Lubbock County, TX Ordinances (2026)

Lubbock County has no outdoor-music ordinance. The City of Lubbock bars operating radios, musical instruments, phonographs, and similar devices, in vehicles or on any property, in a way that unreasonably disturbs neighbors. Loud outdoor music can also be state disorderly conduct.

No Lubbock County ordinance restricts leaf blowers. In the City of Lubbock, outdoor power equipment, including leaf blowers, cannot run in residential zones between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or whenever it unreasonably disturbs neighbors.

Neither Lubbock County nor the City of Lubbock regulates aircraft noise. Aircraft operations and noise are governed exclusively by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal law, which preempts local ordinances. Complaints go to the FAA or Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.

Lubbock County cannot zone, so it sets no industrial-noise limit and no numeric standard for factories or commercial operations in unincorporated areas. The City of Lubbock applies a general nuisance standard to any noise source that unreasonably disturbs neighbors.

Texas counties cannot zone, so Lubbock County has no county quiet-hours ordinance. Inside the City of Lubbock, mechanical and electronic devices in residential areas are restricted between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Unincorporated residents rely on the state disorderly-conduct law for late-night noise.

Lubbock County cannot regulate construction hours in unincorporated areas. The City of Lubbock prohibits operating commercial construction, repair, alteration, or demolition equipment between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or whenever it unreasonably disturbs neighbors.

Lubbock County has no amplified-sound ordinance. The City of Lubbock bars loudspeakers or sound-amplifying equipment on public or private property for advertising, speeches, or music when they unreasonably disturb neighbors. A city permit of variance can authorize amplified events.

Lubbock County has no barking-dog noise ordinance for unincorporated areas. The City of Lubbock bans keeping any animal that, by frequent or habitual noisemaking, unreasonably disturbs neighbors. Unincorporated complaints fall under state disorderly-conduct and nuisance law.

Lubbock County sets no vehicle-noise ordinance. The City of Lubbock requires every motor vehicle to keep a working muffler, tailpipe, and resonator, with no cut-out or bypass, and bans tire-squealing. Statewide, loud vehicles can also be disorderly conduct.

Neither Lubbock County nor the City of Lubbock sets a general daytime decibel cap. Statewide, Texas presumes noise unreasonable above 85 decibels after notice. The city caps public-entertainment venues at 100 dBA unless a hearing-warning sign is posted.

The City of Lubbock STR ordinance sets no special parking requirement; standard residential zoning and street-parking rules apply. Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone, so it imposes no STR parking rule. Guests park under the city's ordinary residential parking code.

City of Lubbock STR owners must register through the city's third-party site, Deckard Technologies, and renew each calendar year. Registration carries a $100 annual fee, currently waived through January 30, 2026. Unincorporated Lubbock County has no formal STR registration process.

Neither the City of Lubbock STR ordinance nor Lubbock County sets a specific guest-occupancy cap for short-term rentals. General residential building and life-safety code occupancy applies. Texas counties cannot zone, so no county occupancy limit exists in unincorporated areas.

STR hosts owe the City of Lubbock a 7% local hotel occupancy tax each month, on top of the state's 6% hotel tax. Lubbock County also collects its own HOT. Stays of 30-plus consecutive days are exempt as permanent-resident (long-term) rentals.

To run a short-term rental (any stay under 30 days) in the City of Lubbock you must obtain an annual operating license, and the property must sit in a residential zoning district. Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Lubbock County issues no STR permit.

The City of Lubbock runs a 24/7 STR complaint hotline (806-955-6144) for noise and other issues. STRs must obey the city's general noise ordinance. Unincorporated Lubbock County has no noise ordinance; Texas Penal Code 42.01 disorderly-conduct noise applies.

The City of Lubbock does not require an STR to be the owner's primary residence; it only requires the unit be in a residential zoning district and registered. Non-owner-occupied (whole-home) STRs are permitted. Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone.

Neither the City of Lubbock STR ordinance nor Lubbock County requires hosts to carry specific short-term-rental liability insurance. Coverage is left to the owner and any platform. Texas counties cannot zone, so no county insurance rule applies in unincorporated areas.

The City of Lubbock does not require an STR host to be on-site, but every STR must name a contact person (owner, operator or agent) with a 24-hour telephone number who can respond to complaints. Unincorporated Lubbock County sets no host-presence rule.

The City of Lubbock places no cap on the number of nights per year an STR may rent. The only threshold is per stay: a rental is short-term if under 30 consecutive days; 30-plus days is a long-term rental needing no registration or tax.

