100 local rules on file · Pop. 7,498 · El Paso County
Showing ordinances that apply to Fabens, TX
Fabens is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 7,498 in El Paso County, Texas. Because Fabens is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, El Paso County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in El Paso County may have different rules.
El Paso County has no county-wide noise ordinance and no legal quiet hours for its unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack the police power to adopt one, so nighttime noise outside city limits is governed only by the state disorderly-conduct statute, enforced by the Sheriff.
El Paso County has no local vehicle-noise ordinance, but state law fills the gap. Loud exhaust and mufflers are regulated statewide by the Texas Transportation Code, enforced by the Sheriff and DPS, while booming car stereos fall under the state unreasonable-noise statute.
El Paso County sets no construction start or stop times for its unincorporated areas because Texas counties cannot adopt noise ordinances. Early or late construction outside city limits is limited only by the state 'unreasonable noise' statute, not by fixed hours.
El Paso County has no outdoor-music or special-event noise ordinance for unincorporated areas and cannot adopt one. Backyard bands, outdoor venues, and events outside city limits answer only to the state unreasonable-noise statute enforced by the Sheriff.
El Paso County has no barking-dog noise ordinance for unincorporated areas, since Texas counties cannot adopt noise rules. A chronically barking dog outside city limits is addressed only through the state unreasonable-noise statute or civil nuisance action, both requiring a willing complaining witness.
El Paso County sets no decibel limits for unincorporated areas because Texas counties cannot adopt noise ordinances. The only numeric threshold that applies is the state statute's 85-decibel presumption of 'unreasonable' noise, and only after an officer has given warning.
El Paso County has no industrial-noise ordinance and no authority to enact one. Factories, plants, and commercial operations in unincorporated areas answer only to the state unreasonable-noise statute and to any state environmental permit; the county cannot set an industrial decibel cap.
El Paso County has no leaf-blower ordinance and no authority to enact one. Gas and electric blowers are unrestricted in unincorporated areas, limited only by the state unreasonable-noise statute. Any blower-specific limits exist solely within incorporated cities.
El Paso County cannot regulate aircraft noise. Overflights from El Paso International Airport and Fort Bliss / Biggs Army Airfield are governed exclusively by the FAA and the military, which preempt any local noise rule the county might otherwise consider.
El Paso County has no amplified-sound ordinance or permit for unincorporated areas because Texas counties cannot regulate noise. Loud amplified music outside city limits is addressed only by the state unreasonable-noise statute. Amplified-sound permits exist solely inside cities like El Paso.
El Paso County has no short-term-rental registry. Because Texas counties cannot zone unincorporated areas, there is no county STR registration. The only county filing an operator makes is the quarterly hotel occupancy tax report to the County Tax Office.
El Paso County levies a 2.5% hotel occupancy tax on short-term stays under 30 days, part of a combined 17.5% (city 9%, county 2.5%, state 6%). STRs are 'hotels' for this tax, and operators file quarterly reports with the County Tax Office.
El Paso County does not require a host to be present or on-site during short-term-rental stays. With no zoning authority in unincorporated areas, the county cannot mandate hosted rentals or a local contact; only cities may impose such rules within their limits.
El Paso County sets no short-term-rental occupancy limit; it has no zoning power in unincorporated areas. The operative ceiling is Tex. Prop. Code §92.010 (up to three adults per bedroom) plus building- and fire-code occupant loads.
El Paso County has no short-term-rental parking ordinance for unincorporated areas because it cannot zone them. Guests typically park on-site; only cities may set STR parking standards inside their limits, and county road right-of-way rules still apply.
El Paso County does not require short-term-rental operators to carry liability insurance. With no STR permit or zoning power in unincorporated areas, coverage is left to the operator and any platform-provided host protection such as Airbnb AirCover or VRBO liability coverage.
El Paso County issues no short-term-rental permit. Texas counties have no general zoning power in unincorporated areas, so STRs there operate without a county permit; only cities like El Paso, Socorro, and Horizon City may license rentals inside their limits.
