Local rules and regulations for Bell County, Texas. Population: 370,647.
Verified from official government sources
Select a topic to see Bell County's rules on that subject.
Consumer fireworks are broadly legal in unincorporated Bell County under Texas law. The commissioners court may only restrict 'skyrockets with sticks' and 'missiles with fins' during a declared drought. Killeen, Temple and other cities ban fireworks entirely inside city limits.
Texas Property Code requires landlords to install a smoke alarm in each bedroom and on each level of a rental dwelling. Bell County cannot set building codes in unincorporated areas; cities enforce the residential code for new construction.
Texas does not designate legal wildfire-hazard zones with mandatory building rules, and Bell County cannot zone. Parts of the county sit in the wildland-urban interface; the Texas A&M Forest Service maps risk and urges voluntary Firewise measures.
Bell County has no zoning, so it sets no fire-pit design rules. Small recreational or cooking fires are allowed under state air rules if attended and away from structures, but any active county burn ban prohibits them. Cities like Killeen add their own fire-code limits.
Open burning of trash and yard waste is heavily restricted by state air rules and may be banned entirely by a Bell County burn ban during drought. When allowed, burns must be attended, set back from roads and property lines, and not create a nuisance.
Texas has no statewide defensible-space mandate, and Bell County cannot zone, so there is no county brush-clearance ordinance. Clearing dead brush is voluntary but strongly urged by fire officials. Cities may cite overgrown, hazardous lots as nuisances.
Small backyard recreational and cooking fires are allowed under Texas air rules if attended, contained and not a nuisance, unless a Bell County burn ban is in effect. The county sets no design rules; cities apply the International Fire Code.
Propane storage in Texas is regulated by the Railroad Commission's LP-Gas safety rules, not by Bell County zoning. Cities apply the International Fire Code to tank size, placement and setbacks. Small consumer cylinders for grills and homes are generally unrestricted.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Bell County sets no ADU rules. Inside Killeen, Temple or Belton, the city zoning code decides whether an accessory dwelling unit is allowed. Killeen exempts accessory buildings under 200 square feet from residential design standards.
Unincorporated Bell County has no zoning, so it sets no shed size or setback limits—only septic and platting rules apply. Inside Killeen, sheds follow the city code: structures are limited to 20 feet tall, and nothing over 80 square feet may sit inside a utility easement.
Unincorporated Bell County cannot zone, so it imposes no carport setback or design rules. Inside Killeen, Temple or Belton, carports are accessory structures governed by the city zoning and building code, including setbacks and, in some cases, permits.
Bell County cannot zone, so it doesn't ban tiny homes in unincorporated areas—but a permanent dwelling still needs septic (OSSF) approval and must meet platting rules. Inside Killeen, Temple or Belton, the city zoning code decides whether a tiny home is allowed.
Bell County cannot zone, so it does not regulate converting a garage into living space in unincorporated areas—but you still need septic capacity and can't violate deed restrictions. Inside Killeen, Temple or Belton, a building permit and the city's zoning and code apply.
Bell County sets no occupancy caps because it cannot zone. Killeen has not adopted zoning or saturation limits on STRs. Temple limits STRs to two adults per bedroom (and generally bars under-30-day rentals residentially). Unincorporated county has no occupancy rule.
STR stays under 30 days owe hotel occupancy tax at three levels: Texas state 6%, Bell County 2%, and the city (Killeen 7%). Bell County's county tax is authorized by Texas Tax Code Chapter 352 and applies to unincorporated areas.
No Bell County rule requires an STR to be the owner's primary residence, and the county cannot make one. Killeen allows non-owner-occupied (investor) STRs and imposes no primary-residence requirement. Temple effectively bars under-30-day rentals in residential zones regardless of who owns them.
Bell County has no noise ordinance. STR noise is controlled by the host city's noise code (Killeen or Temple) and, in unincorporated areas, only by the Texas disorderly-conduct 'unreasonable noise' statute. Temple expressly requires STR operators to follow its general noise ordinances.
Bell County has no STR registry. Killeen requires annual registration of any property rented for under 30 days through its online vendor (Neumo), plus a passing inspection. Temple requires a registration form but bans under-30-day rentals residentially. Unincorporated county has no registry.
