Lancaster County, NE Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- AG Agricultural District, Article 4
- Priority use
- Agriculture listed first, no permit needed
- Minimum lot
- 20 acres, 550 ft. width and frontage
- Setbacks
- 50 ft front, 60 ft side, 100 ft rear
- Height cap
- 35 feet for all permitted uses
Summary
Lancaster County's Agricultural (AG) zoning district makes farming the district's baseline permitted use under Lincoln-Lancaster County Zoning Resolution §§ 4.001 and 4.003. Agriculture, livestock and poultry breeding operations, and farm dwellings are allowed outright without a conditional-use or special permit, giving farm operations priority over competing non-farm uses.
4.001 Scope of Regulations. The regulations set forth in this chapter or elsewhere in this resolution when referred to in the chapter, are the district regulations in the "AG" Agricultural District. ... 4.003 Permitted Uses. Agriculture, except commercial feedlots; Breeding, raising, management and sale of fur-bearing animals and the produce thereof; Dog breeding establishments and kennels; Stables, riding stables and riding academies; ... Single family dwellings; Places of Religious Assembly; ... Wind energy conversion systems (WECS)... Small Solar Facility; Private Recreational Facilities and/or Activities
Full Breakdown
Article 4 of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Zoning Resolution establishes the county's "AG" Agricultural District, the base zoning classification for most of unincorporated Lancaster County outside Lincoln's platted subdivisions and the smaller cities and villages. 003 lists agriculture, except commercial feedlots, ahead of every other permitted use, alongside breeding and sale of fur-bearing animals, dog breeding kennels, stables and riding academies, single-family dwellings, places of religious assembly, wind and small solar energy systems, and private recreational facilities. 007, needs a permit before it can locate in the district, which keeps farm ground from being converted piecemeal to competing uses.
017 reinforce that priority: a minimum lot of 20 acres, 550 feet of average width and frontage, a 50-foot front yard, 60-foot side yard, 100-foot rear yard and a 35-foot height cap apply to all permitted uses, standards large enough to keep new residential lots from crowding an existing farm operation. A carve-out lets a residence built on a farmstead of 20 or more acres before January 1, 2006 keep "non-standard" status rather than being forced to meet the current yard requirements if it stays on that acreage.
Farming itself carries no permit requirement, no acreage cap and no site-plan review under Article 4; it is the district's baseline right, while non-agricultural uses must clear a conditional- or special-permit review through the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission.
Violations & Fines
Building or converting a structure in the AG District for a use not on the permitted, conditional or special-use lists under §§ 4.003, 4.005 and 4.007, without approval, is a zoning violation the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department can enforce, and a lot that fails the 20-acre minimum and 550-foot frontage standards of § 4.017 cannot be built on until it qualifies under the resolution's small-lot exceptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to farm my land in Lancaster County?
How big does a lot have to be to build a house in the AG District?
Can a neighbor build right up against my farm?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster County
Compare Lancaster County to another location·View the Nebraska right to farm overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.