Rankin County, MS Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- A-1 covers unincorporated county only
- Livestock
- Breeding/raising permitted outright
- Barns
- No height limit
- Minimum lot
- Two acres
- Subdivisions
- Major subdivisions barred in A-1
Summary
Rankin County's A-1 Agricultural General District exists to preserve unincorporated land for farming: livestock breeding is a permitted-outright use, subdivisions are largely barred, and barns face no height limit under the county's Zoning Ordinance.
The purposes of this district is to preserve areas for non-intensive agricultural uses and to permit a wide variety of other uses in rural sections of the County. ...H. Breeding, raising, and feeding of grazing livestock including horses, cattle, sheep, goats, mules, etc., except for feedlots as defined by this Ordinance. ...903.01 Maximum Building Height: 35 feet. There shall be no height limitations for barns and agricultural storage buildings provided they do not contain space intended for human occupancy.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The A-1 district's stated purpose is to preserve areas for non-intensive agricultural uses in the rural, unincorporated county, generally where no public sewer service exists. Breeding, raising and feeding of grazing livestock, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, mules and similar animals, is permitted outright, as are forestry and horticultural uses, without a conditional-use permit. Major and minor subdivisions are not allowed in A-1. Minimum lot size is two acres with a 35-foot building height cap, except that barns and agricultural storage buildings (with no human occupancy space) face no height limit at all. None of this applies inside Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Florence, Puckett or Star.
Violations & Fines
Placing a use A-1 doesn't allow, a feedlot, an unapproved subdivision, without Board approval risks a misdemeanor under Section 714: up to $1,000 or less than a year in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep cattle or horses on my A-1 land?
Is there a height cap on my barn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rankin County
Compare Rankin County to another location·View the Mississippi right to farm overview
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