Austin, TX

Austin City Code Chapter 25-2 Subchapter E caps STR occupancy at six unrelated adults or 10 total including related persons, whichever is lower, with no more than two adults per…

Austin's short-term rental code builds an escalating track for repeat problem properties: two documented violations or disturbances let the director deny a license, and numerous…

Booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo must require every Austin short-term rental listing to display a license number, remove any listing within 10 days of a city delist notice, and…

Austin does not impose an annual night cap on STR rentals like San Francisco's 90-day rule or Palm Springs' 32-day limit. However, Type 2 non-owner-occupied STRs are restricted in…

Austin requires every short-term rental to hold a current operating license under City Code Chapter 25-2 Subchapter E. Applications go through Development Services, require proof of…

Austin short-term rentals are subject to Chapter 9-2 noise limits plus stricter STR-specific conditions under City Code Chapter 25-2. STR operators must post 24-hour contact info…

Austin STR licensees must carry at least $1 million in liability coverage specifically endorsed for short-term rental use, per City Code Chapter 25-2 Subchapter E. Proof of insurance…

Austin imposes an 11% Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) on STR stays plus a 6% Texas state HOT. Operators must hold a city operating license: $836.30 new or $385.30 renewal.

Austin STR operators must provide one off-street parking space per bedroom under City Code Chapter 25-6. On-street parking by guests is allowed only where the street permits, and RPP…

Austin repealed its owner-occupancy classification on October 1, 2025. Non-owner-occupied and leased short-term rentals are allowed citywide under City Code Chapter 4-23; every unit…

Travis County does not cap home-share length or distinguish extended stays from short stays. Hosts can rent rooms or whole homes for any duration, subject only to Texas hotel occupancy…

Austin requires the owner of any non-wildlife, non-livestock animal at least four months old to have it implanted with a registered identification microchip and to keep the…

Austin City Code Chapter 3-2 allows up to 10 chickens on most residential lots with setbacks of 50 feet from neighboring dwellings for coops. Roosters are allowed but subject to noise…

Austin prohibits keeping, possessing, or controlling a dangerous animal, defined to include any species listed as a dangerous wild animal under state law plus any wild or feral mammal…

Austin makes it an offense to kill or injure any bird or fowl that does not belong to you, and adds an outright ban on killing, injuring, capturing, or selling mockingbirds and other…

Austin's Land Development Code defines VETERINARY SERVICES as its own commercial use classification under Sec. 25-2-4(B)(73), covering animal hospitals and clinics for pets as well as…

Austin's Land Development Code treats pet grooming as part of the PET SERVICES use classification under Sec. 25-2-4(B)(54), covering retail sale of household pets and veterinary…

Austin does not regulate dogs by breed. Instead, its vicious dog ordinance labels any dog that killed or seriously injured another animal while running at large as vicious after a…

Austin makes it an offense to intentionally feed deer or leave food where deer can get to it anywhere in the city, on private or public property, under City Code Sec. 10-8-3. Placing…

Austin City Code Section 3-4-29 requires all dogs and cats over six months old to be spayed or neutered. Owners wishing to keep intact animals must obtain an annual breeder or…

Austin City Code Chapter 3-2 requires cats over four months old to be licensed and currently vaccinated against rabies under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 826. Austin Animal…

Austin's Commerce in Live Animals ordinance makes it an offense for a pet trader to sell a dog or cat away from the place it was bred, and bans selling any live animal on roadsides…

Austin City Code Chapter 3-4 requires dogs in public to be restrained on a leash no longer than 6 feet, with limited exceptions for designated off-leash areas including Red Bud Isle…

Austin allows residential beekeeping under City Code Chapter 3-2 with no colony cap, provided hives are set back 10 feet from property lines and behind a 6-foot flyway barrier if…

Travis County Animal Services investigates suspected hoarding under Chapter 30 cruelty provisions and Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 821, working with TCSO when seizure of…

Austin's Residents Only Zone rule lets the Transportation and Public Works Department restrict on-street parking near a neighborhood to permit holders only. A vehicle without a valid…

Austin requires a permit from the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department before a commercial vehicle can load or unload from a metered space, a designated commercial loading…

Austin City Code Sec. 12-5-24 reserves electric-vehicle charging spaces on City-owned and City-leased parking lots and garages for vehicles that actually run on a rechargeable battery…

Austin prohibits parking any motor vehicle over 9,000 pounds gross vehicle weight on public streets posted 30 mph or less: the speed cap that covers virtually every residential street…

Austin enforces Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683 and Austin City Code Chapter 12-5: a vehicle on public right-of-way is abandoned if inoperable for more than 48 hours or operable…

Austin bans parking a motor vehicle in the front yard or side yard of a residential property once that street is added to the city's restricted parking area map, unless the vehicle…

