5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Hidalgo County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Hidalgo County has no zoning authority, so home businesses in unincorporated areas are not restricted by county land-use rules. Texas counties generally cannot zone; only cities can impose home-occupation zoning inside their limits.
Hidalgo County has no zoning or sign ordinance for residential property, so home businesses in unincorporated areas face no county limit on signs. Sign rules apply only inside city limits or, for highway signs, under TxDOT state law.
Cottage food producers in Hidalgo County follow the Texas Cottage Food Law, not a county ordinance. No permit or inspection is required, and annual gross food income is capped at $50,000 under Texas Health & Safety Code §437.001.
Tex. Health & Safety Code §437.001
"Cottage food production operation" means an individual, operating out of the individual's home, who: ... has an annual gross income of $50,000 or less from the sale of food described by Paragraph (A); ... sells the foods produced under Paragraph (A) only directly to consumers.
Home daycares in Hidalgo County are licensed by the state, not the county — Texas counties cannot zone. Texas Human Resources Code §42.041 bars operating a child-care facility without a license from Texas Health and Human Services.
Tex. Human Resources Code §42.041(a)
No person may operate a child-care facility or child-placing agency without a license issued by the department.
Hidalgo County issues no home-occupation permit because it has no zoning authority over unincorporated areas. Home businesses need no county land-use approval, though state trade and professional licensing still applies.
1 cities in Hidalgo County have their own home business rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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