Baytown, TX

Baytown Code of Ordinances Chapter 34 (Nuisances) regulates construction noise in residential areas. Construction activities producing loud noise are restricted during nighttime hours…

Baytown lets residents run leaf blowers, lawnmowers, saws and other power lawn tools only between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., and only if the tool stays under 90 dB(A) measured from the…

Baytown's noise code bans honking a horn while parked except as a danger signal, forbids driving a car so out of repair it grinds or rattles loudly, and outright prohibits using an…

Baytown sets hard decibel ceilings for noise reaching residential property: 75 dB(A) between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., dropping to 65 dB(A) the rest of the time, under Sec. 34-363. A sharp…

Baytown Code of Ordinances Chapter 34 (Nuisances) prohibits unreasonably loud or disturbing sounds including amplified music. Sound from loudspeakers, PA systems, live bands, and DJ…

Baytown Code of Ordinances Chapter 14 (Animals) addresses barking dogs as a nuisance. A dog that barks, howls, or makes excessive noise continuously for an extended period that…

Baytown enforces noise regulations under its Code of Ordinances. Quiet hours are 10 PM to 6 AM in residential areas. Located near major ExxonMobil and Chevron Phillips refineries…

Baytown's lack of traditional zoning means keeping chickens and small livestock on residential property is generally permitted. The city does not impose lot size minimums, coop setback…

An owner who redeems the same unsterilized dog or cat from Baytown's shelter a second time in any 12-month period must have it spayed or neutered within 30 days, per Sec. 14-38(b), and…

Baytown requires every outdoor cat in the city to be spayed or neutered, making it an offense for an owner to keep an unsterilized cat outside under Sec. 14-183(a), while cats in the…

Baytown makes it unlawful to feed, or leave food accessible to, stray or wild animals within the city under Sec. 14-184, with a narrow carve-out for authorized trap-neuter-return…

Baytown's ULDC subjects veterinary clinics and animal hospitals to setback, buffering, and noise-control standards: boarding facilities and dog runs must stay 100 feet from any lot…

Baytown bans keeping bees or beehives within 300 feet of a private residence you have no right to occupy, or of a church, school, day care, nursing home, hospital, park, or public…

Baytown does not have breed-specific legislation (BSL). No dog breeds are banned or subject to special restrictions within the city. Texas state law does not ban specific breeds and…

Baytown prohibits keeping dangerous wild animals within city limits under Chapter 6 of the Code of Ordinances, consistent with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822 Subchapter E…

Baytown Code of Ordinances Chapter 14 requires dogs to be restrained and not allowed to run at large. Dogs must be confined to the owner's property by fence, enclosure, or leash when…

Every dog and cat kept in Baytown must be implanted with a microchip and registered with a microchip registry under Sec. 14-9, with a 30-day grace period after a puppy or kitten turns…

Keeping four or more adult dogs anywhere on one property makes the place a "kennel" under Baytown's animal code, and a kennel can't legally operate without an annual license from the…

Native birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 64. Harris County has no separate bird ordinance. Removing nests, eggs, or…

Baytown does not have traditional zoning and does not impose citywide fence height limits through a zoning ordinance. Property owners have broad discretion in fence height. However…

Baytown requires a building permit before anyone installs or erects a residential fence, under Sec. 18-1041 of the city code. The same permit rule applies to replacement fences and…

Baytown restricts certain fence materials in residential zoning districts. Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited in residential areas. Electric fences require special approval…

Baytown does not have a local fence dispute ordinance. Boundary fence disputes between neighbors are governed by Texas state property law (Texas Property Code). Texas is not a 'good…

Baytown's lack of traditional zoning means commercial vehicle parking in residential areas is less restricted than in most cities. Standard commercial vehicles like work trucks and…

Baytown does not impose a blanket overnight street parking ban. Vehicles may generally remain on residential streets overnight unless posted otherwise, but must be currently…

Baytown treats any junked vehicle visible from a street or right-of-way as a public nuisance under Sec. 34-93, and the police chief can tow a true abandoned vehicle straight to the…

Baytown bans parking, standing, or storing any motor vehicle, non-motorized vehicle, or recreational vehicle in a single-family or duplex front yard under Sec. 94-189, unless every…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code allows electric vehicle charging stations as an accessory use paired with an approved parking or fueling area in any zoning district. Equipment…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code requires nonresidential and mixed-use buildings in the MUN, GC, FC, LI and HI districts to provide off-street loading spaces sized for delivery…

