Pop. 26,000 · Fort Bend County
Fulshear property owners must keep lots clear of high weeds, grass, and accumulated brush that constitute a public nuisance, or face abatement and lien costs.
Fulshear's burn ban ordinance automatically adopts Fort Bend County's outdoor burning prohibition inside city limits, with violations punishable by fines up to $2,000.
Fulshear bans the sale, possession, and discharge of fireworks anywhere inside the city limits, with citations and fines issued by Fulshear Police year-round.
Fort Bend County permits recreational and ceremonial fires in unincorporated areas only when wind, distance, and weather conditions protect neighboring structures and roads.
Fort Bend County adopts the International Fire Code with local amendments, requiring Fire Marshal permits for LPG and propane storage in unincorporated areas.
Fulshear Code Compliance enforces a public nuisance ordinance against high weeds, tall grass, and overgrown vegetation on residential and commercial property within city limits.
Fulshear's Drought Contingency Plan (Ordinance 2024-1456) sets address-based watering days, time-of-day limits, and graduated fines for irrigation violations during drought stages.
Texas Property Code 202.007 prohibits HOAs from banning rainwater harvesting systems, and Health & Safety Code 341.042 sets statewide standards for harvested rainwater used as a potable supply. Rainwater harvesting is broadly protected and encouraged in every Texas city and county.
Fulshear treats inoperable vehicles with expired registration or inspection as junk motor vehicles, a code violation subject to certified-mail notice and abatement.
Fulshear Ordinance 2026-1533 prohibits parking commercial vehicles and large trailers on residential streets, with exemptions for pickups and active work trailers.
Texas Property Code 202.019 prevents HOAs from prohibiting electric vehicle charging stations at a homeowner's dwelling. Owners across Texas may install Level 2 chargers in their garages or driveways subject only to reasonable conditions.
Fulshear requires residential pools to be enclosed by a non-climbable barrier at least 48 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Fulshear requires a building permit for any swimming pool capable of holding 24 inches or more of water before construction begins.
Fulshear pool installations must include GFCI-protected outlets, proper bonding, and may not discharge pool water to streets or storm drains.
Public and semi-public spas in unincorporated Fort Bend County are regulated under the same county pool regulations, requiring plan review, annual permits, posted maximum bather load, and timer-controlled jets.
Fulshear strictly regulates signage citywide, banning snipe signs and signs on public property, and limiting banners and on-premise signs through its Coordinated Development Ordinance.
Fulshear permits home occupations in residential districts as accessory uses, subject to Coordinated Development Ordinance limits on scale, employees, and outward appearance.
Fulshear's home occupation rules require that businesses not generate traffic, parking demand, or activity beyond what is normal for a residence in the neighborhood.
The Texas Cottage Food Law (Health & Safety Code Chapter 437, Subchapter A) authorizes home-based production and sale of certain non-potentially-hazardous foods statewide. Cities and counties cannot prohibit cottage food operations or require permits for them.
Texas Human Resources Code Chapter 42 governs licensing and registration of home-based child care statewide through HHSC. Registered family homes serve up to 6 children under 14, must follow state minimum standards, and cannot be banned solely by zoning.
Fulshear regulates accessory dwelling units through its Coordinated Development Ordinance, requiring permits, zoning compliance, and conformance with district setback and lot coverage standards before construction or occupancy.
Fulshear requires building permits for accessory storage sheds and enforces zoning setbacks under its Coordinated Development Ordinance and adopted 2015 International Residential Code provisions.
Fulshear treats carports as accessory structures requiring permits, setback compliance, and zoning review under the Coordinated Development Ordinance before installation.
Fulshear requires building permits and inspections for converting garages into living space, with parking, egress, and code compliance reviewed by Building Services before occupancy.
Fulshear has no STR-specific noise ordinance, so STR guests and hosts are bound by the generally applicable noise rules in Chapter 18, Article VI of the Code of Ordinances. Residential nighttime hours run 10:01 PM to 6:59 AM; daytime is 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Violations are Class C misdemeanors enforced by Fulshear Police.