Austin has no general citywide overnight parking ban on public streets. However, approximately 40 Residential Permit Parking (RPP) zones restrict overnight parking to permit holders…

Austin makes it a civil offense to park in violation of the city code or state law, so the Texas Transportation Code bans on blocking a driveway and parking against traffic are…

Austin lets a homeowner keep up to two antique or recreational vehicles, including RVs, campers, and boat trailers, on residential premises under Sec. 25-2-893(B)(7), but only if the…

Texas Occupations Code chapter 2308 sets the statewide rules for nonconsent towing and vehicle booting. A vehicle owner has 14 business days to demand a hearing in the justice court…

Austin has not banned gasoline-powered leaf blowers and likely cannot enforce one because Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 382 reserves air-quality regulation to the state, while…

Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 establishes decibel limits by zoning district and time of day: 75 dB(A) daytime and 70 dB(A) nighttime in residential, up to 85 dB(A) in commercial, and…

Austin bans loud vehicle exhaust and engine noise under City Code Sec. 12-1-36, presuming a violation once a vehicle's noise tops 85 decibels after a peace officer has already warned…

Austin regulates helicopter noise through its heli-facility permitting law rather than a single decibel cap on individual flights. City Code Sec. 13-1-171 defines 'incompatible noise'…

Austin's noise code sets a hard nighttime limit for residential zones: no sound equipment may be audible beyond a residence's property line between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m., and it may…

Austin City Code Section 3-2-2 bars owners and handlers from keeping any animal that makes frequent or long, continued noise disturbing to a person of normal sensibilities, enforced by…

Austin construction and heavy-equipment noise near homes is confined to 7:00 a.m. through 10:30 p.m. under City Code Section 9-2-3. Aggregate machinery and concrete pours within 600…

As the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, Austin has detailed amplified sound rules in City Code Chapter 9-2. Outdoor amplified music requires a permit, with decibel caps…

Austin City Code Sec. 6-3-23 requires property owners to trim tree limbs hanging over a sidewalk to a minimum clearance of 14 feet above street level, measured from the nearest…

Austin strongly encourages rainwater harvesting and offers rebates up to $5,000 through Austin Water. Texas Property Code §202.007 prevents HOAs from banning rain barrels or cisterns…

Austin allows artificial turf in residential and commercial landscapes but it is counted as impervious cover under Chapter 25-2, subject to the 40–45% impervious cover cap. Austin…

Austin requires a city permit to remove any protected tree measuring 19 inches or more in diameter, and 24-inch heritage oaks, pecans, elms and other listed species get stronger…

Austin enforces a mandatory year-round watering schedule under City Code Chapter 6-4. Automatic irrigation systems run just one day per week, assigned by street address, and never…

Austin caps grass and weeds at 12 inches on private property. Anything taller is an unsanitary-condition violation under City Code Title 10-5, Article 2, and the Austin Code Department…

Austin's Grow Green program promotes native and adapted landscaping with a free plant guide and regional nursery partnerships. Texas Property Code §202.007 prohibits HOAs from banning…

Austin allows a home daycare as a by-right accessory use in any residential zoning district under Sec. 25-2-893(C)(9), so long as it qualifies as a child care services (limited) use…

A home occupation in Austin may display exactly one on-premise sign, and only if both the home and the sign front a Core Transit Corridor. Ground-mounted signs top out at six square…

Austin allows a home business as an accessory use to any residence under Sec. 25-2-900, but it must run entirely inside the dwelling or an accessory structure, keep the home looking…

Austin allows cottage food production under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 437.001: no local permit, up to $50,000/year gross, direct and online sales of non-hazardous foods…

Austin caps customer traffic to a home-based business at three vehicle trips a day under Sec. 25-2-900(E), and separately bans parking any commercial vehicle on the property or on an…

A solid boundary fence in Austin tops out at six feet by default under Sec. 25-2-899(D), but adjoining neighbors can agree to go taller: Sec. 25-2-899(F) allows eight feet if every…

Austin exempts a retaining wall from a building permit only if it stands four feet or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, per the city's Residential…

Austin City Code Chapter 25-2 allows residential fences up to 6 feet in side and rear yards and 4 feet in front yards without a permit. Corner visibility triangles, Heritage Tree…

Austin prohibits barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fences in residential zones under City Code Chapter 25-2. Hill Country Roadway corridors and historic districts impose…

Austin does not require permits for fences up to 7 feet that are not in a flood hazard area. Fences in flood zones always require a permit regardless of height. Pool barrier fences…

Austin requires an Austin Fire Department permit before anyone kindles a rubbish fire, bonfire, warming fire or agricultural burn anywhere in the city, effectively banning unpermitted…

Austin doesn't require a fire permit for ordinary household propane use at a single-family home, but Sec. 6104.2 of the Fire Code bans any above- or below-ground LP-gas container over…

