100 local rules on file · Pop. 2,769 · Galveston County
Showing ordinances that apply to Bolivar Peninsula, TX
Bolivar Peninsula is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 2,769 in Galveston County, Texas. Because Bolivar Peninsula is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Galveston County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Galveston County may have different rules.
Galveston County sets no amplified-sound rule. In the City of Galveston it is unlawful to operate a loudspeaker or amplifier without a city-manager permit; outdoor commercial amplification requires one. League City requires a police-chief permit for outdoor amplification.
Galveston County has no county noise ordinance and cannot zone unincorporated areas. Inside a city the city code governs: Galveston caps sound at 75 dB(A) daytime (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 70 dB(A) nighttime (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) at the receiving property line.
Loud vehicles are governed statewide, not by the county. Texas Transportation Code 547.604 requires a working muffler that prevents excessive or unusual noise and bans muffler cutouts. League City also bars vehicle sound systems audible 50 feet away.
Galveston County has no county barking-dog ordinance, but Galveston County Health District Animal Services responds to nuisance-animal complaints countywide. Inside cities, League City Sec. 42-35 makes an animal that makes long, continued noise unlawful as a sound nuisance.
The county sets no outdoor-music rule. In Galveston, loudspeakers and amplifiers are barred outside the downtown district between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. and any time Sunday. League City permits allow outdoor amplification only 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Neither Galveston County nor its cities regulate aircraft noise; it is preempted by federal FAA authority. League City's noise code expressly exempts aircraft in flight or operating at an airport, and railroad noise on rights-of-way.
No Galveston County ordinance restricts leaf blowers, and Texas HB 2127 broadly preempts local small-engine rules. League City exempts lawn and garden tools used 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. as long as they do not create a sound nuisance.
The county sets no decibel limit. Statewide, Texas Penal Code 42.01 presumes noise unreasonable above 85 dB after a warning. City limits are tighter: Galveston caps sound at 75 dB(A) day and 70 dB(A) night at the receiving property line.
Galveston County sets no construction-hour rule and cannot zone unincorporated land. Inside League City, construction, demolition, and repair noise is a defense only between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and only if it stays under 75 dB(A) at the nearest home.
Galveston County cannot zone or set industrial-noise limits in unincorporated areas; the state disorderly-conduct statute is the only backstop. Inside cities, general noise codes apply: League City bars any sound that unreasonably disturbs neighbors' comfort, health, or peace.
The City of Galveston administers STR registration. Licenses run the calendar year, January through December, are nontransferable, and require a named local contact available 24/7. Unincorporated Galveston County has no registration program.
Galveston does not require an STR to be the owner's primary residence. Owners may designate an operator or a written-permitted lessee to run the rental, making the island a non-owner-occupied investment market. Counties impose no residency rule either.
Galveston's STR ordinance sets no single numeric guest cap; instead the owner must post the maximum number of occupants inside the unit, governed by building and land-development code. Unincorporated county areas have no STR occupancy rule.
Galveston places no cap on the number of nights or bookings per year. A short-term rental is simply any rental of a dwelling for under 30 consecutive days, and licensed units may operate year-round. Unincorporated county areas have no cap either.
Texas counties cannot zone or license STRs, so unincorporated Galveston County (Bolivar Peninsula, Bacliff, San Leon) sets no permit. Inside the City of Galveston, an owner must obtain a city short-term rental license before making any dwelling available.
Galveston makes STR owners responsible for ensuring guests do not violate noise laws. Quiet hours and noise restrictions follow City Code Chapter 24 and must be posted inside the unit. Complaints go to the 24/7 STR hotline. Counties have no noise ordinance.
Galveston STRs pay a $250 annual city registration fee (per unit) plus a 15% lodging tax: 9% City of Galveston hotel occupancy tax and 6% Texas state HOT. Unincorporated county STRs still owe the 6% state tax.
Galveston does not require the host to be present during stays. Instead the owner must designate a local contact available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who responds to complaints within one hour and resolves them within two.
The current Galveston STR ordinance does not require owners to carry or prove liability insurance to register. Registration collects owner, operator, and 24/7 contact details only. Hosts should still expect platform, lender, or windstorm coverage needs on the hurricane coast.
