordinance controlling the rent charged for private…
Tennessee has no just-cause eviction law, and Williamson County cannot add one. Under §66-28-512 a landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' written notice; nonpayment gets…
Williamson County runs no rental registration or landlord licensing. There is no county registry, annual rental permit, or mandatory rental inspection, so a landlord owes the county no…
In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-505 gives a tenant 14 days to cure nonpayment of rent or another remediable breach before the lease terminates. Dangerous or violent conduct allows…
In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-304 requires landlords to comply with building and housing codes, make repairs to keep the unit fit and habitable, keep common areas clean and safe…
In URLTA counties, a Tennessee landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entering to show the unit to prospective tenants in the last 30 days of tenancy, may enter without…
In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-201(d) caps any late fee at 10% of the rent past due and requires a five-day grace period before a fee may be charged. If the grace period ends on a…
In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-512 lets either party end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date, and a week-to-week tenancy…
Tennessee has no statute setting a rent-increase notice period, a rent-control limit, or a cap on how much a landlord may raise rent. The amount and timing of increases are governed…
Tennessee sets no statutory cap on security deposits. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301, landlords in counties over 75,000 must hold deposits in a separate account, let the tenant…
Tennessee adverse possession requires 7 years of possession when the claimant holds recorded color of title (Tenn. Code 28-2-101 to -102), or 20 years of open, continuous, hostile…
Tennessee prohibits local governments from setting minimum wages above the federal floor under T.C.A. 50-2-112, reserving wage authority exclusively to the state.
Tennessee bars local governments from mandating paid sick or family leave on private employers under T.C.A. 50-2-112, leaving leave decisions to employer discretion.
Tennessee preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under T.C.A. 50-2-112, preventing cities from regulating private employer scheduling practices.
Tennessee allows permitless concealed and open carry for adults 21 and older (or qualified 18-20 year olds) under T.C.A. 39-17-1307 and 1351, with optional enhanced and concealed…
Tennessee law preempts virtually all local regulation of firearms, ammunition, and components, reserving authority exclusively to the state legislature under T.C.A. 39-17-1314.
Open carry of handguns is lawful in Tennessee under permitless carry, but rifles and shotguns are subject to general unlawful-carry rules in T.C.A. 39-17-1307.
Tennessee allows eligible adults to carry handguns openly or concealed in private motor vehicles without a permit under T.C.A. 39-17-1351 and 39-17-1307, preempting stricter local…
Tennessee has no general HOA assessment statute. For condominiums, T.C.A. § 66-27-415 gives the association an automatic lien for unpaid assessments and fines, foreclosable by judicial…
Condominium boards act under T.C.A. § 66-27-403, and § 66-27-417 makes financial and other records "reasonably available" to owners. Subdivision HOAs run under the Tennessee Nonprofit…
Tennessee has no statute on subdivision covenant enforcement. CC&Rs and architectural rules are enforced as recorded restrictive covenants under common law, which Tennessee courts…
Tennessee sets no dollar cap on HOA fines. A condominium board acts on the association's behalf under T.C.A. § 66-27-403 and may impose fines under the declaration and bylaws after…
Tennessee protects U.S. and military flag display: T.C.A. § 66-27-602 bars an HOA from prohibiting it, allowing only reasonable placement rules. Tennessee's Solar Access Law (T.C.A. §…
Tennessee requires private employers with 35 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify program to confirm work authorization under T.C.A. 50-1-703.
Tennessee bans sanctuary policies statewide under T.C.A. 7-68-101 and following, requiring local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities or lose state funding.
Tennessee limits local zoning interference with bona fide farm operations under T.C.A. 13-7-114 and Right to Farm protections in T.C.A. 43-26-103, preserving rural land use rights.
The Tennessee Right to Farm Act under T.C.A. 43-26-103 protects established farms from nuisance suits when operations existed for at least one year before the complaint.
Tennessee preempts local plastic bag bans and fees under T.C.A. § 7-51-2002 (enacted 2019), which makes the state the exclusive regulator of auxiliary containers such as bags.
Tennessee bars local bans, fees, or taxes on polystyrene foam containers under T.C.A. § 7-51-2002, which makes the state the exclusive regulator of auxiliary food and drink containers.
Tennessee preempts local plastic straw bans through the auxiliary-container statute, T.C.A. § 7-51-2002, leaving straw distribution unregulated at the municipal level.
Tennessee prohibits the sale of tobacco, hemp, and vapor products to anyone under 21 under T.C.A. 39-17-1504, aligned with the federal Tobacco 21 standard adopted in 2019.
Tennessee does not impose a statewide flavor ban on tobacco or vape products, and local flavor bans are generally preempted by uniform state licensing under Title 39, Chapter 17, Part…
Tennessee regulates vapor product retailers under T.C.A. 39-17-1504 and related statutes, requiring age verification, restricting youth access, and prohibiting sales to those under 21.