Dallas, TX

Dallas freight curb loading zones run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Sundays and meter holidays unless a sign says otherwise, while passenger loading zones apply around the clock…

Dallas Code Section 28-80 and 28-81 prohibit parking commercial vehicles over 1.5 tons rated capacity on residential block faces. Truck-tractors, semitrailers, buses, and trailers are…

Dallas creates preferential residential parking zones through the citywide Resident-Parking-Only Program, City Code Div. 5C (Secs. 28-121.12 to 28-121.18). Residents petition the…

Dallas zoning allows an electric vehicle charging station as an accessory use on any residential or nonresidential lot under Development Code Sec. 51A-4.217(1.1). Any share of a site's…

Dallas City Code Chapter 28 and Texas Transportation Code Section 544.011 give official painted curb markings the force of regulatory signs. Red curbs prohibit stopping; yellow…

Dallas regulates street parking through Chapter 28 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic). General restrictions include no parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, 20 feet of a crosswalk, or 30…

Dallas prohibits RV and boat storage in front yards. Vehicles must be behind the front building line on improved surfaces with current registration. HOAs often impose stricter…

Dallas City Code Chapter 28, Sec. 28-84 prohibits leaving an unattended vehicle on a public street, alley, or other public place for a continuous period longer than 24 hours. Sec…

Dallas treats a vehicle as abandoned under Dallas City Code Chapter 28 and Texas Transportation Code §683 when left on public right-of-way more than 48 hours (inoperable) or 7 days…

Dallas City Code Sec. 28-77 makes it an offense to reserve an on-street parking space for an adjoining property owner or that owner's customers. The ban covers physical objects placed…

Texas 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…

A Dallas home occupation is a business incidental to a residence and run by a resident, allowed as an accessory use in every zoning district except the P(A) district under Development…

Dallas caps a home-based business's foot and vehicle traffic under Development Code Sec. 51A-4.217(8). A home occupation can't involve more than 3 people on the premises at one time…

Dallas prohibits external signage for home occupations in residential districts. For occasional sales like garage sales, only one sign up to 2 square feet is permitted on the lot where…

Texas state law governing cottage food production operations (CFPOs) preempts local regulation. No city permits, fees, inspections, or licenses are required to sell cottage foods from…

Home daycare operations in Dallas must comply with both Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) licensing requirements and Dallas Development Code Chapter 51A use…

Dallas prohibits operating a car stereo or other sound equipment in a vehicle so loudly that the sound or vibration unreasonably disturbs another person's peace, quiet, or comfort. The…

Texas state law broadly preempts local regulation of small off-road engines, and Dallas has not adopted a gas-powered leaf blower ban. Operators must instead comply with Dallas Chapter…

Dallas Code Section 30-2 presumes playing radio, TV, or musical instruments at a volume that disturbs persons in nearby dwellings to be offensive. Entertainment districts like Deep…

Dallas Code Section 30-2 restricts construction near residential use to 7 AM-7 PM weekdays and 8 AM-7 PM on Saturdays and legal holidays. Construction outside these hours is…

Under Dallas Code Section 30-2, continuous barking, howling, or crowing by an animal for more than 15 minutes near a private residence is presumed offensive noise.

Dallas Chapter 30 of the Code of Ordinances prohibits loud and disturbing noises. Garbage collection is prohibited between 10 PM and 7 AM within 300 feet of residential use. The Deep…

Dallas City Code Chapter 30 prohibits loud and disturbing noises offensive to ordinary sensibilities. Section 30-1 makes it an offense to create any loud and disturbing noise or…

Dallas STR properties must provide one off-street parking space per bedroom. Guests may not park on unpaved surfaces or block sidewalks or public rights-of-way.

Dallas can revoke a short-term rental's registration if the property draws two or more citations for code, state, or federal violations in the preceding year, covering everything from…

Operating or advertising a short-term rental in Dallas without a registration issued under Chapter 42B is a criminal offense. Registration costs $248 a year, requires a passed property…

Dallas requires STR operators to collect and remit a 9% city Hotel Occupancy Tax on gross room receipts for rentals of 30 days or less, in addition to the 6% state HOT. Monthly…

Dallas Chapter 42B imposes platform-listing requirements: hosting platforms must display the city registration number on each Dallas listing, and operators must include the number in…

Dallas Chapter 42B does not create a separate extended home-share or unhosted long-stay tier. Stays under thirty consecutive days fall under the STR definition; longer stays convert to…

