Carrollton, TX

Carrollton limits grass, weeds, brush and unsightly vegetation to 10 inches on ordinary lots and 12 inches within a 10-foot buffer on agricultural land under City Code § 95.02…

Carrollton may encourage or require native and drought-tolerant landscaping. Some areas restrict traditional grass lawns in favor of water-efficient alternatives.

Carrollton's Code of Ordinances Section 52.093(A)(2) bars irrigation that sends runoff more than 50 feet down a street or alley, watering during rain or snow, or running sprinklers…

Carrollton requires property owners to keep tree limbs trimmed back from streets and walkways. City Code § 95.02 sets minimum clearances: 12 feet above any alley or street pavement…

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…

Texas Property Code Section 202.007 stops a Carrollton homeowners association from banning drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, but it never mentions…

Carrollton charges a $25.00 permit fee for rainwater harvesting systems under the general code's Comprehensive Fee Schedule, and state law separately protects your right to install…

Carrollton regulates above-ground pools including permit requirements, setbacks, and barrier standards. Pools over a certain depth or capacity typically require permits.

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…

Carrollton bars parking that blocks a street or a driveway. City Code § 72.06 requires drivers to leave at least ten feet of roadway open for traffic and at least three feet of…

Carrollton bans parking on unimproved front-yard surfaces and caps how much of the front yard can be paved. City Code § 92.40(A)(3) requires any front-yard parking surface to be an…

Carrollton makes it an offense to leave any vehicle standing on a public street, alley or public place for more than 48 continuous hours under City Code § 72.08. Separately, §…

Carrollton bans parking or storing any recreational vehicle, travel trailer, boat or boat trailer wider than eight feet six inches or longer than 40 feet anywhere in a residential…

Carrollton requires every nonresidential use that provides off-street loading facilities to design them under Zoning Ordinance Article 24, Section F: berths must sit adjacent to a…

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…

Carrollton bars trucks, tractors, trailers and buses rated over one ton from parking on property zoned single-family, two-family or multi-family under City Code § 92.42(A). The same…

Texas Transportation Code Section 544.011 gives official painted curb markings the force of regulatory signs across all of Dallas County. Red curbs prohibit stopping; yellow indicates…

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

Carrollton's animal code makes it unlawful to feed wild animals, including coyotes, anywhere in the city, and separately bans keeping a coyote or other wild animal as a pet. The…

Every cat four months or older in Carrollton must be rabies-vaccinated and registered with the city within 30 days, wearing its registration tag whenever it is off the owner's…

Carrollton does not mandate microchipping for all pets, but any animal impounded at the shelter must be microchipped before the DCO releases it back to its owner. Owners get 10…

Carrollton doesn't require sterilizing every owned pet, but any animal adopted from the city shelter over four months old must be spayed or neutered within 30 days, and animals…

Carrollton has no breed-specific ban; instead it declares a dog "dangerous" by behavior. A dog that has bitten more than once, or caused serious bodily injury once, can be seized by…

Carrollton allows up to six chickens per lot with a DCO permit, no roosters, and a coop no bigger than 80 square feet or eight feet tall, set back 25 feet from a neighbor's dwelling…

Carrollton classifies any grooming business as a 'kennel' once it handles two or more animals over four months old, per § 91.003, and those businesses are exempt from the city's…

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…

Carrollton limits most households to two dogs and two cats without a fenced backyard, three of each with one, and up to five of each on a fenced acre 200 feet from a neighbor's home. A…

Carrollton bans keeping bees or hives without an annual DCO permit, capping residential lots at three hives with setbacks, flight-path barriers, and biennial re-queening. Section…

Veterinary hospitals in Carrollton are exempt from the city's residential pet-count caps only when located on property zoned for that purpose, per § 91.007(A)(9), and the Comprehensive…

Carrollton makes it unlawful for any dog owner to let their animal run at large, defined in § 91.003 as not confined by a fence or leash strong enough to keep it on the owner's…

Carrollton's Code of Ordinances bans keeping any wild or vicious animal as a pet, for display, or for exhibition within city limits under § 91.055, readopted by Ordinance 4287 on…

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

Texas does not prohibit retail pet sales statewide, and Dallas County imposes no countywide pet-store sourcing ban. Dallas City Code Section 7-3.1 limits retail sales to rescue and…

Carrollton lets residents run a home occupation in any residential zone without a separate permit, but City Code § 92.20 requires the business to stay clearly subordinate to the home's…