El Paso County has no STR noise ordinance for unincorporated areas. Guest noise is governed by Texas's statewide unreasonable-noise law under Penal Code §42.01 (disorderly conduct), enforced by the sheriff; cities may add stricter noise limits within their limits.
El Paso County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals. Lacking zoning power in unincorporated areas, the county cannot bar non-owner-occupied or investor STRs; only cities may adopt owner-occupancy rules inside their limits.
El Paso County imposes no cap on the number of nights a short-term rental may operate. Lacking zoning authority in unincorporated areas, the county cannot limit annual rental nights; rentals may run year-round subject only to the hotel occupancy tax.
Fireworks are legal in unincorporated El Paso County, but the Commissioners Court may ban skyrockets-with-sticks and missiles-with-fins during drought. Cities of El Paso, Socorro, Horizon City and San Elizario ban fireworks entirely.
Recreational fire pits are allowed in unincorporated El Paso County under Texas outdoor-burning rules, but only when no county burn ban is in effect and when kept away from neighboring structures and dry desert brush.
Texas has no statewide defensible-space mandate, so brush clearance around unincorporated El Paso County homes is largely voluntary. In the desert grass-and-brush landscape near the Franklin Mountains, the Texas A&M Forest Service urges Firewise clearing anyway.
New homes in unincorporated El Paso County must have smoke alarms under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 766 and the adopted International Fire and Residential Codes enforced by the county Emergency Services District fire marshals.
Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated El Paso County is regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas under statewide LP-Gas Safety Rules, which adopt NFPA 58. County ESD fire marshals also enforce fire-code tank and clearance requirements.
El Paso County sits in the arid Chihuahuan Desert beside the Franklin Mountains, where fine desert grasses and brush create genuine wildfire risk. Texas has no mandatory wildfire-zone building rules, but drought burn bans and Firewise guidance apply.
Texas broadly prohibits outdoor burning statewide, with limited exceptions. In unincorporated El Paso County the Commissioners Court can add a drought burn ban, and the arid Chihuahuan Desert climate keeps fire danger high most of the year.
Small backyard recreational and cooking fires are permitted in unincorporated El Paso County under TCEQ rules, but never during a county burn ban and never for burning household trash near neighbors.
El Paso County does not regulate overnight parking on public streets, but its Commissioners Court order prohibits parking or remaining on County-owned property after regular business hours unless specifically authorized, and violators may be towed and charged with criminal trespass.
El Paso County has no ordinance regulating where residents park an RV, boat, or trailer on a public street, but its Commissioners Court order bans parking, camping, or squatting with recreational vehicles on County-owned property after regular business hours without written authorization.
El Paso County has no ordinance restricting oversized-vehicle parking in unincorporated areas. Size and weight limits and where large vehicles may stop come from the Texas Transportation Code; within cities, local codes may add restrictions.
El Paso County does not and cannot regulate general on-street parking in its unincorporated areas; those rules come from the Texas Transportation Code, and inside city limits from the local municipal code. Only the state stopping-and-standing rules apply on county roads.
El Paso County has no ordinance governing electric-vehicle charging stations or EV-only parking spaces in unincorporated areas. EV charging access is shaped by state law and, within cities, by municipal codes and building requirements.
El Paso County has no ordinance restricting commercial-vehicle or truck parking in its unincorporated areas. Where commercial vehicles may stop, stand, or park is governed by the Texas Transportation Code, and inside city limits by that municipality's parking ordinance.
In unincorporated El Paso County, abandoned motor vehicles are handled under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683, which lets the Sheriff take custody of a vehicle left unattended on public property or a highway right-of-way for more than 48 hours and sell it after notice.
El Paso County has no curb-painting ordinance and does not use colored curb markings to regulate parking in unincorporated areas. Curb-color parking systems are a city function; on county roads only the state stopping/standing rules apply.
El Paso County does not regulate parking on private driveways or front yards in its unincorporated areas. There is no county rule requiring paved driveways or prohibiting yard parking; access-point permits on county roads are the only related county requirement.