Texas Penal Code Sec. 42.01(a)(5) makes it disorderly conduct to make unreasonable noise in or near a private residence a person has no right to occupy, exactly the scenario when a…

Dallas City Code Chapter 42B, Sec. 42B-12 limits short-term rental occupancy to a maximum of three persons per bedroom with a total cap of 12 guests. The STR ordinance was adopted in…

Dallas County does not impose a maximum number of short-term rental nights per year in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack general authority to regulate STRs, and no…

Dallas City Code Section 7-4.4 requires all dogs and cats over six months old to be spayed or neutered. Owners wishing to keep intact animals must obtain an annual intact-animal permit…

Dallas does not have a specific beekeeping ordinance. Beekeeping is regulated primarily at the state level by the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS). General nuisance provisions…

Every dog and cat in Dallas must carry an implanted microchip under Dallas City Code Sec. 7-4.2(a); an owner whose pet lacks one commits a criminal offense enforced by Dallas Animal…

Texas law bars Dallas from banning or restricting dogs by breed: Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.047 lets the city add dangerous-dog rules only if they are not breed-specific and are…

Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 64 protect almost all wild birds in Dallas. Killing, capturing, possessing, or disturbing protected birds…

Dallas City Code Section 7-3.1 restricts retail pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs and cats. Stores may only offer animals sourced from animal shelters or nonprofit rescue…

Dallas Development Code Chapter 51A allows veterinary clinics in most commercial zoning districts by right, with specific use permits required in mixed-use and residential-adjacent…

Dallas Chapter 7 requires cats over four months old to be registered with Dallas Animal Services and vaccinated against rabies. Tags must be worn, and feral colony caretakers must…

Dallas allows chickens on residential property. Flocks of 5 or more require a $25 annual registration. Roosters are prohibited within city limits with limited exceptions. Enclosures…

Dallas Animal Services investigates animal hoarding under Chapter 7 cruelty provisions and Texas Penal Code 42.092. Officers may seize neglected animals, file misdemeanor or felony…

Texas Parks and Wildlife requires a Wildlife Rehabilitator Permit before anyone in Dallas may possess injured or orphaned wildlife. Residents finding wildlife should contact DFW…

Dallas 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.

Dallas City Code Chapter 7, Article VI, Sec. 7-6.1 prohibits the keeping of certain dangerous or exotic animals as pets. It is unlawful to sell, exchange, give away, or transfer a…

Texas 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…

Dallas does not have a specific shared-fence ordinance. Fence construction must comply with setback and height requirements in Section 51A-4.602. Texas is a 'fence-out' state, and…

Dallas Code Section 51A-4.602 regulates fence materials. Required screening fences must be brick, stone, concrete masonry, stucco, concrete, or wood. Hazardous materials like barbed…

Dallas Development Code Section 51A-4.602 limits residential fences to 4 feet in the front yard and 9 feet in the side and rear yards. Fences over 9 feet require a Special Exception…

Any retaining wall built on private property along a Dallas public right-of-way or easement must be reinforced concrete or another material the director of transportation and public…

Dallas requires property owners to keep trees and other vegetation trimmed back from the right-of-way: at least 15 feet of clearance over an alley or street and 8 feet over a sidewalk…

Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 342 gives Dallas the power to make property owners cut their weeds, and Sec. 342.008 lets the city skip advance notice entirely and mow weeds over 48…

Dallas bans lawn and landscape irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from April 1 through October 31 under City Code Section 49-21.1, and year-round restricts sprinkler and…

Texas state law explicitly encourages rainwater harvesting and prohibits local governments from banning the practice. Dallas residents using non-potable water (rainwater, well water…

Dallas encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping through its Save Dallas Water program and water conservation ordinance. The city's watering restrictions (no more than twice…

Dallas does not have a specific ordinance regulating or prohibiting artificial turf installation on residential properties. Water conservation policies encourage alternatives to…

Removing or seriously injuring a protected tree in Dallas requires either a building permit or an approved tree removal application posted at the property under Sec. 51A-10.132…

Dallas allows accessory dwelling units, garage apartments and similar rentable second units, only inside a neighborhood-petitioned ADU overlay under Sec. 51A-4.510. Detached units run…

A Dallas accessory dwelling unit that is rented out must be registered in the city's single family rental program, and Sec. 51A-4.510(c)(1)(B) bars ever selling the ADU separately from…

