Fence laws in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
What the Oklahoma City municipal code says about fences, one topic at a time, with the section number and a link to the document behind every line. Where Oklahoma City sets no rule of its own, the Oklahoma rule is shown in its place and marked as such.
Fence laws in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, question by question
The short version
- Who pays on the line
- Oklahoma City sets no distance between a fence and a neighboring lot, and puts its placement rules on the street, the driveway and the walkway instead, and the answer turns on what the fence stands near and what private restrictions run with the land. The figure is 0 feet, for setback stated from a neighboring property line.
- How tall
- Oklahoma City splits its rules by where the fence sits rather than by district, and defines a front yard fence as one inside the required front setback or in front of the front wall of the house, and the answer turns on whether the fence is in the front yard, the district, and how big the lot is. The figure is 4 feet, for fence in a required front yard or in front of the house wall.
- Permits
- Fences in Oklahoma City are permitted subject to the permit requirements of the municipal code, and the front yard fence rules spell out what that means: a permit fee set by ordinance, site plans and elevations submitted for review, staff checking every condition before approval, and the fire department reviewing and commenting where appropriate, and the answer turns on where the fence sits and how far it is from the house. The figure is 16 feet, for clear width of the required gateway.
- Pool barriers
- An outdoor pool in Oklahoma that is open to the public gets a barrier equal to a 6 foot high woven wire fence. The figure is 6 feet, for barrier height around an outdoor public bathing place open to the general public.
- Spite fences
- Oklahoma City has no spite fence statute. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide this one.
- Measured from what
- Oklahoma names the ground in its fence statute, and only for the bottom of the fence. The figure is 54 inches, for height of a lawful fence, with no datum stated. It reaches a lawful fence under the fence viewer article of the animals title only.
- Corner lots
- Oklahoma City writes the corner rule as a flat exclusion zone for a front yard fence rather than as a height band, and the answer turns on whether the fence sits near a street corner or a driveway. The figure is 25 feet, for distance from the intersection of right-of-way lines.
- Retaining walls
- Oklahoma City leaves retaining walls to the International Residential Code, 2018 edition, as amended and modified by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission in OAC 748:20-6.
- Materials
- Oklahoma City writes its material rules to the dimension, and the answer turns on which yard the fence is in and the dimensions of the material. The figure is 3.5 inches, for greatest picket width and least separation in a front yard fence.
- Livestock
- Oklahoma writes out what a lawful fence for livestock is. The figure is 54 inches, for height of a lawful fence for restraining livestock.
Who owns the fence between two properties in Oklahoma City?
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Oklahoma City answers this, but the answer changes depending on what the fence stands near and what private restrictions run with the land.
Oklahoma City sets no distance between a fence and a neighboring lot, and puts its placement rules on the street, the driveway and the walkway instead. A front yard fence may not be erected within twenty five feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines of any street, nor within twelve feet of where a private driveway meets the pavement edge of a street, and may not obstruct any public walkway even where that walkway crosses private land. The fence has to be built with all braces and supports on the interior, unless both sides are of the same design and appearance, which puts the finished face toward the neighbor. The section also does something few codes bother with: it warns the owner in the text of the ordinance that plat restrictions, covenants, deed restrictions or platted setback lines may be more restrictive than the code and are privately enforced.
Regardless of the fence regulations contained herein, the property owner is advised that there may be more restrictive privately enforced regulations in the form of plat restrictions, declarations of covenants and restrictions relating to architectural controls, deed restrictions or platted setback lines that may further limit the construction of a fence on a parcel.
Section 59-12200.3.B(1)(b) and (m)
The answer turns on what the fence stands near and what private restrictions run with the land.
- a shared boundary
- No distance stated. 0 ft
- the braces and supports
- On the owner side.
- a public walkway
- Never obstructed.
- a covenant or plat restriction
- It may be stricter than the code.
Also on fences on the property line in Oklahoma City
- set in state lawNeighbors in Oklahoma share the job of keeping up the fence and the boundary markers between them, in equal parts. One neighbor can step out of that by leaving the land open, with no fence around it, as a public common. If that neighbor later encloses the land, a fair share of what the other one's fence is worth at that time has to be paid back. 60 O.S. § 70Oklahoma · Statute
How tall can a fence be in Oklahoma City?
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Oklahoma City answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the fence is in the front yard, the district, and how big the lot is.
