A Resident's Guide to Carrollton's Local Ordinances

Carrollton is a mid-sized city in Dallas County, Texas, with about 133000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 136 ordinances across 41 categories that affect daily life in Carrollton.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Carrollton requires a tree removal permit before anyone cuts down, destroys, moves or damages a protected tree, per City Code Chapter 155. A protected tree is any listed species with a trunk 4 inches or more in diameter measured 4.5 feet above ground.

Also covered: Weed Ordinances (moderate), Native Plants (permissive), Water Restrictions (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Carrollton for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 757 requires the owner of a multiunit rental complex or a property owners association that controls a pool to fully enclose the pool yard with a barrier at least 48 inches high, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Section 757.002 limits that duty to rental-complex and HOA pools; a private single-family backyard pool is not covered by this chapter..

Also covered: Pool Permits (limited). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Carrollton for details.

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Carrollton's Single- and Multi-Family Housing Code sets binding habitability standards for every rental: minimum 70 degrees Fahrenheit heat, air conditioning capped at 81 degrees indoors, working screens, and hot and cold running water. The Director of Code Operations enforces the standards and can placard a unit substandard..

Also covered: Just Cause Eviction (moderate), Rental Registration (restrictive). See the full rental property rules guide for Carrollton for details.

Parking Rules

Abandoned Vehicles: Carrollton caps residential properties at two inoperable, wrecked, or junked vehicles and requires any that stay to be screened behind a solid opaque fence or inside a building, per City Code § 90.19. The Police Department or Designated City Official can also impound vehicles abandoned on public or private property under §§ 90.16-90.18..

Also covered: Street Parking Limits (moderate), Driveway Rules (moderate), Overnight Parking (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Carrollton for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

No-Knock Registry: Carrollton maintains a no-knock or no-soliciting registry that residents can join. Solicitors who ignore posted signs or registry listings face fines..

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Carrollton's Code of Ordinances Section 52.093(A)(1) makes it a criminal offense for a property owner, tenant, or manager to allow an exterior plumbing leak to keep running. The rule sits inside Chapter 52's landscape water management provisions, adopted by Ordinance 2968 in 2005, and ties into the Utility Billing Department's Water Leak Adjustment Policy for anyone who fixes a leak and wants billing relief..

Also covered: Recycled Water Rules (moderate). See the full water use rules guide for Carrollton for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Carrollton's Code of Ordinances Section 53.01 makes it unlawful to willfully obstruct or injure any public street, alley, sidewalk, bridge, or causeway in the city. Section 53.02 adds a separate offense for a group blocking a sidewalk or entrance who refuses to disperse when a police or peace officer orders them to move on..

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Carrollton bans new commercial billboards outright under § 151.12(E) of the Sign Code, but lets a nonconforming billboard convert to digital under § 151.71 if its lighting stays within strict limits: static messages only, no flashing, scintillating or animated lighting, and compliance with the state's electronic-sign brightness rules in 43 Texas Administrative Code §§ 21.252-21.260..

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Carrollton for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Carrollton's Substandard Structures Abatement Code lets the Designated City Official (the City Manager or a delegate) declare a dilapidated, unsecured or hazardous structure substandard and send it to the Property Standards Board for a public hearing, repair or demolition order, and lien-backed cost recovery if the owner does not comply..

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate), Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Carrollton for details.

Public Conduct

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Chapter 93 of the Code of Ordinances bans possessing a burning tobacco product, smoking and vaping in a list of specified places across Carrollton, including every city park and city facility and the designated outdoor seating areas of outdoor theaters, athletic facilities and amphitheaters. Section 93.04 also bars smoking within 20 feet of the main entrance to any covered building..

Also covered: Jaywalking (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (restrictive), Public Alcohol Use (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Carrollton for details.

Animal Ordinances

Wildlife Feeding: Carrollton bans feeding wild animals by any method except fowl, and separately makes it a public nuisance to feed birds or wildlife in a way that could attract rodents or vermin. Both bans sit in Chapter 91's animal code, enforced by the Designated City Official with fines of up to $2,000 per violation..

Also covered: Coyote Management (restrictive), Cat Rules (moderate), Microchipping (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Carrollton for details.

Holiday Decorations

Lawn Ornament Rules: Carrollton lets residential holiday decorations, including yard ornaments and inflatables, go up only 45 days before the holiday and requires removal within 30 days after. Decorations must be holiday-specific, non-commercial, and cannot sit in the right-of-way along collector or arterial streets..

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: It is unlawful under § 50.02 of Carrollton's General Code to place, throw or dump garbage, refuse, rubbish or yard waste anywhere on public or private property in the city except inside an approved can or receptacle. Chapter 50 is classified as a public health and sanitation chapter, so a violation carries a fine up to $2,000 per offense under the citywide penalty schedule..