Texas counties cannot impose fuel-modification or defensible-space zoning. In unincorporated Lubbock County, overgrown weeds and accumulated brush are addressed only as a public nuisance under Health & Safety Code 343.011 when weeds grow within 300 feet of another residence or business. Cities like Lubbock enforce their own weed-abatement rules.

Statewide TCEQ rules generally prohibit outdoor burning, with narrow exceptions for residential yard waste in areas without trash pickup. Unincorporated Lubbock County allows limited brush/leaf burning when no burn ban is in effect; residents should notify the Sheriff's dispatch first. The City of Lubbock bans open burning citywide.

Consumer '1.4G' fireworks are legal to buy and use in unincorporated Lubbock County. Texas counties cannot ban them outright; the commissioners court may only restrict aerial and 'stick-type' fireworks during a declared drought. The City of Lubbock bans all fireworks year-round citywide.

Texas has no mandatory statewide wildfire-hazard zoning, and Lubbock County cannot adopt wildland-urban-interface codes for unincorporated land. Wildfire risk on the semi-arid South Plains is managed through voluntary Firewise programs and Texas A&M Forest Service risk mapping, plus commissioners-court burn bans during dry, high-danger periods.

Lubbock County has no zoning, so it sets no fire-pit rule for unincorporated areas; only TCEQ outdoor-burning limits and any active burn ban apply. Inside the City of Lubbock, the adopted 2021 International Fire Code requires recreational fires stay at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material.

Small recreational and cooking fires are allowed statewide as a TCEQ exception to the burning prohibition. Unincorporated Lubbock County permits attended backyard fires when no burn ban is active. In the City of Lubbock, the adopted fire code allows portable outdoor fireplaces but requires them 15 feet from structures.

Lubbock County cannot adopt a building code for unincorporated areas, so smoke-alarm requirements come from state law and city codes. Texas Property Code 92.251-92.260 requires landlords to install and maintain smoke alarms in rental units. The City of Lubbock enforces the International Residential/Fire Code for new construction.

Lubbock County has no propane-storage zoning. LP-gas storage and installation are regulated statewide by the Texas Railroad Commission under NFPA 58, which sets tank setbacks from buildings and property lines. Inside the City of Lubbock, the adopted International Fire Code also applies. Only licensed dealers may install larger tanks.

Propane and charcoal grilling is allowed for home cooking countywide, and TCEQ exempts noncommercial cooking fires from the burning ban. Lubbock County sets no grill rule. In the City of Lubbock, the adopted fire code bars open-flame cooking on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, exempting single-

Wood, pellet, charcoal, and propane smokers are allowed for home cooking throughout Lubbock County. TCEQ classifies noncommercial food preparation as a cooking exception, not open burning, so no burn permit is needed. Smokers must burn clean cooking fuel only and may not create a smoke nuisance; propane models follow NFPA

Neither Lubbock County nor Texas sets a blanket overnight parking ban. The county cannot zone, and the City of Lubbock has no general overnight prohibition, though a vehicle left too long can be treated as abandoned or a junked vehicle.

Lubbock County cannot zone commercial-vehicle parking. In the City of Lubbock, sec. 20.04.017 bars parking a truck, bus or heavy vehicle over 1-1/2 tons or 18 feet on a collector street or within 250 feet of any single-family residence.

The county cannot regulate oversized-vehicle parking. In the City of Lubbock, no part of a recreational vehicle, recreational equipment or trailer, regardless of size, may extend over the property line or into the sidewalk area.

Colored-curb markings (red, yellow, etc.) are a municipal traffic-control device; Lubbock County paints none. Only the City of Lubbock and other incorporated towns designate and enforce painted-curb parking restrictions on their own streets.

Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Lubbock County sets no RV or boat parking rule. Inside the City of Lubbock, RVs, trailers and recreational equipment may not sit in the right-of-way or parkway and must stay out of the setback.

Lubbock County has no county road-parking ordinance for city streets. Within the City of Lubbock, vehicles parked illegally on a street, alley, hydrant, crosswalk or loading zone, or abandoned, may be removed and impounded by the police.

This is a real county power. Under Texas Transportation Code Ch. 683, a junked vehicle is a public nuisance, and Lubbock County may adopt procedures to abate and remove junked or abandoned vehicles from private or public property in unincorporated areas.

Lubbock County has no ordinance on electric-vehicle charging or EV parking; a Texas county cannot zone or set building standards. EV charger installation is governed by the state electrical code and, inside cities, by municipal building and electrical permits.