Oklahoma City splits its rules by where the fence sits rather than by district, and defines a front yard fence as one inside the required front setback or in front of the front wall of the house. Such a fence has to be a decorative-type open fence no taller than four feet. Behind the house a side or rear yard fence may reach eight feet in the agricultural, residential, office and commercial districts and ten in the industrial ones, which is a generous back yard allowance. One exception lifts the front yard figure: on a lot of one acre or more developed for agricultural or residential use, a front yard fence may reach six feet, with decorative masonry columns up to six and a half feet standing at least eight feet apart, decorative entryways to eight feet, and an arch spanning a driveway allowed to twenty five feet provided it clears fourteen feet and the parcel runs to two acres.
The front yard fence shall be a decorative-type open fence that does not exceed four feet in height. Only chain-link, decorative ornamental metal, picket and split rail fencing shall be permitted.
The answer turns on whether the fence is in the front yard, the district, and how big the lot is.
- a front yard fence
- Four feet, and open. 4 ft
- a side or rear yard
- Eight feet. 8 ft
- an industrial lot
- Ten feet. 10 ft
- a lot of an acre or more
- Six feet in front. 6 ft
Also on fence height in Oklahoma City
- no rule, documents checkedOklahoma sets no statewide limit on how tall a fence at a house can be. The property title on boundary fences deals with shared upkeep and not with size. The building code statute hands the choice of a code to a state commission and lets cities and counties go stricter, and it names no fence height. The one height in Oklahoma fence law is the 54 inch lawful fence, which describes a fence built to hold stock rather than a cap on a yard fence. Cities and counties set the limit at a house. 60 O.S. § 70Oklahoma · Statute
Do I need a permit for a fence in Oklahoma City?
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Oklahoma City answers this, but the answer changes depending on where the fence sits and how far it is from the house.
Fences in Oklahoma City are permitted subject to the permit requirements of the municipal code, and the front yard fence rules spell out what that means: a permit fee set by ordinance, site plans and elevations submitted for review, staff checking every condition before approval, and the fire department reviewing and commenting where appropriate. A front yard fence is expressly treated as a structure, so the building chapter applies to it as well. The requirement that stands out belongs to the fire service rather than the planners: a front yard fence more than fifty feet from a residence or structure has to be equipped with a gateway of at least sixteen feet of clear width, and the fire department must approve that gate and every locking device in it, so a long driveway gate has to admit an engine. Staff may also approve a retaining wall to deal with drainage or topography.
A front yard fence greater than 50 feet from a residence or structure shall be equipped with a gateway having at least 16 feet of clear width. The Fire Department must approve any gate and all locking devices installed in the gateway.
The answer turns on where the fence sits and how far it is from the house.
- any fence
- A permit and a fee.
- a front yard fence
- Plans, staff review, fire comment.
- one fifty feet from the house
- A sixteen foot gate the fire department approves. 16 ft
- a drainage problem
- Staff may approve a retaining wall.
Also on permits in Oklahoma City
- set in state lawOne state body picks the building code for all of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission reviews and adopts the codes for homes and commercial buildings, and what it adopts is the least a build has to meet anywhere in the state. Cities, counties and state agencies work from those minimums and may write stricter rules of their own. The statute itself names no fence and no permit exemption. 59 O.S. § 1000.23Oklahoma · Statute
Pool fence requirements in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
An outdoor pool in Oklahoma that is open to the public gets a barrier equal to a 6 foot high woven wire fence. An outdoor pool that is not open to the general public gets a barrier at least 4 feet tall, entered only through gates that close and latch on their own, and it cannot block a clear view of the water. A decorative barrier can have no opening wider than 4 inches, and no barrier may be built in a way that turns it into a ladder. The rules come from the State Department of Health and cover public bathing places.
This one is Oklahoma law, not Oklahoma City law. All Oklahoma findings
Outdoor pools open to general public such as municipal pools and pools used by organizations (YWCA, YMCA, etc.), shall be enclosed by a suitable barrier equal to a six (6) foot high woven wire fence.
6 ftbarrier height around an outdoor public bathing place open to the general public
Spite fence laws in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma City law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.
Oklahoma has no spite fence law. The property title that covers boundary fences says nothing about a fence built to annoy a neighbor and sets no height at all. The nuisance title has no fence rule either. A claim about a spite fence in Oklahoma runs on the general nuisance law and on court rulings.