Also covered: Recycling Requirements (moderate), Dumpster Rules (moderate), Recycling Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Carrollton for details.

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Carrollton charges a $25.00 application fee for a Film Permit under the city's Comprehensive Fee Schedule, plus separate daily charges for using a public building, park, right-of-way, or public area for a film shoot. Total or disruptive use during regular hours runs $500.00 per day, while partial, non-disruptive use runs $250.00 per day, under Code of Ordinances Section 31.01(M)..

Also covered: Street Closures (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Carrollton for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Carrollton bans signage for home-based businesses outright. City Code § 92.22(G) states "no signs shall be used to advertise the home occupation," a flat prohibition with no size or placement exception, unlike the city's separate sign code that permits limited advertising for storefront businesses..

Also covered: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate), Cottage Food Operations (permissive). See the full home business guide for Carrollton for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Carrollton flatly bans automotive repair shops as a home occupation. City Code § 92.22(E) lists automotive repair shops alongside beauty shops, barbershops, and nail shops as categories that cannot operate from a residence under any circumstances, regardless of size, hours, or how minor the repair work..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Carrollton for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Converting an existing nonconforming billboard to a digital face in Carrollton requires a City Manager-approved permit, removal of three static billboard faces for every digital face erected, and entry into a lottery if applications exceed the state-law cap on digital billboards, under General Code § 151.71..

Also covered: Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Freeway-Facing Signs (moderate), Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Carrollton for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Carrollton taxes every hotel, short-term rental and bed-and-breakfast stay at 7 percent of the room charge for rooms renting at $2.00 or more per day, layered on top of state and county hotel taxes. City Code § 38.31 folds Airbnb-style short-term rentals into the same levy as traditional hotels, and operators must collect, report and remit the tax to the City Tax Assessor and Collector every quarter..

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Every short-term rental and bed and breakfast in Carrollton needs an annual lodging license from the Designated City Official before it can legally operate. Applicants must submit a floor plan, parking plan, proof of $1 million liability insurance, host rules, and HOA contact information, and consent to a pre-license inspection of the entire property..

Also covered: Repeat Violator Strikes (restrictive), Host Presence Rule (permissive), Host Platform Liability (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Carrollton for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rental Restrictions: Carrollton's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance defines a guest house as a secondary structure for temporary guest stays only, and it expressly states the structure 'is not for rent, lease or permanent occupancy.' The servants'-quarters definition carries the identical rental ban. Neither may have a separate utility meter, and neither may include a kitchen without Article 7 approval, closing off any path to an independent backyard rental unit..

Also covered: Garage Conversions (restrictive), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), ADU Rules (restrictive). See the full accessory structures guide for Carrollton for details.

Building Safety

Childcare Center Rules: Child day care centers in Carrollton need a City Council-approved Special Use Permit and must meet Texas Administrative Code Chapter 746 space standards under Article 21 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Default hours run 6:00 a.m.

Also covered: Elevator Maintenance (moderate), Door Locking Hardware (moderate), Anti-Mansionization (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Carrollton for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Every single-family and multi-family rental in Carrollton must be registered with the city and renewed annually under City Code § 96.02. The Designated City Official has 30 days to issue a certificate of registration or reject the application, registration cannot be transferred between owners, and renting an unregistered unit is a separate criminal offense for every day it continues..

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (moderate). See the full rental inspections guide for Carrollton for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Carrollton's animal code makes it a public nuisance to store food, feed birds or wildlife, or let food and animal waste pile up in a way that could attract rodents or vermin on any property, occupied or not, under City Code §§ 91.003 and 91.010(B). Ordinance 4287, adopted November 18, 2025, keeps the offense a misdemeanor enforced by the Designated City Official and Animal Services..

Also covered: Food Handler Certification (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Carrollton for details.

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Carrollton parks close nightly at 10:30 p.m. and reopen at 5:00 a.m.

Drone Rules

Recreational Drones: Carrollton recreational drone use is governed by FAA rules and local ordinances. Drones under 55 lbs must be registered with the FAA.

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Reserving a Carrollton park facility, staking a tent, running a bounce house, or holding a business activity in a city park requires a park permit under Code of Ordinances section 133.20. Applications route through the Parks and Recreation Administrative Office at least 30 days before the event, and the Parks and Recreation Director decides whether to approve them..

Also covered: Parade Permits (restrictive), Block Party Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Carrollton for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Carrollton designates historic landmarks, districts, and cultural markers through Code of Ordinances section 133.21. A property or event qualifies with National or State historical recognition or at least two points on the city's significance criteria, and the Museum and Historic Advisory Committee reviews every application before sending a recommendation to City Council..