The City of Fulshear has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental (STR) registration, licensing, or permit ordinance in its Code of Ordinances (available through Municode at library.municode.com/tx/fulshear). No city-level Airbnb or vacation-rental permit is currently required to operate an STR within Fulshear's corporate limits. Operators are still subject to Texas Tax Code Chapter 156 (state Hotel Occupancy Tax, 6% on stays under 30 days) and to the Fort Bend County hotel occupancy tax adopted under Tax Code Chapter 352 (effective October 1, 2024, with full enforcement of bookings beginning May 1, 2025). General Fulshear ordinances - zoning, nuisance, noise, parking, occupancy and building/fire codes - continue to apply to STR properties even though no STR-specific permit exists. HOA covenants in master-planned communities such as Cross Creek Ranch, Fulshear Run, Cross Creek West, and Tamarron frequently restrict or prohibit short-term rentals independently of city law.
Fulshear has not adopted a municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax under Texas Tax Code Chapter 351 and imposes no city STR registration fee. STR operators owe the 6% Texas state HOT (Tax Code Ch. 156) and the 2% Fort Bend County HOT (Ch. 352) for hotels inside city limits, effective October 1, 2024 with full enforcement beginning May 1, 2025.
Fulshear has no STR-specific parking standard or guest-vehicle cap. STR properties must satisfy the off-street parking minimums in the city's zoning appendix (Appendix A) for the underlying residential use, plus on-street parking rules in Chapter 22 (Traffic) and applicable HOA CC&Rs.
Fort Bend County imposes no STR-specific occupancy limits in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack general police power to regulate STRs under Local Gov't Code Ch. 233. Practical limits derive from International Residential Code bedroom/egress rules and on-site septic system capacity (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality OSSF rules in 30 TAC Ch. 285).
Fulshear regulates fences through Appendix A (Zoning) and Chapter 8 Article II (Construction Standards). Residential fences follow district rules with reduced heights in front yards and corner-lot visibility triangles. A permit is required from Fulshear Development Services before construction.
Fulshear requires property owners to obtain a permit before constructing a new fence or replacing more than fifty percent of an existing fence on residential or commercial property within city limits.
Fort Bend County requires semi-public and public swimming pools and spas to be enclosed by a barrier meeting county standards, but exempts private single-family and duplex residential pools from regulation.
Fulshear Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 (Animals) governs dog restraint and running-at-large rules within city limits, layered with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822 on dangerous dogs and unlawful restraint. Dogs in public must be under physical control. Fort Bend County Animal Services responds to calls in Fulshear.
Fort Bend County follows Texas state law allowing beekeeping as a qualifying agricultural use on tracts of 5 to 20 acres, granting agricultural valuation for property tax purposes when minimum colony counts are maintained.
Fort Bend County prohibits feeding stray or feral animals in ways that create public health nuisances, and discourages wildlife feeding that attracts coyotes, hogs, and other species near residential areas.
Texas Health & Safety Code 822.047 prohibits any Texas city or county from regulating dogs based on breed. Local breed bans against pit bulls, Rottweilers, or other breeds are unenforceable in every Texas municipality.
Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 822 Subchapter E governs ownership of dangerous wild animals — lions, tigers, bears, primates, and more. Owners must register with their county or city animal-registration agency and meet liability and caging standards.
Fulshear Code of Ordinances Chapter 18, Article VI (Noise) sets nighttime hours from 10:01 PM to 6:59 AM in residential areas, with daytime hours from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Nonresidential daytime extends to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Fulshear Police enforce as a Class C misdemeanor.
Fulshear restricts construction hours and requires written notice to neighbors within 200 feet before extended or off-hour activity occurs.
Aircraft noise in flight is regulated exclusively by the FAA under federal law (49 U.S.C. 40103, 14 CFR Part 36, 91, 150). Texas cities and counties cannot impose noise limits on aircraft operations, though they may regulate ground-based airport activities through Texas Transportation Code Chapter 22.