Consumer fireworks are illegal to possess, use, or sell within Austin city limits. Violations can carry fines up to $2,000. Permits are issued only for professional displays by Austin…

Austin designates every structure inside a mapped wildland-urban interface area as Proximity Zone A, B or C based on its distance from wildland, and that zone letter, set by Sec. 302.4…

Austin's Fire Code requires an operational permit to kindle almost any open fire in the city, but it carves out two exceptions that cover a typical backyard fire pit: Section 105.5.36…

Austin follows the International Fire Code and Texas Property Code §92.251-.262 requiring working smoke alarms in every sleeping room, hallway, and each story of a dwelling. Rental…

Austin's HOME Initiative (Ord. 20231207-001, effective Feb 5, 2024) allows up to 3 housing units, including ADUs and tiny homes, on lots zoned SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3.

Austin requires a Garage Conversion / Carport-Porch Enclosure permit plus a Residential Interior Remodel application. Citywide off-street parking minimums were eliminated in 2023…

Austin is among the most tiny-home-friendly cities in Texas, allowing ADUs on most SF lots down to 5,750 sf and permitting DADUs (Detached ADUs) with reduced setbacks under HOME…

Austin exempts tool and storage sheds up to 120 square feet from building permits, provided they are not in a flood hazard area and have no plumbing or electrical. Larger sheds require…

Austin requires permits for above-ground pools over 24 inches deep or 5,000 gallons. Structural, electrical, and barrier inspections apply, and impervious cover counts against zoning…

Austin enforces International Swimming Pool and Spa Code barrier standards under Chapter 25-12: 4-foot minimum fence, self-closing self-latching gates, door alarms on homes acting as a…

Austin requires a Public Works Department application before anyone builds a permanent encroachment in a public right-of-way, obtains a license for private use of public property, or…

Austin bars placing vehicles, machinery, dockless-transportation items, or other bulky objects on a street, alley, or sidewalk to sell, work from, or dump as junk, and separately bans…

Repairing, altering, or constructing the sidewalk fronting your Austin property, whether on your lot or in the adjoining public right-of-way, requires a building permit from the…

Selling goods on Austin parkland, streets, sidewalks, or right-of-way inside a permitted special event's footprint is banned outright unless the Austin Center for Events (ACE) approves…

Any parade, march, or public assembly in Austin needs a special event permit from the Austin Center for Events (ACE) unless it's a small block party, a spontaneous demonstration on…

Austin has no ordinance called a "parklet," but Chapter 4-21 lets a retail store, restaurant, or cocktail lounge convert part of its own adjacent private parking lot into an outdoor…

Austin requires a permit from the Austin Transportation Department director before a restaurant, bar, or retail store can put an outdoor dining area or sidewalk storefront on the…

Austin residents must get a block party permit from the Austin Transportation Department director before closing a residential street for a neighborhood block party. Applications are…

A permit from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is required for organized events in Austin's public parks, except for casual gatherings of friends or family without…

Texas House Bill 1927 allows most adults 21 and older to carry handguns concealed without a permit. Austin follows state rules; License to Carry under Texas Government Code Chapter 411…

Texas Penal Code Section 46.02 allows lawful adults to carry handguns in private vehicles or watercraft if not in plain view, gang-related, or possessed by a prohibited person. Austin…

Texas allows permitless open carry of handguns in shoulder or belt holsters for adults 21 and older. Austin cannot restrict open carry beyond state law except on city property and…

Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 broadly preempts municipal regulation of firearms, ammunition, knives, and related accessories. Cities cannot adopt or enforce ordinances…

Texas has no recreational cannabis program, so Austin cannot create a social-equity license. The narrow Compassionate Use Program licenses three statewide dispensing organizations on…

Texas prohibits personal cannabis cultivation entirely. Austin cannot authorize home grows under home-rule authority while state law treats marijuana possession and manufacture as…

Texas law strictly limits cannabis dispensaries to licensed Compassionate Use Program organizations dispensing low-THC cannabis (under 1% THC). As of 2025 only three licensed…

Cannabis home cultivation is illegal in Texas. TX Health & Safety Code §481.121 makes possession of any marijuana plant a criminal offense. Only TCUP (Texas Compassionate Use Program)…

Cannabis delivery in Travis County is limited to state-licensed Compassionate Use dispensing organizations transporting low-THC product to registered patients under DPS rules, with no…

Texas does not impose statewide cannabis buffer zones because adult-use is illegal; the few Compassionate Use dispensaries follow DPS site-security rules, and Travis County has no…

Austin Energy Green Building, launched in 1990 as the first municipal green building rating program in the United States, evaluates new and remodel projects on a one-to-five-star scale…

