All 50 states and DC
Pool fence requirements by state
Pool barrier rules are the most misquoted thing in fence law. A state will set a height, a summary site will repeat it, and the rule turns out to apply only to public and semipublic pools rather than to a pool in a back yard. Massachusetts is the clearest case. Its well known six foot figure is for public and semipublic outdoor inground pools and does not reach a private home at all.
Pool fence requirements by state, state by state
35 set a rule in state law, 1 have an answer that depends on something else, 12 were checked and say nothing, 3 hand it to the town. Every row links the state page and the document behind it.
| State | What the record says | Barrier height | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | no rule, documents checkedAlabama names no pool fence height in a law or in a statewide health rule. | none stated | Ala. Code 34-14A-82 |
| Alaska | set in state lawAlaska writes no pool fence height of its own. | none stated | AS 18.60.705(a)(2) |
| Arizona | set in state lawArizona writes its pool fence rule straight into state law instead of leaving it to a code. | 5 ft | A.R.S. § 36-1681 |
| Arkansas | set in state lawA fence around a public or commercial pool in Arkansas stands at least four feet high, with limits on the g... | 4 ft | Arkansas Department of Health, Swimming Pool FAQs |
| California | set in state lawA pool fence in California stands at least sixty inches high. | 60 in | Health & Saf. Code 115923 |
| Colorado | set in state lawA fence around a pool open to the public in Colorado stands at least sixty inches high, with gates that clo... | 60 in | 5 CCR 1003-5, sec. 3.24 |
| Connecticut | no rule, documents checkedConnecticut puts its public pool barrier rule in the Public Health Code at Section 19-13-B33b. | none stated | Conn. Agencies Regs. 19-13-B33b |
| Delaware | set in state lawpublic and semipublic pools | 48 in | 16 Del. Admin. C. 4464, 9.12.2 |
| District of Columbia | set in state lawDC writes no pool fence rule of its own. | none stated | D.C. Code 6-1401(2) |
| Florida | set in state lawFlorida requires a pool barrier at least four feet high, measured on the outside. | 4 ft | Fla. Stat. 515.29(1)(a) |
| Georgia | set in state lawGeorgia's public pool rules set barrier requirements and then leave home pools out. | none stated | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 511-3-5-.02(3) |
| Hawaii | left to the townHawaii has a pool barrier rule and no Hawaii statute carries it. | none stated | Section 3109.3, public swimming pools, as amended |
| Idaho | depends, see the pagepublic pools, not a pool serving a single home | none stated | IDAPA 16.02.14.300 |
| Illinois | no rule, documents checkedIllinois writes no fence rule for a pool at a private home. | none stated | 210 ILCS 130/1 |
| Indiana | set in state lawthe store selling an above ground pool for a home, not the owner of a pool already put up | 48 in | IC 22-12-10-5 |
| Iowa | set in state lawChapter 135I sets the Iowa rules for swimming pools, spas and spray pads. | none stated | Iowa Code 135I.2 |
| Kansas | set in state lawKansas sets a pool fence height in its child care licensing rules, not in a building code. | 5 ft | K.A.R. 28-4-129(b)(1) |
| Kentucky | set in state lawKentucky sets no pool fence height in its health rules. | none stated | 902 KAR 10:120 Section 9(7)(a) |
| Louisiana | set in state lawLouisiana sets no statewide pool fence height. | none stated | La. R.S. 33:4875.1 |
| Maine | set in state lawMaine has no statewide pool fence rule. | none stated | 10 M.R.S. 9724(5) |
| Maryland | set in state lawMaryland has statewide pool and spa standards that adopt the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code. | none stated | COMAR 09.12.56.03 |
| Massachusetts | set in state lawpublic and semipublic outdoor inground pools, not a pool at a home | 6 ft | M.G.L. c. 140, § 206 |
| Michigan | set in state lawMichigan puts no pool fence height in its own statute. | none stated | MCL 125.1504(2) |
| Minnesota | set in state lawMinnesota rules say a public pool has to be closed off so children cannot get in. | 5 ft | Minn. R. 4717.1550 |
| Mississippi | no rule, documents checkedMississippi sets no statewide fence, gate or barrier rule for a pool. | none stated | Environmental Health, Pool and Swimming Guidelines |
| Missouri | no rule, documents checkedMissouri sets no statewide fence rule for a swimming pool at a private home. | none stated | RSMo ch. 701 |
