FENCE RULES – GREENE (COUNTY), ARKANSAS
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Greene County, subject to local regulations. This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Greene County; incorporated municipalities may regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Greene County does not publish a consolidated residential fence code. Fence-related issues appear indirectly in the Greene County Code of Ordinances, including the Flood Damage Prevention Program, county road and right-of-way provisions, and animal-control enclosure requirements.
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 Greene County Courthouse website, Greene County County Clerk’s Office page, Greene County Circuit Clerk page, Greene County Code of Ordinances Chapter 2, Greene County Code of Ordinances Chapter 7, Greene County Code of Ordinances Chapter 11, Greene County Code of Ordinances Chapter 12, and Greene County Code of Ordinances Chapter 13, as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
• Governing Authority: Greene County is governed through the county’s elected officials, including the Greene County Quorum Court and the Greene County Judge.
• County Records: The Greene County Clerk’s Office maintains county government records and Quorum Court records. The Greene County Circuit Clerk serves as the land recorder for Greene County.
• Code Structure: The county code does not include a dedicated residential fence article. Relevant provisions appear in separate chapters addressing floodplain development, county roads and rights-of-way, dangerous-dog enclosures, and general urban/rural development authority.
• Building and Zoning: Chapter 13 – Urban / Rural Development lists Article I. Building as reserved. The Planning/Zoning article does not publish a county residential fence zoning district, fence setback rule, fence height rule, or fence permit process.
• Road and Right-of-Way Administration: Chapter 12, § 1200.01 assigns written-permission review for utility facilities, improvements, and other construction upon, over, under, along, or across Greene County roads and road rights-of-way to the Greene County Judge.
• Floodplain Administration: Chapter 2, § 270.00 adopts the Flood Damage Prevention Program for Special Flood Hazard Areas within Greene County and identifies floodplain development compliance and enforcement through the Floodplain Administrator.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Local Fence Permit: Greene County does not publish a local fence permit requirement for standard residential fences.
• County Building Permit Process: The county code does not identify a county building-permit process for standard residential fences, and Chapter 13 – Urban / Rural Development lists Article I. Building as reserved. The code does not specify a county building-permit trigger for taller residential fences.
• County Roads and Rights-of-Way: A utility company, improvement district, public contractor, or private contractor must apply for and receive written permission from the Greene County Judge before installing, operating, or maintaining utility facilities, improvements, or other construction upon, over, under, along, or across Greene County roads and road rights-of-way. This is a road and right-of-way approval rule, not a general residential fence permit.
• Floodplain Development: The Flood Damage Prevention Program applies to Special Flood Hazard Areas within Greene County. The ordinance controls floodplain development, including structural development, placement of fill, excavating, drainage improvements, and flood barriers. A fence project in a Special Flood Hazard Area may require review if it involves regulated floodplain development activity.
• Dangerous-Dog Enclosures: If a dangerous dog is kept on the owner’s property, the county animal ordinance requires the dog to be kept in a proper enclosure.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property-Line Placement: 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 requires written permission from the Greene County Judge for utility facilities, improvements, or other construction upon, over, under, along, or across county roads and road rights-of-way. A residential fence must not be placed in a county road right-of-way unless the applicable county approval has been obtained.
• Floodplain Areas: In a Special Flood Hazard Area, the Flood Damage Prevention Program controls floodplain development, including structural development, placement of fill, excavating, drainage improvements, and flood barriers. Fence placement in these areas must be evaluated under the floodplain ordinance when the fence work involves regulated development activity.
• Easements and Private Restrictions: The floodplain ordinance does not impair existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions. Where those restrictions overlap with county rules, the more stringent restriction applies.
• 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 code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences in unincorporated Greene County.
• Front, Side, and Rear Yards: The code does not specify different residential fence height limits for front yards, side yards, or rear yards.
• Corner Lots and Driveways: The code does not publish a residential fence sight-triangle, clear-vision, corner-lot, or driveway-visibility standard.
• County Road Areas: The county road and right-of-way provisions apply to work upon, over, under, along, or across county roads and road rights-of-way, but they do not publish a specific residential fence height or visibility limit.
• Floodplain Areas: The Flood Damage Prevention Program controls floodplain development in Special Flood Hazard Areas, including development that may affect flood elevations, floodwater velocities, discharge patterns, drainage, or flood barriers. It does not publish a separate residential fence height limit.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Standard Residential Materials: The code does not specify permitted or prohibited materials for standard residential fences.
• Barbed Wire and Electric Fencing: The code does not publish a standard residential rule for barbed wire, electric fencing, or battery-charged electric fencing.
• Chain Link, Wood, Vinyl, Masonry, and Metal Fences: The code does not specify material-specific standards for chain link, wood, vinyl, masonry, or metal residential fences.
• Finished Side and Orientation: The code does not specify a finished-side, outward-facing-side, or fence-orientation requirement for standard residential fences.
• Dangerous-Dog Enclosures: The county animal ordinance requires a dangerous dog on the owner’s property to be kept in a proper enclosure. The code does not define that enclosure as a specific fence material, height, or design standard in the residential fence provisions.
• Solid-Waste Access: The county solid-waste provisions state that refuse pickup is not required when containers are inside a locked fence or inside a fence containing a dog or dangerous animal. This is a collection-access rule and does not establish a fence construction standard.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from Greene County ordinances. These may include HOA covenants, subdivision restrictions, deed restrictions, private easements, agricultural agreements, architectural-review covenants, or private boundary agreements.
The county floodplain ordinance states that it does not impair existing easements, covenants, or deed restrictions, and that where those instruments overlap with the floodplain ordinance, the more stringent restriction applies.
Greene County does not state that it enforces private covenants or HOA restrictions as ordinary county fence rules.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• County Road and Right-of-Way Conflicts: Construction upon, over, under, along, or across Greene County roads or road rights-of-way is reviewed through the written-permission process assigned to the Greene County Judge.
• Floodplain Development: Fence work in a Special Flood Hazard Area may be reviewed under the Flood Damage Prevention Program when it involves regulated floodplain development activity, including structural development, placement of fill, excavation, drainage improvements, or flood barriers.
• Dangerous-Dog Enclosures: A dangerous dog kept on the owner’s property must be kept in a proper enclosure.
• Private Easements and Restrictions: Existing easements, covenants, and deed restrictions may impose additional or more restrictive fence limits.
• Unspecified Local Fence Standards: Because the county code does not publish standard residential fence height, yard-placement, material, or visibility limits, review is centered on the specific triggers identified above rather than a general county fence chapter.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Greene 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 Greene County Judge’s Office, the Greene County Clerk’s Office, or the Floodplain Administrator where applicable, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Greene County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.