Fulshear prohibits posting garage sale signs on utility poles, public structures, trees, and city right-of-way under its sign code.
Fulshear limits each garage sale to three consecutive days under city code enforced by code compliance staff.
Fulshear provides each utility customer a 95-gallon single-stream recycling cart serviced weekly on Wednesdays, with accepted materials restricted to clean paper, cardboard, plastics, and metals.
Fulshear residents may set bulk items out next to their cart on Wednesday; oversized items receive a GFL yellow tag with arranged pickup instructions for the household.
Fulshear Ordinance 2023-1409 requires every utility customer to pay for solid waste service through GFL Environmental, with weekly Wednesday collection between 7 AM and 7 PM.
Fulshear residents must place 95-gallon GFL carts at the curb by 7:00 AM on Wednesday collection day, with carts kept clear of obstructions for the automated truck arm.
Fulshear residents must use the GFL-provided 95-gallon carts and place them at the curb by 7:00 AM on Wednesday collection day.
Fulshear has adopted the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code and enforces violations through its Code Compliance Division.
Fulshear prohibits posting garage sale signs on utility poles, lamp posts, trees, public structures, or in city rights-of-way and medians.
Fulshear Ordinance 2025-1505 protects local waterways by regulating how residents drain pools and spas and prohibiting discharges to the sanitary sewer.
Fulshear requires permits for grading, drainage, and site work under its Construction Standards chapter, with city engineering review for lot drainage and infrastructure.
Fulshear regulates development in FEMA-designated special flood hazard areas using Fort Bend County FIRMs effective January 29, 2021, requiring permits for any work in floodplains.
Fort Bend County requires erosion and sediment control measures on construction sites to protect drainage infrastructure and downstream waterways.
Fulshear prohibits posting garage sale signs on utility poles, lampposts, shade trees, public structures, medians, or any city right-of-way, even though residential garage sales themselves are allowed.
Fulshear allows temporary political signs on private property but caps display duration at 90 days and prohibits placement in public rights-of-way, on utility poles, or on city property.
Fulshear requires building and electrical permits through Building Services before residential rooftop solar photovoltaic systems can be installed, inspected, and connected.
Texas Property Code 202.010 prevents homeowners associations from prohibiting solar energy devices on a homeowner's property. HOAs may impose reasonable aesthetic conditions but cannot ban rooftop solar across Texas neighborhoods.
Fulshear's Coordinated Development Ordinance Division III-5 sets outdoor lighting standards for new development, requiring shielded fixtures and limits on glare for non-residential and multifamily sites.
Fulshear's Coordinated Development Ordinance limits light trespass onto adjoining properties through fixture shielding, cutoff requirements, and site-design rules administered by Development Services.
Fort Bend County enforces a juvenile curfew in unincorporated areas restricting minors under 17 from public places during late night and school day hours.
Fort Bend County parks operate under set hours established by Commissioners Court, prohibiting entry after sunset or posted closing time except for permitted activities.
Fort Bend County requires subdivision developers to replant any perished landscape reserve trees during the one-year maintenance period before the county accepts the project as complete.
Fort Bend County does not require general tree removal permits on private property, but subdivision developers must protect existing qualifying trees inside dedicated landscape reserves to earn planting credits.
Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 487 limits cannabis dispensing to a small number of state-licensed Compassionate Use Program providers. There are no recreational dispensaries anywhere in Texas, and cities cannot license additional ones.
Texas Health & Safety Code 481.121 makes it a crime to possess or grow marijuana anywhere in the state. Home cultivation is illegal in every Texas city and county regardless of plant count or medical status.
Texas Government Code Chapter 423 preempts local commercial drone rules and FAA Part 107 governs commercial flight nationwide. Texas cities cannot require their own drone permits or fees for Part 107 operators delivering or surveying.
