Raleigh has no city ordinance regulating residential lawn ornaments, statuary, or year-round decor. UDO setback rules in Section 1.5.5 apply to permanent structures, and Raleigh Historic Overlay Districts under UDO Section 5.4 may require Certificates of Appropriateness.
Raleigh Code and UDO have no chapter or section directly regulating residential statuary, lawn ornaments, or year-round decorations. The applicable general rules are: (1) UDO Section 1.5.5 (Required Yards) sets setback standards for permanent structures, which can technically apply to large fixed sculptures over 30 inches in front-yard setbacks; (2) UDO Section 5.4 (Historic Overlay Districts) requires Certificate of Appropriateness from the Raleigh Historic Development Commission for permanent landscape features in designated districts such as Oakwood, Boylan Heights, Capitol Square, and Glenwood-Brooklyn; (3) Outside historic districts, no design review is triggered for residential lawn ornaments. HOA-governed properties remain subject to private CC&Rs enforceable under NC Gen. Stat. Chapter 47F (NC Planned Community Act).
Enforcement is complaint-driven. Code Enforcement may issue Notice of Violation under UDO Section 1.5.5 for permanent fixed structures in setbacks. Historic Overlay District violations under UDO Section 5.4 require restoration and carry civil penalties up to $500 under NC Gen. Stat. 160D-404.
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