El Paso County does not designate or enforce loading zones on public streets in unincorporated areas. Loading and unloading on the road is governed by the Texas Transportation Code; formal loading zones exist only within incorporated cities under their codes.
El Paso County issues no zoning-based fence permit in unincorporated areas because Texas counties cannot zone. A separate permit may apply inside city limits or where a fence sits in a platted easement or road right-of-way.
Texas counties have no zoning authority, so El Paso County approves no specific fence materials in unincorporated areas. Any approved-materials list comes from a city code or your subdivision's recorded covenants.
El Paso County has no zoning power, so it sets no retaining-wall height or setback rule in unincorporated areas. Drainage and floodplain review by Public Works, plus any deed restrictions, may still apply to your project.
Texas counties have no zoning authority, so El Paso County sets no fence-height rules in unincorporated areas. Check your city if you are inside El Paso, Socorro, Horizon City, or another municipality's limits.
Texas counties have no zoning authority, so El Paso County sets no boundary-fence ordinance in unincorporated areas. Shared-fence disputes fall under Texas common law and any recorded deed restrictions on your lot.
Texas counties cannot zone, so El Paso County imposes no design, setback, or construction requirements on fences in unincorporated areas. City codes and recorded deed restrictions supply the only enforceable standards.
El Paso County has no zoning power, so it restricts no fence materials in unincorporated areas. Any limits on barbed wire, chain link, or wood come from a city code or recorded deed restrictions, not the county.
El Paso County cannot enforce breed-specific dog bans. Texas law prohibits local governments from adopting dangerous-dog rules aimed at one or several breeds, so regulation focuses on individual dog behavior, not breed.
In unincorporated El Paso County, dogs must be restrained under Texas rabies-control law. County Animal Welfare officers may impound unrestrained or roaming dogs; owners retrieve impounded animals after paying fees and proving rabies vaccination.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no countywide beekeeping ban. Backyard hives are generally allowed and beekeepers register with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service, subject to state nuisance and health law rather than a county permit.
Unincorporated El Paso County sets no fixed numeric limit on dogs or cats per household. The county regulates by welfare and nuisance standards, requiring rabies vaccination and humane care rather than a hard pet count.
El Paso County has no verified countywide ban on feeding wildlife, but feeding that attracts nuisance or dangerous animals can trigger public-health and nuisance enforcement. Native wildlife is managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no countywide poultry ban, so backyard chickens and small livestock are generally allowed subject to Texas nuisance and health rules. Larger livestock at large is governed by state stock-law provisions.
Cats in unincorporated El Paso County must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age under Texas law. Unrestrained or stray cats may be impounded by the county animal authority under the rabies-control order.
Owning dangerous wild animals such as big cats, bears and certain primates in unincorporated El Paso County requires a registration certificate under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 822, Subchapter E, enforced by the county animal control authority.
Animal hoarding in unincorporated El Paso County is addressed through Texas cruelty law. County Animal Welfare officers investigate neglect and improper housing, and courts can seize animals from owners who fail to provide humane care.
Livestock keeping is broadly allowed on rural El Paso County land, but owners must not let animals run at large where a stock law has closed the range. Estrays may be impounded under the Texas Agriculture Code.
El Paso County has no county weed ordinance, but Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 343 lets it abate high weeds and rubbish as a public nuisance in unincorporated areas near other homes, after written notice, with abatement costs charged to the owner.
El Paso County has no tree-removal ordinance or heritage-tree protection for unincorporated private property. Texas counties cannot zone, so no county permit is needed to remove your own trees. Utility easement and road right-of-way limits still apply.
Backyard composting is allowed in El Paso County, which sets no county composting ordinance. Texas Property Code Section 202.007 bars a homeowners association from prohibiting solid-waste composting of grass, leaves, or brush.
El Paso County sits in the arid Chihuahuan Desert. The county itself sets no watering rules; conservation comes from El Paso Water inside the city and from irrigation districts, wells, and TCEQ drought plans in unincorporated areas dependent on Rio Grande allocation.