Austin's Residential Design and Compatibility Standards, Land Development Code Chapter 25-2, Subchapter F, cap new houses and additions at the greater of a 0.4-to-1.0 floor-to-area…

Austin requires every permit holder to post an inspection record card on site before work begins under City Code Sec. 25-1-287. Inspectors log each visit on the card, and the Watershed…

Austin's local Fire Code amendments require carbon monoxide detection in new residential, institutional and school buildings wherever a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, forced-air…

Austin has adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code, with local deletions and amendments, as its Electrical Code under Austin City Code Sec. 25-12-111. Electrical work is separately…

Austin has adopted the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, with local deletions and additions, as its Plumbing Code under Austin City Code Sec. 25-12-151. Plumbing work is separately…

Austin childcare centers are licensed and inspected by Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Regulation under 26 TAC Chapter 746, layered with Austin City Code Title 25…

Austin became one of the first major Texas cities to mandate residential fire sprinklers in new single-family homes, adopting IRC Section R313 without the typical state amendments and…

Lead paint regulations in Austin follow federal law (Title X, Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992) and EPA regulations (40 CFR Part 745). Sellers and landlords of…

Scaffolding in Austin is regulated under the city's adopted building codes (2024 Technical Building Codes effective July 10, 2025) and right-of-way permit requirements. Any scaffolding…

Elevator safety in Austin is regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under the Texas Elevator Safety Act (Health and Safety Code Chapter 754). All…

Austin exempts decks up to 200 sq ft, no more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the dwelling, and not in a flood zone. Larger or higher decks require a building permit…

Austin's Land Development Code lets a property opt into a Density Bonus (DB) combining district under Sec. 25-2-181, trading income-restricted housing for extra height and eased…

A downtown Austin project that wants extra height or floor area under the Downtown Density Bonus Program must first clear "Gatekeeper Requirements": substantial compliance with the…

Austin's Land Development Code in City Code Title 25 still uses 1980s-vintage Euclidean zoning categories paired with the Imagine Austin Future Land Use Map, after the CodeNEXT…

Austin Water's WaterWise Landscape Rebate, administered by the Conservation Division, pays residential and commercial customers per square foot of high-water turf converted to…

Austin City Code Sec. 6-4-12 treats an unrepaired controllable leak, a broken sprinkler head, drip line, pipe or valve, as prohibited water waste. Austin Water enforces the rule…

Austin Water may extend reclaimed water service to any property in its service area under Sec. 25-9-383, but service is discretionary: the utility can refuse a connection if it would…

Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 prohibits aggressive solicitation, including approaching ATMs, intersections, and outdoor diners, while Texas Penal Code Section 22.06 governs threatening…

Austin bars skateboarding on public landscaping, amenities, or art anywhere in the city under City Code Sec. 12-1-32, and separately bans skateboards and roller skates entirely from…

Austin has no general ban on loitering; it criminalizes loitering only for specific unlawful purposes. Sec. 9-4-16 bars loitering in public to solicit prostitution, a parallel section…

Austin bans smoking outright in every city park and in enclosed public places and workplaces, plus within 15 feet of doors and windows, under City Code Sec. 10-6-2. A handful of narrow…

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.005 requires pedestrians crossing outside marked crosswalks or intersections to yield right-of-way to vehicles; Austin enforces this state statute…

Austin Noise Ordinance Chapter 9-2 prohibits unreasonable noise after 10 p.m. on weeknights and 10:30 p.m. weekends; second-response loud-party calls within 12 hours trigger…

Austin bars drinking alcohol on public streets, sidewalks, and parks inside three mapped designated areas covering downtown, the Sixth Street district, the South Congress/South Lamar…

Austin voters passed the Freedom Act (Proposition A) in 2022, barring police from citing or arresting for misdemeanor marijuana possession. But Texas appellate courts blocked it and…

Austin City Code Title 10 disorderly conduct provisions and Texas Penal Code Section 42.01 reach public urination through indecent exposure and disorderly conduct charges; Sixth Street…

Austin City Code Sec. 6-1-51 prohibits a motor vehicle's primary propulsion engine from idling more than five consecutive minutes when the vehicle is not in motion, citywide within…

Austin's Building Code requires the lowest floor of any new or substantially improved building in a flood hazard area to sit at least two feet above the design flood elevation, with a…

Building, modifying, or extending a dock, bulkhead, or shoreline access on Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, or Lake Walter E. Long requires a site plan and building permit under Sec…

Every structure in Austin's mapped wildland-urban interface must clear a fuel-modification buffer set by its Proximity Zone, from 30 feet in Zone C up to 100 feet in Zone A, plus a…

Austin City Council adopted the Climate Equity Plan in 2021, committing the city to net-zero community greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, accompanied by sector goals for electricity…

Austin Energy Code, an amended version of the 2021 IECC adopted under City Code Title 25, requires high-reflectance and high-emissivity roofing on low-slope commercial and multifamily…