Baytown bans parking, standing, or storing any recreational vehicle, boat, personal watercraft, golf cart, ATV, or non-motorized trailer in the front yard of a single-family or duplex…

Baytown has relatively permissive street parking rules. There are no residential parking permits, no general time limits for street parking, and no alternate-side parking rules…

Harris County's tow truck ordinance, Subchapter 28G, covers only tows a law enforcement officer initiates, and only in the unincorporated parts of the county. It does not reach a…

Texas Transportation Code section 544.011 makes only the local authority responsible for painting and maintaining curb markings such as red, yellow, and white zones. Harris County…

Baytown restricts bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas citywide under the fire prevention code amendments, applying the storage limits in fire code section 3804.2 across the entire…

Every dwelling unit inside a Baytown multi-family complex must carry a working smoke detector, certified annually. Landlords registering a complex of three or more units with the chief…

Baytown Code of Ordinances Chapter 42 (Fire Prevention) and Texas state law regulate fireworks within the city. Fireworks are generally prohibited within Baytown city limits except…

Baytown Code Sec. 70-12 bans outdoor fires in city parks except a cooking fire started and maintained only in a stove or barbecue pit, and requires a permit for any other fire, with…

All outdoor burning in unincorporated Harris County is prohibited during active burn bans enacted by Commissioners Court. Exceptions exist for enclosed fires, non-commercial cooking…

Harris County is not in a designated wildfire risk zone. The humid Gulf Coast climate and urban development minimize wildfire risk. Periodic burn bans are enacted during drought…

Baytown can revoke a short-term rental permit after three violations occur in any rolling 12-month period, or after an owner fails to correct a violation within the deadline the City…

Baytown requires every short-term rental to provide one off-street parking space for each bedroom listed for rent, plus one additional space, under the ULDC's residential-character…

Every Baytown short-term rental must designate a 24-hour local contact person, based within 50 miles of the property, who must be available at all times and physically present on-site…

Baytown caps short-term rental occupancy at two people per bedroom plus two additional guests, with a hard ceiling of ten occupants at any one time, under the ULDC's…

Baytown has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental ordinance or permit requirement. Texas state law (HB 2127, effective September 2023) preempts cities from regulating short-term…

Short-term rental operators in Baytown must collect and remit hotel occupancy taxes. The City of Baytown levies a 7% local hotel occupancy tax in addition to the 6% Texas state hotel…

Baytown does not require short-term rental hosts to carry liability insurance under city ordinance. Coverage is governed by host-platform contracts and standard Texas Department of…

Baytown does not have noise rules specific to short-term rentals. STR properties are subject to the same general nuisance and noise ordinance provisions in Chapter 34 that apply to all…

Baytown allows child day care as an accessory use inside a single-family home under ULDC Sec. 2.35(E), but only if the operator lives on-site, the business stays clearly secondary to…

Baytown allows a home-based business only as a no-impact home occupation, capped at 25 percent of the house's gross floor area and confined to activities that create no parking…

A permitted home occupation in Baytown cannot bring more on-site employees and clients than the residence's occupancy limit allows, and it cannot generate on-street parking or a…

Texas cottage food law (Health and Safety Code Chapter 437) allows Baytown residents to sell homemade baked goods, candies, jams, dried herbs, and other non-potentially-hazardous foods…

Baytown prohibits any exterior signage for home-based businesses. The city's zoning ordinance requires that home occupations show no external evidence of commercial activity. No signs…

Baytown's ULDC lets a developer remove existing healthy trees only after the Planning Director agrees site constraints require it, and any tree credited toward landscaping requirements…

Baytown only regulates composting where it happens inside a residential community garden: composting containers have to sit at least 20 feet from the side and rear property lines and…

Baytown makes it an offense to let a tree, shrub or other growth overhang or obstruct a public right-of-way if it blocks a driver's line of sight, under Sec. 94-6. The director of…

Texas state law (HB 3391 and Texas Property Code Section 202.007) protects the right to collect rainwater and prohibits cities and HOAs from banning rainwater harvesting systems…

Baytown Code of Ordinances Chapter 98 (Vegetation) and Chapter 34 (Nuisances) require property owners to control weeds and maintain properties free of overgrown vegetation. Weeds…

