Raleigh, North Carolina Residential Livestock and Animal Regulations

In the City of Raleigh, the raising of livestock, including poultry and bees, is generally prohibited by right within all standard Residential Districts (R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, and R-10). Under the Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance, the only avenues for keeping such animals on residential property are through a Special Use Permit for an "Urban Farm" or by maintaining "Riding Stables" exclusively in the R-1 District under strict acreage and setback requirements.

General Prohibition of Animal Raising

According to the Allowed Principal Use Table, the specific use of "Animal raising"—which includes horses, hogs, cows, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits, and other small animals—is explicitly not permitted in any City of Raleigh Residential District [Sec. 6.1.4]. Furthermore, the "Restricted Agriculture" use, which is permitted by right in the R-1 District, explicitly states that the keeping or grazing of animals for products or propagation is not allowed [Sec. 6.6.1.D.1].

Use Category	R-1	R-2	R-4	R-6	R-10
Animal Raising (General)	Not Permitted	Not Permitted	Not Permitted	Not Permitted	Not Permitted
Restricted Agriculture	Permitted	Not Permitted	Not Permitted	Not Permitted	Not Permitted
Urban Farm	Special Use	Special Use	Special Use	Special Use	Special Use

Urban Farms and Special Use Permits

The City of Raleigh defines an "Urban Farm" as a facility that may include intensive agriculture and animal husbandry [Sec. 6.6.1.E.1]. While this use is listed for Residential Districts, it is classified as a "Special Use" (S). This means a resident of the City of Raleigh cannot keep livestock by right; instead, they must obtain approval from the Board of Adjustment through a formal hearing process [Sec. 6.1.3.C].

Riding Stables in the R-1 District

The City of Raleigh permits "Riding Stables" as a Limited Use (L) only within the R-1 Residential District. This use is subject to significant spatial buffers to protect neighboring residents from the impacts of large animals [Sec. 6.4.5.D].

Technical Standards for Riding Stables

Requirement	Standard
Minimum Setback from Existing Residential Use	200 feet
Minimum Building/Stable Setback from Property Line	50 feet
Manure Storage Area Setback	150 feet from any property line
Density (Lots less than 1 acre)	1 horse maximum
Density (Lots 1 to 5 acres)	3 horses per acre maximum
Density (Lots greater than 5 acres)	10 horses per acre maximum

All horses kept at a stable within the City of Raleigh must be enclosed by fencing to prevent them from running at large [Sec. 6.4.5.D].

Chickens and Bees in Community Gardens

The City of Raleigh allows "Community Gardens" in Residential Districts as a Limited Use, but the Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance expressly forbids the raising of animals within these gardens when they are located in a Residential District [Sec. 6.6.1.B.2.h].

In non-residential districts where animal raising is permitted in a community garden, the City of Raleigh imposes the following standards:

Hoofed Animals: Prohibited [Sec. 6.6.1.B.2.h.ii].
Chickens: Permitted at a rate of 1 chicken per 1,000 square feet of lot area, not to exceed 10 chickens total. Roosters are prohibited [Sec. 6.6.1.B.2.h.iii].
Bees: A maximum of 2 bee hives are permitted [Sec. 6.6.1.B.2.h.iv].
Structure Setbacks: Any coop, hutch, or hive must be located at least 25 feet from any property line [Sec. 6.6.1.B.2.h.v].

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