ADU rules in Guthrie

Guthrie's 2025 Zoning Code permits one detached accessory dwelling unit by right in the rear yard of a lot with a single home: the residential use table lists 'Accessory dwelling unit' as P in RE, R-1, R-2 and R-3 (not R-4), and the agricultural table lists it as P in A-1 and A-2. Section 6.5.I also allows an ADU with a single-family dwelling use in any other district. The ADU must sit in the rear yard, only one is allowed per property, and it is not allowed where the lot already has an Accessory Commercial Unit. A separate 'garage apartment' use (a dwelling above a private garage, built to the rear of the main dwelling) is also permitted in RE through R-3.

No attached ADU use exists: the code defines an Accessory Dwelling Unit as 'a detached residential unit', so an internal or attached second unit has to use another route. A two-family dwelling (duplex) is permitted by right in R-2 and R-3, and in R-1 within the Guthrie Proper Overlay District and the pre-1970 original subdivisions (two units per property on at least 7,000 sq ft), but needs a Special Use Permit (Planning Commission and City Council hearings) in RE and in R-1 elsewhere. A 'garage apartment' above a private garage, which may be attached, is permitted in RE through R-3.

Section 6.5.I.c ties ADU size to the primary home's livable area. For homes of 1,200 sq ft or more it applies the general accessory-building cap (6.5.H.2): no more than 50% of the primary structure's livable area or 850 sq ft, whichever is less; for homes under 1,200 sq ft the ADU may not exceed 60% of the home's livable area. The ADU may be no more than 20 feet tall (an accessory garage with an ADU or garage apartment may reach 24 feet, but never above the main house), and it must meet the residential lot dimensional standards, including the 10 to 15 ft accessory rear setbacks. Exceptions to accessory-structure size can be sought only through a Special Use Permit, and only where larger accessory structures already exist nearby.

Section 6.5.I sets no owner-occupancy condition for an ADU; it expressly allows the ADU to be rented or used as a residential short-term rental. Oklahoma has no state ADU statute, so there is no state preemption either way. The general accessory-building rule in 6.5.D.1 that accessory buildings 'are to be used by the property owner' is written for sheds and garages and is overridden for ADUs by the specific rental permission in 6.5.I.1(f).

The ADU standards in Section 6.5.I say nothing about parking, and Table V-10-2 has no ADU row. It requires 1 space for each single-family dwelling unit and 2 spaces per two-family dwelling, and Section 10.6.C has the Planning Director set the requirement for residential uses not listed by reference to the most similar listed use. Expect one additional space for the ADU unless staff decides otherwise. Homes over 1,100 sq ft must also have at least a one-stall garage under the design standards.

A detached ADU is a 'P' (permitted as a matter of right) use in A-1, A-2, RE, R-1, R-2 and R-3, so it needs only a building permit and staff zoning review against Section 6.5.I. A Special Use Permit (Planning Commission and City Council public hearings under §16-85 to 16-87 and Article V Section 3) is needed only for exceptions to accessory size, location or materials, for a two-family dwelling in RE or outside the Guthrie Proper Overlay in R-1, or to convert an ADU to an Accessory Commercial Unit. In the Capitol Townsite Historic District the design must also be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.

Section 6.5.I.1(f) says an ADU 'may be rented and/or used for residential short-term rentals' under Section 18 but cannot be sold separately from the main lot and home. A minor residential short-term rental (a residence that is not the owner's primary residence, stays of 30 days or less) is permitted in every agricultural and residential district; 'home sharing' in the owner's primary residence is capped at 60 days a year. Every short-term rental must file a registration form with the Planning Department listing the owner, unit count, maximum guests and advertisement URLs, with proof of ownership and a code-compliance affidavit, and parking must sit behind the front wall of the house. State and local lodging taxes are the operator's responsibility.