Fort Bend County, TX Ordinances (2026)

Fort Bend County imposes no STR-specific occupancy limits in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack general police power to regulate STRs under Local Gov't Code Ch. 233. Practical…

Fort Bend County does not regulate STR parking in unincorporated areas. The county has not adopted zoning and does not impose minimum off-street parking requirements for vacation…

Fort Bend County imposes a Hotel Occupancy Tax on short-term rentals under 30 days, with full enforcement beginning May 1, 2025 for all bookings.

Fort Bend County has no STR-specific noise ordinance in unincorporated areas. Enforcement falls under Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5) disorderly conduct (unreasonable noise), with noise…

Fort Bend County Environmental Health requires every mobile food unit operating in the county to obtain an annual permit and certified food manager presence.

Mobile food units in unincorporated Fort Bend County vend on private property only with the owner's notarized written permission, or set up in public rights-of-way and parking lots…

Fort Bend County follows Texas state law allowing beekeeping as a qualifying agricultural use on tracts of 5 to 20 acres, granting agricultural valuation for property tax purposes when…

Fort Bend County requires dogs to be restrained by leash, fence, or enclosure when off the owner's property, with stricter rules for dogs running at large in unincorporated areas.

Fort Bend County cannot ban or restrict any dog breed. Texas Health and Safety Code 822.047 forbids breed-specific local rules; a county may only add stricter requirements on…

Public and semi-public pools in unincorporated Fort Bend County must be enclosed by barriers meeting county construction standards, on top of the statewide Texas Health and Safety Code…

A single-family above-ground or portable pool serving one or two resident families and their guests is exempt from Fort Bend County's pool permitting rules entirely.

Fort Bend County has NO quiet-hours ordinance in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack the police power to enact one (Local Gov't Code Ch. 233). Enforcement falls back to Texas…

New subdivided lots without fire-rated water lines need 25-foot road setbacks and 10-foot side setbacks under county infrastructure rules.

Texas Agriculture Code Section 251.004 shields farms and ranches in unincorporated Fort Bend County from nuisance suits once they have operated lawfully and substantially unchanged for…

Fort Bend County has adopted an order regulating sexually oriented businesses in its unincorporated areas under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 243. Operators must obtain a county…

Fast-changing electronic billboards visible from a county toll road are banned; slow-changing displays and permitted off-premise signs are allowed.

Decorative holiday lighting is exempt from Fort Bend County's outdoor lighting rules, but only from November 15 through the next January 15.

Any outdoor event outside city limits in unincorporated Fort Bend County that expects more than 2,500 people needs a mass gathering permit from the county judge, applied for at least…

Unincorporated Fort Bend County treats weeds and grass over 36 inches tall as a public nuisance when the growth sits within 300 feet of another residence or business, triggering the…

Fort Bend County's Fire Code bans charcoal and open-flame grills on combustible balconies and decks, or within 10 feet of combustible construction, with narrow LP-gas exceptions.

New and substantially improved structures in Fort Bend County's special flood hazard areas must sit at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, not just at it.

Fort Bend County requires lot grading and drainage plans for new subdivisions and many site developments, ensuring positive drainage and downstream protection.

A structurally unsafe, dilapidated, or fire-hazard building on unincorporated county land is a public nuisance the county can order repaired, secured, or demolished, with the owner…

Unincorporated Fort Bend County treats uncontained garbage as a public nuisance: refuse left out must sit in a closed, pest-proof receptacle or code enforcement can act.

Fort Bend County prohibits illegal dumping and unauthorized disposal of solid waste in unincorporated areas, with enforcement by the Environmental Health Department and constables.

Fort Bend County hosts scheduled household hazardous waste, electronics, and bulk disposal collection events for residents at designated precinct locations throughout the year.

Fort Bend County enforces TCEQ outdoor burning rules and the county Fire Code, with Commissioners Court burn bans triggered during drought conditions.

Fireworks are allowed in unincorporated Fort Bend County with strict distance limits, and aerial fireworks may be banned during drought conditions by Commissioners Court.

New outdoor luminaires over 1800 lumens in unincorporated Fort Bend County must be fully or partially shielded by lamp type and aimed so no light escapes above the horizontal plane…

New outdoor luminaires over 1800 lumens in unincorporated Fort Bend County must be shielded by lamp type, and streetlights near the George Observatory must emit zero uplight under the…

Fort Bend County has adopted nonconsent towing and storage regulations for abandoned and unauthorized vehicles in unincorporated areas, with disposition procedures consistent with…

Fort Bend County does not regulate fence heights in unincorporated areas. The county has not adopted zoning ordinances and does not issue Certificates of Occupancy. Cities (Sugar Land…

A county Fire Marshal construction permit is required before building or substantially improving public buildings, commercial establishments, or multi-family housing with four or more…