Inside a Dallas accessory dwelling unit overlay, the property owner must live on-site, in either the main house or the ADU, whenever one of the two units is rented out, per Sec…

Dallas caps backyard sheds and other accessory structures at the height of the main house and limits their floor area under Development Code Sec. 51A-4.209(b)(6)(E)(vii). One shed…

Texas has no tiny-home-specific statute. Any transportable, chassis-mounted dwelling that reaches 320 square feet is manufactured housing under Occupations Code Chapter 1201, built to…

Dallas requires a residential building permit for swimming pool construction. Separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits may also be required. Public and semi-public pools…

Dallas adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as Chapter 62 of the Dallas City Code with local amendments requiring pool barriers to be at least 6 feet tall…

Recreational fires in Dallas are allowed in approved fire pits and containers under the Dallas Fire Code. Fires must be supervised, at a safe distance from structures, and not produce…

Dallas does not have designated wildfire hazard zones. Unlike cities in western Texas or the Hill Country, Dallas is located in the Blackland Prairie ecosystem with relatively low…

Dallas adopts the 2021 International Residential Code and International Fire Code requiring smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home…

Burning combustible material outside a spark-containing enclosure is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Dallas County under Sec. 38-1, fined up to $1,000. On state ozone-alert days, Sec…

TX Local Government Code Section 352.051 allows county commissioners to restrict fireworks in unincorporated areas during drought or disaster. TX Occupations Code Chapter 2154 governs…

Selling, 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…

Dallas Code Sec. 20A-4.1 creates a voluntary program, not a mandate, tying city housing subsidies and financial awards to voucher acceptance. Projects that accept a council-approved…

Texas allows landlords to end fixed-term leases at expiration and to terminate month-to-month tenancies with at least 30 days' written notice for any lawful reason. Dallas has no…

Dallas does not have a comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance like Los Angeles or Seattle. Tenants rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and Dallas…

Dallas amended its Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Chapter 46 in 2020 to ban housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Dallas…

Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of…

Texas has no statewide tenant relocation assistance law, and Dallas has not adopted a formal relocation-payment ordinance. Tenants displaced by no-fault terminations or condemnation…

Dallas has NO local rent control ordinance and is preempted from passing one by Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902, which forbids municipal rent control unless the governor approves it…

Dallas City Code Chapter 27 requires registration of single-family rental properties through the Single Family Rental Registration program. Property owners who rent or lease…

Chapter 27 of the Dallas Code establishes minimum property standards requiring rental units to be safe, sanitary, and fit for human habitation. Requirements include working smoke…

Dallas County does not regulate cash-for-keys voluntary buyout agreements. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 governs landlord-tenant relations and allows landlords and tenants to…

No just-cause eviction protections. Texas is a landlord-friendly state with no county or state just-cause eviction requirements. TX Property Code Chapter 24 governs eviction…

Under 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)…

Under 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…

Under 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…

In 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…

Dallas lets developers build above the density permitted by right in SAH (Sustainable Affordable Housing) districts only if they provide affordable units or an in-lieu payment under…

Dallas does not use Q Conditions to attach site-specific zoning terms. Instead the city grants a Specific Use Permit (SUP) under Development Code Sec. 51A-4.219, requiring city council…

Dallas guides neighborhood growth through the forwardDallas Comprehensive Plan and over 1,100 Planned Development (PD) Districts under Chapter 51A. Each PD tailors uses, density…

Dallas City Code Sec. 28-63 makes it an offense to ride roller skates, a coaster, a toy vehicle, or any similar device on a city roadway, except while crossing at a marked crosswalk…

Dallas has no blanket loitering ban, but it is a crime to loiter in a public place manifesting an intent to sell drugs. City Code Section 31-30 lists known-dealer status, repeated…

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.005 requires pedestrians to yield right-of-way when crossing outside marked crosswalks, and Dallas police enforce jaywalking citations in…

Dallas City Code Section 31-21 and Texas Penal Code Section 42.01 (disorderly conduct) prohibit urinating or defecating in any public place. Violations are Class C misdemeanors…

Dallas City Code Chapter 41B prohibits smoking in restaurants, bars, public parks, libraries, and within fifteen feet of doorways, windows, or air intakes of enclosed public places…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 481 makes marijuana possession and use illegal statewide; Dallas voters passed Proposition R in 2024 limiting low-level enforcement, but the city…

Dallas City Code Chapter 31 prohibits aggressive solicitation involving threats, blocking, or repeated demands after refusal. Texas Penal Code Section 22.06 covers assault by threat…