Native and drought-tolerant desert landscaping is fully allowed in El Paso County, which sets no plant-type rules. Texas Property Code Section 202.007 stops a homeowners association from prohibiting drought-resistant landscaping in this arid Chihuahuan Desert region.
El Paso County has no lawn-height ordinance. Under Texas law counties cannot zone or set a grass-height number in unincorporated areas. Overgrown vegetation is instead handled as a public nuisance under Health and Safety Code Chapter 343.
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged across arid El Paso County. The county sets no restrictions, and Texas Property Code Section 202.007 bars a homeowners association from prohibiting rain barrels or a rainwater harvesting system.
El Paso County has no ordinance regulating artificial or synthetic turf on private property, and it cannot zone unincorporated land. Any real limits come from private HOA covenants, not the county, in this water-scarce desert region.
El Paso County has no tree-trimming ordinance for private property in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack zoning and tree-protection authority, so pruning your own trees needs no county permit. State right-of-way and utility rules still apply.
Texas has no statewide residential pool-fence law, and counties cannot code-enforce ordinary homes. El Paso County is an exception: it adopted the International Residential Code for unincorporated areas under Local Government Code 233, Subchapter F, so the IRC pool-barrier standard applies to new residential pools it inspects.
Texas does not regulate private residential hot tubs by statute, and counties generally cannot regulate them. In unincorporated El Paso County a permanently installed spa built with a dwelling is inspected under the International Residential Code adopted through Local Government Code 233, Subchapter F. Public and semi-public spas are regulated
Unlike most Texas counties, El Paso County runs a residential building inspection program in unincorporated areas under Local Government Code Chapter 233, Subchapter F, effective January 1, 2013. Construction must follow the International Residential Code as adopted by the City of El Paso, and a pool is part of that
Public and semi-public pools and spas in El Paso County must meet Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 341 and DSHS rules in 25 TAC Chapter 265, Subchapter L. Private single-family pools are not state-regulated for safety; unincorporated areas apply the County's adopted IRC, and Chapter 757 covers rental and
Texas has no statewide rule aimed at private above-ground pools, and counties generally cannot regulate them. In unincorporated El Paso County, an above-ground pool built as part of residential construction falls under the International Residential Code adopted through Local Government Code 233, Subchapter F. Inside a city, that city's IRC
Because Texas counties cannot zone, El Paso County has no home-business sign ordinance for unincorporated areas - no size cap, illumination rule, or sign permit for a home-occupation sign. State law limits off-premise highway advertising, and private deed restrictions may restrict signs. Inside a city, that city's sign ordinance governs.
Texas cottage food producers work under Health & Safety Code Chapter 437 - no permit or inspection is required to sell non-hazardous homemade food, and the annual gross income cap is now $150,000 (inflation-indexed) under SB 541, effective September 1, 2025. Local governments, including El Paso County, cannot require a
El Paso County does not issue home occupation permits because Texas counties have no general zoning authority. No county application, neighbor notice, or approval is required to work from home in the unincorporated area. State occupational licensing and deed restrictions apply. Inside a city, that city's permit rules govern.
Home child care in Texas is licensed by the state (HHSC Child Care Regulation) under Human Resources Code Chapter 42, not by counties. El Paso County does not zone or permit home daycare in the unincorporated area. Section 42.041(a) bars operating a child-care facility without a state license; Section 42.002
Texas counties have no general zoning authority, so El Paso County does not zone home businesses in unincorporated areas. There is no county home-occupation category, size limit, or use permit. A home business is unrestricted by county zoning, though state occupational licensing and deed restrictions apply. Inside a city, that
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no garage-conversion ordinance and issues no building permit or certificate of occupancy for interior work. But converting a garage into living space that adds bedrooms increases septic load, so an OSSF (septic) permit review still applies.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no ADU or second-dwelling zoning ordinance. What actually applies to a new accessory dwelling is a septic (OSSF) permit, a floodplain development permit, and subdivision platting through the county Planning and Development Department.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no shed size, height, or setback ordinance, and the county issues no building permit. A plain storage shed needs no county permit, but a mapped flood zone still requires a floodplain development permit before construction.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no carport ordinance and no setback or height limits like a city would set. The county issues no building permit, but a floodplain development permit is required if the carport sits in a mapped flood zone.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no minimum-dwelling-size or tiny-home ordinance. Placing a tiny home instead triggers a septic (OSSF) permit, approved grading and drainage plans, a floodplain permit in flood zones, and subdivision platting under Local Government Code Chapter 232.