Harris County has no native plant requirements for residential landscaping in unincorporated areas. No xeriscaping mandates or native plant percentage requirements exist. Texas…

Harris County has no regulations on artificial turf in unincorporated areas. No county permit is required for installation. Texas Property Code §202.007 limits HOA authority to…

Baytown allows one accessory dwelling unit per residential lot, capped at 50 percent of the primary house's square footage or 1,000 square feet, whichever is smaller. Subsec…

Baytown limits residential sheds and other detached accessory structures to 20 feet in height, requires six feet of separation from any other building, and caps total accessory square…

Texas has no tiny-home-specific statute. Any transportable, chassis-mounted dwelling that reaches 320 square feet is manufactured housing under Occupations Code Chapter 1201, built to…

All residential swimming pools in Baytown must have a safety barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates per the International Residential Code and city…

Above-ground pools in Baytown with walls 48 inches or higher may use the pool wall as the barrier if the access ladder is removable and secured when not in use. Pools with lower walls…

Texas Election Code Section 259.002 protects the right to display political signs on private property. Baytown cannot prohibit political signs on residential property. HOAs may…

Baytown regulates temporary signs including garage sale signs under its sign ordinance. Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or on traffic signs…

Electronic message centers in Baytown must sit at least 200 feet from any residential dwelling, hold each message for eight seconds or longer, and transition in under one second…

Permanent window signs in Baytown's nonresidential districts can't exceed 25% of a single window's area per building, and temporary window signs can't be affixed permanently to the…

Baytown does not heavily restrict residential holiday displays. Seasonal decorations on private property are generally permitted. Displays must not obstruct traffic visibility, create…

Harris County requires a written County Engineer permit for any sign visible from a county toll road's main-traveled way, and generally bars new off-premise signs and billboards near…

Baytown does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. All evictions follow Texas Property Code Chapter 24 and Chapter 92. Landlords may terminate month-to-month tenancies with written…

Baytown has no rent control ordinance. Texas Government Code Section 214.902 preempts all local rent control. Landlords may raise rent by any amount at lease renewal or with proper…

Baytown multi-family landlords must self-inspect every dwelling unit at least once a year against the property-maintenance standards listed in City Code Sec. 18-711(a)(3): electrical…

Baytown requires every multi-family complex of three or more units to register annually with the chief building official by December 31, or within 30 days of a new certificate of…

Texas allows landlords to end fixed-term leases at expiration and to terminate month-to-month tenancies with at least 30 days' written notice for any lawful reason. Harris County has…

Texas has no statewide source of income protection, and Harris County has not adopted a county-level rule covering its 30-plus cities. Houston has not adopted a citywide source of…

Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules for all Harris County rentals. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with…

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…

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…

Before Baytown will sign off on framing, a certifying engineer must complete the windstorm framing inspection ahead of the city's final rough frame inspection on any engineered…

Baytown requires every short-term rental to pass a Fire Marshal inspection before guests occupy it, and that inspection specifically checks for a working carbon monoxide detector…

Nearly all electrical work in Baytown needs a city permit before it starts, and the permit has to be paid for before work begins. Only minor repairs, lamp and fuse replacement, and…

Baytown enforces the 2015 International Plumbing Code, amended locally in section 18-462, for every plumbing installation in the city. A plumbing permit expires after 180 days unless…

Every new one- and two-family home and all other new construction in Baytown built since January 1, 2010 must meet the city's energy efficiency building program under Sec. 18-2…

Baytown enforces the 2015 International Building Code, with local amendments in section 18-92, for the design, construction, alteration, repair and maintenance of every building and…

Licensed 24-hour daycare centers in unincorporated Harris County must install a manual fire alarm system with voice/alarm communication, connect sprinklers to the alarm, and provide…

Harris County requires boarding home facilities to fit interior doors properly, install locking hardware for resident privacy, and make sure closet and bathroom locks release from…

Licensed boarding homes in unincorporated Harris County must hard-wire smoke detectors in every bedroom, hallway, corridor, laundry room and basement area. The county's Boarding Home…

Every Harris County floodplain development permit holder in the unincorporated county must post the permit at the jobsite, keep the road clear of construction soil, and let the County…

Texas Local Government Code section 233.153 prohibits Harris County from requiring residential fire sprinklers in new one or two-family homes. The Harris County Fire Marshal applies…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code requires a landscaped streetscape bufferyard along every street frontage, planted with trees spaced 30 feet on center along collector and…