Dallas City Code Chapters 30 (noise) and 31 (offenses) prohibit loud parties disturbing neighbors after 10 p.m. Texas HB 2840 (Local Government Code 250.008) authorizes Dallas to…

Dallas Code Chapter 31-3 and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code prohibit public alcohol consumption on streets, sidewalks, and parks; Deep Ellum and limited entertainment districts allow…

Dallas regulates parklet-style seating through the Street Seats Program under Chapter 42A, not a separate parklet law. A street seat can occupy no more than two parking spaces, must…

Dallas street fair-style vendor markets run as "neighborhood markets" under Chapter 42A: capped at 75 vendors per day (100 on two specialty days), a 10-by-15-foot stall limit, and a…

Running a sidewalk cafe on Dallas public right-of-way requires a license granted by city council ordinance under Chapter 43, Article VI. Applicants pay a nonrefundable $100 application…

Anyone marching or driving in a parade on a Dallas street needs a permit from the chief of police first. City Code Section 28-187 makes it an offense to hold a pedestrian or vehicular…

A neighborhood block party held on a single block with fewer than 200 expected attendees is exempt from the special event permit requirements of Dallas City Code Chapter 42A. Bigger or…

Dallas requires a special permit from the Park and Recreation Board before a group can hold an organized activity, camp overnight, or reserve a facility in a city park. Sec. 32-1 lets…

Dallas rideshare and TNC drivers can't stage or wait at the Love Field terminal curb. City Code Chapter 47A requires every operating authority to follow the airport's…

Dallas does not sort electric bicycles into Class 1, 2, or 3 riding zones. City Code Sec. 9-1 treats every electric bicycle, as defined by Texas Transportation Code Sec. 664.001, the…

Dallas cannot operate red-light cameras. Texas Transportation Code Section 707.020 bars any local authority, including the City of Dallas, from implementing or operating a photographic…

Dallas treats bicycles as vehicles under Chapter 28 traffic rules and is building out the 2011 Dallas Bike Plan with on-street, buffered, and protected lanes. Motor vehicles must yield…

Dallas suspended its dockless shared e-scooter program in September 2020 after sidewalk safety, clutter, and injury concerns. No vendor currently holds a city permit, making shared…

Texas lets golf carts onto public roads in four defined situations rather than by general permission: inside a platted master planned community, on a beach open to vehicular traffic…

Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts city minimum-wage ordinances. Dallas has never enacted a hotel-specific living wage, and HB 4 (2023) closes the door on industry wage floors…

Dallas City Code Chapter 44 imposes a 7% city Hotel Occupancy Tax on rooms costing $2 or more per night, stacked on top of the 6% Texas state HOT for a combined 13% room-tax burden…

Dallas Water Utilities offers a turf reduction rebate that pays single-family customers to replace thirsty St. Augustine and Bermuda turf with drought-tolerant landscaping, mulch, or…

Dallas operates a limited reclaimed-water system supplying treated effluent for golf course, park, and industrial irrigation. Purple-pipe service is not yet available citywide, and…

Dallas has no recreational cannabis dispensary buffer-zone rules because Texas does not allow recreational dispensaries. Compassionate Use Program (CUP) sites operate statewide with no…

Texas has no recreational or adult-use cannabis program, so no social-equity licensing exists in Dallas. The state's narrow Compassionate Use Program (CUP) licenses three dispensing…

Dallas Code Chapter 51A handles hemp and CBD retail under standard commercial zoning since Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 122 permits hemp-derived sales. Recreational cannabis…

Texas prohibits all personal cannabis cultivation. Growing even one plant violates Texas Health and Safety Code Section 481.120, treated as possession with intent to deliver based on…

Texas prohibits all recreational cannabis delivery. Compassionate Use Program low-THC products may be delivered to qualifying patients by the three licensed dispensing organizations…

Home cultivation of marijuana is illegal in Texas. Texas law prohibits growing cannabis at home, and cultivation is punished based on the aggregate weight of plants found, with…

Dallas Development Code Chapter 51A permits agricultural use as a primary use in A(A) Agricultural districts and allows community gardens and limited urban farms in many residential…

Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 251, the Right to Farm Act, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits when neighbors arrive after farming began. Dallas County…

The Texas Food Handler Education Act and Dallas Code Chapter 17 require food employees to complete a state-approved food handler course and at least one Certified Food Manager per…