Wood and charcoal smokers are allowed for noncommercial cooking in unincorporated El Paso County under the TCEQ cooking-fire exemption, subject to any active drought burn ban and safe placement away from dry desert vegetation.
Backyard propane and charcoal grilling is allowed in unincorporated El Paso County. Cooking fires are exempt from the outdoor-burning ban, but a Commissioners Court burn ban can still restrict open-flame use during severe drought.
Texas counties cannot zone, so El Paso County sets no general building-setback rule in unincorporated areas. The Commissioners Court may, however, adopt road setback lines under Local Government Code Chapter 233.
El Paso County has no zoning authority, so it sets no building or structure height limit in unincorporated areas. Height caps apply only inside a city or under recorded deed restrictions.
Texas counties cannot zone, so El Paso County sets no lot-coverage or impervious-surface limit in unincorporated areas. Coverage caps come only from a city code or recorded deed restrictions on your lot.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no ordinance dictating trash-can type, storage, or screening. Cart rules come from the private subscription hauler. The county only intervenes when stored refuse becomes a Chapter 343 public nuisance.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no numeric grass-height ordinance. State law (Tex. HSC Sec. 343.011) makes weeds a public nuisance only when they grow within 300 feet of another residence or commercial establishment, and the county abates on that basis.
Vacant lots in unincorporated El Paso County are regulated only through the Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 public-nuisance process. Overgrown weeds within 300 feet of a residence or accumulated rubbish can be ordered abated by the county.
Unincorporated El Paso County does not require a permit or license for residential garage or yard sales, because Texas counties lack the ordinance power that lets cities regulate them. Only nuisance and dumping laws apply to leftover items.
In unincorporated El Paso County there is no municipal property-maintenance code. Blight (accumulated rubbish, unsanitary premises, dilapidated structures) is abated by the county under the Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 public-nuisance process.
Unincorporated El Paso County provides no universal curbside trash service. Residents subscribe privately (e.g. El Paso Disposal) or self-haul to the county landfill. The county runs free community cleanup events but no mandatory collection program.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no mandatory recycling ordinance. Recycling is voluntary through free county Community Cleanup events and private drop-off options. Texas has no statewide residential recycling mandate, and HB 2127 limits local mandates.
Illegal dumping in unincorporated El Paso County is a state offense under Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 365.012, graded from Class C misdemeanor to state jail felony by weight and volume. The county runs a dumping hotline and Environmental Crimes enforcement.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no ordinance on where or when to place trash carts, since collection is by private subscription. Set-out rules come from the hauler; the county only acts if refuse becomes a public nuisance.
Unincorporated El Paso County has no scheduled bulk pickup. Residents self-haul large items to the Clint landfill or use the county's free Community Cleanup events, which accept bulk trash, tires, and e-waste. Dumping bulk items is a state offense.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no political-sign ordinance regulating signs on private property. Election signs on private land are broadly protected speech, and state law restricts signs in the road right-of-way.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no garage-sale-sign ordinance. Signs may be posted on private property with the owner's permission, but signs in a county or state road right-of-way may be removed by the road authority under state law.
Texas counties cannot zone, and the state outdoor-lighting authority for counties near observatories or military bases does not reach El Paso County, so the unincorporated county has no dark-sky order. Lighting on private property is largely unregulated outside city limits.
Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated El Paso County has no light-trespass ordinance. Light spilling onto a neighbor's property is not handled by a county lighting code; the usual remedy is a private nuisance claim under Texas common law, or a city ordinance inside city limits.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by El Paso County ordinances.