Every new single-family lot platted in unincorporated Harris County must carry front-yard trees sized to the lot: one tree on lots of 5,000 square feet or less, two on anything larger…

Removing a specimen tree of 12 inches or larger in caliper from a Harris County road or flood-control right-of-way triggers a mandatory removal and replacement plan. Ch. 41, Subchapter…

When work in a Harris County Flood Control District right-of-way removes a 'desirable' tree, the ROW user must replace it inch for inch with the same or a similar species. Ch. 41…

Baytown bans open-air vending outright: anyone selling or exhibiting goods for sale outdoors, off a licensed premises, for an hour or more is prohibited under chapter 74, with only…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code treats a mobile food vendor as a temporary use that can operate up to 365 days a year without a Temporary Use Permit in the zoning districts…

Baytown Code Sec. 42-153 leaves inspection and permitting of the mobile food unit itself to the Texas Department of State Health Services, but requires the commissary that services the…

Baytown Sec. 42-296 limits film production activity to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week, and Sec. 42-293(e)(7) requires the permit application to disclose planned generators…

Baytown requires a film industry production permit under Sec. 42-293 whenever a shoot uses ten or more crew, involves a city street, building, right-of-way or park, or will disrupt…

Sec. 42-294 gives Baytown's city manager full control over any city street used for filming, requires 12-hour advance notice of location changes, and routes closure requests for…

Baytown gives residents a legal shield against door-to-door peddlers: post a sign on your property or at the entrance that a merchant would reasonably notice, and Sec. 74-33(b) makes…

Baytown requires anyone acting as an itinerant merchant, house-to-house sellers, vehicle vendors, or short-stay solicitors, to obtain a license from the director before selling. Sec…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code sets minimum front, side and rear setbacks separately for each residential zoning district. Estate Residential (ER) lots need a 25-foot front…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code sets maximum lot coverage by zoning district: 50% in Estate Residential (ER), 60% conventional or 45% cluster in Suburban Residential (SR), 60%…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code caps building height by residential zoning district. Estate Residential (ER) lots top out at 50 feet, while Suburban Residential (SR) lots, both…

Baytown bans smoking in the seating areas of every outdoor arena, stadium and amphitheater in the city, and separately requires a 15-foot smoke-free buffer around the entrances of…

Baytown's only codified skateboarding rule bans riding bicycles and skateboards on any park tennis court, under City Code § 70-14. The city doesn't regulate skateboarding on sidewalks…

Baytown bars panhandlers from soliciting within 50 feet of an ATM, pay phone, parking meter, parking fee box, vending machine, or fuel pump, and requires them to stop immediately once…

Harris County Sheriff and constables respond to loud party calls in unincorporated areas under Texas Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct, the Harris County Sound Order limiting noise…

Possessing or drinking alcohol in a Harris County park is banned by default under Section 17 of the park rules, except at specific pavilions, golf courses, and community buildings the…

Texas Penal Code Section 42.01(a)(10) makes exposing your anus or genitals in a public place reckless of who might be offended a Class C misdemeanor. Harris County Sheriff and…

Baytown bundles curb-side recycling into the standard $36.95 monthly refuse charge under Sec. 86-101(b), and backs it with the Baytown Green Center, a residents-only drop-off site at…

When a city holiday falls on a scheduled garbage day, Baytown does not skip the pickup, it slides it. Sec. 86-68 states that regular collection on official city holidays is deferred to…

Baytown residents must set garbage, heavy trash, yard waste, and brush out at the curb or in the designated alley by 7:30 a.m. on collection day, and pull the empty containers back off…

Baytown collects yard waste once a week and brush once a month, and the two waste streams follow different set-out rules. Sec. 86-36 requires yard waste to go out only in approved…

Baytown provides weekly curbside trash and recycling collection through Republic Services. Each residence receives a 96-gallon trash cart and 96-gallon recycling cart. Collection days…

Anyone placing a commercial dumpster or roll-off container in Baytown for hire needs a city waste-collection permit first. Sec. 86-226 makes unpermitted hauling unlawful, Sec. 86-227…

Baytown provides bulk item pickup through Republic Services by appointment. Large items like furniture, appliances, and mattresses must be scheduled in advance. The city also operates…

Baytown makes it unlawful to sweep, throw, deposit or dump garbage, waste, construction debris or dead animals onto any public or private premises in the city, with dumping violations…

Harris County has no mandatory recycling ordinance for unincorporated areas. Recycling availability depends on private waste hauler contracts and MUD services. Texas does not mandate…

An event held at a Baytown city park that draws tourists, boosts hotel stays, or promotes local recreation or economic development only qualifies as a 'tourism-impact event' once the…

Baytown Sec. 42-300(1) lets the city manager deny a film industry production permit outright if it would conflict in time and location with another film production, special event…

Holding a special event in a Harris County park requires the Park Superintendent's written permission plus liability insurance and paid off-duty peace officers.

