Environmental Rules in Dallas, TX (2026)
8 verified environmental rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Dallas bans discharging anything other than stormwater into its municipal storm drains, creeks, and other waters under City Code Sec. 19-118.2, part of the Article IX stormwater drainage system ordinance that implements the city's NPDES and TPDES permits. A long list of narrow exceptions covers things like lawn watering runoff and dechlorinated pool water.
Dallas Stormwater Drainage Discharge Prohibitions
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 19-118.2
(a) A person commits an offense if he discharges or causes to be discharged any water that does not consist entirely of stormwater into the stormwater drainage system, waters of the United States, or state water. ... (f) A person commits an offense if he discharges or allows or permits the discharge of any of the following into the stormwater drainage system: (1) Oil, used oil, or any motor veh...
Erosion Control
Every construction site in Dallas that disturbs soil has to install erosion and sediment control best management practices before work starts and keep them running until the site is fully stabilized, under City Code Sec. 19-118.6. The rule ties directly into the city's NPDES/TPDES stormwater permit and makes owners jointly liable with contractors.
Dallas Construction Site Erosion Control Rules
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 19-118.6
(a) An operator of a construction site shall comply with all terms and conditions of a construction general permit or an individual permit, whichever is obtained for or applicable to the construction site. An operator of a construction site shall provide the director with a copy of the stormwater pollution prevention plan required by the construction general permit or individual permit and shal...
Flood Zones
Anyone who wants to fill, alter, or build on land in a Dallas FP-designated floodplain needs a fill permit or floodplain alteration permit from the director of water utilities before touching the site, under Development Code Sec. 51A-5.105. Removing an FP designation from a property additionally requires a public neighborhood meeting.
Dallas Floodplain Fill and Alteration Permits
Significant RestrictionsDallas Development Code Sec. 51A-5.105
(a) Permit required. (1) A person shall not deposit or store fill, place a structure, excavate, or engage in any other development activities in an FP area without first obtaining: (A) a fill permit or a floodplain alteration permit from the director of water utilities; and (B) all other permits required by county, state, and federal agencies. (2) A fill permit allows the property to be develop...
Shoreline Management
Dallas regulates the shorelines of White Rock and Bachman Lakes under City Code Sec. 32-82, a local addition to the Texas Water Safety Act. It bans tampering with navigation markers, restricts mooring near intake structures, and sets a 'Slow-No Wake' zone covering the entire lake shoreline and the area within 300 feet of the dam.
Dallas Sets Slow-No-Wake Zones at Lake Shorelines
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 32-82
SEC. 32-82. LOCAL ADDITIONS TO THE TEXAS WATER SAFETY ACT. (a) No person shall moor or attach any boat to, or move, remove, displace, tamper with, damage, or destroy, any buoy, beacon, light marker, stake, flag, or other aid to safe operation placed upon the public waters of the state... (b) The operator of a vessel shall not permit the vessel to come within 750 feet of the intake structure or ...
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Texas has no statewide vehicle idling rule, but Dallas County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth ozone nonattainment area where TCEQ Rule 30 TAC 114.512 limits heavy-duty diesel idling to five minutes. Dallas enforces this through air-quality coordination with TCEQ.
Vehicle Idling Limited Under TCEQ Rule 114 in Dallas County
Light RestrictionsTexas Health & Safety Code Chapter 382 - Clean Air Act
Sec. 382.0191. IDLING OF MOTOR VEHICLE. (a) In this section, "idling" means allowing an engine to run while the motor vehicle is not engaged in forward or reverse motion.(b) The commission may not prohibit or limit the idling of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds that is equipped with a 2008 or subsequent model year heavy-duty diesel engine or liquefi...
Climate Emergency Mobilization
Dallas has no climate-emergency declaration ordinance. Instead, City Code Sec. 2-120 creates a 15-member Environmental Commission that advises on implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP), the city's actual climate governance mechanism.
Dallas Environmental Commission Oversees CECAP
Light RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 2-120(a), (c), (g)
There is hereby created an environmental commission of the city, which shall be composed of 15 voting members of the general public and eight non-voting technical expert members. Each city council member shall appoint one voting member to the commission. The mayor shall appoint the commission chair; and the full council shall appoint the vice-chair. The non-voting technical experts shall be app...
Cool Roof Requirements
Dallas City Code Chapter 53 amends the International Energy Conservation Code to require cool roofing on most low-slope commercial roofs and to set higher reflectivity standards on residential roofs. The amendment supports the Climate Action and Equity Plan goal of reducing urban heat island effects.
Dallas Requires Reflective Roofing Under Chapter 53 Building Code
Some RestrictionsTexas Health & Safety Code Chapter 388 - Texas Building Energy Performance Standards
Sec. 388.003. ADOPTION OF BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) To achieve energy conservation in single-family residential construction, the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code in this state for single-family residential construction. On September 1, 2016, the energy efficiency chapter of t...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Building in a Dallas floodplain requires a city-council-approved fill permit, and once approved the building pad must sit at least two feet and the lowest floor at least three feet above the design flood elevation.
Dallas Floodplain Fill: 3-Foot Lowest-Floor Elevation Rule
Significant RestrictionsDallas City Code § 51A-5.105(f)(2)-(3)
If the city council approves a fill permit, the filling operations must comply with the following requirements: ... (2) Building pad sites must be filled to an elevation of at least two feet above the design flood elevation. (3) The lowest floor of any structure must be constructed at least three feet above the design flood elevation.
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
Environmental Rules in Dallas County →