College Station, TX
Pop. 120,511
Most looked-up rules in College Station
The topics readers look up most across the site, as they apply in College Station.
Browse by topic
🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🔥 Fire & Safety
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
📋 Other
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Leaf Blower Rules
Few RestrictionsCollege Station has no ordinance aimed specifically at leaf blowers, so gas powered models remain legal here. Blower noise is governed by the city's general noise limits and by the…
Barking Dogs
Light RestrictionsCollege Station considers excessive barking a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. TX does not have breed-based noise rules - Lillian’s Law is behavior-based.
Construction Hours
Few RestrictionsCollege Station allows construction during designated hours. Most Texas cities permit 7 AM to 8 PM weekdays. Emergency utility work exempt.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Light RestrictionsCollege Station regulates amplified music under the general noise ordinance. Sound amplification permits available for events. TX Penal Code §42.01 applies.
Quiet Hours
Light RestrictionsCollege Station enforces quiet hours 10 PM to 7 AM with enhanced enforcement near Texas A&M campus. Game day weekends see elevated noise from tailgating and celebrations in Northgate…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Light RestrictionsCollege Station may require designated parking for STR guests. Parking plan may be part of STR permit. No statewide parking time limit in Texas.
Insurance Requirements
Few RestrictionsCollege Station may require hosts to carry liability insurance for short-term rental properties. Minimum coverage amounts vary by jurisdiction.
Noise Rules
Light RestrictionsCollege Station STRs must comply with general noise ordinance. Many cities impose stricter quiet hours for rentals. Complaints can trigger permit review.
Occupancy Limits
Light RestrictionsTexas Property Code Section 92.010 sets the occupancy ceiling that governs College Station short-term rentals: a landlord may allow at most three times the number of bedrooms in adult…
Short-Term Rental Permits
Light RestrictionsCollege Station regulates short-term rentals with registration requirements. High demand during Texas A&M football weekends, graduation, and university events drives significant STR…
Taxes & Fees
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas imposes a 6 percent state hotel occupancy tax on short-term rentals, including houses, condos, and Airbnb or VRBO stays, whenever a room costs 15 dollars or more per day.
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Artificial Turf
Few RestrictionsTexas Property Code Sec. 202.007 sets the ground rules for lawn alternatives in College Station neighborhoods governed by a property owners' association. The association keeps…
Rainwater Harvesting
Few RestrictionsCollege Station residents can collect rainwater for garden irrigation, lawn watering, and other non potable uses without significant state restriction, and Texas Property Code Sec…
Native Plants
Few RestrictionsTexas Property Code Section 202.007 backs College Station homeowners who want to replace thirsty lawns: a property owners' association may not unreasonably deny or withhold approval of…
Weed Ordinances
Light RestrictionsCollege Station enforces weed abatement for fire prevention and neighborhood maintenance. Vacant lots receive annual notices before peak growing season.
🚗 Parking Rules
Overnight Parking
Few RestrictionsCollege Station regulates overnight parking on public streets. Many areas restrict parking between certain hours or require permits for overnight street parking.
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Few RestrictionsCollege Station restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight, size, and signage limits apply. Overnight heavy truck storage prohibited.
Abandoned Vehicles
Light RestrictionsTexas Transportation Code Section 683.002 defines when a vehicle in College Station is legally abandoned, and the clock is short: as little as 48 hours on public property, and just 24…
Street Parking Limits
Light RestrictionsStreet parking in College Station is governed by Texas Transportation Code Section 545.302 plus local rules shaped by Texas A&M: statewide bans on parking on sidewalks, in…
Towing & Impound Rights
Significant RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Dog Leash Laws
Light RestrictionsCollege Station requires dogs on leash in public. Off-leash in designated parks only. License and rabies vaccination required. TX HSC §822.013 covers dogs at large.
Exotic Pets
Light RestrictionsKeeping a dangerous wild animal in College Station requires a certificate of registration under Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.103. The certificate comes from an animal…
Beekeeping
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas keeps beekeeping light-touch: registration with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service is voluntary, not required to own hives. Beekeepers may register annually with the chief…
Breed Restrictions
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas Health & Safety Code 822.047 prohibits any Texas city or county from regulating dogs based on breed. Local breed bans against pit bulls, Rottweilers, or other breeds are…
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas Agriculture Code Section 143.102 makes it a statewide offense to knowingly let a horse, mule, donkey, cow, bull, steer, hog, sheep, or goat roam unattended on a highway…
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas has no standalone hoarding statute; officers use Health & Safety Code Chapter 821 to seize animals deprived of necessary food, care, or shelter, and a court can divest the owner…
Wildlife Feeding
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas lets hunters bait and feed game animals, including deer, on private property statewide. Baiting is unlawful on most public land, for wild turkey in the East Zone, and for all…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Material Restrictions
Light RestrictionsCollege Station regulates fence materials by zone. Wood, vinyl, wrought iron, and chain-link common. HOAs often impose stricter material requirements.