In unincorporated Harris County, the Fire Marshal requires an operational Special Event permit for any outdoor fair, carnival, or vendor market drawing 100 or more people, with added…

Baytown Code Sec. 58-106(b) requires barbecue pits, fireplaces, woodburning stoves, and cooking shelters at manufactured home parks to be located, built, and used so they minimize fire…

In unincorporated Harris County, Section 308.1.4.1 of the Fire Code bans charcoal burners, LP-gas cooking appliances and any other open-flame cooking device in new or existing Group…

A Baytown tenant can trigger a city inspection of an occupied unit by filing a complaint with the chief building official under Sec. 18-710(a)(2) and (b)(4). Every multi-family complex…

Baytown runs a two-track inspection program for multi-family complexes: the chief building official schedules periodic inspections at least once a year under Sec. 18-710(c), while…

Baytown makes it a misdemeanor to camp or loiter in any public place, including streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, and alleyways, under City Code § 66-5. A person is presumed to…

Harris County has no countywide sit-lie ordinance regulating sitting or sleeping on public sidewalks. Texas counties have very limited authority to criminalize encampments. The Sheriff…

Baytown Code Sec. 42-177 requires every food employee besides the certified manager to finish an accredited food handler training course within 30 days of hire, while the certified…

Baytown requires every property, occupied or not, to stay reasonably free of conditions that breed or harbor rodents, insects and vermin, and orders any existing infestation or…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 728 governs disposal of household sharps. Harris County Public Health operates a SHARP collection partnership offering residents free drop-off of…

Baytown limits how long storm debris and construction-waste containers can sit on a damaged property after a declared disaster. Under Sec. 22-126.5, a single-family lot may host only…

In Baytown's coastal high hazard zones (V1-30, VE, V), where hurricane storm surge and wave wash hit hardest, City Code Sec. 110-106 requires new buildings to sit on pilings or columns…

Baytown replaces the International Building Code's default wind speed with 150 mph (Ultimate Design Wind Speed) for every building, so roof coverings, decking and cladding must be…

Baytown bars anyone under 17 from public places and business premises between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday nights, and from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday…

Baytown closes the Baytown Nature Center from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and shuts every other municipal park between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., under City…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code imposes special form-district design standards on the Downtown Arts (DTA) and San Jacinto (SJ) districts only. Buildings must sit within a…

Texas counties have very limited zoning authority under Local Government Code chapters 232 and 233, primarily over subdivisions and floodplains. Harris County does not adopt specific…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code bars outdoor lighting from shining directly into a neighbor's home and caps illumination at the property line. Fixtures near residential lots…

Baytown requires cutoff and full cutoff light fixtures near homes, bans unshielded wall packs and floodlights, and caps light spillover onto residential property at 0.1 foot-candle…

Electrical signs visible from Harris County toll roads are capped at 10 bulbs of 100 watts on a single 120-volt circuit, must carry a sunshade screen dimmer, and can't use…

Baytown ties sidewalk construction, not general repair, to the building permit: anyone getting a permit for a new home in a post-2012 subdivision, a new commercial building, or a…

Anyone wanting to store goods on a Baytown sidewalk, street, or alley must get written permission from the city manager first, under City Code Sec. 122-2(c). If the city manager says…

It's unlawful to block a Baytown sidewalk, street, or alley with goods, merchandise, or property of any kind under City Code Sec. 122-2(a). The chief of police has direct authority to…

Baytown's ULDC bars developers from using any species on Appendix A's Table A-6 Prohibited Plants List in required landscaping, and the Planning Director cannot add a species to the…

Neither Harris County nor the City of Houston has a specific ordinance banning or restricting bamboo. Texas does not have a statewide bamboo ban. Property owners are responsible for…

Harris County and the City of Houston do not prohibit front yard vegetable gardens. Texas HB 699 (2023) prohibits cities and counties from banning food gardens on residential property…