Galveston requires STR occupants to comply with city and state parking regulations. On-street parking cannot block alleys, sidewalks, other driveways, or impede travel or emergency vehicles, and off-street parking must be posted inside. Counties set no such rule.
Galveston County has no wildfire defensible-space code, but under state nuisance law it can order abatement of tall weeds and accumulated brush or rubbish on unincorporated-area lots near other homes.
Consumer fireworks are broadly legal in unincorporated Galveston County under state law, but the commissioners court may restrict certain aerial fireworks during a declared drought. Discharge is banned inside Galveston, League City, and Texas City.
Outdoor burning is allowed in unincorporated Galveston County only when no burn ban is active and only within TCEQ limits. The commissioners court can prohibit outdoor burning during drought or hazardous fire conditions.
Backyard recreational fires are allowed in unincorporated Galveston County when no burn ban is active. State law bars igniting fireworks or open flames within 600 feet of churches, schools, and hospitals, and cities restrict open fires citywide.
Galveston County sets no zoning code for backyard fire pits. Recreational fire pits are allowed in unincorporated areas when no burn ban is active, but any active county burn ban suspends open flames outside a contained enclosure.
Galveston County does not regulate propane storage. LP-gas safety in Texas is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission, which licenses dealers and sets tank installation and setback standards statewide.
Galveston County sets no smoke-alarm ordinance. Statewide, Texas Property Code requires landlords to install at least one smoke alarm in each separate bedroom of a rental dwelling; new construction follows the adopted building code.
Galveston County has no wildfire-hazard zoning or WUI code. As a low-lying coastal county its dominant hazard is hurricanes and flooding; wildfire risk is managed through the Texas A&M Forest Service and seasonal burn bans, not mapped fire zones.
Galveston County cannot zone, so RV/boat parking is set by your city. In the City of Galveston, motor homes, campers, trailers and boats may not sit on residential property unless screened in a side or rear yard. Unincorporated areas (Bolivar, Bacliff, San Leon) have no zoning limit.
This is a real county power. Under Texas Transportation Code sec. 683.002, a vehicle left too long on public or private property is abandoned and can be taken and sold. Galveston County and its cities both enforce it; junked, inoperable vehicles visible from the street are a separate nuisance under
Galveston County cannot regulate driveways, so cities set the rules. The City of Galveston requires RVs, boats and trailers to sit in a screened side or rear yard (sec. 34-119), and League City prohibits parking cars, boats or recreational vehicles on the grass. Unincorporated county land has no yard-parking limit.
Galveston County has no county-wide street parking ordinance; streets are controlled by the city they sit in or, on state roads, by TxDOT. The City of Galveston runs paid parking downtown and along the Seawall, plus permit-only residential districts. Unincorporated county roads follow the Texas Transportation Code.
Galveston County has no zoning power over commercial-vehicle parking, so cities control it. The City of Galveston bans parking a truck or commercial vehicle with more than two axles, or rated 10,000+ pounds, on residential streets and alleys from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for loading or emergency repairs.
Galveston County sets no rule on EV charging spaces; the county cannot zone or regulate parking layout. EV charging stalls and any protection for them come from the city, from private property owners, or from Texas state law, not from Galveston County.
Galveston County does not designate loading zones; that is a city street-management function. The City of Galveston sets loading zones and allows commercial vehicles to stop briefly for active loading or unloading. On unincorporated county roads there are no marked loading zones.
Galveston County sets no county-wide overnight parking ban. In the City of Galveston, a vehicle left in the same on-street position for more than 48 hours is a violation and may be tagged and towed. Check your own city, since League City and Texas City set separate limits.
Galveston County does not paint or regulate curb markings; curbs belong to the city or the state road authority. In the City of Galveston, only the city may mark curbs for no-parking, loading or handicap use. Residents cannot legally paint public curbs themselves.
Galveston County has no zoning power over oversized-vehicle parking. The City of Galveston treats a vehicle with more than two axles or a 10,000-pound-plus gross rating as an oversized/commercial vehicle barred from residential streets by day. Unincorporated county areas have no size-based parking limit.