Austin City Code Title 25 and the Drainage Criteria Manual regulate all grading and drainage activities. A grading permit is required for any land-disturbing activity exceeding…

Austin puts the cost of handling stormwater on the property owner. Anyone developing land must convey all stormwater flowing through the site, including runoff directed there by…

Austin participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and maintains strict floodplain regulations under City Code Title 25 and the Drainage Criteria Manual. The city has over 130…

Texas prohibits damaging, destroying, or removing a sand dune or its vegetation seaward of a dune protection line or within a critical dune area unless a permit authorizes the work…

Austin City Code Sec. 6-3-21 bars plants taller than two feet within a ten-foot setback and 40 feet of curb at any street corner, and Sec. 6-3-22 bars planting within five feet of a…

Austin doesn't license game rooms, but Chapter 4-13 imposes strict operating rules on any facility open to the public with coin-operated amusement redemption machines: transparent…

Texas nonprofits can conduct bingo only under a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which absorbed the Texas Lottery Commission's charitable bingo program on…

Texas Penal Code § 47.02(a) makes betting at cards, dice, or any game of chance a Class C misdemeanor. Section 47.02(b) supplies a defense: gambling that happens in a private place…

Texas licenses no retail sportsbook and no betting app. Placing a wager on the outcome of a game, contest, or a player's performance is a criminal offense under Penal Code §…

Austin Resource Recovery must offer collection service to every premises in the city, and City Code Section 15-6-11 requires most residential accounts to use it: any premises with…

A licensed private hauler can't just drop a mechanically-handled dumpster or roll-off container on an Austin street, alley, or other public right-of-way. Section 15-6-42(B) requires…

Austin doesn't run a separate yard-waste chapter: brush and yard trimmings collection is folded into Chapter 15-6's general solid-waste eligibility rule. Section 15-6-5(A)(3) allows…

Dumping refuse anywhere in Austin is a Class C misdemeanor. City Code Section 1-1-99 sets the fine at up to $2,000 per offense for sanitation violations that include dumping of refuse…

Austin's Universal Recycling ordinance layers a specific composting mandate on top of its general recycling rule. Section 15-6-91(A)(2) requires multifamily properties with five or…

Austin Resource Recovery provides curbside bulk item collection by appointment. Residents can schedule up to two free bulk pickups per year for large items like furniture, mattresses…

Austin Resource Recovery collects trash and composting weekly on the same day, with recycling every other week. Find your day with the My Schedule tool or the Austin Recycles app…

Austin has a Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) adopted in 2012 requiring recycling and organics diversion for commercial properties, multifamily properties, and food-permitted…

Austin's Code Compliance Department can inspect a rental property's exterior, and any occupied single-family unit, after receiving a complaint from a tenant, with no periodic schedule…

Austin forces problem rental properties into its Repeat Offender Program. A property that racks up two or more uncorrected violation notices, five notices, or two citations in a…

Austin doesn't zone dedicated ride-hail pickup spots citywide; instead Sec. 4-17-12 lets the Transportation Department director designate pickup, drop-off, queuing, and downtown "Safe…

Austin doesn't sort e-bikes into state Class 1/2/3 tiers; Chapter 12-2 instead lets any bicycle or micro-mobility device ride on sidewalks and streets under the same rules, while Sec…

Austin Code Chapter 12-1 and Texas Transportation Code combine to require motorists to give cyclists at least three feet of passing distance, six feet for trucks and buses, while…

Shared micromobility companies cannot deploy dockless scooters in Austin's right-of-way without a City license. New operators start capped at 500 devices in a defined downtown zone, on…

Texas lets golf carts onto public roads in four defined situations rather than by general permission: inside a platted master planned community, on a beach open to vehicular traffic…

Austin's Land Development Code requires billboard lighting to use fully-shielded or full cut-off fixtures under the Exterior Lighting standard in Land Development Code Chapter 25-2…

Austin requires public street and pedestrian lighting, parking lot lighting, pathway lighting, recreational-area lighting, billboard lighting, and building-facade accent lighting on…

Austin's noise code makes it an offense to run a delivery vehicle's refrigeration unit, engine, or generator between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. if the sound or vibration reaches a nearby…

Bars and clubs running outdoor sound equipment need an Outdoor Music Venue permit under Austin City Code Sec. 9-2-30, which caps sound at up to 85 decibels on a district- and…

Austin's Property Maintenance Code requires every structure to be kept free of bed bugs, insects, scorpions, and rodents, and mandates immediate professional extermination when an…

Austin Public Health scores every food service enterprise and retail food store inspection on a 100-point scale, subtracting weighted point values for each critical-requirement…

The Texas Food Handler Education Act requires food employees to complete a state-approved food handler course within sixty days of hire. Austin City Code Chapter 10-3 requires every…

