Gulfport, MS Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Livestock density cap
- 1 animal unit per 20,000 sq ft
- Excluded from cap
- Swine and fowl
- Animal-pen setback
- 100 ft from residential/commercial (lots <10 acres)
- Min building site
- 3 acres
- Max site coverage
- 10 percent
- T1/T2 SmartCode zones
- Generally follow A-1 standards
Summary
Gulfport's A-1 Agricultural district protects rural and horticultural land with three-acre minimum lots and a livestock density cap of one domestic animal unit per 20,000 square feet, plus a 100-foot setback for animal enclosures on smaller parcels next to residential or commercial land.
This district is mainly composed of areas for low-density residential and agricultural and horticultural uses. The rural development characteristics and low density of population in this district requires only that uses essential to agriculture and horticulture have a reasonable setback of buildings from dedicated streets and/or highways. It is the purpose of this district to encourage and protect such uses from urbanization until such is warranted by development pressure and an appropriate change in district classification is made. When agricultural uses include the raising of livestock, exclusive of swine and fowl, the number of animals shall be limited to no more than one domestic animal unit for each twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of lot area. When the lot area is less than ten (10) acres and abuts any established residential or commercial district, no structures or fenced areas in which animals are kept shall be located closer than one hundred (100) feet to the abutting residential or commercial property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Appendix A's A-1 Agricultural district is built to encourage and protect agricultural and horticultural uses from urbanization until development pressure justifies rezoning. A single-family home or manufactured home needs a minimum three-acre building site, the maximum building site coverage is 10 percent, structures are capped at three stories or 35 feet, and the required yards are 50 feet front, 25 feet side, and 25 feet rear. Livestock raising is expressly regulated within the district: excluding swine and fowl, the number of animals is limited to one domestic animal unit for every 20,000 square feet of lot area.
Where the lot is under ten acres and abuts an already-established residential or commercial district, any structure or fenced area holding animals must sit at least 100 feet back from that boundary line, protecting neighboring non-agricultural uses from a livestock operation next door. Gulfport's SmartCode explicitly ties its most rural transect zones to this same district: the T1 Natural and T2 Rural zones are written to generally conform to the A-1 district's requirements unless the SmartCode states something different for that specific zone, so a property in T1 or T2 is governed by A-1's density and setback numbers absent a contrary SmartCode provision.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more animals than the density cap allows, or placing an animal enclosure inside the required 100-foot buffer near residential or commercial land, is a zoning violation subject to the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-9: up to $1,000 or 90 days' imprisonment, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense. Nonconforming setups can also be brought before the Planning Commission through the zoning compliance process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many animals can I keep on A-1 zoned land in Gulfport?
Do I need a setback for livestock pens near neighbors in Gulfport's A-1 district?
Does Gulfport's SmartCode use the same farm rules as Appendix A?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
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