Height Limits
Light RestrictionsCollege Station limits residential fences: typically 6 feet in rear/side, 4 feet in front yard. Corner lots have visibility requirements.
Neighbor Fence Rules
Light RestrictionsTexasUnder Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 143, Subchapter F, you cannot tear out a fence you jointly own with a neighbor, or one attached to a neighbor's fence, without mutual consent. To…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Pool Permits
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 757.001 defines a pool to include above-ground pools, so an above-ground pool in College Station gets no break on safety rules. Anything over 18…
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Light RestrictionsPool fences in College Station must meet Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 757.003: at least 48 inches tall measured from the outside, no gap underneath that passes a 4-inch sphere, no…
💼 Home Business
Home Daycare
Light RestrictionsTexas Human Resources Code Section 42.052 sets the state credential a College Station home daycare needs, and the dividing line is the child count: caring for three or fewer unrelated…
Signage Rules
Light RestrictionsCollege Station prohibits external business signage at home occupations. No commercial evidence visible from the street.
Cottage Food Operations
Few RestrictionsTexas's cottage food law lets a College Station resident produce and sell food from a home kitchen. Health and Safety Code Sec. 437.001 defines a cottage food production operation as…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Fireworks
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas Occupations Code Chapter 2154 governs fireworks sales and use, while Local Government Code Chapter 352 limits how counties can restrict consumer fireworks during drought. The…
Propane Storage
Some RestrictionsTexasSelling, transporting, dispensing, or storing propane (LP-gas) in Texas requires a license from the Railroad Commission of Texas under Natural Resources Code Chapter 113. Only the…
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Rental Registration
Light RestrictionsCollege Station may require landlords to register rental properties with the city and maintain compliance with housing codes. Registration helps ensure rental units meet safety and…
Just Cause Eviction
Light RestrictionsCollege Station 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…
Eviction Notice & Process
Some RestrictionsTexasUnder 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)…
Repairs & Habitability
Some RestrictionsTexasUnder Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 a landlord must make a diligent effort to repair conditions that materially affect an ordinary tenant's health or safety after proper notice. Section…
Late Fees & Grace Periods
Some RestrictionsTexasUnder 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…
Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate
Some RestrictionsTexasUnder 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…
Rent Control
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Security Deposit Rules
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas places no statutory limit on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit. However, the landlord must refund the deposit within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the…
Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession
Some RestrictionsTexasIn 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…
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
No-Knock Registry
Light RestrictionsCollege Station maintains a no-knock or no-soliciting registry that residents can join. Solicitors who ignore posted signs or registry listings face fines.
Solicitor Permits
Few RestrictionsCollege Station requires door-to-door solicitors and peddlers to obtain a permit. Background checks and identification badges are commonly required.
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
🪧 Sign Regulations
Political Signs
Few RestrictionsTexas Election Code Sec. 259.003 bars College Station from prohibiting, permitting, charging fees for, or limiting the size of a sign that carries primarily a political message and…
Holiday Displays
Few RestrictionsCollege Station generally permits holiday decorations and displays on residential property with minimal restrictions. Displays should not create traffic hazards, excessive noise, or…
Garage Sale Signs
Few RestrictionsCollege Station allows temporary garage sale signs with restrictions on size, placement, and duration. Signs in public rights-of-way may be prohibited. Signs must be removed…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Heavy RestrictionsCollege Station cannot zone a marijuana dispensary of any kind because possessing any usable amount of marihuana is a crime under Tex. Health & Safety Code Section 481.121, ranging…
Home Cultivation
Few RestrictionsCollege Station prohibits home cannabis cultivation. State law does not permit recreational or medical marijuana growing. Possession of cannabis plants may result in criminal charges.
☀️ Solar Energy
Panel Permits
Few RestrictionsCollege Station requires building permits for solar panel installations. Permit processes vary but most jurisdictions have streamlined solar permitting. Roof-mounted systems must meet…
HOA Restrictions
Few RestrictionsCollege Station 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…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Light RestrictionsCollege Station provides weekly curbside trash and recycling collection on designated days. Missed pickups can be reported to Texas waste haulers or municipal services.