Texas Government Code Chapter 423 occupies the field of unmanned aircraft regulation. Cities and counties cannot adopt their own recreational drone ordinances, though limited municipal rules over takeoff and landing on public property remain.
Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 expressly preempts municipal and county minimum wage ordinances. The state minimum wage equals the federal floor of $7.25 per hour, and political subdivisions cannot require private employers to pay more, except for their own contracts.
Texas appellate courts have struck down municipal paid sick leave ordinances in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio as preempted under the Texas Minimum Wage Act. HB 2127 (2023) further codifies preemption by barring local regulation of employment benefits and leave policies.
HB 2127 (2023), the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, preempts municipal predictive or fair workweek scheduling ordinances. Texas cities cannot require employers to provide advance schedule notice, predictability pay, or rest periods between shifts beyond state law.
Texas authorizes License to Carry (LTC) holders to carry concealed handguns statewide under Government Code Chapter 411. Since 2021, permitless constitutional carry under HB 1927 also allows most adults 21 and older to carry without a license, with municipalities preempted from added restrictions.
Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 broadly preempts municipal regulation of firearms, ammunition, knives, and related accessories. Cities cannot adopt or enforce ordinances regulating the transfer, ownership, possession, transport, or discharge of firearms beyond narrow exceptions for discharge in densely populated areas.
Texas authorizes open carry of holstered handguns statewide for adults 21 and older under Penal Code 46.02 and HB 910 (2015). Long guns may be openly carried subject to disorderly conduct limits. Municipalities cannot impose additional open carry restrictions.
Texas Penal Code 46.02(a-1) lets any non-prohibited adult lawfully carry a handgun inside a personally-owned or leased motor vehicle or watercraft without a License to Carry, provided the firearm is not in plain view and the person is not engaged in criminal activity or gang membership.
Texas Government Code Chapter 673 requires every state agency and any business that contracts with a state agency to register for and use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the work eligibility of new employees. Private-sector E-Verify use is generally voluntary statewide.
Texas Government Code Chapter 752, enacted by Senate Bill 4 in 2017, prohibits any local entity, campus police department, or jail from adopting sanctuary policies. Local officials must honor federal immigration detainer requests and may not bar officers from inquiring about immigration status.
Texas Property Code Chapter 24 sets the exclusive procedure for residential evictions statewide. Cities cannot require landlords to show 'just cause' to terminate a month-to-month tenancy or refuse renewal, beyond the state's notice rules.
Texas Local Government Code 214.902 forbids cities from adopting rent control ordinances except in narrow disaster-related circumstances approved by the governor. Statewide, no Texas city can cap residential rent increases or set base rents.
Texas Local Government Code 214.902 caps rental registration and inspection programs, and Property Code Chapter 92 sets statewide landlord-tenant disclosure and habitability rules. Texas cities may register rental units only within state limits, and tenant protections apply universally.
Texas Local Government Code Chapter 212 and Agriculture Code Chapter 251 limit municipal authority to zone or regulate land qualified for agricultural use appraisal. Counties have no general zoning authority, and cities face restrictions on annexing or imposing land use rules on established farms.
The Texas Right to Farm Act, Agriculture Code Chapter 251, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits and local regulations after one year of operation. SB 1421 (2023) significantly strengthened protections, preempting municipal ordinances that restrict generally accepted agricultural practices.
The Texas Supreme Court in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association (2018) held that Health and Safety Code Section 361.0961 preempts municipal plastic bag bans. Cities and counties cannot prohibit or restrict retail use of plastic checkout bags as containers or packages.
Health and Safety Code Section 361.0961 also preempts municipal bans on polystyrene foam containers used for food service. The same statute that struck down plastic bag bans prevents Texas cities from prohibiting expanded polystyrene cups, plates, and takeout packaging.
Plastic straw bans by Texas municipalities are preempted under Health and Safety Code Section 361.0961 and reinforced by HB 2127 (2023). Cities cannot prohibit or restrict food service businesses from offering single-use plastic straws to customers.