NC GS §160D-903 — Bona Fide Farm Exemption from County Zoning (NC)
Tracked preemption from the North Carolina overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
2021-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:NC
Other North Carolina preemptions
NC S.L. 2023-108 (HB 409) — Statewide By-Right ADU MandateNC GS §160D-907 — Family Care Homes as Residential UseNC GS §160D-910 — Manufactured Housing Anti-ExclusionNC GS §160D-914 — Residential Solar Collector ProtectionNC GS §160D-921 — Tree Ordinance Local-Act RequirementNC HB 130 (2021) — Vested Rights Protections for Permit ApplicationsNC GS §160D Article 9 Part 4 — Historic Preservation Commission AuthorityNC GS §160D-702 — Building Design Element Preemption (1-2 Family Detached)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
AND
parcel.in_unincorporated_county==Trueparcel.is_bona_fide_farm==True
Preempted fields
1 field on the base district schema is rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].county_zoning_regulations | waive | — | Any one of the four qualifying evidence hooks triggers the exemption |
Citation
Authority source
N.C.G.S. §160D-903 (scope expanded by S.L. 2014-103 and S.L. 2017-108)
§ §160D-903
Research notes
County-scope only — does NOT apply to municipal zoning within city limits. Qualifying evidence: (1) farm sales tax exemption cert, (2) current federal Schedule F, (3) NC Forest Service forest management plan, or (4) present-use value assessment. Covers agriculture/horticulture/forestry per §106-581.1. Includes agritourism (U-pick, farm stays, corn mazes, weddings). Does NOT exempt non-farm residential subdivisions. Critical for rural development feasibility — a county map showing RA-40 may be effectively unzoned on a bona fide farm parcel.