Johnston County, NC Right to Farm: Farm Nuisance Protection (2026)

S. 106-2 et seq. That single sentence removes farming operations in unincorporated Johnston County from the entire zoning chapter, including its use tables, dimensional standards, site plan requirements, and permitting process, so a qualifying farm does not need a zoning permit to keep farming. The exemption is not unconditional: the same section immediately adds that any use of that farm property for nonfarm purposes is subject to the regulations of chapter 14, so a farm owner who adds a use unrelated to farming brings that portion of the property back under the LDC.

The county's agricultural-residential district builds directly on this exemption: Section 14-75(b)(9) permits agri-tourism uses and enterprises, such as corn mazes, petting zoos, hayrides, and educational programs, in support of any existing bona fide farming operation as defined in Section 14-7, provided the accessory uses go through site plan review for ingress, egress, parking, hours of operation, signage, and lighting, and stay temporary. That agri-tourism accommodation only exists because Section 14-7 first establishes what counts as a bona fide farm exempt from the chapter; without it, agri-tourism uses would be evaluated as ordinary nonfarm commercial uses subject to the district's full permitted-use list.