Lubbock County cannot set driveway standards, so unincorporated areas have no rule. In the City of Lubbock, vehicles within the front setback of a lot on a paved street may only be parked on driveways or on paved off-street parking areas.

Loading zones are a city traffic function; Lubbock County designates none. Within the City of Lubbock, a vehicle parked in a loading zone in violation of the parking chapter may be removed and impounded by the police.

Neither Lubbock County nor Texas law forces a neighbor to split a boundary fence's cost; that is a private civil matter. The City of Lubbock regulates the corner visibility triangle, where shrubs and fences may not exceed 3 feet.

Lubbock County sets no retaining-wall zoning in unincorporated areas because it cannot zone. In the City of Lubbock a retaining wall up to 4 feet is exempt from a permit; a taller wall, or one holding a surcharge, needs a building permit.

Unincorporated Lubbock County lists no approved fence materials because it cannot zone. Inside the City of Lubbock, residential fences may be built of masonry, ornamental metal, cedar or whitewood, composite, vinyl or chainlink, among other listed materials.

Lubbock County cannot zone, so it sets no fence-height rule in unincorporated areas. Inside the City of Lubbock, a residential fence in the required front setback is capped at 48 inches; any other residential fence or wall may reach 10 feet.

Unincorporated Lubbock County issues no fence permit because it cannot zone. In the City of Lubbock a building permit is not required for a fence up to 7 feet high, but a fence over 7 feet does need one.

Lubbock County restricts no fence materials in unincorporated areas because it cannot zone. The City of Lubbock does: residential fences may not use barbed wire, razor wire, electrified components, embedded glass, plywood, fiberglass panels or secondhand materials.

Unincorporated Lubbock County has no fence code because it cannot zone. City requirements apply inside limits: the City of Lubbock requires wooden picket and metal-panel fences to use metal posts, brackets and caps, and limits split-rail fencing to lots of one acre or larger.

Unincorporated Lubbock County has no beekeeping ordinance, so hives are broadly allowed on rural land. The City of Lubbock permits hives only 30 feet from any property line, inside a fenced area, and with written permission from adjoining property owners.

Lubbock County cannot zone, but Texas restricts dangerous wild animals statewide, and the City of Lubbock bans keeping wild animals within city limits. Big cats, wolves, bears, primates, and other listed species are prohibited absent a special permit.

Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone, so livestock is broadly allowed on rural property, subject to Texas stock laws and nuisance rules. Inside the City of Lubbock, livestock may be kept only where the zoning ordinance permits it.

Texas law forbids breed-specific bans. Neither Lubbock County nor the City of Lubbock can outlaw pit bulls or any other breed. Dangerous-dog rules apply case-by-case based on a dog's behavior, not its breed.

Unincorporated Lubbock County has no zoning, so backyard chickens are broadly allowed on rural land. Inside the City of Lubbock, up to six hens are permitted in residential zones, roosters are banned, and coops need rear-yard placement and setbacks.

Lubbock County has no wildlife-feeding ordinance. The City of Lubbock prohibits intentionally feeding wildlife or stray animals when it creates a nuisance, though bird feeders and registered managed feral-cat colonies are allowed.

Lubbock County sets no pet-number limit for unincorporated homes. The City of Lubbock caps a residence at four adult dogs and four adult cats over sixteen weeks; keeping more requires a multipet permit valid up to two years.

A Texas county cannot pass a general leash ordinance for unincorporated areas. Inside the City of Lubbock, dogs must be restrained on a leash off the owner's premises; statewide, a dangerous dog must always be leashed or in a secure enclosure.

Lubbock County has no cat ordinance. In the City of Lubbock, cats over four months must be rabies-vaccinated and wear a registration tag; the four-cat residence limit and at-large rules apply, and managed feral colonies must be registered.

Texas has no standalone hoarding law, but state cruelty statutes reach it: failing to provide food, water, care, or shelter is a crime. The City of Lubbock's four-pet limit and multipet-permit review also curb hoarding.

Lubbock County cannot set building setbacks in unincorporated areas. Cities do. In the City of Lubbock's SF-2 district, a conventional single-family detached home needs a 20-foot front, 5-foot side and 15-foot rear setback.

Unincorporated Lubbock County sets no building-height limit because it cannot zone. Cities do: in the City of Lubbock's SF-2 single-family district, most single-family building types are capped at 35 feet.

