GeorgiaFence Rules

Fulton County

Fence Rules in Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr., Georgia

Last verified: August 28, 2026

This page is maintained manually and may not reflect very recent ordinance changes. Always confirm current rules with your local permitting office.

For information only. Fence rules change frequently and this site may not reflect every requirement that applies to your property (HOA covenants, easements, variances, recent amendments). Always verify with your local permitting office before building. Full disclaimer

At a glance

In Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr., fence height limits are: front yards, Subareas 1 and 2: 4 ft max, no walls except an existing block-face retaining wall; Subareas 3 and 4: no fences or walls; side and rear yards, Subareas 1 and 2: 6 ft max for fences and walls combined; Subareas 3 and 4: 6 ft max combined, none visible to public view.

Required: a Type II Certificate of Appropriateness for any fence, wall or retaining wall; Issued by the director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission; The director must issue or deny within 14 days of a complete application; A certificate is required only where the work would otherwise require a building permit.

On corner lots in Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr.: Within 20 ft of a street intersection, in any dwelling district: 2.5 ft max for a fence or wall, measured from the grade at the intersecting street right-of-way lines; Visibility triangles: nothing may block the view between 2.5 ft and 8 ft above the grade of the adjoining sidewalk or right-of-way.

Pool fences in Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr.: The district sets no pool fence rule; Citywide, a home pool in a residential district may not sit in any yard next to a street, required or not, without a special exception from the board of zoning adjustment; The board may attach fencing or screening conditions.

Fence setbacks in Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr.: The district sets no fence setback; Citywide, fences and walls may occupy any yard, subject to the height and sight-distance rules; Subareas 1 and 2: where a retaining wall is allowed in a front yard, its setback follows the compatibility rule.

Prohibited fence materials in Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr.: Subareas 1 and 2: barbed wire, razor wire and uncoated chain link, or similar elements, are banned; Subareas 3 and 4: barbed wire, razor wire and chain link, or similar elements, are banned.

Fence Regulations

Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr.

Apply for Permit
Permit Requirements
Required: a Type II Certificate of Appropriateness for any fence, wall or retaining wall. Issued by the director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. The director must issue or deny within 14 days of a complete application. A certificate is required only where the work would otherwise require a building permit. Repair work under $2,500 in total value needs no certificate, building permit or permit fee. Repainting, and ordinary repairs using in-kind materials, need no certificate.
Height - Front Yard
Subareas 1 and 2: 4 ft max, no walls except an existing block-face retaining wall. Subareas 3 and 4: no fences or walls.
Height - Side/Rear
Subareas 1 and 2: 6 ft max for fences and walls combined. Subareas 3 and 4: 6 ft max combined, none visible to public view.
Height Notes
Subareas 1 and 2: on a lot with a retaining wall, the top of the retaining wall is the finished grade that height is measured from. Citywide measurement: height runs from the finished ground level, or the top of a retaining wall, to the highest point of the fence. Where a retaining wall rises above the grade it holds back, that extra height counts toward the fence height allowed on top of it. Subareas 3 and 4: the director decides what counts as visible to public view. Subarea 5, the Transitional Zone: the district sets no fence height of its own, and the lot's underlying zoning governs. Citywide dwelling-district limits: 4 ft in front and half-depth front yards and 6 ft in side and rear yards in R-1 through R-5; 4 ft in front and 8 ft in side and rear yards in R-G. All other districts: 9 ft max in any required yard. Within 20 ft of any street intersection, in any dwelling district: 2.5 ft max, measured from the grade at the intersecting street right-of-way lines.
Pool Fences
View Pool Fence Safety Requirements
Corner Lots
Within 20 ft of a street intersection, in any dwelling district: 2.5 ft max for a fence or wall, measured from the grade at the intersecting street right-of-way lines. Visibility triangles: nothing may block the view between 2.5 ft and 8 ft above the grade of the adjoining sidewalk or right-of-way. At a street intersection: the first 20 ft along each right-of-way edge, plus the line joining them. At a driveway: the first 20 ft along each roadway and driveway edge, plus the line joining them. These are Atlanta's citywide rules. The district sets no corner-lot rule of its own.
Materials Allowed
The district gives no list of allowed fence materials. Subareas 1 and 2: where a retaining wall is allowed in a front yard, its setback, height and materials follow the compatibility rule. The compatibility rule means matching what predominates on contributing buildings of like use along the same block face in Subareas 1 and 2, and on contributing buildings on the same block in Subareas 3 and 4.
Materials Prohibited
Subareas 1 and 2: barbed wire, razor wire and uncoated chain link, or similar elements, are banned. Subareas 3 and 4: barbed wire, razor wire and chain link, or similar elements, are banned. Citywide, no part of any fence may contain barbed wire or razor wire along a public right-of-way, or along any private drive that serves pedestrians.
Historic Districts
You are in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Landmark District. These rules apply on top of Atlanta's citywide code. The district has five subareas and the fence rules differ between them.
Setbacks
The district sets no fence setback. Citywide, fences and walls may occupy any yard, subject to the height and sight-distance rules. Subareas 1 and 2: where a retaining wall is allowed in a front yard, its setback follows the compatibility rule.
Design Requirements
Subareas 3 and 4: every fence and wall needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the director. Subareas 3 and 4: no fence or wall in a front yard, or anywhere else the director finds it visible to public view. Subareas 1 and 2: walls are banned in front yards, except that a retaining wall is allowed in a front yard only where one already exists on the block face.
Gates
The district sets no rule for yard fence gates. Subareas 3 and 4: external storefront security grilles, gates and security doors must be fully retractable during business hours, must not be opaque, must allow visibility into the protected space, and must be compatibly integrated into and concealed by the facade they sit on. Security doors and window grates need a Type II Certificate of Appropriateness.
Floodplain Rules
The district chapter sets no floodplain rule. Atlanta's citywide floodplain regulations govern.
Color Restrictions
The district sets no fence color rule.
Source
Atlanta Code Ch. 16-20C (Secs. 16-20C.003, 16-20C.004, 16-20C.008); Secs. 16-28.006, 16-28.008(5), (6), (9), 16-29.001(25); Appendix A Sec. 103.4
Notes
Governed by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Landmark District rules, Atlanta Code Chapter 20C. The district has five subareas: Auburn Avenue Residential, Residential, Institutional, Auburn and Edgewood Avenues Commercial, and the Transitional Zone. Fence rules differ between Subareas 1 and 2 and Subareas 3 and 4. Subarea 5 has no fence rule of its own. Subarea boundaries are shown on the official zoning map adopted with the district. A Type II Certificate of Appropriateness comes from the director of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission.

Rules can vary within a jurisdiction. Historic districts and zoning overlays often have stricter requirements. Look up your exact address to confirm which rules apply to your property.

Other jurisdictions in Fulton County

Fence rules change from one city and unincorporated area to the next. Compare Atlanta - Martin Luther King Jr. with nearby jurisdictions:

All Fulton County fence rules →

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