A noncommercial dock or pier on ER or SR zoned waterfront property in Baytown needs a Special Use Permit before it can be built ahead of the house, under Subsec. 2.35(C)(3) of the…

Baytown bans dumping motor oil, wash water, sewage, sediment or other pollutants into its storm sewer system under City Code Sec. 98-542. Construction sites disturbing an acre or more…

Baytown requires erosion and sediment controls on construction sites to prevent soil runoff into storm drains and waterways. Projects disturbing one acre or more must file for a TCEQ…

New or substantially improved homes in a Baytown special flood hazard area must have their lowest floor built to the 500-year floodplain elevation or 24 inches above base flood…

Any development, redevelopment, or substantial improvement inside a Baytown special or moderate flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit under City Code Sec. 110-68…

TCEQ Rule 30 Texas Administrative Code 114.512 limits commercial vehicles over 14,000 pounds to five minutes of idling in the eight-county Houston-Galveston-Brazoria nonattainment…

Harris County has no cool-roof or reflective-roof mandate because Texas counties lack adopted building-code authority for unincorporated areas. The 2015 International Energy…

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…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code sets a one-acre minimum lot size before an owner can keep livestock, rabbits, fowl, bees, or beehives in a residential zoning district, and it…

Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 251, the Right to Farm Act, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits when neighbors arrive after farming began. Harris County…

Baytown's ULDC states plainly that the City will not enforce community deed restrictions or covenants tied to short-term rentals, leaving HOA and subdivision covenant enforcement…

Under the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act, unpaid assessments become a lien (Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0094), but a Texas HOA may not foreclose that lien without first…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs residential subdivision homeowners associations, not condominium associations and not associations that are themselves subject to the Public…

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…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA fines, but only for mandatory-membership subdivisions; condos fall under Chapter 82 instead. State law sets no dollar cap on a fine, only a…

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…

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code treats pawn shops as a limited land use that cannot open within one-half mile of another operating pawn shop. The Planning Director must first…

Baytown bans vehicle repair shops as a home occupation outright, and draws the line at more than two vehicles a year: fixing, rebuilding, or reconstructing more than two cars a year…

Baytown requires a Sexually Oriented Business Permit (SOBP) for every adult arcade, bookstore, cabaret, or similar enterprise, and the chief of police won't approve one unless it sits…

Baytown requires a city license before anyone operates as a metal recycling entity or secondhand metal dealer. Sec. 82-59 bans operating without one, Sec. 82-60 conditions issuance on…

Baytown regulates nonconsent, accident-scene towing under City Code Sec. 102-136 through 102-138. Drivers need a city-issued incident management towing operator's license, can't stage…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455 places massage therapy licensing exclusively with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Harris County does not license massage…

The Texas Comptroller issues all tobacco and e-cigarette retail permits under Health and Safety Code chapter 161 and Tax Code chapter 154. Harris County has no separate vape retail…

Baytown limits each address to one garage sale every six months. Sec. 82-202(a) caps the event at three consecutive calendar days, or two days inside an eight-day window, whichever the…

Baytown actively enforces property maintenance standards under its nuisance and blight ordinances. Properties with junk accumulation, peeling paint, broken windows, dilapidated…

Baytown requires vacant lot owners to maintain their property by keeping grass and weeds below 12 inches, removing junk and debris, and preventing illegal dumping. The city can mow…

Texas does not allow traditional cannabis dispensaries. Only licensed Compassionate Use dispensing organizations may operate under strict state regulation. Baytown does not have local…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 481.121 makes any marijuana cultivation a criminal offense in Harris County. Even a single plant is illegal. The Compassionate Use Program lets…

Harris County has no cannabis buffer-zone rules because Texas does not license recreational dispensaries. The state Compassionate Use Program issued only three medical dispensers…

Growing marijuana at home is illegal in Texas regardless of jurisdiction. Harris County follows state law: cultivation of any amount is a felony. Only licensed TCUP dispensaries may…

A bar, restaurant or tavern in Baytown can't run outdoor speakers loud enough to carry more than 200 feet, and if a home or hotel sits within that 200-foot radius the speakers must go…

Baytown only shields dumpster pickups, deliveries and emptying near homes between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. from its noise ordinance, under the Sec. 34-366(11) exception. Run a truck's…