Bell County requires no STR insurance and cannot mandate it. Killeen requires proof of at least $500,000 in liability insurance, including personal injury liability, active for the full permit term. Temple also requires proof of insurance at registration. Unincorporated areas have no requirement.
Bell County has no zoning power, so it issues no STR permits. Inside Killeen you need an annual STR permit (first year $200, including inspection). Temple bans rentals under 30 days in residential zones. Unincorporated areas have no STR permit at all.
Bell County has no STR parking ordinance and cannot create one. Any parking requirement comes from the host city's code and its general residential parking and nuisance rules. Killeen's STR program does not publish a specific guest-parking mandate; Temple applies its standard residential parking standards.
No Bell County or Killeen rule requires the host to be present during an STR stay, and the county cannot impose one. Killeen requires a local contact for enforcement but not on-site presence. Temple generally bars under-30-day residential rentals regardless of host presence.
There is no annual night cap on short-term rentals in Bell County. The county cannot zone, and Killeen's program sets no limit on rented nights per year. Temple instead bars rentals of 30 days or less in residential districts. Unincorporated areas have no cap.
Neither Bell County nor its major cities set fixed construction-hour limits. Temple repealed its building-operations section in 2012, and Killeen's noise code exempts construction that cannot reasonably be done another way. Work must still avoid unreasonable-noise nuisance.
Texas counties can't set noise ordinances, so unincorporated Bell County has no quiet-hours rule. Inside Killeen, noise plainly audible to a neighbor during nighttime (11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.) is unlawful; Temple bars disturbing radios/instruments 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.
The county sets no decibel limit. Killeen caps noise at the property line at 3 dBA over ambient or 50 dBA (A-weighted), whichever is higher (60 dBA C-weighted). Statewide, noise over 85 dB can be presumed unreasonable after warning.
Neither Bell County nor Killeen or Temple has a leaf-blower-specific noise rule. Blowers are treated under the general noise-nuisance and decibel standards, so early-morning or late-night use can still draw a complaint.
The county has no vehicle-noise ordinance. Killeen requires exhaust to pass through a muffler that prevents loud noises and bars vehicles so out of repair they grate or rattle; Temple requires working mufflers and prohibits cut-outs.
Unincorporated Bell County has no barking-dog noise ordinance. Killeen makes it unlawful to keep any animal or bird that makes 'frequent or long, continued noise,' and Temple prohibits animals whose noise disturbs neighbors of ordinary sensibilities.
Texas counties can't zone industry, so unincorporated Bell County has no industrial-noise ordinance. Killeen measures noise and vibration at the property line, prohibiting vibration above the perception threshold at or beyond the source's property.
The county sets no amplified-sound rule. Temple bans stationary loudspeakers or amplifiers on weekdays 10:30 p.m.-7:00 a.m. and all day Sunday; Killeen prohibits amplifiers, radios and PA systems that create an unreasonable noise nuisance.
No county rule governs outdoor music. Killeen prohibits gatherings whose cumulative noise unreasonably disturbs anyone within hearing range, and both cities apply nighttime and amplifier limits. Outside city limits, Texas Penal Code 42.01 covers loud parties near homes.
Aircraft noise, including Fort Cavazos military overflights, is regulated by the FAA and federal government, not Bell County or its cities. Killeen's noise code expressly excludes aircraft and transportation noise from measurement, and vehicle motors on runways are exempt.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Bell County sets no RV/boat parking rule. Inside Killeen it is unlawful to leave a boat or travel trailer standing on a public street or encroaching on a right-of-way.
This is a real county power. Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683, Bell County may abate junked vehicles that are public nuisances in unincorporated areas. Killeen enforces its own detailed junk-vehicle ordinance in Chapter 18.
Bell County does not paint or regulate curb markings. Curb colors are official traffic-control markings set by the city; private curb painting is not authorized, and drivers must obey painted or posted curb restrictions.
Bell County does not police city streets or set street-parking limits. In Killeen, parking in one spot on a public street is limited to two hours between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. where not otherwise regulated.
Bell County cannot set driveway or parking-surface standards in unincorporated areas. Killeen requires vehicles to be parked on an all-weather surface—concrete or an impervious bituminous surface—not on bare dirt or grass.