Carrollton caps walk-in traffic at home businesses hard: City Code § 92.22(F) requires appointment-only sales and service, and limits the operation to no more than two patron vehicles…

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…

Texas law, not Carrollton ordinance, governs home-based cottage food sales, and it bars the city from regulating or permitting them. A cottage food producer working from a home kitchen…

Carrollton's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance classifies registered and licensed child-care homes and listed family homes as an allowed accessory home occupation in residential zoning…

Carrollton pulls a short-term rental's lodging license after three citations in 12 months. The Department of Code Operations (DCO) counts convictions under Chapter 97 or any related…

Carrollton's lodging-license code draws a line between a short-term rental and a bed and breakfast based on whether the owner lives there. A short-term rental is defined as a dwelling…

Carrollton's short-term rental ordinance puts a background-check duty on the booking platform, not just the host. Before every booking, the owner or operator must confirm that the…

Carrollton charges a 7 percent hotel occupancy tax on short-term rental and bed-and-breakfast stays once the room rate hits $2.00 or more per day, on top of state and county hotel…

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…

Carrollton requires every short-term rental and bed and breakfast to carry host protection or liability insurance covering at least $1,000,000 per occurrence before the city will issue…

Carrollton caps short-term rental occupancy by square footage, not a flat headcount: as few as four adults in a home under 1,200 square feet, up to ten in one over 4,500. Unrelated…

Carrollton short-term rental guests can park only in available off-street spaces, never on a residential street or public-park lot, and RVs, boats, buses, or commercial vehicles can't…

Carrollton short-term rentals can't run amplified sound audible past the property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and guests can't congregate outside the property during those same…

Dallas County does not impose a maximum number of short-term rental nights per year in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack general authority to regulate STRs, and no…

A Carrollton short-term rental or bed and breakfast cannot turn its garage into a bedroom or living space. The General Code also bars remodeling or enlarging the home to add bedrooms…

Carrollton's zoning ordinance caps every lot to one detached accessory building plus one detached garage, bars sheds built from shipping containers or trailers, and limits accessory…

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…

Carrollton's zoning ordinance defines a 'garage apartment' as a dwelling unit attached to or built above a private garage, but the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance caps every (SF)…

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…

Carrollton bars construction equipment or machinery from running within 1,000 feet of any residence outside 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Sundays and…

Leaf blowers and other powered lawn and garden equipment cannot run within 500 feet of a residential area between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. under Carrollton's noise ordinance, alongside…

Carrollton bans letting a dog or other animal 'unreasonably bark, howl, crow' or make loud unprovoked noise for 15 minutes or more, per § 91.011(A), but prosecution requires a sworn…

Carrollton's noise ordinance separately bans unnecessary vehicle horns, out-of-repair or overloaded vehicles that grind or rasp, unmuffled exhaust, and continuous racing or…

Carrollton bans operating a radio, stereo, loudspeaker or other amplified sound equipment in a way that unreasonably disturbs neighbors, whether it's a home stereo, a vehicle-mounted…

Carrollton Sec. 130.18 sets continuous noise limits at 65 dBA daytime and 58 dBA nighttime. Fines run up to $500 per violation. Lawn maintenance and commercial waste collection…

No county industrial noise ordinance. TCEQ 30 TAC Chapter 101 addresses general air quality complaints but does not set specific industrial noise limits. TX Penal Code Section 42.01…

Fires in Carrollton's public parks are limited to picnic stoves, braziers, fire pits or other designated areas provided for that purpose. Kindling a fire anywhere else in a park is…

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…

Carrollton treats a dwelling with faulty or missing smoke detectors as substandard housing under § 96.06(O) of the Single- and Multi-Family Housing Code, and § 96.04(E)(2) lets the…

Burning combustible material outside a spark-containing enclosure is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Dallas County under Sec. 38-1, fined up to $1,000. On state ozone-alert days, Sec…

Outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated Dallas County unless a daily burn permit is issued by the Dallas County Fire Marshal. Burns must be at least 300 ft from any building…

TX Local Government Code Section 352.051 allows county commissioners to restrict fireworks in unincorporated areas during drought or disaster. TX Occupations Code Chapter 2154 governs…

Carrollton's zoning code sets no blanket height cap on a retaining wall, but any wall four feet or taller that faces or has exposure to a public thoroughfare must be veneered in brick…

Carrollton caps residential fences at eight feet in rear and side yards and 36 inches in front yards, where opacity cannot exceed 50 percent. Section 154.10 of the Code of Ordinances…