Bulk Item Disposal
Light RestrictionsCollege Station collects bulk items such as furniture, mattresses, and large appliances on a scheduled basis, either monthly or by appointment through public works. Appliances must…
Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas Health and Safety Code Section 361.425 orders every county, municipality, school district, university, and state agency to run a recycling program that separates and collects at…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Erosion Control
Light RestrictionsCollege Station requires grading permits for significant earth-moving work. Drainage must not redirect water onto neighboring properties. Proper grading prevents erosion and flooding.
Coastal Development
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Flood Zones
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas Water Code Section 16.3145 orders the governing body of every Texas city and county to adopt the floodplain-management ordinances or orders needed to qualify for the National…
Stormwater Management
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas Water Code Section 26.040 lets the TCEQ issue general permits for storm water discharges. Regulated small municipal separate storm sewer systems obtain coverage under TPDES…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Light RestrictionsCollege Station enforces property maintenance standards to prevent blight. Unmaintained properties with peeling paint, broken windows, or accumulated debris may face code violations.
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Light RestrictionsCollege Station requires vacant lot owners to maintain their property including regular mowing, weed control, trash removal, and securing the site against trespass.
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
💼 Employment Preemption
Minimum Wage Preemption
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas Labor Code Section 62.0515 expressly preempts municipal and county minimum wage ordinances. The state minimum wage equals the federal floor of $7.25 per hour, and political…
Paid Leave Preemption
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas appellate courts have struck down municipal paid sick leave ordinances in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio as preempted under the Texas Minimum Wage Act. HB 2127 (2023) further…
🔫 Firearms
Concealed Carry
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas authorizes License to Carry (LTC) holders to carry concealed handguns statewide under Government Code Chapter 411. Since 2021, permitless constitutional carry under HB 1927 also…
Local Firearms Preemption
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas Local Government Code Section 229.001 broadly preempts municipal regulation of firearms, ammunition, knives, and related accessories. Cities cannot adopt or enforce ordinances…
Open Carry
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas authorizes open carry of holstered handguns statewide for adults 21 and older under Penal Code 46.02 and HB 910 (2015). Long guns may be openly carried subject to disorderly…
Firearms in Vehicles
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas Penal Code 46.02(a-1) lets any non-prohibited adult carry a handgun inside a personally-owned or leased motor vehicle or watercraft without a License to Carry. Since HB 1927…
🎰 Gambling & Gaming
Charitable Bingo and Raffles
Significant RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Game Room Regulations
Significant RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Social Gambling Rules
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Sports Betting Law
Heavy RestrictionsTexasTexas 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 §…
🏘️ HOA Rules
Assessment & Dues
Some RestrictionsTexasUnder the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act, unpaid assessments become a lien (Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0094), but a Texas HOA may not foreclose that lien without first…
Board Procedures
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas Property Code Chapter 209 governs residential subdivision homeowners associations, not condominium associations and not associations that are themselves subject to the Public…
CC&R Enforcement
Some RestrictionsTexasA Texas HOA enforces its recorded restrictive covenants (Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 202), but Chapter 209 controls the procedure: § 209.006 requires certified-mail notice and a cure…
Drought Landscaping Rights
Light RestrictionsTexasProperty 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…
Flag Display Rights
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
HOA Fines & Enforcement
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Lien & Foreclosure Limits
Some RestrictionsTexasA 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…
Rental Restriction Limits
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
⚖️ Know Your Rights
DUI Checkpoint Legality
Few RestrictionsTexasThe 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…
Recording Police
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Stop & Identify Laws
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Vehicle Search & Consent
Some RestrictionsTexasNo 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…
🚜 Right to Farm
Agricultural Zoning Protection
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas Local Government Code Chapter 212 and Agriculture Code Chapter 251 limit municipal authority to zone or regulate land qualified for agricultural use appraisal. Counties have no…
Farm Nuisance Protection
Few RestrictionsTexasThe Texas Right to Farm Act, Agriculture Code Chapter 251, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits and local regulations after one year of operation. HB…
🚗 Vehicle Equipment Laws
Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting
Some RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Lane Splitting & Filtering
Significant RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Plate Covers & Obstruction
Significant RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Radar Detector Rules
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Studded Tire & Chain Rules
Few RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…
Window Tint Limits
Light RestrictionsTexasTexas 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…