This one is Oklahoma law, not Oklahoma City law. All Oklahoma findings
Documents read before writing that:
- 60 O.S. §§ 69 to 78Oklahoma Legislature
- 50 O.S. §§ 1 to 44Oklahoma Legislature
How fence height is measured in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Oklahoma names the ground in its fence statute, and only for the bottom of the fence. Section 154 puts the lowest rail, wire or board between sixteen and twenty inches from the ground, then sets the whole fence at fifty four inches in height without saying fifty four inches from what. That rule describes a lawful fence built to hold stock. For a fence at a house, the city ordinance written under title 11 sets both the height and the point it is counted from.
This one is Oklahoma law, not Oklahoma City law. All Oklahoma findings
Provided, that the lowest or bottom rail, wire or board shall not be more than twenty (20) or less than sixteen (16) inches from the ground, and that such fence shall be fifty-four (54) inches in height
54 inheight of a lawful fence, with no datum stated
Also on how height is measured in Oklahoma City
- no rule, documents checkedThe fence rules state four feet, six feet, eight feet, ten feet, six and a half feet for a column and twenty five feet for an arch, and never say what any of them is measured from. No grade is named, a berm is not addressed, and a fence built on a retaining wall is not addressed, even though staff are given power in the same subsection to approve a retaining wall for drainage or topographical problems. Where the section does measure carefully it measures across rather than up, and in inches: a picket no wider than three and a half inches with a gap of at least the same, a metal picket no more than one inch square with gaps of at least two and a half inches, and a ribbed steel panel with a rib one to one and a half inches deep, two and a half to three and a half inches wide, six to twelve inches between centers. One vertical clearance is given, at fourteen feet under a driveway arch. Section 59-12200.3.B(1)Oklahoma City · Zoning code
Fence rules for corner lots in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma City answers this, but the answer changes depending on whether the fence sits near a street corner or a driveway.
Oklahoma City writes the corner rule as a flat exclusion zone for a front yard fence rather than as a height band. No front yard fence may be erected within twenty five feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines of any public or private street, so a four foot decorative fence is barred from that area as completely as a solid one would be. A second, smaller zone covers the driveway: a front yard fence, or such a fence with a hedge or similar planting, may not cause a view obstruction for any private driveway and may never be erected within twelve feet of where a private driveway meets the pavement edge or maintained portion of a street. A general clause backs both up, requiring that the proposed fence not pose a safety or visibility hazard, and staff check that at permit review with the fire department commenting where appropriate.
No front yard fence shall be erected within 25 feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines of any public or private street.
Section 59-12200.3.B(1)(i) and (j)
The answer turns on whether the fence sits near a street corner or a driveway.
- a street intersection
- Twenty five feet, no fence. 25 ft
- a private driveway
- Twelve feet. 12 ft
- a hedge beside the fence
- Caught by the same driveway rule.
- anything else
- No safety or visibility hazard.
Also on corner visibility in Oklahoma City
- left to the townOklahoma has no state rule for the clear view at a corner. Title 11 lets a city government control the height and size of buildings and other structures and the size of yards and open spaces, so a corner triangle can only come from a city ordinance written under that power. Title 69, the roads and bridges title, uses the words sight distance only in the part describing how a turnpike is designed, which is about the road and not about what stands on a corner lot. 11 O.S. 43-101Oklahoma · Zoning code
Retaining wall rules in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma City does not set this. It leaves it to the International Residential Code, 2018 edition, as amended and modified by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission in OAC 748:20-6.
Oklahoma writes no retaining wall rule of its own. The Uniform Building Code Commission adopted the 2018 International Residential Code as the statewide minimum for one and two family homes and townhouses, and took in chapter 1 of that book, which holds the list of work that needs no permit. So the test for a wall that holds back earth comes from the adopted book, and a city or county may set a stricter rule on top of it.
This one is Oklahoma law, not Oklahoma City law. All Oklahoma findings
the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission (the "OUBCC") hereby adopts the International Residential Code®, 2018 Edition (IRC® 2018) as amended and modified in this subchapter to be the statewide minimum code for residential construction within the State of Oklahoma for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses
The code hands this to the International Residential Code, 2018 edition, as amended and modified by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission in OAC 748:20-6, which is not published in the code itself.
Fence materials allowed in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma City answers this, but the answer changes depending on which yard the fence is in and the dimensions of the material.