Carrollton requires a fence permit from the Development Services Department before anyone builds, replaces, or repairs any part of a fence, with no permit needed only for minor repairs…

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…

No county fence neighbor dispute ordinance. Texas is not a shared-fence-cost state. TX Property Code governs boundary disputes. Fence placement disputes are civil matters between…

Carrollton follows state landlord-tenant law for evictions. Landlords must follow proper notice procedures but may not need to state cause for non-renewal of month-to-month tenancies…

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…

Every single-family and multi-family rental in Carrollton must be registered annually with the Director of Code Operations before it is leased. Owners who rent an unregistered unit, or…

Texas has no statewide source of income protection, and Dallas County has not adopted a county-level rule covering its 25 cities. Only the City of Dallas, through 2020 Chapter 46…

Texas has no statewide tenant relocation assistance law, and Dallas County has no county-level relocation ordinance. Tenants displaced by no-fault terminations, condemnation, or sale…

Dallas County does not regulate cash-for-keys voluntary buyout agreements. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 governs landlord-tenant relations and allows landlords and tenants to…

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. Dallas County has…

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

Dallas County has not adopted a comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Tenants countywide rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and Section 92.0081…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dallas County has no solicitor permit requirement for unincorporated areas. Door-to-door solicitation is governed by state consumer protection laws. Texas counties lack authority to…

Carrollton's cross-connection ordinance bars every reclaimed water system, including industrial ones, from ever connecting to the public water supply. Before a reclaimed water system…

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…

Dallas County does not run a turf replacement rebate, but member cities and water utilities including Dallas, Frisco, and Plano offer SmartScape and turf-conversion incentives…

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…

Carrollton caps light trespass onto neighboring property at two-tenths of a foot-candle measured five feet above grade at the property line, under Article 28 of the Comprehensive…

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…

Carrollton's Code of Ordinances requires any owner, tenant or occupant whose own water creates ice or a hazardous slick on the sidewalk fronting their building to remove it, under §…

Carrollton's Substandard Structures Abatement Code lets the Designated City Official (the City Manager or a delegate) declare a dilapidated, unsecured or hazardous structure…

Carrollton makes the owner or occupant of every unimproved lot responsible for mowing and clearing trash regardless of whether the property is occupied, under City Code §§ 95.03-95.04…

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…

Carrollton requires pedestrians to use a marked crosswalk, or the intersection if none is marked, whenever they cross a roadway inside a designated school zone. City Code § 71.060 bans…

Carrollton bans skateboards, roller skates, scooters and similar toy vehicles from every roadway in the city under City Code § 71.062. Riders may only cross a street on a marked…

Drinking alcohol on Carrollton streets, sidewalks, alleys, public parking lots and transit centers is unlawful outright. Consumption in other public places adjoining a street is also…

Carrollton bars anyone from remaining, staying or loitering in a public park between 10:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., or outside a park's posted open hours. Loitering on a reserved section of…

Urinating or defecating on a Carrollton street, sidewalk, park or any other public place, or in public view anywhere, is a criminal offense under the city's general offenses chapter…

Carrollton's Chapter 113 solicitors ordinance makes aggressive solicitation a criminal offense citywide, banning confrontational approaches, unwanted touching, obscene language, and…

Texas Local Government Code 250.008 lets counties regulate noise only in unincorporated areas. Dallas County's Sheriff enforces state Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct (unreasonable…

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…

Carrollton collects recycling only from the plastic cart the city issues, and § 50.19 of the General Code caps every 95-gallon residential or recycling container at 85 pounds. Anything…

Carrollton's general code bars placing a commercial dumpster where it blocks a street or alley right-of-way, drainage ditch, intersection sight triangle, fire lane, storm drain or…

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…

Carrollton's trash and recycling carts stay city property under § 50.29, and marking, painting or breaking one is a criminal offense, not just a fee matter. Residents and tenants must…

Carrollton curb-collects bulk items and brush on a city-set schedule under § 50.21, but caps each category at three cubic yards per pickup. Brush must be cut to four feet or shorter…

Carrollton residents may set carts and bulk items out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before collection and must have them at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on collection day, per §…

Carrollton's collection service is exclusive: § 50.15 makes it unlawful for anyone but the city to collect or remove refuse or recyclable material from a residence, and § 50.26 leaves…

Carrollton collects bagged yard waste only when it is placed in an approved residential container or bag at the front curb. Brush must be cut to 4 feet or less and capped at three…

Carrollton residents can't just pile trash in the yard: § 50.16 bars letting refuse accumulate on a property outside an approved container, and § 50.17 makes it a separate offense to…

