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Pitt County, NC Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing ordinance: Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance No. 15
Minimum enrollment size: 5 ac horticultural / 10 ac farm / 20 ac forest
Conservation agreement term: At least 10 years, non-farm use barred
Notice buffer: Recorded OPIS notice within 1/2 mile of a District
Withdrawal notice: 30 days written notice to Advisory Board
Applies in: Unincorporated Pitt County only, absent municipal agreement

Summary

Pitt County protects working farms through its Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance (Ordinance No. 15), letting farmers, horticulturalists and foresters enroll qualifying land in one of four Districts. Enrolled owners sign a conservation agreement barring non-farm development for at least ten years, and buyers researching any parcel within a half mile receive recorded notice that normal farm activity may occur any time, day or night.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Pitt County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Pitt County has established Districts to protect and preserve agricultural lands and activities. These Districts have been developed and mapped by the county to inform all purchasers of real property that certain agricultural and forestry activities, including but not limited to pesticide spraying, manure spreading, machinery and truck operation, livestock operations, sawing, and other common farming activities may occur in these Districts any time during the day or night.

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Full Breakdown

C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 106, Article 61 (the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Enabling Act) and the county's general ordinance power in NCGS Chapter 153A, the Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance applies only in Pitt County's unincorporated area unless a municipality agrees in writing to extend it (Section 4). The county is split into four regions, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest Pitt County, divided along NC Highway 11 and the Tar River (Section 7(A)), and all enrolled land within a region forms a single District. 1, follow Soil Conservation Service erosion-control practices on highly erodible land, and be the subject of a recorded conservation agreement restricting the land to farm use for at least ten years, with an exception carved out for up to three lots that meet county zoning and subdivision standards (Section 8).

A five-member Agricultural Advisory Board, one appointee from each of the four regions plus one at-large member, reviews applications, and the Pitt Soil and Water Conservation District office handles the paperwork (Section 6). Once enrolled, the Pitt County Online Parcel Information System (OPIS) carries recorded notice that a tract sits within a half mile of a District, District boundary signs go up outside road rights-of-way, and NCGS 106-740 requires any government agency considering condemnation of enrolled farmland to first ask the Advisory Board to hold a public hearing (Sections 11-12).

Developers of major subdivisions must show District proximity on preliminary plats (Section 13). This program runs alongside, not instead of, the county's RA Rural Agricultural zoning district, which is set aside for very low-density residential, agricultural and agriculture-related industrial uses (Zoning Ordinance Section 4(A)(1)).

Violations & Fines

There is no criminal penalty tied to District enrollment; participation is voluntary and a landowner may withdraw anytime by giving the Advisory Board thirty days' written notice (Section 10(A)). The Advisory Board can also revoke a Conservation Agreement for noncompliance, using the same appeal process as denied applications, but Section 10(A) caps what enforcement can do: it states enforcement 'shall be limited to revocation of the Conservation Agreement and the benefits derived therefrom.' Enrolled parcels are reevaluated for continued qualification at least once every five years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does enrolling in a Pitt County Voluntary Agricultural District stop me from ever selling or developing my land?

No. The conservation agreement only bars non-farm development for a minimum ten-year term, and it specifically allows carving out up to three lots that meet the county's zoning and subdivision standards during that period. You can also withdraw from the program entirely by giving the Agricultural Advisory Board thirty days' written notice, per Section 10 of Ordinance No. 15.

What protection does a Voluntary Agricultural District actually give a farmer?

It creates a recorded, half-mile notice in the county's Online Parcel Information System warning buyers and neighbors that normal farm activity, including manure spreading, spraying and equipment operation, may occur at any hour, and it forces any government agency to request an Advisory Board public hearing under NCGS 106-740 before it can start condemning enrolled farmland.

Which part of Pitt County can even join the program?

Only land in the unincorporated county qualifies, unless a municipality signs a written agreement extending the program into its planning jurisdiction, per Section 4 of the Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance. Land must also fall in one of the county's four defined regions and meet the minimum acreage for its land type.

Sources & Official References

[1]Pitt County Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance (Ordinance No. 15)

Other rules in Pitt County

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome Restrictions Parking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome Restrictions Parking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant Restrictions Parking Rules: Loading ZonesSome Restrictions Fence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsFew Restrictions Fire Regulations: FireworksHeavy Restrictions

All Pitt County rules

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