Code Violation Reporting

Common Violations: Carrollton's Designated City Official must serve written notice before prosecuting most housing-code violations, but City Code § 96.04(E) lists twelve conditions, including no hot or cold water, missing smoke detectors, rodent infestation, and illegal open-flame cooking, where the city can prosecute immediately without notice. The list also cuts off the notice requirement for a repeat violation anywhere on the same premises..

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Carrollton bans charcoal grills and other open-flame cookers from combustible balconies and from within 10 feet of combustible construction under City Code § 96.05(R), a rule aimed at multifamily buildings. The same 10-foot buffer applies to propane grills over 5 pounds of LP-gas capacity, but one- and two-family homes and sprinklered buildings are exempt..

Noise Ordinances

Construction Hours: Carrollton bars construction equipment or machinery from running within 1,000 feet of any residence outside 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Also covered: Leaf Blower Rules (moderate), Barking Dogs (moderate), Vehicle Noise (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Carrollton for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Delivery Truck Noise: Loading and unloading operations at commercial or industrial sites within 500 feet of a residential area are barred from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Also covered: Generator Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Carrollton for details.

Fire Regulations

Propane Storage: Carrollton's housing code bans liquefied-petroleum-gas-fueled cooking devices with a water capacity over five pounds from combustible balconies or within ten feet of combustible construction. The same rule bars charcoal burners and other open-flame cookers from those balconies, with narrow exceptions for one- and two-family homes and sprinklered buildings..

Also covered: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate), Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Carrollton for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Carrollton bans several fence materials outright: electrically charged fencing, chicken wire, hog wire, welded or woven wire fabric, chain, cut or broken glass, corrugated or galvanized metal panels, plywood, fiberglass panels, and slats threaded through chain-link. The only electric-fence exception is a single-strand, low-voltage wire installed inside a yard to contain pets.

Also covered: Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Carrollton for details.

Tree Protection

Protected Tree Species: Carrollton protects any tree on its Approved Plant List that has grown to a four-inch trunk diameter, sorted into large, medium and small categories in Figure 1 of Section 155.11. Cutting one down without a permit under Section 155.07 triggers mandatory replacement and fines of up to $500 per tree..

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Carrollton's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, updated April 2026, sets side and rear yard minimums by single-family zoning district in Article 7, Section L. In the SF-7/16, SF-7/14 and SF-6.5/12 districts, main structures must clear the rear property line by 20 feet, dropping to 10 feet in SF-5/12, while interior-lot side yards run 6 feet for a one-story house..

Also covered: Lot Coverage Limits (moderate), Structure Height Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Carrollton for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Carrollton bans any discharge into the municipal storm sewer system (MS4) that is not composed entirely of stormwater under City Code § 173.03(A). A separate clause bars any "harmful quantity" of any substance from reaching the MS4, and only seventeen narrow categories, like uncontaminated groundwater or emergency firefighting flows, count as an affirmative defense..

Also covered: Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Carrollton for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Carrollton's Downtown Transit Center (DTC) District, Article 20 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, imposes form-based design rules on new buildings near the DART Light Rail stations. Buildings must use tri-partite architecture with a distinct base, middle and top, meet minimum glazing and ceiling-height standards for ground-floor retail, and hold at least 80 percent of each facade at the build-to line.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Carrollton's zoning code confines food trucks and food service facilities to Transit Center (TC) zoning districts, and only on a lot with an operating restaurant or brewery holding a valid certificate of occupancy under Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Art. 29 § E.5.

Also covered: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (moderate), Food Truck Permits (restrictive). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Carrollton for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Installing solar panels in Carrollton requires a city permit; the Comprehensive Fee Schedule sets a flat $125.00 solar panel permit fee under general code Chapter 31. If your property sits in an HOA, Tex.

Also covered: HOA Restrictions (permissive). See the full solar energy guide for Carrollton for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Carrollton allows garage sales in every residential district but limits them hard: City Code § 92.31 caps a dwelling address at four garage sales per year, each running no more than three consecutive days, with at least 30 days required between separate sales. Exceeding any of these limits makes the sale an unlawful nuisance under § 92.30..

Cannabis Regulations

Home Cultivation: Carrollton prohibits home cannabis cultivation. State law does not permit recreational or medical marijuana growing.

Also covered: Dispensary Zoning (limited). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Carrollton for details.

What to Do With This Information

Think of this as a map of the regulatory landscape in Carrollton. For any rule that directly affects a decision you are making, click through to the full ordinance page for penalty details and exceptions, and confirm with the city if the stakes are high.