Austin requires property owners to maintain premises free from rodent and insect infestations under the city's property maintenance standards. The Austin Code Department enforces…

Austin's Property Maintenance Code sets hard temperature floors and ceilings for rented housing: residential heating must reach 68F and, for commercial structures with dwelling or…

Austin's Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance, codified at City Code Chapter 25-1 Subchapter F, requires landlords to pay relocation benefits when manufactured-home parks close…

Texas Property Code Chapter 24 allows Austin landlords to terminate month-to-month tenancies or refuse to renew fixed-term leases without cause, requiring only proper written notice…

Texas Property Code Section 92.331 prohibits landlord retaliation, and Austin City Code Chapter 5-2 forbids housing discrimination on protected-class grounds. Austin has no…

Austin City Code Chapter 4-14 (Ord. 20221027-023, Oct. 2022) requires landlords with 5+ units to give a 7-day notice of proposed eviction before any notice to vacate. Texas HB 2127…

Austin requires registration for short-term rentals (STRs) under City Code Title 25, Chapter 25-2, Article 4 (Short-Term Rental Ordinance). STRs are classified as Type 1…

Texas Local Government Code 250.007 prohibits cities and counties from requiring landlords to accept Section 8 housing vouchers. Travis County therefore cannot enforce source-of-income…

Travis County and Texas law impose no rules on cash-for-keys agreements. Landlords and tenants may negotiate any sum for voluntary surrender of possession, subject only to ordinary…

Texas Property Code 92.103 requires landlords to return tenant security deposits, with itemized deductions, within 30 days of move-out. Travis County follows state rules; willful…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005, a Texas landlord must give a defaulting or holdover tenant at least three days' written notice to vacate before filing a forcible detainer (eviction)…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.019 a residential late fee must be reasonable and may be charged only if written in the lease and the rent stays unpaid two full days after due. A fee is…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001, either party may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving notice, and the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after notice is…

Texas law forbids cities from adopting rent control. A municipality may not establish rent control unless its governing body finds a housing emergency caused by a disaster and the…

In Texas a squatter can claim title only through adverse possession, with periods that shorten as the claim strengthens: 3 years under title or color of title (§ 16.024), 5 years with…

Austin's Land Development Code defines agricultural uses in Sec. 25-2-7 and sets numeric development standards for the Agricultural (AG) zoning district in Sec. 25-2-621. AG-zoned land…

The Texas Right to Farm Act, Agriculture Code Chapter 251, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits and local regulations after one year of operation. HB…

Austin caps freestanding signs in an expressway corridor sign district at one per lot, with area topping out at 300 square feet and height limited to 35 feet above the roadway or 20…

Austin prohibits all new off-premise signs and bars converting existing billboards to digital. Under Land Development Code Chapter 25-10, a nonconforming billboard cannot change its…

Austin regulates political signs as temporary signs under Land Development Code Chapter 25-10. Residential properties may display non-illuminated temporary signs up to 8 square feet…

Holiday decorations and displays are permitted in Travis County and Austin without permit, provided they do not create traffic hazards, encroach on public right-of-way, or violate…

Garage sale signs are allowed on private property during the sale but prohibited in public right-of-way. Austin City Code §25-10-152 limits off-premise temporary signs; Travis County…

New buildings and additions in an Austin flood hazard area must have their lowest floor set at least two feet above the design flood elevation. Austin City Code Sec. 25-12-54(C)(1)(a)…

Austin has no hurricane debris ordinance; it's inland and outside the Texas windstorm zone. Storm-downed limbs are collected curbside under Austin Resource Recovery's brush rules…

Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 licenses pawnbrokers through the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, capping fees, requiring 30-day minimum redemption, and mandating police…

Texas Comptroller issues retail cigarette, e-cigarette, and tobacco permits under Tax Code Chapters 154 and 155; Austin Code Chapter 7-2 layers vendor responsibilities and Smoke-Free…

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses massage therapists and establishments statewide under Occupations Code Chapter 455; Austin City Code Chapter 4-9 layers local…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1956 regulates secondhand dealers and crafted-precious-metal dealers, requiring registration with local police, transaction reporting, holding periods…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 licenses tow operators, vehicle storage facilities, and incident-management towers through TDLR; Austin City Code Chapter 12 layers wrecker permits…

Austin City Code Chapter 4-13 licenses sexually oriented businesses, requiring annual permits, distance buffers from schools, churches, parks, and residential zones, no-touch performer…

Tattoo and body piercing studios in Travis County need a Texas Department of State Health Services license under Health and Safety Code Chapter 146, with mandatory minor-consent rules…

Texas does not allow municipal gross-receipts taxes, so Austin has no local business tax classification scheme; businesses owe only the Texas franchise tax through the Comptroller plus…