The county sets no fence-material rule—Texas counties can't zone. Cities do: Galveston bars barbed and razor wire, scrap lumber, sheet metal, plastic, and fiberglass on fences visible from a public street, with limited security exceptions.
Galveston County can't zone, so it mandates no fence—except the statewide pool-yard enclosure. Texas Health & Safety Code requires pool enclosures at least 48 inches high. Cities add screening-fence and maintenance requirements between certain uses.
Galveston County sets no fence-line or cost-sharing rule—counties can't zone, and Texas has no general 'good-neighbor' fence-cost statute. Shared boundary fences are a private matter under Texas common law. Cities like Galveston add screening rules between adjacent uses.
No county material standard exists—counties can't zone. The City of Galveston requires durable materials like weather-resistant or treated wood, composite, ornamental wrought iron, powder-coated aluminum, brick, and stone, well suited to the corrosive coastal environment.
The county issues no fence permit—Texas counties can't zone. Cities require them: Texas City mandates a permit for any new, relocated, or height-changed fence, and Galveston requires a building permit and site plan. Unincorporated coastal lots may still need a floodplain or beachfront review.
Galveston County cannot zone, so it sets no fence-height rule for unincorporated areas like Bolivar Peninsula, Bacliff, and San Leon. Inside cities the code governs: Galveston caps residential fences at 8 feet, and 4 feet for solid front-yard fences (5 feet if 60% transparent).
The county doesn't zone retaining walls, but coastal drainage and floodplain rules still apply. The City of Galveston caps retaining walls at 4 feet and requires a fill permit; Texas City requires a permit for any retaining wall, with engineered plans over 2 feet.
The county cannot zone, so it sets no chicken limit in unincorporated areas. Cities regulate fowl: Galveston restricts poultry near dwellings. A voter-adopted stock law can bar hogs or livestock from running at large.
The county cannot zone livestock in the unincorporated area, but state law bars letting animals roam a highway right-of-way and lets voters adopt a stock law. Right-to-farm protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits.
The county has no cat leash or roaming ordinance in the unincorporated area, but state rabies law lets it require restraint and impound strays. Cities may require registration and address free-roaming cats.
The county cannot zone, so it sets no beehive rules in unincorporated areas. Hobby beekeeping is broadly legal. Cities may regulate hive placement; state law governs apiary registration and disease control, not backyard limits.
Texas law bars breed-specific bans. Galveston County and its cities cannot outlaw pit bulls or any breed. Dogs are regulated by behavior through the state dangerous-dog law, not by breed.
Texas treats animal hoarding through criminal cruelty law: unreasonably failing to provide food, water, care, or shelter is a Class A misdemeanor. The county can also abate the resulting unsanitary conditions as a public nuisance.
Texas counties cannot enforce a countywide leash law in unincorporated areas. Cities set leashing: Galveston bans running at large. Statewide, the county enforces dangerous-dog restraint rules and rabies-control authority for loose dogs.
You cannot keep a dangerous wild animal (big cats, bears, most primates, venomous species) without a state-required certificate of registration. Galveston County's animal registration agency issues or denies these; cities may ban them entirely.
Texas sets no statewide pet limit, and the county cannot zone, so there is no cap on dogs or cats in unincorporated Galveston County. Cities set their own limits: check the Galveston or League City code.
Galveston County has no ordinance banning the feeding of deer, raccoons, or feral hogs in the unincorporated area, since it cannot zone. Coastal cities may restrict shore-bird or feral feeding; state law governs game species.
Galveston County cannot zone or set a grass-height rule for unincorporated land. Cities enforce their own limits: League City cites tall grass or weeds over 12 inches; Galveston requires grass and high weeds cut below a 9-inch maximum.
Galveston County sets no rule on artificial turf. Whether you can install synthetic grass depends on your city's landscaping code and any HOA covenant. State law protects water-conserving natural turf, but artificial turf is treated separately by each municipality.