Neither Bell County nor Killeen imposes a blanket overnight parking ban on ordinary passenger vehicles. Texas law does restrict overnight commercial-truck parking near homes, and Killeen bars leaving boats and trailers standing on streets.
Bell County cannot zone commercial-vehicle parking, but Texas law and city codes do. Killeen bars parking vehicles over one ton in residential zones, and state law limits overnight commercial-truck parking near homes.
Neither Bell County nor its cities mandate EV charging spaces for existing homes. There is no county ordinance; installations follow the state-adopted electrical and building codes and any city permit requirements.
Bell County has no oversized-vehicle parking ordinance in unincorporated areas. Killeen bars vehicles over one ton within 600 feet of residential property and confines two-ton-plus vehicles to designated arterial routes.
Bell County does not designate loading zones. Within cities, loading zones are established and enforced by the municipal traffic authority; in Killeen, parking contrary to posted zones is unlawful under the traffic code.
Home BBQ grilling with propane or charcoal is legal throughout Bell County and its cities. There is no county rule; consumer propane cylinders are unrestricted. Apartment and multifamily grilling is limited by the International Fire Code adopted in cities.
Backyard and offset wood/charcoal smokers are legal across Bell County with no county permit. They count as cooking fires exempt from state burning rules. Commercial pit smoking in cities needs fire-code compliance, and severe burn bans may add limits.
Bell County restricts no fence materials in unincorporated areas because it cannot zone. Cities do: Temple bars materials not manufactured for fencing and limits barbed and razor wire to agricultural and industrial districts.
Unincorporated Bell County lists no approved fence materials because it cannot zone. Inside a city, materials are specified: Temple allows chain link, brick, stone, pre-cast concrete, block, wood planks, tubular metal and wrought iron.
Bell County cannot zone, so it sets no fence-height rule in unincorporated areas. Inside a city, the city code governs. In Temple, a front-yard fence must not exceed 48 inches; behind the front-yard setback, up to eight feet.
Neither Bell County nor Texas law forces a neighbor to share the cost of a boundary fence; a shared fence is a private matter settled by agreement or civil court. Cities like Temple regulate placement and sight lines, not cost-sharing.
Unincorporated Bell County issues no fence permit because it cannot zone. Inside a city you do need one: Killeen requires a building permit for any new or replacement fence, and Temple requires a site plan with the building-permit application.
Bell County sets no retaining-wall zoning in unincorporated areas. Inside a city, a retaining wall is regulated through the building permit and code; Temple treats walls under its fence standards and typically requires a permit for taller walls.
Unincorporated Bell County has no fence code because it cannot zone. City requirements apply inside limits: Temple requires a site plan and landscape plan with the building-permit application and sets construction standards for framing and finish.
Texas requires a certificate of registration to own dangerous wild animals such as lions, tigers, bears, cougars, and primates. Bell County's animal registration agency handles registration and insurance, and the county may prohibit possession entirely.
Neither unincorporated Bell County nor the City of Killeen caps the number of pets you may keep. Killeen instead regulates animal housing enclosures. Some other Bell County cities may set their own limits, so check the local code.
Texas is open-range by default, but a county or precinct may adopt a 'stock law' by election requiring owners to fence livestock in. Whether Bell County closed the range for a given animal is recorded with the county clerk. Owners must keep stock off highways.
Unincorporated Bell County can't zone backyard chickens or small livestock, so no county permit is needed. Cities like Killeen and Temple regulate fowl and enclosures. Texas right-to-farm law shields established agricultural operations from nuisance suits.
Bell County has no beekeeping ordinance and cannot zone hives on unincorporated land. Texas regulates bees at the state level through the Texas Apiary Inspection Service; beekeepers register with the state, not the county. Cities may set their own hive setbacks.
Unincorporated Bell County has no countywide leash law because Texas counties can't zone. Inside Killeen, dogs must be leashed whenever outside a fenced yard. Statewide, any dog declared dangerous must be restrained on a leash or in a secure enclosure at all times.
Neither Bell County nor its cities may ban or restrict specific dog breeds. Texas law forbids breed-specific regulation, so there are no pit bull or Rottweiler bans. Local governments may only impose breed-neutral dangerous-dog rules.