| Montana | set in state lawA pool behind a house in Montana falls under no state barrier rule at all. | none stated | MCA 50-53-102(7)(b)(i) |
| Nebraska | no rule, documents checkedNebraska does set pool barrier rules, and they come from the Department of Health and Human Services in Tit... | none stated | 178 NAC |
| Nevada | set in state lawNevada pool law covers a public pool, which it describes as any structure holding a man made body of water... | none stated | NRS 444.065 |
| New Hampshire | set in state lawNew Hampshire puts the pool barrier rule in its state building code, and that code is a list of national bo... | none stated | RSA 155-A:1, IV |
| New Jersey | no rule, documents checkedNew Jersey does have a pool barrier rule. | none stated | N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21 |
| New Mexico | set in state lawNew Mexico puts a pool barrier rule in its statewide residential building code. | 48 in | 14.7.3 NMAC |
| New York | set in state lawNew York requires a barrier around a pool at a house, and the height is four feet. | 4 ft | TB-1014-UC |
| North Carolina | set in state lawThe North Carolina pool safety statute is for public pools, and its scope section leaves out a private pool... | none stated | N.C.G.S. 130A-280 |
| North Dakota | no rule, documents checkedNorth Dakota has no pool barrier rule. | none stated | N.D. Admin. Code ch. 33-29-01 |
| Ohio | set in state lawOhio requires a 48 inch barrier around a public swimming pool, measured from the ground to the top of the f... | 48 in | OAC 3701-31-05.1 |
| Oklahoma | set in state lawAn outdoor pool in Oklahoma that is open to the public gets a barrier equal to a 6 foot high woven wire fence. | 6 ft | OAC 310:315-7-2(c)(1)(A) |
| Oregon | set in state lawA public pool in Oregon sits inside an enclosure at least 6 feet tall, meant to keep out people who should... | 6 ft | OAR 333-060-1000, Section 4.8.6.2.4A |
| Pennsylvania | set in state lawPennsylvania prints no pool barrier height of its own. | none stated | 34 Pa. Code 403.21(a)(14) |
| Rhode Island | left to the townRhode Island does not print a pool barrier height in its own law. | none stated | 510-RICR-00-00-14, 14.2(A) |
| South Carolina | set in state lawSouth Carolina fences every outdoor public swimming pool. | 4 ft | S.C. Code Regs. 61-51.C.8(b) |
| South Dakota | no rule, documents checkedSouth Dakota states no pool barrier height anywhere in its own law. | none stated | ARSD 44:02:14:11 |
| Tennessee | no rule, documents checkedTennessee sets no statewide fence rule for a pool at a house. | none stated | Code Adoption History |
| Texas | set in state lawTexas requires a 48 inch fence around some pools, measured from the ground on the outside of the fence. | 48 in | Health & Safety Code 757.003(b) |
| Utah | set in state lawUtah requires a fence around the whole edge of a public pool, the pool deck and any extra deck. | 6 ft | Utah Admin. Code R392-302-17 |
| Vermont | set in state lawVermont has no general pool fence rule because the state took one out on purpose. | none stated | Section 5, amendments to the 2021 International Building Code |
| Virginia | set in state lawVirginia handles pool fences through its statewide building code. | none stated | 13VAC5-63-336 |
| Washington | set in state lawWashington sends pools at homes to the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2021 edition, through its... | none stated | WAC 51-51-0327 |
| West Virginia | left to the townA pool fence rule does exist in West Virginia, and West Virginia does not write it. | none stated | 87 CSR 4 |
| Wisconsin | no rule, documents checkedWisconsin sets no statewide fence rule for a pool at a house. | none stated | Wis. Admin. Code § SPS 390.02 |
| Wyoming | no rule, documents checkeda pool at a private home | none stated | Ch. 1, applicability |
The other nine questions
A fence rule usually turns on more than one of these, and the answer to one does not settle another.
What this page does not cover
Everything above is state law. Fence height, setback, corner visibility and materials are set by city and county ordinance in almost every state, and a local rule can be far stricter than the statewide default. A parcel can also carry an easement, an overlay district, a fire hazard zone or a recorded HOA restriction, none of which appear in a statute.
This is general information drawn from published government documents. It is not legal advice, statutes are amended, and each state page carries the date its documents were read. How findings are made · What the terms mean · Browse by state