Texas Property Code Chapter 92 requires landlords to maintain habitable rentals, and Dallas Code Chapter 27 Minimum Property Standards treats untreated bed bug infestations as a…

Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 728 governs disposal of used needles and sharps, and Dallas County Health and Human Services operates a SHARP collection program for residents…

Dallas operates a comprehensive mosquito abatement program through Code Compliance Services and enforces property standards related to pest control under Chapter 27 of the Dallas City…

Texas has no statewide vehicle idling rule, but Dallas County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth ozone nonattainment area where TCEQ Rule 30 TAC 114.512 limits heavy-duty diesel idling…

Dallas City Code Chapter 53 amends the International Energy Conservation Code to require cool roofing on most low-slope commercial roofs and to set higher reflectivity standards on…

Dallas bans discharging anything other than stormwater into its municipal storm drains, creeks, and other waters under City Code Sec. 19-118.2, part of the Article IX stormwater…

Dallas has no climate-emergency declaration ordinance. Instead, City Code Sec. 2-120 creates a 15-member Environmental Commission that advises on implementation of the Comprehensive…

Building in a Dallas floodplain requires a city-council-approved fill permit, and once approved the building pad must sit at least two feet and the lowest floor at least three feet…

Anyone who wants to fill, alter, or build on land in a Dallas FP-designated floodplain needs a fill permit or floodplain alteration permit from the director of water utilities before…

Every construction site in Dallas that disturbs soil has to install erosion and sediment control best management practices before work starts and keep them running until the site is…

Dallas regulates the shorelines of White Rock and Bachman Lakes under City Code Sec. 32-82, a local addition to the Texas Water Safety Act. It bans tampering with navigation markers…

Texas 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…

Dallas Chapter 17 adopts the International Fire Code with local amendments and the IRC R313 sprinkler provision. Most new commercial buildings require NFPA 13 sprinklers, while large…

Dallas requires every licensed boarding home facility to install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping rooms. Code Sec. 8A-29(i) ties the standard to Section 42.060 of…

Dallas controls bulky new construction next to single-family and duplex lots with a residential proximity slope rather than a mansionization ordinance by name. Sec. 51A-4.412 projects…

Dallas City Code Sec. 43-6 makes it unlawful to erect or use an unsafe or insecure scaffold anywhere in the city if it endangers workers on it or people passing underneath. Because the…

Dallas requires a permit from the city's building official before any plumbing work, because plumbing counts as building service equipment under Chapter 52 of the Dallas City Code…

Lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 is regulated by EPA's RRP Rule and Texas Environmental Lead Reduction Rules (TELRR). Contractors disturbing more than 6 sq ft of interior…

Dallas Green Building Ordinance amends Chapter 53 to require energy-efficient envelopes, reflective high-rise roofs and walls, permeable surfaces on certain projects, and SmartGrowth…

Dallas requires childcare centers to obtain a certificate of occupancy under Chapter 53, comply with Chapter 17 fire code, and hold a Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child…

Dallas' city charter gives the city power to prohibit anyone from erecting, constructing, or repairing any building or structure without first obtaining a permit from the city. The…

Tattoo and body piercing studios in Dallas must hold a Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) license under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 146 and follow Dallas City…

Fixing cars for pay out of a Dallas house is regulated twice over. Sec. 50-114 requires a motor vehicle repair license from the city director before anyone repairs vehicles for…

Massage therapists and establishments operating in Dallas must hold Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) credentials under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455 and comply…

Dallas regulates secondhand goods dealers through Chapter 41A licensing and reporting standards aligned with Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1956, requiring transaction records, holding…

Tow operators serving Dallas must hold Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation credentials under Occupations Code Chapter 2308 and comply with Dallas Chapter 18A permitting plus…

Dallas regulates sexually oriented businesses (SOBs) under City Code Chapter 41A, which requires annual licensing, criminal-history screening of operators, mandatory zoning buffers…

Pawnbrokers in Dallas operate under Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 and are licensed and supervised by the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, with Dallas Chapter 41 layering…

Dallas City Code § 51A-4.210 restricts where a paraphernalia shop selling smoking devices may operate. A shop may not be within 1,000 feet of a residential-district lot or a lot with a…

Dallas cannot ban flavored tobacco or flavored vape products. Texas House Bill 1771, signed in 2023, preempts cities and counties from regulating the sale, distribution, marketing, or…