Bell County has no ordinance banning the feeding of wildlife, and Texas has no general statewide ban either. Feeding game such as deer is legal but discouraged; cities may restrict nuisance feeding. Feeding that draws dangerous animals can still bring complaints.
Texas has no specific 'hoarding' statute, but keeping animals without adequate food, water, care, or shelter, or cruelly confining them, is animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor. Bell County's sheriff and local police handle cruelty complaints countywide.
Texas requires cats to be vaccinated against rabies by four months old. Bell County and its cities don't impose cat leash laws, though Killeen manages free-roaming community cats through trap-neuter-return. Rabies and cruelty rules apply countywide.
Bell County cannot set building setbacks in unincorporated areas. Cities do. In Temple's standard SF-1 district, single-family homes need a 20-foot front, 5-foot side (10-foot corner) and 10-foot rear setback.
Bell County sets no lot-coverage limit in unincorporated areas because it cannot zone. Cities do: Temple limits building coverage on the rear half of a residential lot to 50 percent.
Unincorporated Bell County sets no building-height limit because it cannot zone. Cities do: Temple caps most single-family districts at two to two-and-a-half stories, measured to the mean roof height.
Bell County sets no tree-trimming ordinance. Trimming trees on your own land is unrestricted. Inside cities, Killeen and Temple regulate trimming only near streets, utilities, and in development landscaping, not routine homeowner pruning.
Bell County requires no permit to remove trees; counties cannot zone in Texas. On unincorporated land you may remove your own trees freely. City tree-preservation rules in Killeen and Temple mainly apply to new development, not single-family lots.
Bell County has no composting ordinance. Home composting is unrestricted on unincorporated land. Texas law bars HOAs from prohibiting composting, though cities and HOAs may set reasonable placement and containment standards to prevent nuisances.
Bell County has no zoning power, so unincorporated areas have no grass-height ordinance. Inside Killeen, grass and weeds over 12 inches are a nuisance violation. Temple, Belton, and Harker Heights set their own limits.
Texas has no statewide homeowner watering ban. Bell County itself sets no lawn-watering rule. Limits come from your city's drought plan or the Clearwater groundwater district. Killeen's Stage 1 allows two days a week by even/odd address.
Bell County has no landscaping ordinance and cannot require or forbid native plants. Texas law protects drought-resistant and water-conserving landscaping from HOA bans. Cities may set streetscape or nuisance standards but generally encourage native, low-water plantings.
Bell County cannot pass a general weed ordinance. In unincorporated areas the Texas public-nuisance statute lets a county abate weeds within 300 feet of another residence. Inside Killeen, weeds over 12 inches are a code violation.
Rainwater harvesting is legal statewide and encouraged in Texas. Bell County sets no restriction. State law bars a homeowners' association from prohibiting rain barrels or rainwater systems, and rainwater-harvesting equipment is exempt from state sales tax.
Bell County has no zoning and does not regulate artificial turf. On unincorporated land it is unrestricted. Cities may limit synthetic turf in front yards through zoning, but Texas law stops HOAs from banning water-conserving turf outright.
Bell County has no zoning and issues no residential pool permit in unincorporated areas. Inside Killeen, Temple, Belton or Harker Heights a city building permit and inspections are required before construction. Public and commercial pools are permitted statewide by TDLR.
Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 757 requires pool yards at apartment complexes and property-owners-association pools to be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high. Single-family home pool barriers are enforced through each city's adopted residential building code.
Bell County sets no rules for above-ground pools because it cannot zone. Inside a city, the adopted residential building code applies: a pool holding water more than a set depth generally needs a permit and a compliant barrier, though the pool wall itself may serve as part of the barrier.
For pools covered by state law, a gate in the pool-yard fence must be self-closing and self-latching, open outward away from the pool, and the latch must sit at least 60 inches above the ground. Public pools also follow TDLR safety standards.
Bell County has no hot tub ordinance. A residential spa is regulated by your city's adopted building code, which typically exempts a hot tub from the pool-barrier rule when it has an approved lockable safety cover. Apartment and POA spas fall under state Chapter 757.
Bell County can't impose a general vacant-lot maintenance code, but state nuisance law lets the county abate overgrown weeds within 300 feet of a residence and accumulated rubbish on unincorporated lots. Cities enforce their own lot-mowing rules.