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…

Carrollton charges separate daily fees to close a public street or right-of-way for filming under its Comprehensive Fee Schedule. A total closure or obstruction, including parking lots…

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…

Carrollton confines adult entertainment establishments to Heavy Commercial (HC) zoned property and bars them from Planned Development districts referencing Commercial or Heavy…

Carrollton requires every secondhand dealer, secondhand metal dealer, and crafted precious metal dealer to record each purchase and report it to the police department's designated…

Tobacco, cigar, and e-cigarette retailers in Dallas County must hold a Texas Comptroller permit under Tax Code Chapters 154 and 155 and Health & Safety Code Chapter 161. Dallas County…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455 makes massage therapy a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation program; Dallas County does not issue its own massage licenses. The Dallas…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 makes the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation the sole licensing authority for tow operators and vehicle storage facilities in Dallas…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 146 requires every tattoo and body-piercing studio in Dallas County to hold a Texas Department of State Health Services license. Dallas County HHS…

Pawnbrokers in Dallas County are licensed under Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 by the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC). The county adds no parallel license, but the Dallas…

Carrollton limits garage-sale signs on two fronts. City Code § 92.32 caps on-premises signs at two, no larger than six square feet, displayed only on sale days; off-premises signs are…

On lots larger than three acres that front IH-35E, Carrollton limits how close together pylon signs can stand and how much of their face can flash electronic messages. City Code §…

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…

Carrollton lets a business skip the sign permit for window signs so long as each one stays under 25 percent of the total window area on any linear wall segment, per § 151.11(N) of the…

Carrollton caps political signs at 36 square feet and eight feet tall wherever they stand, bans illumination and moving parts, and keeps them off public property and rights-of-way…

No county regulation on holiday displays. TX Property Code Section 202.011 limits HOA authority over religious displays (25 sq ft per door). First Amendment protects seasonal…

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…

Carrollton's Commercial Property Maintenance Code requires every elevator, escalator, and dumbwaiter to be kept in compliance with ASME A17.1, with a current inspection certificate…

A hotel, short-term rental, or bed-and-breakfast room with a broken or missing interior door lock is an imminently dangerous condition under Carrollton's lodging code, and the…

Carrollton's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance caps new single-family homes in the SF-12/20, SF-10/18, SF-8.4/18 and SF-8.4/16 districts at 36 feet in height and 45 percent lot coverage…

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…

Carrollton adopted the 2024 International Plumbing Code as its plumbing code under § 150.040, filed with the City Secretary as Exhibit G, and § 150.001 requires anyone pulling a…

Carrollton adopted the 2024 International Building Code as its building code under Ordinance 4265, and City Code § 150.001 requires anyone securing a building, electrical, plumbing…

Carrollton adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code as its electrical code under § 150.055, filed with the City Secretary as Exhibit K, and § 150.001 requires anyone pulling an…

Texas amended IRC R313 to make residential fire sprinklers optional for one- and two-family homes. Dallas County does not require home sprinklers in unincorporated areas, but…

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…

Carrollton's Designated City Official can inspect a registered rental annually, on a periodic schedule, or whenever evidence such as a change of occupancy suggests a code problem…

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…

Carrollton requires a certified food handler on site at any farmers market stall selling food that needs time or temperature control for safety. The Designated City Official (DCO)…

Texas Property Code Chapter 92 makes landlords statewide responsible for habitable rentals including bed bug remediation. DCHHS responds to complaints in unincorporated Dallas County…

Carrollton parks close nightly at 10:30 p.m. and reopen at 5:00 a.m. Loitering, remaining, or staying in any public park during those hours violates Code of Ordinances section…

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

Carrollton recreational drone use is governed by FAA rules and local ordinances. Drones under 55 lbs must be registered with the FAA. No flying near airports.