Rainwater harvesting is legal statewide and encouraged in Texas. Galveston County sets no permit for home rain barrels, and Texas Property Code 202.007 bars homeowners associations from prohibiting a rain barrel or rainwater harvesting system, though an HOA may regulate size, color, and location.
Galveston County has no county tree-trimming ordinance for private yards. Inside Galveston, owners must trim street trees so branches clear at least 15 feet above the street and keep the right-of-way unobstructed. League City requires protected trees be maintained, not topped.
In unincorporated Galveston County, weeds are governed by Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343: uncultivated growth over 36 inches within 300 feet of another residence or business is an abatable public nuisance. Cities like Galveston (9-inch) and League City (12-inch) set stricter limits.
Galveston County cannot regulate tree removal on private land. Rules depend on your city. In League City, removing a protected tree needs a Tree Disposition Permit and mitigation, though owners of a legally conforming single-family home are exempt on their own lot.
Watering rules come from your city or water district, not the county. Under Galveston's Stage 1 drought plan, irrigation is limited to two designated days a week (by address relative to 103rd Street) and only before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
Galveston County does not regulate plant choices on private property. Texas Property Code 202.007 protects owners' right to use drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, and an HOA cannot unreasonably deny it as aesthetically incompatible.
Composting is legal and encouraged in Texas. Galveston County sets no composting rule, and Property Code 202.007 stops an HOA from banning backyard composting of vegetation or leaving grass clippings on the lawn, subject to reasonable size and location limits.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Galveston County places no zoning limit on a home business. Inside a city the city code governs; Galveston's Land Development Regulations require a home occupation to keep the dwelling's residential character.
Unincorporated Galveston County issues no home-occupation permit because counties cannot zone. In Galveston a home based occupation may have no non-resident employees and no on-site customers; a larger 'home based business' allows up to two employees.
Home childcare is licensed by the State of Texas (HHSC), not by the county, which cannot zone. In the City of Galveston a residential day care may serve no more than six children, employ up to one non-resident, and post no signage.
The county cannot regulate signs by zoning. In the City of Galveston, a home based occupation is flatly barred from signs: 'No signage or on-site advertising permitted.' Unincorporated areas have no county sign rule.
Texas cottage food law lets you sell many homemade foods with no permit if gross income stays at $50,000 or less. Health & Safety Code 437.0191 says a cottage food operation is not a food service establishment, so no health-permit is required.
A permanent above-ground pool over 18 inches deep is a 'pool' under Texas Health & Safety Code 757.001 and must have the same 48-inch enclosure and self-latching gate. The county sets no separate rule; a city may require a permit.
Under Texas Health & Safety Code 757.001, a permanent hot tub or spa over 18 inches deep is a 'pool,' so it needs the same 48-inch enclosure and self-latching gate. The county sets no separate spa rule.
Texas counties cannot zone or run a building-permit program, so unincorporated Galveston County issues no pool permit. Inside a city, the city building department permits pools; the state pool-enclosure law (Health & Safety Code Ch. 757) applies everywhere.
Texas Health & Safety Code 757.004 requires every gate in a pool-yard enclosure to be self-closing and self-latching, to open outward away from the pool, and to have hardware allowing it to be locked. These rules apply countywide.
State law, not the county, sets pool-fence rules. Texas Health & Safety Code 757.003 requires a pool-yard enclosure at least 48 inches high measured from the ground on the side away from the pool, and bans chain-link on new enclosures.
The county cannot zone tiny homes. In the City of Galveston, a tiny house on wheels counts as an RV or travel trailer and cannot be used as a dwelling or ADU; a permanent-foundation tiny house must meet full residential building code.
The county cannot set shed setbacks. In the City of Galveston, accessory structures must sit 3 feet from side and rear lines (0 to an alley) and 6 feet from any habitable structure. League City requires a permit for sheds over 200 square feet.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Galveston County sets no ADU rule. Inside the City of Galveston, one ADU is allowed per residential lot only if a principal building exists, and it cannot exceed the main home's floor area.
The county cannot zone conversions. In the City of Galveston, an accessory building may not be occupied as living space unless it was constructed and approved for residential use, so a garage-to-living-space conversion needs city permits and inspection.