Dallas enforces the federal Tobacco 21 minimum age and Texas SB 21 (2019), prohibiting all tobacco and vape sales to anyone under 21. Texas preempts local tobacco regulation, so Dallas…

Dallas closes every public park and park amenity from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. under Sec. 32-9.1, and being on park premises during closure hours is a criminal offense. Amenities with…

Texas HB 1819 (88th Legislature, 2023), codified at Local Government Code 370.008 (originally 370.007), prohibits all Texas municipalities and counties from adopting or enforcing…

Dallas requires a police-issued license for any amusement center where coin-operated amusement devices occupy 25% or more of the public floor area. Operating without one is an offense…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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 §…

Dallas caps window and glass-door signage at 15 percent of the window or door area under Development Code Sec. 51A-7.305(d), and it bans any sign placed in the upper two-thirds of a…

Dallas regulates political signs as temporary signs under Article VII of the Dallas Development Code. Residential properties may display non-illuminated temporary signs up to 36 square…

Texas Transportation Code Chapter 391 (Highway Beautification Act) requires TxDOT outdoor-advertising licenses and permits for any sign visible from an interstate or primary highway…

Dallas allows only 50 non-premise locations citywide to carry digital display technology, and a new digital face can only go up after an existing conventional billboard face is torn…

Dallas Development Code Chapter 51A, Article VII allows signs advertising occasional sales (garage sales) as an exception to the non-premise sign prohibition. One sign up to 2 square…

No county regulation on holiday displays. TX Property Code Section 202.011 limits HOA authority over religious displays (25 sq ft per door). First Amendment protects seasonal…

A delivery truck cannot idle more than five minutes within 300 feet of a home in Dallas. City Code Section 30-3.1 makes it an offense for the driver, and separately for the property…

Dallas City Code Sec. 5-34 bars aircraft engine starts and maintenance run-ups at Love Field and Dallas Executive Airport between midnight and 6 a.m., and confines all run-ups citywide…

Dallas bars and nightclubs cannot blast music loud enough to reach nearby homes. City Code Section 30-2(2) presumes it offensive, and therefore a criminal violation of Section 30-1…

No county generator noise ordinance. No time-of-use restrictions or decibel limits. TX Penal Code Section 42.01 applies to unreasonable noise. Generators unregulated at county level.

No county HVAC noise ordinance. Texas counties cannot enact noise regulations. Only TX Penal Code Section 42.01 applies if unreasonable. No setback or sound barrier requirements for…

Setting up a tent on Dallas city property is a criminal offense. Section 31-13.1 of the city code bars placing, erecting, or maintaining any temporary shelter on designated public land…

Dallas makes it a criminal offense to sleep or doze in a street, alley, park, or other public place, or in a vacant lot next to a public street or highway. City Code Sec. 31-13 has…

Dallas City Code Chapter 31 restricts sitting or lying on public sidewalks in central business district hours and near schools, but Martin v. Boise and the Grants Pass framework limit…

Dallas limits how bright an illuminated sign, including a billboard-style detached non-premise sign, may be and bans the flashing, dimming, or apparent-motion effects that used to make…

Dallas prohibits any use with a visible light source that produces glare or direct illumination crossing a property line at a level that creates a nuisance or detracts from a…

Dallas requires every outside light fixture in the city to pair its light source with a reflector so the beam stays controlled and is never aimed across a property line. Sec…

Dallas's sign code defines 'sign' to exclude temporary holiday decorations, so seasonal yard displays, inflatables, and lighted ornaments don't need a sign permit or have to meet the…

Any company that collects recyclable material from a Dallas apartment complex must hold a multifamily site recycling collection service permit issued by the director of sanitation…

Dallas does not let residents hire a private hauler: City Code Sec. 18-9(b)(3) requires that collection service for every residence, duplex, and manually-collected apartment or mobile…

Multifamily properties in Dallas that offer valet trash pickup cannot skip recycling: City Code Sec. 18-5.1(a)(3) requires the recycling service to be of a similar nature, meaning…

Dallas treats commercial dumpsters and roll-off boxes as franchised collection equipment: operating one without a solid waste collection franchise is an offense under Sec. 18-32, and…

Dumping solid waste anywhere in Dallas outside a location approved by the director of sanitation is an offense under City Code Section 18-10, carrying a fine of $200 to $2,000 per day…

Dallas City Code Chapter 18, Sec. 18-4 regulates residential solid waste collection. The city provides weekly curbside or alley pickup for single-family homes and duplexes. Standard…

