FENCE RULES – JOHNSON (COUNTY), ARKANSAS
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Johnson County, subject to local regulations. This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Johnson County; incorporated municipalities may regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Johnson County does not publish a consolidated residential fence ordinance. Relevant county materials appear instead in the Johnson County Code of Ordinances, including the Flood Damage Prevention Program, general planning and zoning authority language, road and right-of-way materials, and county office materials.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From the Johnson County website, County Clerk page, Circuit Clerk page, County Judge page, Road Department page, Surveyor page, Johnson County Code of Ordinances, and Johnson County Historical Society website as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
Johnson County is governed by the Johnson County Quorum Court, with county administration carried out through county offices including the County Judge, County Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Road Department, and Surveyor.
The County Judge administers ordinances enacted by the Quorum Court and operates the county road system. The County Clerk maintains county court orders and serves as secretary for the Quorum Court. The Circuit Clerk acts as ex officio county recorder for deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property instruments.
The Johnson County Code of Ordinances does not contain a consolidated fence chapter. Chapter 13, Article I, Building, is reserved. Chapter 13, Article II, Planning / Zoning, contains general Arkansas statutory planning and zoning authority language, but the code does not publish adopted county residential fence zoning standards.
The main county-administered residentially relevant local code layer is the Flood Damage Prevention Program in Chapter 2, § 270.00, which applies within Special Flood Hazard Areas. County road and right-of-way context appears in Chapter 12, Roads / Transportation.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Permit: The county code does not publish a local fence permit requirement for standard residential fences in unincorporated Johnson County.
• Building Permit: The county code does not identify a county building-permit process for standard residential fences, and Chapter 13, Article I, Building, is reserved. The code does not publish a separate county permit trigger for fences over a specific height.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, and plat requirements with the County Judge before construction.
• Floodplain Development: The Flood Damage Prevention Program applies to Special Flood Hazard Areas within Johnson County. Fence work in a Special Flood Hazard Area is governed by that program when it involves listed floodplain-development activity, including structural development, clearing, grading, drilling, dredging, placement of fill, excavating, watercourse alteration, drainage improvements, individual water or sewer installations, or other activities that may increase flood damage.
• Historic or Design Review: The county materials do not publish a certificate of appropriateness, historic district approval, design-review approval, or architectural-review requirement for standard residential fences.
• Private Pool Barriers: The county materials do not publish a local private residential pool-barrier rule for single-family backyard pools.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• County Roads and Rights-of-Way: The code does not state a fence-specific setback from county roads. Chapter 12 states that new roads must have a minimum right-of-way of at least 50 feet before acceptance into the county road system, with additional right-of-way possible where required by county road authorities.
• Easements and Deed Restrictions: The Flood Damage Prevention Program states that it does not impair existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions, and that the more stringent restriction applies where there is a conflict or overlap.
• Floodplain Areas: In Special Flood Hazard Areas, fence work that involves structural development, fill, excavation, drainage improvements, or other listed floodplain-development activity is subject to the Flood Damage Prevention Program.
• Utility Safety: Arkansas law requires notice through Arkansas 811 before excavation where the Arkansas Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act applies. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice may be required before excavation begins. Arkansas law also includes specific exemptions, including certain agricultural-purpose posthole digging on private property outside an operator right-of-way.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Maximum Height: The county code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences in unincorporated Johnson County.
• Yard-Based Height Limits: The county code does not specify separate residential fence height limits for front yards, side yards, rear yards, or corner lots.
• Visibility Rules: The county code does not publish a residential fence sight-triangle, clear-vision, driveway-visibility, alley-visibility, or intersection-visibility standard.
• Floodplain Height: The Flood Damage Prevention Program does not publish a separate fence-height limit for residential fences in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Fence Materials: The county code does not specify permitted or prohibited materials for standard residential fences.
• Chain Link, Wood, Vinyl, Masonry, and Metal Fences: The county code does not publish separate residential standards for chain-link, wood, vinyl, masonry, or metal fences.
• Barbed Wire and Electric Fences: The county code does not publish a residential barbed-wire fence prohibition, electric-fence prohibition, or battery-charged fence standard.
• Finished Side and Orientation: The county code does not specify a finished-side, decorative-side, or fence-orientation requirement for standard residential fences.
• Gates and Walls: The county code does not publish separate residential gate, wall, column, or fence-support construction standards.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from county fence rules. These may include HOA covenants, subdivision restrictions, deed restrictions, private easements, agricultural agreements, architectural-review covenants, boundary agreements, and recorded instruments.
Private restrictions may be more restrictive than county standards. The county materials do not state that Johnson County enforces private HOA covenants or private subdivision restrictions as county fence regulations.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Floodplain Development: Fence work in a Special Flood Hazard Area that involves structural development, fill, excavation, drainage improvements, or other listed floodplain-development activity under the Flood Damage Prevention Program.
• Road and Right-of-Way Conflicts: Fence locations that conflict with county road rights-of-way, public road maintenance areas, dedicated roads, or recorded access areas.
• Easement Conflicts: Fence locations that conflict with recorded easements, covenants, deed restrictions, or other instruments affecting the property.
• Unspecified Local Standards: The county code does not specify residential fence height limits, yard-based fence limits, material restrictions, finished-side rules, or visibility-triangle rules. Where those standards are not stated by county code, site-specific limitations may come from recorded restrictions, floodplain status, rights-of-way, easements, or another governing authority.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Johnson County, based on publicly available materials reviewed as of May 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Arkansas laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Arkansas.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, floodplain status, historic district status, rural or agricultural context, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants or private agreements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with the County Judge and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Johnson County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.