Oklahoma City writes its material rules to the dimension. A front yard fence may only be chain link, decorative ornamental metal, picket or split rail. A wood picket may be no more than three and a half inches wide and the gap between pickets may be no less than three and a half inches, so a picket fence has to be at least half air. A decorative metal fence has to look like wrought iron, with pickets no more than an inch square, gaps of at least two and a half inches, and no spiked caps or spears. Behind the house, metal, plastic and plywood sheets are prohibited, with one exception written to a specification: ribbed steel panels are allowed where the ribs are one to one and a half inches deep and two and a half to three and a half inches wide with six to twelve inches between rib centers, primed and factory coated in a silicone polyester finish, and never in the downtown or historic preservation districts.
No such fence shall be constructed of metal, plastic or plywood sheets. However, ribbed steel panel fencing may be used provided such fencing material meets the following minimum property standards: 1. Ribbed steel panels shall have the following dimensions: Rib depth of one to one and one-half inches by a width of two and one-half to three and one-half inches, with six to 12 inches between rib centers.
The answer turns on which yard the fence is in and the dimensions of the material.
- a front yard fence
- Chain link, metal, picket or split rail.
- a wood picket
- Three and a half inches wide, and the same gap. 3.5 in
- sheet metal, plastic or plywood
- Prohibited.
- barbed, hog or chicken wire
- Farm and industrial districts only.
Also on materials in Oklahoma City
- set in state lawBarb wire is a legal way to build a fence in Oklahoma, and the statute says how. A barb wire lawful fence takes three barb wires, or four wires with two of them barbed. Posts go no more than two rods apart when two stays are used between them, or one rod apart with no stays, and a rod is sixteen and a half feet. The top wire sits fifty four to fifty eight inches up and the bottom wire sixteen to twenty inches off the ground. The same section sets a separate standard for a rail or board fence. 4 O.S. 154Oklahoma · Statute
Livestock and boundary fence law in Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.
Oklahoma writes out what a lawful fence for livestock is. A rail or board fence stands 54 inches tall, with the bottom rail no more than 20 and no less than 16 inches off the ground. A barbed wire fence may run three barbed wires, or four wires with two of them barbed, and the top wire sits 54 to 58 inches up. Fence viewers may accept any other fence they judge equal to that. An owner who leaves land open as a common does not pay toward a fence on the line until the land is enclosed or put to some other use.
This one is Oklahoma law, not Oklahoma City law. All Oklahoma findings
Provided, that the lowest or bottom rail, wire or board shall not be more than twenty (20) or less than sixteen (16) inches from the ground, and that such fence shall be fifty-four (54) inches in height, except that a barb wire fence may consist of three barb wires, or four wires, two of which shall be barbed
54 inheight of a lawful fence for restraining livestock
Documents behind this page
8 documents, of which 1 was published by Oklahoma City itself. Each was read on the date shown.
- Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Statutes, Title 60, Property, Section 70
- City of Oklahoma CityOklahoma City Municipal Code, Chapter 59, Zoning and Planning Code, Article XII, Site Development Standards, Section 59-12200, Standards for accessory buildings, structures and uses
- Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Statutes, Title 59, Professions and Occupations, Sections 1000.20 to 1000.29, Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission Act
- Oklahoma State Department of HealthOklahoma Administrative Code Title 310, Chapter 315, Public Bathing Place Facility Standards, permanent final adoption
- Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Statutes, Title 50, Nuisances, Sections 1 to 44
- Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Statutes, Title 4, Animals
- Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Statutes, Title 11, Cities and Towns, Article 43, Municipal Planning and Zoning
- Oklahoma Uniform Building Code CommissionOklahoma Administrative Code, Title 748, Chapter 20, Subchapter 6, IRC 2018, Permanent Rule effective September 14, 2022
What this page does not cover
A city ordinance is not the only rule that reaches a fence. The zoning district a parcel sits in can change the height allowed on it, and so can an overlay district, a recorded easement, a fire hazard severity zone or a coastal zone. A homeowner association can be stricter than the city and nothing in the municipal code will say so. None of those appear here.
The rules above are the ones Oklahoma City publishes, plus the Oklahoma rules that apply where the city sets none. Fence laws in Oklahoma has the state layer in full.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, ordinances are amended, and the date beside each finding is the date the document was read. How findings are made · What the terms mean