Dallas provides brush and bulky item collection under City Code Chapter 18, Sec. 18-4. Items must not include building materials (bricks, rock, asphalt, concrete), glass panes, auto…

Dallas requires every residence and duplex to use a city-issued blue rollcart for recyclable materials, kept separate from trash, under City Code Sec. 18-3. Non-recyclables placed in…

Dallas bars putting a garbage or recycling cart at the curb before 6:00 p.m. the evening before collection, and requires it back out of sight by 8:00 a.m. the next morning, under City…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-10.101(64)(G) lists tree-of-heaven, or Ailanthus, as an unprotected tree species, meaning it falls entirely outside the permit and mitigation rules…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-10.103(e) bans invasive plants from any landscape required by the city's tree and landscape ordinance, and Sec. 51A-10.101(29) defines an invasive…

Dallas requires every property owner, tenant, or occupant to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk fronting their building within set hours under Sec. 43-96: three hours if it falls…

Dallas City Code Chapter 27 (Minimum Property Standards) addresses property blight and nuisance conditions. Sec. 27-11 establishes minimum standards and owner responsibilities for…

Dallas City Code Sec. 18-13 makes it an offense for an owner, occupant, or person in control of any occupied or unoccupied lot to let weeds or grass grow past 12 inches, or to leave…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-10.125 lets homeowners and shared-access developments count trees planted in the parkway, the strip of street right-of-way between the curb and the…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-10.101(48) protects any tree species with an eight-inch or greater trunk diameter that isn't on the code's unprotected list, plus any tree in a…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-10.133 lets an owner ask city council to designate a tree as historic; once approved by resolution, the tree keeps that status for life and can only be…

Texas has no statewide E-Verify mandate for private employers. Dallas has not adopted a city requirement either, so private employers may use E-Verify voluntarily. Only state agencies…

Texas SB 4 (2017) prohibits any county, city, or sheriff from adopting sanctuary policies or refusing ICE detainers. Dallas County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction and the Sheriff…

Dallas has no ordinance restricting expanded polystyrene foam cups, plates, or takeout containers. Texas state law preempts local container bans, so restaurants and retailers may…

Dallas does not regulate plastic straws or stirrers. Texas state law preempts city container regulations, and restaurants may distribute single-use plastic straws freely without…

The Texas Supreme Court ruling in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association (2018) invalidated municipal plastic-bag bans under Health and Safety Code section 361.0961. Dallas…

Owners of single-family and other non-owner-occupied rentals in Dallas must register each unit annually with Code Compliance before leasing. The 2025 fee is $74 per single dwelling…

Dallas rental property and condominium registrants must log every tenant complaint. Section 27-38 of the Minimum Property Standards ordinance requires registrants to keep, at one…

Dallas sets no decibel ceiling on data-center noise. Equipment like chillers, cooling towers, and standby generators is policed under Chapter 30's 'ordinary sensibilities' nuisance…

Dallas's Chapter 51A Development Code has no "data center" use category, so a server-farm developer must have the use classified under Section 51A-4.220 and sited through the matching…

Dallas splits mobile food unit vending into two zones. Inside the Central Business District, a truck needs a CBD concession license plus a state mobile food permit. Outside the CBD…

Selling goods or services on public or private property in downtown Dallas requires a Central Business District concession license from the city's Consumer Health Division, with a…

Dallas requires a Mobile Food Establishment permit from Dallas Code Compliance Consumer Health ($380–$675 annually). Per Dallas City Code §17-7, trucks must operate from a…

Inside a Dallas historic overlay district, no one may alter a site or a structure, including additions or expansions, without a certificate of appropriateness from the city under…

For historically significant buildings outside a historic overlay district, Dallas can impose a demolition delay overlay under Sec. 51A-4.504 that pauses a demolition permit for at…

Dallas designates historic and culturally significant places through a Historic Overlay District under Sec. 51A-4.501, requiring three or more of ten statutory characteristics before…

Texas does not have a California-style Mills Act property-tax contract program. Instead Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 authorizes cities and counties to grant partial property-tax…

A Dallas HOA cannot fine you out of the blue. Texas Property Code Chapter 209 forces the association to mail certified notice, grant a reasonable period to cure a curable violation…

HOAs in Dallas may enforce architectural standards through their declarations and CC&Rs, governed by the Texas Property Code. Under Section 209.00505, if a property owner's application…

