Northampton County, North Carolina solar ordinance
Solar: 50 ft (side and rear setback) from property lines, 100 ft (front setback) from roads. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
4 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackside and rear setbackand a 50 foot side and rear setback; | 50 ft |
Road setbackfront setbackAll structures and security fencing must meet a 100 foot front setback measured from the edge of the rights of way | 100 ft |
Fence heightA security fence equipped with a gate and a locking mechanism must be installed at a minimum height of six (6) feet | 6 ft |
Decommissioning bondwhichever is greaterThe amount of the guarantee shall be 1.25 times the estimated decommissioning cost minus the salvageable value, or $50,000, whichever is greater. | $50,000 |
Source: Northampton County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
North Carolina state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All North Carolina rules and counties.
State siting: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources)
Wind of 1 MW or more needs a state DEQ permit on top of local zoning; solar is sited by counties and towns under their general zoning powers, with no state siting.
N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-215.115 to 143-215.126 (Article 21C). Source
Every North Carolina figure in one spreadsheet
177 figures from 35 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 5 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 3 moratoria and bans on file and North Carolina state law.
How these figures were read
We found Northampton County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Northampton County, NC?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 100 ft (front setback) from roads and 50 ft (side and rear setback) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.