Baytown caps air conditioning unit noise at 65 dB(A) on residential property and 75 dB(A) on nonresidential property, measured from the residential property receiving the sound. An AC…

Solar panel installation in Baytown requires a building permit and electrical permit. Texas Property Code Section 202.010 protects homeowners' rights to install solar panels and limits…

Texas Property Code Section 202.010 significantly limits HOA authority over solar panels in Baytown. HOAs cannot prohibit solar energy devices and may only impose restrictions that do…

Federal Tobacco 21 (PL 116-94) and Texas Health and Safety Code section 161.082 ban sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapor products, and any tobacco to anyone under 21 in Harris…

Texas House Bill 1771 (2023), codified at Health and Safety Code section 161.0876, preempts cities and counties from restricting flavored tobacco, menthol cigarettes, or vape flavors…

Texas HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act effective September 2023, broadly preempts local labor regulation including paid sick leave. Harris County cannot mandate paid leave…

Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts any city or county from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour floor. Harris County cannot enact a higher local wage for…

Flying a drone or model aircraft in a Harris County park is banned outside specifically designated areas, and even there the aircraft must stay within the operator's line of sight…

Harris County has no local drone ordinance. Recreational drone use in unincorporated areas follows FAA regulations and Texas Government Code Chapter 423, which restricts drone…

The Harris County Historical Commission's bylaws lock down exactly what an official county historical marker looks like, cast aluminum, three fixed sizes, a brilliant blue background…

Texas does not have a Mills Act-style property tax program. Instead, Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets local taxing units exempt part or all of a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark or…

Texas Penal Code section 46.02(a-1), the Motorist Protection Act expanded by HB 1927, lets any adult legally entitled to possess a firearm carry a handgun inside their motor vehicle or…

House Bill 1927 (2021) lets most Texans 21 and older carry a handgun concealed without a permit anywhere in Harris County. The optional License to Carry through Texas DPS still…

Texas allows open carry of holstered handguns by adults 21 and older without a permit. House Bill 1927 (2021) ended the License to Carry requirement. Long guns may also be openly…

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

Pushcarts operating as mobile food units in unincorporated Harris County face hard size limits: no more than four feet wide, eight feet long, and eight feet tall including the shade…

Along Harris County toll roads, holiday decorations are exempt from the county's toll-road sign permit even though decorative displays are otherwise banned as carnival-type devices…

Inflatable displays, balloons, streamers, and similar carnival-style signage are barred along Harris County toll roads. Ch. 41, Subchapter 41F, Sec 5 carves out a seasonal exception…

The Texas Supreme Court ruling in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association (2018) invalidated municipal plastic-bag bans under Health and Safety Code section 361.0961. Harris…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 and the 2018 Laredo Supreme Court decision preempt city and county regulation of single-use packaging, which restaurant lawyers extend to…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 preempts cities and counties from regulating containers and packages, which the Texas Supreme Court Laredo case extends to polystyrene…

Texas SB 4 (2017) prohibits any county, city, or sheriff from adopting sanctuary policies or refusing ICE detainers. Harris County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction and the Sheriff…

Texas has no statewide E-Verify requirement for private employers. State agencies and their contractors must use E-Verify under a 2014 executive order. Harris County requires E-Verify…

Harris County hotels collect a 6 percent state HOT, 7 percent county HOT, and any city HOT, totaling about 17 percent in Houston. Operators register with the Texas Comptroller, file…

Texas does not authorize counties or cities to levy a general local business license or gross-receipts tax. Harris County businesses pay the state Comptroller franchise tax and sales…

Harris County residents can report a suspected public nuisance in unincorporated areas by filing a written complaint with the county Administrator, who investigates and can order…

Unincorporated Harris County residents report suspected nuisance conditions in writing to the Harris County Public Health Director, who investigates, inspects the property, and can…

Unincorporated Harris County residents report nuisances in writing to the County Health Department Administrator, who logs and investigates each complaint, then must wait 30 days after…

Security cameras on private property are legal in Harris County. Texas is a one-party consent state for recording conversations (Penal Code §16.02). Video surveillance of your own…

Texas is a one-party consent state under Texas Penal Code §16.02. You may legally record a conversation if you are a party to it. Recording conversations you are not a party to without…

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 Local Government Code Chapter 234, Subchapter E lets any county's commissioners court license, zone, and inspect "game rooms": for-profit businesses with six or more skill or…

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 §…

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 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…

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…