Every mobile food vendor operating in Austin must hold a valid Mobile Food Vending Permit. As of July 1, 2026, that permit is issued by Texas DSHS, with Austin City Code Chapter 10-3…

Austin City Code Sec. 25-2-812 bans mobile food trucks on private property citywide except where this section allows them: licensed commercial and industrial zoning districts, never…

Austin offers some of the most food-truck-friendly permitting in Texas: Austin Public Health Mobile Food Vendor permit costs $263–$525/year depending on class, with no city-wide…

In Austin's Downtown Community Court district, sitting or lying in the sidewalk right-of-way or sleeping outdoors is a criminal offense once an officer warns you. Voters restored this…

Before Austin clears a homeless encampment, staff posts closure signs at least 72 hours in advance, 7 days on parkland, and the Austin Police Department, the lead enforcer, offers free…

Texas Health and Safety Code Section 361.0961 preempts municipal regulation of foam food containers as solid waste. Austin has no polystyrene ban and cannot lawfully prohibit expanded…

Texas state law preempts local regulation of single-use food service items including plastic straws. Austin has no straw ban or upon-request rule; restaurants distribute plastic straws…

Austin's 2013 single-use carryout bag ban was struck down by the Texas Supreme Court on June 22, 2018 in Laster v. Austin, which held the state Solid Waste Disposal Act preempts…

Austin's Fire Code lets any detached one- or two-family home run a charcoal, wood or gas smoker, hibachi or barbecue pit anywhere on the lot, but every other residence, including…

Austin has no data-center-specific noise ordinance. A data center's mechanical and cooling equipment near homes falls under the Land Development Code compatibility standard, which caps…

Austin's Historic Landmark Commission can recommend that the City Council confer special historic recognition on an object that is not permanently affixed to land, a narrower track…

Austin City Code Title 10, Chapter 10-5 regulates solicitors and peddlers. Door-to-door solicitors must register with the city and carry identification while soliciting. Solicitation…

Austin City Code Sec. 9-4-22 makes it an offense to solicit contributions by going door-to-door at a residence between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. The rule is narrow: it covers only…

Austin enforces the federal Tobacco 21 minimum age and Texas SB 21 (2019), prohibiting tobacco and vape sales to anyone under 21. While Austin Public Health runs robust…

An Austin HOA cannot levy a fine until it mails certified written notice under Texas Property Code Section 209.006 describing the violation and amount due, gives a reasonable cure…

HOAs in Austin enforce architectural standards through their CC&Rs, governed by the Texas Property Code. Under Section 209.00505, if a property owner's architectural application is not…

HOAs in Austin are governed by the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act (Property Code Chapter 209). Board meetings must be open to all association members under Section…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessment collection in Austin. Before filing a lien for unpaid assessments, the HOA must provide a written 30-day notice of delinquency…

Texas Property Code Section 209.0071 provides a mandatory alternative dispute resolution (ADR) framework for HOA disputes in Austin. Before an HOA or homeowner can file a lawsuit…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs how HOAs in Austin enforce covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs). Before levying fines, the HOA must provide written notice specifying…

Property Code Section 202.007 voids any homeowners association rule that bans drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, and Section 202.008 bars fines for a brown…

Texas Property Code section 202.012 stops homeowners associations from banning display of the U.S. flag, the Texas flag, or an official U.S. armed forces flag. An association can…

A Texas property owners' association cannot sell your home at a trustee's sale the way a mortgage lender can. Tex. Prop. Code Section 209.0092 requires the association to obtain a…

Texas Property Code Section 209.016 sets no cap on how much of a subdivision an association can rent out, no minimum lease term, and no grandfather clause: a declaration can still ban…

Solar panel installations in Austin require a building permit through Austin Development Services. Residential rooftop systems must comply with the International Residential Code as…

Texas Property Code Section 202.010 voids any Travis County homeowners' association rule that bans or restricts solar panels outright. HOAs governing unincorporated subdivisions may…

Austin Code Department aggressively enforces property maintenance standards under City Code Chapters 6-1 (Public Health and Sanitation) and 13-1 (Minimum Property Standards). Property…

Vacant lots in Austin must be maintained under City Code Chapter 6-1 (Public Health) and Chapter 13-1 (Minimum Property Standards). Owners must keep vegetation below 12 inches, prevent…

Austin allows recreational drone flight under FAA rules with park-specific bans. Pilots must register drones over 0.55 lbs ($5/3 years), complete the TRUST test, fly below 400 feet…

Commercial drone operators need FAA Part 107 certification plus LAANC authorization for Austin-Bergstrom Class C airspace. Texas Gov Code Ch. 423 restricts aerial surveillance. Travis…

Travis County allows drones in its parks only during daylight in good weather, bars flying between dusk and dawn, and lets the Parks Department post signs closing specific parks to…