In unincorporated Bell County, state nuisance law requires refuse in a neighborhood to be kept in a closed receptacle; uncontained accumulation can be abated. Inside Killeen and Temple, city solid-waste code controls container use and setout.
Unincorporated Bell County has no set grass-height number; state law only reaches weeds within 300 feet of a neighbor. Killeen caps grass and weeds at 12 inches; Temple at 9 inches (18 during the wildflower exception).
Texas counties can't zone, but Bell County's commissioners court can abate a defined public nuisance in unincorporated areas under Health & Safety Code Chapter 343, including accumulated junk and structurally unsafe buildings. Inside Killeen or Temple, city nuisance code applies.
Bell County sets no garage-sale rules for unincorporated areas. Cities regulate them: Killeen requires a permit, limits owners to two sales per calendar year, and caps each sale at three days.
Unincorporated Bell County sets no cart-placement rule. In Killeen, carts must go to the curb no earlier than 8 p.m. the night before and no later than 7 a.m. on collection day, at least four feet from obstacles.
Bell County offers no bulk pickup in unincorporated areas. Killeen provides once-weekly brush collection up to six cubic yards plus bagged yard waste; large items and rural loads otherwise go to a permitted transfer station or landfill.
Bell County provides no residential garbage collection in unincorporated areas, so rural residents contract a private hauler. Cities run their own service: Killeen's solid-waste division is the exclusive once-a-week collector for all city premises.
This is where county and state authority is strongest. Under the Texas Litter Abatement Act (H&S §365.012), dumping litter at an unapproved site is a crime countywide, from a Class C misdemeanor for small amounts up to a state jail felony for a ton or more.
Texas has no mandatory residential recycling law, and Bell County requires none in unincorporated areas. Recycling is a voluntary, city-run or drop-off service; Killeen and Temple offer programs but do not mandate participation.
Unincorporated Bell County cannot zone and sets no home-business sign rule. Inside a city, home-occupation signs are tightly limited or banned outright. Temple prohibits any sign advertising a home occupation; Killeen similarly restricts on-premise home-business signage.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Bell County places no zoning limits on a home business. Inside a city, a home occupation is allowed as an accessory use only if it stays clearly incidental to the home and does not change its residential character.
Home childcare is licensed by the state, not the county. Unincorporated Bell County cannot zone it, while cities regulate it as a home occupation. Temple requires at least 150 square feet of gross floor area per child for a family or group day care home.
Unincorporated Bell County issues no home-occupation permit because it cannot zone. Cities regulate home occupations by standards rather than a stand-alone permit: Temple requires the business to occupy the main structure only and bans outside employees and nuisance impacts.
Texas cottage food law lets you sell many homemade foods without a permit or inspection. Under the 2025 Texas Food Freedom Act (SB 541), the annual gross-sales cap rose to $150,000, indexed to inflation. Neither Bell County nor a city may ban a compliant cottage food operation.
Texas law protects political signs on your own property. A city cannot prohibit them, require a permit or fee, or restrict their size—so long as the sign is on private property with the owner's consent and is under 36 square feet, 8 feet tall, unlit and without moving parts.
Unincorporated Bell County does not regulate garage-sale signs. Inside Killeen or Temple, temporary garage-sale signs are governed by the city sign code (Killeen Chapter 31, Division 4)—typically limited in size and duration, kept out of the public right-of-way, and removed after the sale.
Bell County can't zone, so it has no light-trespass rule in unincorporated areas—glare disputes there fall under general nuisance law. Inside Killeen, Chapter 31 zoning defines light trespass as unwanted light shining onto adjacent property or the public right-of-way and can require shielding.
Bell County is not covered by Texas's observatory dark-sky lighting law, and the county cannot zone lighting in unincorporated areas. Inside Killeen, outdoor lighting and glare are addressed in the Chapter 31 zoning code, which defines uplighting and light trespass and requires shielding in some districts.
These cities are located within Bell County and may have their own ordinances.
These communities are in unincorporated Bell County. County ordinances apply directly to these areas.
Ordinance data for Bell County is sourced from the following official government references. Click any topic above for detailed citations.