What Killeen Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Killeen is a mid-sized city in Bell County, Texas, with about 153000 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 118 ordinances across 36 categories that affect daily life in Killeen.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Every short-term rental in Killeen must hold a valid registration permit before it can be rented, leased, or even advertised. The city requires annual renewal, a paid inspection, and $500,000 in liability insurance.

Also covered: Noise Rules (moderate), Taxes & Fees (moderate), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Killeen for details.

Home Business

Home Daycare: Killeen allows a home based child care facility in any residential zone under Sec. 31-703, but caps care to 6 children beyond the caregiver's own kids in a single-family home (3 in a duplex), bars a new facility within 200 feet of an existing one, limits hours to 20 consecutive hours daily, and bans business advertising signs on the property..

Also covered: Signage Rules (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate), Cottage Food Operations (permissive). See the full home business guide for Killeen for details.

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Killeen's drought contingency plan assigns landscape watering days by street-address parity. Even-numbered addresses water Sundays and Thursdays, odd-numbered addresses Saturdays and Wednesdays, once the city manager declares Stage 1 or higher under Sec.

Also covered: Artificial Turf (permissive), Native Plants (permissive), Rainwater Harvesting (permissive). See the full landscaping rules guide for Killeen for details.

Drone Rules

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

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone going door to door in Killeen selling goods or taking orders needs a police department permit under the peddler ordinance, which requires fingerprints, a photo and a criminal-history check before issuance. A homeowner who posts a no-soliciting sign or tells a solicitor to leave can have that person prosecuted for criminal trespass under Texas Penal Code Section 30.05 if they stay or come back..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (permissive). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Killeen for details.

Noise Ordinances

Quiet Hours: Between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Killeen bars anyone from making noise, or playing a musical instrument or other equipment, that is plainly audible to a nearby business or residence.

Also covered: Barking Dogs (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Leaf Blower Rules (permissive). See the full noise ordinances guide for Killeen for details.

Trash & Recycling

Pickup Rules & Schedules: Texas law makes it a crime to put out garbage or other solid waste anywhere except an approved disposal site, and Killeen residents who dump loose trash instead of using their curbside account face the same state charge as illegal dumping anywhere else. Penalties scale with the weight or volume of the waste, from a citation up to a state jail felony..

Also covered: Dumpster Rules (moderate), Illegal Dumping (restrictive), Collection Schedule (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Killeen for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: Killeen requires food trucks to obtain a mobile food vendor permit and health department approval. Annual licensing and vehicle inspections are typically required..

Also covered: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (permissive). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Killeen for details.

Special Events & Permits

Street Fair Rules: Killeen's Special Events Ordinance folds street fairs, carnivals, and festivals into its special event definition, and any such event that sells food or merchandise, sets up tents, or draws twenty-five or more people needs a permit before it can operate. Section 25-173 requires any food service at the fair to meet the city's food establishment ordinance, and section 25-172 governs tents and temporary structures..

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

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: Killeen Code of Ordinances Sec. 28-132 makes it unlawful to park any vehicle over one ton, including truck tractors, within 600 feet of property zoned or used for residential purposes, or on private lots in nine listed residential districts.

Also covered: Loading Zones (moderate), Abandoned Vehicles (moderate), Street Parking Limits (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Killeen for details.

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: Killeen's Code of Ordinances Sec. 6-152 bans keeping venomous snakes and lizards, crocodilians, big cats, wolves and wolf hybrids, bears, primates, raccoons, skunks and bats as pets citywide, with exceptions only for zoos, licensed rehabilitators, and educational or scientific institutions approved by animal services..

Also covered: Beekeeping (moderate), Breed Restrictions (restrictive), Pet Store Rules (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Killeen for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Killeen bans barbed wire and electric fencing everywhere except the A Agricultural and A-R1 Agricultural Single-Family districts, or on existing agricultural uses, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 31-858(d).

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

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: No one may grade, fill, build, or change the use of land in a Killeen special flood hazard area without first getting a floodplain development permit from the floodplain administrator, the city's building official. Applications need engineer-certified elevation data, and denials weigh flood danger, drainage impact, and the FEMA-mapped Bell County flood study; a stricter private covenant or another city rule controls over this chapter..

Also covered: Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Killeen for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Sidewalk Repair: Killeen ties sidewalk responsibility to construction permits. Under Code of Ordinances Sec.

Also covered: Encroachment Permits (moderate), Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Killeen for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: Killeen's R-3 multifamily residential district caps building coverage at 40 percent of total lot area under City Code Sec. 31-248(b)(1).

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Structure Height Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Killeen for details.

Public Conduct

Public Urination: Killeen makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in any public place, in immediate proximity to one, or anywhere visible from a public place, unless the spot is a designated restroom. City Code Sec.

