Boone County, MO Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Ag activity
- Exempt from general area/yard rules
- A-1 min. lot
- 10 acres for new dwelling
- Ag districts
- A-1, A-2, A-R (plus P twins)
- Defined broadly
- Crops, livestock, beekeeping, forestry
Summary
Boone County's zoning ordinance exempts agricultural activity from its general height, area and yard regulations, and its agricultural districts allow farming, livestock and farm dwellings as permitted uses by right.
Section 4: General Provisions
A. For non-agricultural activity uses, except as hereinafter provided:
(1) No building shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered, nor shall any building or land be used except for a purpose permitted in the district in which the building or land is located.
(2) No building shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered except in conformity with the height and area regulations of the district in which the building is located.
(3) The density and yard regulations of this ordinance are minimum regulations for each and every building existing at the effective date of this ordinance and for any building hereafter erected or structurally altered. No land required for yards or other open spaces about an existing building or any building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall be considered a yard or lot area for more than one building.
(4) Any division of land is subject to the Boone County Subdivision Regulations if the resulting lots or tracts contain less than twenty acres.
(5) Every building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall be located on a lot as herein defined and in no case shall there be more than one main building on a lot except as otherwise provided in this ordinance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Section 4.A of the zoning ordinance applies its general building, height, area and yard regulations 'For non-agricultural activity uses': carving agriculture out of the rules that bind other development. The A-1 Agriculture District (§5.A(1)) permits agricultural activity, equine facilities, farm dwellings and home occupations by right on qualifying lots, with a 10-acre minimum for a new single-family dwelling not on a pre-1973 lot of record. 'Agricultural Activity' is defined broadly to include cultivating soil, raising crops and livestock, horticulture, beekeeping, aquaculture and forestry.
Violations & Fines
Building or using land for a non-agricultural purpose not listed for the district, or ignoring the district's minimum acreage for a farm dwelling, is a zoning violation and a misdemeanor under Section 18.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Boone County protect the right to farm through zoning?
How big a lot do I need to build a farmhouse in the A-1 district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boone County
Compare Boone County to another location·View the Missouri right to farm overview
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