Lubbock County sets no lot-coverage limit in unincorporated areas because it cannot zone. Cities do: in the City of Lubbock's SF-2 district, a conventional single-family detached home may cover up to 55 percent of the lot.

In unincorporated Lubbock County, tall weeds are a public nuisance under Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 343 when within 300 feet of a residence or business. Inside the City of Lubbock, the 8-inch weed ordinance applies instead.

Semi-arid Lubbock sits over the depleting Ogallala Aquifer, so the City of Lubbock enforces mandatory two-day-per-week lawn watering by address, with no watering allowed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April through September. The county sets no watering rule.

Lubbock County has no rule on artificial turf, and it cannot zone private yards. The City of Lubbock does not ban synthetic lawns; HOAs may set appearance standards but state water-conservation policy favors turf alternatives.

Lubbock County sets no landscaping-plant rules. Statewide, Texas Property Code Section 202.007 stops a homeowners association from banning drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, a strong protection in the semi-arid High Plains.

Lubbock County cannot zone, so it sets no grass-height rule in unincorporated areas beyond state nuisance law. Inside the City of Lubbock, grass and weeds may not exceed 8 inches; Slaton and Wolfforth set their own limits.

Lubbock County sets no tree-trimming ordinance for private yards; as a can't-zone county it only clears vegetation blocking county roads and sight lines. Inside a city, the municipality regulates limbs overhanging streets and sidewalks.

Unincorporated Lubbock County requires no permit to remove trees on private land, because Texas counties cannot zone. The City of Lubbock imposes no general tree-removal permit for private residential property either.

Rainwater harvesting is legal statewide in Texas, and Lubbock County adds no restriction. State law bars a homeowners association from prohibiting rain barrels or a rainwater harvesting system, subject to reasonable appearance rules.

Composting is unrestricted in Lubbock County, which cannot zone private yards. Texas Property Code Section 202.007 bars a homeowners association from prohibiting composting of vegetation or leaving grass clippings on the lawn.

Unincorporated Lubbock County issues no tree-removal permits because Texas counties cannot zone. The City of Lubbock does not require a permit to remove trees on private residential property; rules focus on public and street trees.

In unincorporated Lubbock County the county cannot zone, but Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 treats accumulated rubbish and weeds within 300 feet of a residence or public street as an abatable public nuisance. Inside the City of Lubbock, the weed and rubbish code applies.

Lubbock County cannot set grass-height rules. In the City of Lubbock, uncultivated vegetation over eight inches high violates the nuisance weed ordinance, and owners must mow from the front curb to the middle of the alley within seven days of notice.

Lubbock County sets no garage-sale rules, and the City of Lubbock does not require a permit for a residential garage sale. Sale signs, however, may not be placed between the street and sidewalk or on utility poles, and belong on the sale property.

Lubbock County sets no container rules. In the City of Lubbock, regulation garbage containers must be durable metal or heavy plastic of 20 to 32 gallons, with two outside handles and a close-fitting lid; container plus contents may not exceed 80 pounds.

Texas counties cannot zone. Inside the City of Lubbock, code bars letting rubbish, brush or unsightly matter accumulate on any lot. In unincorporated Lubbock County, Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 lets the county abate public nuisances.

Lubbock County does not issue swimming-pool permits or zone pools in unincorporated areas. Inside a city you get a City of Lubbock building permit. State Health & Safety Code Ch. 757 sets enclosure rules for apartment and HOA pools statewide.

Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 757 requires apartment and HOA pool yards to be fully enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high. The City of Lubbock's adopted pool code sets a comparable 48-inch barrier for private pools; the county sets no fence rule.

State Health & Safety Code Ch. 757 requires every pool-yard gate to be self-closing and self-latching, open outward away from the pool, and be lockable, with the latch set high out of a child's reach. The City of Lubbock enforces comparable gate rules for private pools.

State law counts any permanent pool over 18 inches deep, including above-ground pools, as a pool that must be enclosed at apartment/HOA properties. The City of Lubbock applies its 48-inch barrier code to private above-ground pools; the county sets no rule.

State law treats a permanent hot tub or spa over 18 inches deep as a pool, so apartment/HOA spas need the same enclosure. Private spas in Lubbock follow the city's adopted pool/spa code, often satisfied by a listed lockable safety cover. The county sets no rule.

Unincorporated Lubbock County has no shed setback rule because Texas counties cannot zone. Inside the City of Lubbock, the Unified Development Code requires detached accessory structures like sheds to keep minimum five-foot interior side and rear setbacks and sit behind the home's front facade.

Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone, so it has no garage-conversion ordinance. Inside the City of Lubbock, converting a garage into living space is a building-permit matter and, if it creates a separate dwelling, triggers the Unified Development Code's accessory-dwelling and Specific Use Permit rules.

Texas counties have no general zoning power, so unincorporated Lubbock County sets no accessory-dwelling-unit rules. Inside the City of Lubbock, ADUs are regulated by the Unified Development Code (Chapter 39) and generally need a Specific Use Permit in single-family districts; septic areas add TX H&S Ch. 366 OSSF rules.

The county cannot zone carports. In the City of Lubbock, an accessory building or carport with vehicular access fronting an alley must be set back at least 20 feet from the alley right-of-way, and detached accessory structures keep five-foot side and rear setbacks.

Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone tiny homes. Inside the City of Lubbock, a tiny house on a permanent foundation is regulated as a dwelling under the Unified Development Code and building code; a tiny house on wheels is treated as an RV and generally cannot be a permanent residence.

Texas law lets residents sell certain non-hazardous homemade foods as a cottage food production operation, and bars any local government (including the county and City of Lubbock) from regulating that food production. Sales are capped at $50,000 gross annually with required labeling.

Texas counties have no zoning authority, so unincorporated Lubbock County cannot restrict a home business by zoning. Inside the City of Lubbock, home occupations are an accessory use allowed in residential zones under the city's Unified Development Code, subject to strict limits.

The City of Lubbock's home-occupation rules prohibit exterior signs, displays, or other outward evidence advertising a home business in residential zones. Unincorporated Lubbock County has no sign zoning, but rules on right-of-way obstructions still apply.

Texas requires a state license or registration to operate a child-care home, enforced by the Health and Human Services Commission, not Lubbock County. Small, informal, unpaid care of six or fewer unrelated children can be exempt. The county does not license or zone home daycares.

The City of Lubbock allows a customary home occupation in residential zones without a separate permit if it stays incidental to the home, uses no more than 25% of floor area, has no non-resident employees, and shows no external evidence. The county issues no home-business permit.

Lubbock County sets no bin-placement rules. In the City of Lubbock, containers are placed on or near the curbline in front of the property, or in the adjacent alley, in the manner and at the time prescribed by the Department of Sanitation.

The City of Lubbock does not run curbside bulky pickup. Trees and brush must be cut to lengths not over five feet, weigh no more than 80 pounds, and be stacked neatly in the alley; residents also haul bulky items and yard waste to Citizen Convenience Stations.

Lubbock County runs no curbside trash service. The City of Lubbock collects household garbage and makes it unlawful to place any garbage, brush or refuse on public or private property except as deposited under its solid-waste article. Unincorporated residents contract private haulers.

Neither Lubbock County nor the City of Lubbock mandates household recycling, and the city offers no curbside recycling. Recycling is voluntary through about ten drop-off sites and the Citizen Convenience Stations, where materials must be sorted by type.

In the City of Lubbock it is unlawful to discharge, dump or unload any garbage or refuse except at the designated city landfill. In unincorporated Lubbock County, Texas Health & Safety Code § 365.012 makes illegal dumping an offense ranging from a Class C misdemeanor to a state jail felony.

The City of Lubbock makes it unlawful to be in any public park between midnight and 5 a.m. Statewide, Texas HB 1819 (2023) repealed all juvenile curfews, so neither Lubbock County nor any city may adopt or enforce a curfew based on a person's age.

Texas Election Code Section 259.003 bars a city ordinance from prohibiting, permitting, restricting the size of, or charging extra to remove a political sign on private property with the owner's consent. The City of Lubbock allows political signs up to 36 square feet; the county cannot zone signs.

Lubbock County cannot zone signs. The City of Lubbock classifies garage-sale signs as incidental signs, which are allowed on private property and may carry any message. Signs may not be placed on public property or in the public right-of-way.

Neither Lubbock County nor the City of Lubbock has adopted an International Dark-Sky or full-cutoff lighting ordinance. The city instead requires certain lighting, such as billboard and community-garden lighting, to be shielded so it does not spill onto adjacent property. The county cannot zone lighting.

The county cannot zone lighting, and the City of Lubbock has no general residential light-trespass ordinance. The Unified Development Code does require certain uses, like billboards, to shield lighting so it produces no excessive light or glare on adjacent property. Nuisance glare can also fall under state disorderly-conduct law.