FENCE RULES – SELMA (CITY), ALABAMA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Selma, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside City of Selma municipal limits, Dallas County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Local fence rules appear primarily in the City of Selma Code of Ordinances, including Appendix A – Zoning, Chapter 6 – Buildings, Structures and Housing, the flood-damage-prevention provisions, and the historic-preservation provisions administered by the City of Selma Historic Development Commission. The principal residential fence standards are in zoning Sections 18, 27, and 28.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted code or ordinance materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one. If no local code or ordinance is available in the approved source packet, this page notes that the jurisdiction does not publish the relevant standard in the referenced published materials.
Compiled From the City of Selma Code of Ordinances, Supplement No. 59, Appendix A – Zoning, Chapter 6 – Buildings, Structures and Housing, Flood Damage Prevention provisions, City of Selma Building Inspector materials, City of Selma Planning & Development materials, Selma Historic Development Commission Certificate of Appropriateness materials, Selma Historic District Design Guidelines, Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board materials, and Alabama 811 materials as of July 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of Selma does not publish a single consolidated fence code. Residential fence rules are distributed across the zoning ordinance, locally adopted building codes, historic-preservation requirements, floodplain provisions, and property-maintenance provisions.
The City of Selma Building Inspector’s Office administers permits, inspections, locally adopted technical codes, zoning enforcement, and the flood-damage-prevention chapter. Appendix A designates the Building Inspector as the zoning-enforcement officer.
The City of Selma Planning & Development Department administers land-use and development functions. The City of Selma Historic Development Commission reviews material exterior changes to designated historic properties and properties within local historic districts.
City Code Section 6-17 locally adopts and administers the 2012 International Residential Code with City amendments and exclusions. The code assigns enforcement to the corresponding City official rather than to a separate statewide residential permit office.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building-Code Permit Context: The City of Selma administers the 2012 International Residential Code with local amendments that exclude specified work-exempt-from-permit provisions. Appendix A also publishes a general building-permit process for buildings and structures, but the referenced published materials do not explicitly state whether a standard residential fence requires that general permit.
• Zoning Compliance: Building-code permit exemptions and local residential-code administration are separate from zoning, setback, subdivision, floodplain, coastal-area and wetlands, stormwater, drainage, historic, right-of-way, easement, utility, and plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, plat requirements, and site-specific limitations with the City of Selma Planning & Development Department and Building Inspector’s Office before construction.
• Historic Properties and Districts: Chapter 2 defines the erection, alteration, restoration, or removal of walls and fences within a designated historic property or district as a material change in appearance. An approved Certificate of Appropriateness from the City of Selma Historic Development Commission is required before that work proceeds. The local districts identified by the Commission are Icehouse, Old Town, Riverview, and Water Avenue.
• Floodplain Development: In a mapped special flood hazard area, the flood-damage-prevention chapter requires a development permit before covered development begins. The chapter defines development to include buildings or other structures, filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling, and other man-made changes to real estate. The Building Inspector administers this review.
• Private Swimming Pools: A private swimming pool in a residence district must be located in the rear yard, at least 10 feet from every property line, and enclosed by a protective wall or fence that can be secured against children or pets.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: Section 27 allows fences and walls along a lot line on residentially zoned property or adjacent thereto. 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.
• Required Front Yard: A fence or wall located in a required front yard is subject to the City’s 3-foot maximum height.
• Backyard Walls Along a Street: A wall in a backyard next to a street may enclose only the backyard.
• Corner Visibility: In residence and local-business districts, fences, walls, shrubbery, signs, marquees, and other visual obstructions between 3 1/2 feet and 15 feet above street level are prohibited within 20 feet of the intersection of street or railroad right-of-way lines.
• Private Pool Placement: A private residential pool must be located in the rear yard and at least 10 feet from each property line; its protective wall or fence must be capable of being secured against children or pets.
• Historic District Placement: The Selma Historic District Design Guidelines favor low fencing at fronts and visible street-side yards. Taller fences and solid walls are directed to rear and side yards and, when near a sidewalk, behind a setback at least equal to the line of the structure. Historic-district placement remains subject to the City’s zoning height limits and Certificate of Appropriateness review.
• Floodplain Site Work: Fence-related filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling, or other covered site work in a special flood hazard area is subject to the floodplain development-permit framework.