The county cannot zone carports. In the City of Galveston, a detached carport is an accessory structure and must meet the Sec. 3.305 setbacks: 3 feet from side and rear lines (0 to an alley) and 6 feet from any habitable structure.
Galveston County has no ordinance on backyard barbecues or propane grills. Grilling is unregulated in unincorporated areas; inside cities the adopted fire code limits open-flame grills near multifamily buildings.
Galveston County does not regulate backyard smokers or barbecue pits. Their use is unrestricted in unincorporated areas; cities apply fire-code limits near multifamily buildings, and county burn bans do not stop contained cooking.
Galveston County cannot set setbacks—Texas counties don't zone. Cities do: Galveston's R-1 district requires a 20-foot front, 3-foot side, and 10-foot rear setback, with accessory structures 3 feet from side/rear lines. Beachfront and floodplain rules may still govern placement.
The county can't zone, so it sets no height limit for unincorporated areas—only FEMA flood-elevation rules apply. In the City of Galveston, R-1 homes are capped at 50 feet measured from base flood elevation; the Broadway corridor caps buildings at 3 stories or 45 feet.
Galveston County can't zone, so it sets no lot-coverage percentage—but coastal drainage and floodplain rules limit impervious cover. The City of Galveston counts all building footprints plus impervious pavement as lot coverage, crediting pervious paving at 75%.
Galveston County sets no garage-sale rule because Texas counties cannot zone. If your property is inside a city such as Galveston, League City, or Texas City, that city's code may cap the number of sales per year and restrict signs.
The county sets no trash-cart rule; your city does. In the City of Galveston, refuse must go in city-issued carts, bagged, with the lid able to close, and the area around the cart kept clean and clear.
Dumping litter on any open or vacant lot is prohibited in the City of Galveston, whether or not you own it. In unincorporated county areas, state nuisance law covers rubbish accumulated near homes or streets.
Texas counties cannot zone, but state law bans public nuisances in unincorporated areas: accumulated rubbish, junk vehicles, and debris visible from the street. Inside cities like Galveston, the adopted 2021 International Property Maintenance Code governs blight.
The county cannot set a grass-height limit, but cities do. League City bans weeds over 12 inches; Texas nuisance law also treats tall weeds near homes as abatable in unincorporated county areas.
The county sets no curb rule. In the City of Galveston, brush, tree limbs, and other wastes are collected from alleys and curbsides only, and carts must be kept clean and set out so crews can reach them.
The county runs no household trash service. In League City, the city contracts for twice-weekly collection for every customer; Galveston requires all utility-account properties to have permanent sanitation service through the city or a licensed hauler.
The county offers no bulk pickup. In the City of Galveston, brush and tree limbs are taken from alleys and curbsides, tree stumps and root balls must be cut to collectible size, and the city may make special agreements for items it normally doesn't collect.
The county mandates no recycling. In the City of Galveston, recycling and refuse collection are controlled by the garbage chapter, a monthly recycling fee applies, and scavenging recyclables set out in residential areas is prohibited.
Illegal dumping is a state crime enforceable countywide: disposing of litter or solid waste at an unapproved site is an offense under Texas law, escalating from a Class C misdemeanor to a state jail felony based on weight and volume.
The county sets no light-trespass rule. In the City of Galveston, single-family and two-family lighting must be shielded so it is not visible from neighbors and does not exceed 0.1 foot-candles at the property line; stricter 0.1 fc limits apply near beaches and water.
The county has no dark-sky ordinance. The City of Galveston's outdoor-lighting code seeks to preserve natural darkness and the night sky, requiring full cut-off fixtures that shield the light source and limit glare, with special protections near beaches and open water.
The county sets no sign rule in unincorporated areas. In the City of Galveston, signs stapled to trees, utility poles, or trash receptacles are prohibited, so garage-sale signs must stay on private property with the owner's permission, not in the right-of-way.
Texas law strongly protects political signs on private property. In the City of Galveston they need no permit if under 36 sq ft, under 8 feet tall, unlit, and without moving elements; right-of-way signs must be removed within 10 days after an election.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Galveston County ordinances.