Montgomery, AL Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Small-scale panels
- By right, all zoning districts
- Rooftop system height
- Up to 5 ft above roof surface
- Large-scale districts
- AGR-1, AGR-2, M-1, M-2, M-3 only
- Large-scale max size
- 1,000 acres
- Panel setback
- 75 ft from property line
- Performance guarantee
- 115% of decommissioning cost
Summary
Montgomery, Alabama lets homeowners install small-scale rooftop or ground solar panels by right in every zoning district under City Code Appendix C, Article XI, Section 2, adopted May 6, 2025. A large-scale solar farm instead needs a special exception from the board of adjustment and is limited to AGR-1, AGR-2, and M-1 through M-3 districts.
a.A large-scale solar energy collection facility:1.Is permitted on appeal to the board of adjustment (BOA) (as a special exception) in AGR-1, AGR-2, M-1, M-2, and M-3 zoning districts; and2.Is prohibited in all other zoning districts.b.A small-scale solar energy collection facility is permitted by right in all zoning districts as a use accessory to a principal use on the site. ... The maximum project size for a large-scale solar energy collection facility is 1,000 acres... All solar panels and other equipment shall be set back at least 75 feet from the edge of the property line or right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Article XI, added by Ordinance No. 13-2025 on May 6, 2025, splits solar into two tracks. b, no board hearing required. Section 4 lets a rooftop system exceed the district's height limit as long as it extends no more than five feet above the roof surface, and it must otherwise meet the district's standard height rules if it is not roof-mounted. Anyone who needs a solar easement to protect access to sunlight has to negotiate it with neighboring owners and record it with the Montgomery County, Alabama Probate Judge's office; the city itself does not grant solar easements.
a permits it only on appeal to the board of adjustment as a special exception, and only in the AGR-1, AGR-2, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts; it is prohibited everywhere else. Section 3 caps a large-scale project at 1,000 acres and requires equipment to sit back at least 75 feet from the property line (200 feet for noise-generating equipment such as inverters), stay under 25 feet tall, run utilities underground, and include a 20-foot landscaped buffer with five canopy trees, five understory trees and 100 shrubs per 100 linear feet.
Applicants must also submit a decommissioning plan and post a performance guarantee equal to 115 percent of the estimated decommissioning cost, minus the estimated salvage value, before construction begins.
Violations & Fines
Installing a large-scale solar facility without board of adjustment approval, or building either type of system outside the required setbacks, height, buffer or underground-utility standards, is enforced under the zoning ordinance's Article II. A violator is punished under City Code Section 1-6, with each day of the violation a separate offense, and the administrative official or an affected neighboring owner may seek an injunction to stop or correct noncompliant construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put solar panels on my house in Montgomery?
Can a company build a solar farm anywhere in Montgomery?
What has to happen when a large solar farm shuts down?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery
Compare Montgomery to another location·View the Alabama solar energy overview
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