Memphis, TN Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max driveway width
- 16 feet at the right-of-way
- Min length past facade
- 20 feet (detached garage/no garage)
- Min distance to intersection
- 20 feet
- Driveways per frontage
- 1, except circular driveways
- Circular driveway cut spacing
- 50 feet minimum apart
- Governing chapter
- UDC Article 4, Access Management
Summary
Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County share one zoning code, and its Access Management chapter caps residential driveway width at 16 feet where the driveway meets the street right-of-way. A driveway leading to a detached garage, carport, or a home with no garage must run at least 20 feet past the front facade, and access points must sit at least 20 feet from any intersection.
Residential driveway access to and from streets must be constructed in accordance with City or County standards as outlined below: ... Width of Driveway Residential driveways may be no wider than 16 feet at the right-of-way and must extend at least 20 feet beyond the front façade of the house in instances where the driveway leads to a detached garage or carport or where there is no garage or carport. ... B. Location of Driveway Access Points The minimum distance from a driveway access point to an intersection shall be 20 feet. No lot may have more than one driveway per street frontage, with the exception of circular driveways which are permitted if the two driveway access points of the circular driveway are at least 50 feet from each other, see Item 4.5.2C(1) for additional requirements.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
4, Residential Driveways, part of the Article 4 Access Management chapter that applies development-wide across both the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County. Under the Width of Driveway standard, a residential driveway may be no wider than 16 feet measured at the right-of-way, and where it serves a detached garage or carport, or where the home has no garage or carport at all, the driveway must extend at least 20 feet beyond the house's front facade. The Location of Driveway Access Points standard sets a 20-foot minimum separation between a driveway access point and a street intersection.
C(1) carries added design requirements for those). 5, Use of Residential Property for Access, separately bars land zoned residential from being used as a driveway route onto adjoining nonresidential or mixed-use land. For nonresidential and multifamily lots, a companion table in the same chapter scales the number of permitted driveways to site frontage: one for up to 200 feet of frontage, two for 201-400 feet, three for 401-600 feet, and four for 601-800 feet, with the Zoning Administrator authorized to approve additional cuts in consultation with the City or County Engineer.
Violations & Fines
Driveway design is enforced through the development review and building permit process rather than after-the-fact citation. The Zoning Administrator, working with the City or County Engineer, reviews driveway width, spacing, and frontage-count compliance before permits issue, and can approve exceptions such as additional driveways on qualifying nonresidential frontages. A driveway built wider than 16 feet, closer than 20 feet to an intersection, or in excess of the one-per-frontage limit is a code deficiency that can hold up permit approval or certificate of occupancy sign-off until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How wide can a residential driveway be in Memphis?
Can I have two driveways on one lot?
How close can a driveway be to an intersection?
Can I run a driveway across my residential lot to reach a business next door?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Memphis
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