Washington County, UT Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Agricultural zones
- A-5, A-10, A-20, A-40 districts
- Zoning purpose
- Bars uses "inimical" to farming, § 10-7A-1
- Protection area minimum
- 5 continuous acres, § 9-3-2
- Board size
- 5 members, from soil conservation boards
- State authority
- Utah Code § 17-41-301(5)
- Filing venue
- County clerk/auditor, § 9-3-4
Summary
Washington County's A-5 through A-40 agricultural zones exist, by ordinance, "to preserve appropriate areas for agricultural use," and the code bars any use that is "inimical to the continuance of agricultural activity." A separate chapter lets landowners petition to form state-recognized Agriculture Protection Areas on top of that zoning.
10-7A-1: PURPOSE: The purpose of these zones is to preserve appropriate areas for agricultural use. Uses normally and necessarily related to agriculture are permitted and uses inimical to the continuance of agricultural activity are not allowed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-7A-1, the purpose clause for the county's Agricultural Zone chapter covering the A-5, A-10, A-20, and A-40 districts, states: "The purpose of these zones is to preserve appropriate areas for agricultural use. " Permitted uses in those districts include crop production, dairy production, farm buildings, and livestock feeding and poultry raising in the A-10, A-20, and A-40 districts, while conditional uses like fish farms, fur farms, and public riding stables need planning commission approval. Layered on top of this zoning, Title 9, Chapter 3, Agriculture Protection Areas, lets landowners petition the county to designate protected farmland under Utah Code Annotated Title 17, Chapter 41.
Section 9-3-1 establishes a five-member Agriculture Protection Area Advisory Board, drawn from the Dixie Soil Conservation Districts' boards of supervisors, to review petitions under state law. Section 9-3-2 sets the threshold: "at least five (5) continuous acres must be included in each agriculture protection area established within the county," citing Utah Code Annotated section 17-41-301(5). Section 9-3-3 requires petitioners to pay a filing fee set by the county commission and to reimburse the county's publication costs for the required notices, and Section 9-3-4 requires all petitions to be filed with the county clerk/auditor along with that fee.
Violations & Fines
Building or operating a use the planning commission finds "inimical to the continuance of agricultural activity" in an A-5 through A-40 district without the required conditional use permit is a Title 10 zoning violation, enforced by the building inspector under Section 10-1-12 and abatable as a public nuisance under Section 10-1-11. Petitions to create an Agriculture Protection Area that omit the filing fee or fall short of the five-acre minimum are rejected under Sections 9-3-2 through 9-3-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Washington County zoning protect agricultural uses from encroachment?
How big does a parcel need to be to form an Agriculture Protection Area?
Who reviews petitions to create an Agriculture Protection Area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
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