In Travis County parks, drone operators must comply with all FAA rules, including the FAA's prohibited airspace zones near airports that cover many county parks. Flights cannot…

Austin does not use the term "lot coverage." The controlling limits are Maximum Building Coverage and Maximum Impervious Cover in the Section 25-2-492 site development table, set per…

Austin caps building height by zoning district in the Sec. 25-2-492 site development table: single-family districts SF-1 through SF-3, SF-5, and SF-6 top out at 35 feet, while…

Unincorporated Travis County has no zoning, so there is no yard-setback-by-district table. The real setback minimums instead come from the Subdivision Regulations'…

Austin does not impose a specific numerical limit on the number of garage sales a resident can hold per year. However, the Land Development Code prohibits ongoing commercial activity…

All commercial, student, and mobile filming in Austin's public right-of-way (streets, sidewalks, alleys) requires a film permit from the Office of Special Events (OSE) in the…

Travis County Parks require a special events application before anyone films or photographs on park property for commercial use, stock photography, student projects, television, or…

Austin accepts code violation reports through Austin 3-1-1 by phone (dial 311 or 512-974-2000), online at 311.austintexas.gov, or via the Austin 311 mobile app. Code Connect line for…

Austin Code Compliance uses a tiered response system: Emergency (life safety) within 1 hour, Urgent (high-risk) within 1 day, Unsafe (structural/land use) within 3 days, and…

Austin's most common code violations include high grass/weeds over 12 inches, illegal short-term rentals, unpermitted construction, junk vehicles, illegal dumping, and property…

Austin follows the Texas Department of Agriculture noxious weed list. The city's Environmental Criteria Manual identifies invasive species to avoid including Chinese tallow, ligustrum…

Austin does not have a specific ordinance banning bamboo. Running bamboo that spreads onto neighboring properties may be addressed as a nuisance. Texas state law does not regulate…

Austin allows and encourages front yard vegetable gardens. Texas HB 1643 (2023) prohibits HOAs from banning vegetable gardens. Austin has no restrictions on edible landscaping in…

Austin has no specific ordinance regulating residential security cameras. Texas law permits video recording on your own property. Cameras must not record areas with a reasonable…

Texas is a one-party consent state for audio recording (TX Penal Code §16.02). Video recording in public is legal. Recording private conversations without at least one party's consent…

Texas Senate Bill 4 (2017) prohibits sanctuary policies in Travis County, requires local jails to honor ICE detainers, and bans elected officials from limiting cooperation, with…

Texas preempts local minimum wage laws under Local Government Code Chapter 229, leaving the federal $7.25 per hour rate as the floor for most private employers in Travis County, though…

Texas appellate courts have struck down municipal paid sick leave ordinances in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio as preempted under the Texas Minimum Wage Act. HB 2127 (2023) further…

Hotels and short-term rentals in Travis County collect a combined hotel occupancy tax of roughly fifteen percent, including six percent state and up to nine percent municipal in…

Texas HB 1819 (88th Legislature, 2023), codified at Local Government Code 370.008 (originally 370.007), prohibits all Texas municipalities and counties from adopting or enforcing…

The Texas Legislature has authorized exactly one vehicle checkpoint program, and it has nothing to do with alcohol. Government Code Section 411.0095 lets the Department of Public…

Texas has never enacted an express statutory right to film police, so the legal boundary for a bystander with a phone is set by the offense of Interference with Public Duties, Texas…

Texas Penal Code Section 38.02 makes it a crime to refuse your name, residence address, or date of birth only after a peace officer has already lawfully arrested you. Being detained on…

No Texas statute obliges a driver to consent to a vehicle search, and none requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What Texas law does require is a paper trail: Article…

Texas regulates extra lighting by color, count, height and aim rather than by naming underglow. Transportation Code Section 547.305 bars any lamp showing red from directly in front of…

Texas grants no square inches of windshield to a camera. Transportation Code Section 547.613(a)(1) makes it a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle with an object or material placed on or…

Texas banned motorcycle lane splitting in plain words on September 1, 2023. Transportation Code Section 545.0605(a)(3)(B), added by House Bill 4122 of the 88th Legislature, says the…

Texas outlaws license plate covers in Transportation Code Section 504.945(a)(7), which makes it an offense to display a plate carrying a coating, covering, protective substance or…

Texas does not prohibit owning, mounting or using a radar detector in a private passenger vehicle. The one radar offense in the vehicle equipment chapter, Transportation Code Section…

Texas is one of the states that never wrote a studded tire calendar. Transportation Code Section 547.612(c) is the whole of the law: a tire on a moving vehicle may not carry a block…

Texas allows film down to 25 percent light transmission on both front side windows and on the windshield strip, with a matching ceiling of 25 percent luminous reflectance, and it sets…