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…

Organizing or joining a parade on a Carrollton street without a permit from the City Manager is a criminal offense. Applications must be filed 20 to 60 business days ahead, and…

A neighborhood block party that closes a residential street in Carrollton needs a street closure permit from the City Manager, backed by a petition signed by 75 percent of the adult…

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…

California's Mills Act does not exist in Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets cities and counties exempt part or all of designated historic property's appraised value from local…

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…

Dallas County residents can report a suspected public nuisance verbally or in writing to the Nuisance Abatement Division, or the county can catch it during a routine field inspection…

Dallas County must investigate a reported nuisance within seven days under Sec. 34-141(b). Once a violation is confirmed, the owner gets 30 days to abate it, and the county reinspects…

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…

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. under Carrollton's noise code, alongside…

Engine-generators cannot run between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. under Carrollton's noise ordinance, but the code carves out an exception when a generator is running during a power outage to…

No county HVAC noise ordinance. Texas counties cannot enact noise regulations. Only TX Penal Code Section 42.01 applies if unreasonable. No setback or sound barrier requirements for…

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…

Carrollton's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance caps impervious coverage at 80% of total lot area in the MF-12, MF-15 and MF-18 Multi-Family Residential Districts. The limit is set in…

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…

Carrollton caps single-family homes at 36 feet under Article 7, Section L of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (April 2026 edition), and the limit holds steady across the SF-12/20…

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…

Every construction site in Carrollton, regardless of size, must use best management practices to control sediment and soil discharge "to the maximum extent practicable" under City Code…

Any new construction, alteration, or land-use change inside Dallas County's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area needs a Development Permit from the Floodplain Administrator, the Director…

New and substantially improved buildings in Dallas County's mapped floodplain must sit at least two feet above the base flood elevation. Article V of Chapter 42 sets that freeboard for…

Dallas County sits within the Dallas-Fort Worth ozone nonattainment area, where TCEQ Rule 30 TAC 114.512 limits commercial heavy-duty vehicle idling to five minutes. Locally adopted by…

Texas has no statewide cool roof mandate, and Dallas County applies cool roof specifications only to its own facilities through capital project standards. Private buildings follow the…

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…

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…

Texas counties cannot generally zone land. Dallas County regulates only subdivision plats, floodplains, and on-site sewage facilities in unincorporated areas under Local Government…

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…

Carrollton has no stand-alone sidewalk food-vending permit: City Code § 116.83(A) routes any outdoor food or retail sale that isn't part of an approved farmers market straight into…

A food truck or food service facility can't set up in Carrollton without city permits obtained from the appropriate departments beforehand, plus two signed agreements: one from the…

Carrollton residents in HOA communities benefit from state solar access laws that limit HOA ability to prohibit solar panels. HOAs may regulate placement but cannot effectively ban…

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…

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…

Carrollton prohibits home cannabis cultivation. State law does not permit recreational or medical marijuana growing. Possession of cannabis plants may result in criminal charges.

Carrollton does not permit cannabis dispensaries. State law prohibits the sale of recreational and medical marijuana. Any cannabis sales operations face criminal prosecution.

Dallas County has no recreational cannabis dispensary buffer-zone rules because Texas does not allow recreational dispensaries. Compassionate Use Program (CUP) sites face no…

Texas has no recreational cannabis program, so no social-equity licensing exists in Dallas County. The state's narrow Compassionate Use Program (CUP) licenses three dispensing…

Texas prohibits all personal cannabis cultivation. Growing even one plant violates TX Health and Safety Code Section 481.120, treated as possession with intent to deliver based on…

Texas prohibits all recreational cannabis delivery. Compassionate Use Program low-THC products may be delivered to qualifying patients only by the three licensed dispensing…

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…

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

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…

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

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

Texas HB 2127 (2023) preempts local predictable scheduling laws. Dallas County has no scheduling ordinance and is barred from adopting one. Federal FLSA overtime is the only floor.

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

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 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…

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. Dallas…

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

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

TX Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessments. Liens allowed for unpaid assessments but foreclosure requires specific procedures including notice and payment plan offers. County…

Texas law requires HOAs to provide written architectural guidelines and fair review procedures, with statutory protections for solar, flags, and xeriscape.

Texas HOAs must follow strict notice, hearing, and fine procedures before enforcing covenants, with mandatory cure periods for most violations.

TX Property Code Chapters 202 and 209 govern POA procedures statewide. HOAs must provide open board meetings, annual meetings, and financial reports. County has no role in HOA…

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…

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 Dallas…

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 does not grant counties general Euclidean zoning authority. Dallas County has minimal unincorporated land, so agricultural zoning decisions largely fall to cities. Local…

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

Texas Tax Code Chapter 171 imposes a single state franchise tax on most businesses operating in Dallas County. Texas does not allow city or county business gross-receipts taxes, so…

Dallas County does not operate a countywide bicycle network. Bike lanes are designed and maintained by individual cities and TxDOT on state highways. DART runs regional transit, and…

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 is a one-party consent state. Under Texas Penal Code §16.02, only one party to a conversation must consent to recording. This applies to both in-person conversations and phone…

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 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…