HOAs in Dallas are governed by the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act (Property Code Chapter 209). Board meetings must be open to all association members (Section…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessment collection in Dallas. Before an HOA can file a lien for unpaid assessments, it must provide a written notice of delinquency with…

Texas law provides a formal alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process for HOA disputes in Dallas. Under Texas Property Code Section 209.0071, either a homeowner or the HOA may…

HOAs in Dallas enforce covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) under the authority of the Texas Property Code and their recorded declaration. Before taking enforcement action…

Property 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…

Texas 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…

A 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…

Texas 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…

Texas has no city business income tax, but Dallas businesses pay state franchise tax to the Texas Comptroller and various Dallas-specific levies through the Office of the City…

Dallas permits recreational drone flight under federal FAA rules with park restrictions. Pilots must register drones over 0.55 lbs ($5/3 years), pass TRUST, fly under 400 feet AGL…

Residential solar panel installations in Dallas require building and electrical permits through the Dallas Building Inspection division. Typical permits include an electrical permit…

Texas Property Code Sec. 202.010 prohibits HOAs from banning solar energy devices on residential properties. HOAs may regulate placement (roof-mounted must match roofline slope, cannot…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.217(b)(9) regulates garage sales as occasional sales, an accessory use in residential districts. The ordinance limits the frequency and duration of…

Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.407 sets a hard ceiling on how much of a lot a building can cover, layered on top of the front, side, and rear yard setbacks in the same chapter…

Dallas fixes minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks district by district in Development Code Secs. 51A-4.401 through 51A-4.403, with the exact footage for each zoning…

Dallas caps single family homes at 30 feet in most standard residential districts under Development Code Sec. 51A-4.112, with larger-lot estate districts allowed up to 36 feet. There…

Dallas City Code Chapter 42 requires anyone soliciting within city limits to register and obtain a solicitor's permit from the Dallas Police Department. The only exemptions are…

Dallas City Code Chapter 42, Sec. 42-14 protects residents who display 'No Solicitors or Handbills' signs. Any person desiring to prohibit home solicitations must exhibit a…

Placing a private encroachment in a Dallas public right-of-way, such as a utility line, awning, landscaping, or a historic building projection, requires a license granted by city…

When a Dallas sidewalk, driveway, or its appurtenance becomes defective, unsafe, or hazardous, Sec. 43-63 puts the repair duty and the cost on the abutting property owner, not the…

Blocking a Dallas sidewalk for construction requires a right-of-way permit, and any closure lasting more than a day must carry a sign with the contractor's name and a 24-hour emergency…

Dallas Code Compliance enforces Chapter 27 minimum property standards, the source of the maintenance violations cited most on residential and rental property: standing water, hazardous…

Dallas County residents can report a suspected public nuisance verbally or in writing to the Nuisance Abatement Division, or the county can catch it during a routine field inspection…

Dallas County must investigate a reported nuisance within seven days under Sec. 34-141(b). Once a violation is confirmed, the owner gets 30 days to abate it, and the county reinspects…

Texas is a one-party consent state. You may legally record a conversation if you are a party to it or have consent from one participant. Texas Penal Code §16.02 governs wiretapping…

Texas allows open carry of holstered handguns by adults 21 and older without a permit. House Bill 1927 (2021) ended the License to Carry requirement. Long guns may also be openly…

House Bill 1927 (2021) lets most Texans 21 and older carry a handgun concealed without a permit anywhere in Dallas County. The optional License to Carry through Texas DPS still…

Texas Penal Code section 46.02(a-1), the Motorist Protection Act expanded by HB 1927, lets any adult legally entitled to possess a firearm carry a handgun inside their motor vehicle or…

Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 broadly preempts municipal regulation of firearms, ammunition, knives, and related accessories. Cities cannot adopt or enforce ordinances…

Texas HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act effective September 2023, broadly preempts local labor regulation including paid sick leave. Dallas County cannot mandate paid leave…

Texas HB 2127 (2023) preempts local predictable scheduling laws. Dallas County has no scheduling ordinance and is barred from adopting one. Federal FLSA overtime is the only floor.

Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts any city or county from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour floor. Dallas County cannot enact a higher local wage.

Filming inside a Dallas County building requires written approval from the commissioners court, plus a copy of the film script submitted with the rental request. Productions pay a…

Dallas County's outdoor-burning ban under Sec. 38-1 expressly exempts charcoal grills, so grilling is allowed without the enclosure requirement that applies to open fires. The county…

The 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

No 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…

Texas 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…