• Utility Safety: Alabama law requires notice through Alabama 811 before excavation where the Alabama Underground Damage Prevention Law applies. For covered fence work involving digging, drilling, augering, boring, grading, or other excavation, notice must be given at least two but not more than 10 full working days before excavation begins, not counting the day of notification. Alabama 811 is a notification center and does not mark lines itself; member facility operators or their locators mark covered facilities, and the excavator must check the positive-response status before beginning work where required. This statewide utility-notice framework is separate from local fence permitting, zoning, development approval, easement limits, right-of-way approvals, floodplain review, stormwater review, drainage review, historic or design review, HOA restrictions, and other applicable requirements.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Standard Residential Height: A fence or wall along a lot line on residentially zoned property or adjacent thereto may not exceed 6 feet above the ground.
• Required Front Yard: A fence or wall in a required front yard may not exceed 3 feet in height.
• Lot Line Adjoining Nonresidential Zoning: Where the lot line is adjacent to nonresidentially zoned property, a fence or wall may reach 8 feet.
• Corner Visibility: No fence, wall, shrubbery, sign, marquee, or other visual obstruction between 3 1/2 feet and 15 feet above street level is permitted within 20 feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines of two streets, two railroads, or a street and a railroad.
• Historic Properties and Districts: Historic fencing remains subject to the zoning ordinance’s 3-foot front-yard and 6-foot residential limits, together with Certificate of Appropriateness review and the Historic District Design Guidelines.
• Pool Enclosure Height: The zoning ordinance requires a protective pool wall or fence that can be secured against children or pets, but it does not specify a separate pool-barrier height in Section 28.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Standard Residential Materials: The code does not specify one required material, finished-side orientation, opacity, or color for standard residential fences outside the historic-review context.
• Historic Chain-Link and Woven Fencing: The Historic District Design Guidelines state that chain-link or woven fences are inappropriate in front yards and side yards on corners. They may be used in rear yards; when visible from the street, the guidelines direct that they be camouflaged with vegetation.
• Historic Period Fencing: Existing period fencing is to be maintained and repaired. When replacement is necessary, the guidelines direct use of compatible fencing of the same material, size, and appropriate design. New fencing is to be compatible with the period and architectural style of the structure in material, size, scale, and color.
• Historic Walls and Appurtenances: Walls, fences, walkways, lighting, and other appurtenances visible from public rights-of-way are reviewed for visual compatibility with the historic property and surrounding district.
• Private Pool Enclosure: The zoning ordinance requires the protective wall or fence to be capable of being secured against children or pets, but Section 28 does not publish detailed gate, latch, opening, opacity, or material specifications.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
• Private Covenants and HOAs: HOA rules, restrictive covenants, deed restrictions, architectural-review covenants, and private agreements operate independently from City requirements and may impose stricter fence height, placement, material, color, or approval standards.
• Recorded Easements and Agreements: Recorded utility, access, drainage, conservation, or other private easements and boundary agreements may limit fence placement even when the zoning ordinance permits a fence along a lot line.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Zoning Height Review: The 6-foot residential limit, 3-foot required-front-yard limit, and 8-foot limit next to nonresidential zoning are administered under Appendix A.
• Visibility Review: The 20-foot corner-visibility area and the prohibited obstruction range from 3 1/2 feet to 15 feet apply in residence and local-business districts.
• Historic Review: Fence installation, alteration, replacement, restoration, or removal on a designated historic property or within a local historic district is reviewed by the City of Selma Historic Development Commission through the Certificate of Appropriateness process.
• Pool Review: Private residential pool placement and enclosure are reviewed under Section 28, including the rear-yard location, 10-foot property-line distance, and securable protective wall or fence.
• Floodplain Review: The Building Inspector administers development permits for covered development in mapped special flood hazard areas.
• Building-Code Administration: The Building Inspector’s Office administers the locally adopted technical codes and the City’s general permit process. The referenced published materials do not state a separate fence-specific building-permit threshold.
• Fence Condition: Chapter 6 includes a fence within the dangerous-building definition when its condition, faulty construction, lack of repair, fire hazard, or risk of collapse creates the listed public-health or safety condition.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Selma, based on the referenced published materials as of July 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Alabama laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Alabama.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, zoning approvals, zoning certifications, development approvals, locally adopted or otherwise applicable residential building codes, 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, stormwater requirements, drainage conditions, historic district status, design-review status, coastal-area or wetlands conditions, rural or agricultural context, livestock, lawful-fence or partition-fence context, local residential-code administration, adopted-code status, county or contracted administration, pool-barrier use, Alabama 811 utility-safety requirements, overhead high-voltage conditions, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants, deed restrictions, private agreements, or conservation easements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with the City of Selma Building Inspector’s Office, City of Selma Planning & Development Department, and City of Selma Historic Development Commission, as applicable, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Selma staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.