Also covered: Loud Party Ordinance (moderate), Jaywalking (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Killeen for details.

Building Safety

Electrical Permits: Killeen enforces the 2023 National Electrical Code for all wiring work under Code Section 8-210, adding local rules like a mandatory exterior shunt-trip disconnect and a 200-amp minimum service for most nonresidential buildings. A licensed TDLR electrical contractor and a city permit are required before starting the work..

Also covered: Plumbing Permits (moderate), Building Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Killeen for details.

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Killeen's water code assigns leak duty to three parties. Sec.

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

Rental Property Rules

Just Cause Eviction: Before filing an eviction suit in Killeen, a landlord must give a tenant under a written lease or oral rental agreement at least three days' written notice to vacate, unless the lease sets a shorter or longer period. Tenants at will, holdover tenants, and occupants after a foreclosure sale get separate notice rules under the same state law..

Also covered: Rental Registration (limited), Repairs & Habitability (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Killeen for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Killeen allows one detached guest house per lot in its A-R1 and SR-2 residential districts, but caps its floor area at 25 percent of the principal home's size, excluding garages. Sections 31-172(b) and 31-185.2(b) require an extra off-street parking space and flatly prohibit renting or leasing the guest house..

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Killeen for details.

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Every city-owned park in Killeen closes between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Killeen taxes every hotel, motel, tourist court, and short-term rental stay at 7 percent of the room charge whenever nightly cost reaches $2 or more. The director of finance collects and audits the tax.

Gambling & Gaming

Game Room Regulations: Killeen requires anyone who owns, exhibits, or operates a coin-operated amusement machine, including eight-liner-style 'skill or pleasure' games, to pay an annual $7.50 occupation tax per machine and keep the city permit attached to the unit. The rule also covers music machines.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Killeen bans keeping livestock, swine or fowl anywhere within city limits under Sec. 6-153, but Sec.

Also covered: Farm Nuisance Protection (limited). See the full right to farm guide for Killeen for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Off-premises digital billboards in Killeen are "changeable electronic variable message signs" (CEVMS) under Sec. 31-502, and Sec.

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Political Signs (limited), Holiday Displays (limited). See the full sign regulations guide for Killeen for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: Killeen's code has no separate bike-lane provision; cyclists follow the same rights and duties as vehicle drivers under Sec. 28-183.

Also covered: Red-Light Cameras (permissive). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Killeen for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Killeen's Historic Overlay District ordinance requires every registered vacant structure to keep its exterior sealed against rodents. Section 31-393 demands weathertight doors, siding and basement hatchways, plus rodent shields on openable basement windows.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Killeen's home occupation ordinance flatly excludes vehicle repair work from the businesses a resident can run out of a house. Sec.

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

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Texas law, not a Killeen ordinance, governs pool compliance at Killeen apartment complexes and homeowners-association pools: owners must inspect enclosures and gate latches at least every 31 days, and the attorney general, county, or city can enforce the chapter through permits, fees, inspections, civil fines, or injunctions. Tenants can also sue for up to $5,000 in civil penalties..

Also covered: Fencing & Safety Requirements (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Killeen for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Killeen limits any address to two garage sales per calendar year, each capped at three consecutive days, under City Code Sec. 15-73.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Killeen's zoning ordinance has no use category for a marijuana dispensary because Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 481.121 makes possessing, and by extension selling, any usable amount of marijuana a criminal offense statewide.

Also covered: Home Cultivation (strict). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Killeen for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Killeen's adopted International Fire Code limits open burning to the hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the fire department notified before and after every fire.

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

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Killeen's Board of Adjustment can order a dangerous or substandard building repaired, secured, vacated, or demolished under City Code Sections 8-381 and 8-382. A structure is feasibly repairable only when damage or value loss is under 50 percent; anything worse gets a demolition order.

Also covered: Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Killeen for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Texas law voids any homeowners' association rule that flatly prohibits solar panels, and Killeen still requires its own building permit before the panels go up. The city reviews solar installations under its adopted 2024 Energy Conservation Code, and an HOA can only regulate narrow details like roofline height, mounting color, and approval timing, not block the installation outright..

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Killeen declares uplighting unlawful citywide under section 31-898(d), a direct response to light pollution that blocks the view of the night sky. The ban covers every commercial, manufacturing and multifamily property in the city.

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

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Every short-term rental in Killeen needs a city permit, and each unit must pass a health-and-safety inspection before that permit is issued and again at every annual renewal. No valid permit, no legal short-term rental..

What to Do With This Information

Whether you are renting, buying, or renovating in Killeen, knowing the local rules upfront saves headaches later. Dig into the individual ordinance pages linked above for the complete picture, including fines and exemptions.