Grand Prairie, TX

Texas Property Code Section 202.007 blocks any Grand Prairie homeowners' association from banning rain barrels or a rainwater harvesting system on a member's lot, voiding any covenant…

Grand Prairie bans removing any Protected Tree, defined as any species 8 caliper inches or larger that is not on the city's Unprotected Tree list, unless the Tree Preservation…

Grand Prairie does not prohibit native plant landscaping. Texas Property Code §202.007 prevents HOAs from restricting water-conserving natural landscaping. The city encourages…

Grand Prairie Ch. 29, Art. VI regulates high grass and weeds. Vegetation height restricted to 10 inches maximum. Property owners and tenants responsible for yard maintenance. 10-day…

Grand Prairie Code § 29-87 requires a full fourteen-foot clearance between the street surface and any overhanging tree, shrub, or vine, and a seven-foot clearance above public…

Grand Prairie limits every water customer to two irrigation days a week and bans sprinklers between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. under Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-158. Even-numbered…

Dallas County does not regulate artificial turf on residential property in unincorporated areas. State law under Texas Property Code 202.007 limits an HOA's ability to ban synthetic…

Grand Prairie prohibits R-panel, metal sheeting, and plywood fencing in residential areas. Only wood, masonry, chain link, wood slats, and wrought iron are approved. Chain link and…

Grand Prairie Code § 29-90 treats a fence in disrepair as a nuisance and confirms a fence can be owned by more than one property owner. When ownership of a shared boundary fence is…

Grand Prairie requires a permit before most fences go up. Unified Development Code Article 8, Section 9 states that applicants for all required screening and non-required fencing…

Grand Prairie requires permits for all new fences and replacements. Approved materials: wood, masonry, chain link, wood slats, wrought iron. Prohibited: R-panel, metal sheeting…

Playing a radio, stereo, or sound amplifier loud enough to disturb neighbors is a presumed noise nuisance in Grand Prairie under Sec. 13-277(9). The city backs that presumption with…

Building work within a residential district, or within 300 feet of one, is limited to Grand Prairie's defined 'daytime' hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. That covers excavation…

Grand Prairie tightens its noise ceiling every night: Sec. 13-283 drops the residential average sound limit from 65 dB(A) daytime to 58 dB(A) between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., with the…

Grand Prairie's noise ordinance presumes a car stereo audible 30 feet away, an exhaust running without an effective muffler, and a vehicle so out of repair it emits loud noise are all…

Grand Prairie Sec. 13-280(12) exempts normal property maintenance noise during daytime hours (6 AM-10 PM). Leaf blowers and lawn equipment must comply with daytime-only use near…

Grand Prairie Sec. 13-283 (Ord. 11192-2022) sets decibel limits by zone: Residential 65/58 dBA Leq day/night, Commercial 67/60, Industrial 70/65, Entertainment 80/60. Pure tone or…

Habitual barking or other animal noise, including from fowl, is presumed a noise nuisance under Sec. 13-277(2), and the rule reaches shelters, kennels and vet clinics as well as…

Grand Prairie makes it unlawful to drive, operate, or ride any motor vehicle over the unpaved portion of a person's private property. The ban targets front-yard and unpaved-lot driving…

Grand Prairie reserves marked freight curb loading zones strictly for loading or unloading materials during their posted hours, capping any single stop at 30 minutes. Parking…

Grand Prairie bans parking recreational vehicles and personal trailers, from travel trailers to boat and horse trailers, on streets in or near residential zones under section 25-57(c)…

Grand Prairie makes it unlawful to leave any unattended motor vehicle standing or parked on a public street, alley or other public place for more than 48 continuous hours. Once that…

Grand Prairie regulates electric vehicle charging stations as an accessory use under Article 4, Section 19 of the Unified Development Code. A station is allowed only in zoning…

Anyone who wants to paint house numbers on a Grand Prairie curb for a fee needs the property owner's sign-off first, not just a city permit. Code of Ordinances Sec. 29-82 fixes the…

Grand Prairie Ch. 29, Art. VII regulates junk/inoperable vehicles. Inoperable vehicles (wrecked, flat tires, expired registration) may not be stored visibly on property. Disposal to…

Grand Prairie's parking-violations ordinance bars stopping on a sidewalk, right-of-way or crosswalk, blocking a driveway from an alley, parking facing the wrong direction, or leaving…

Grand Prairie makes it unlawful to stop, park or stand any vehicle with three or more axles, or rated over one and one-half tons, on a street, alley or public place in or next to a…

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…

Grand Prairie levies a 7 percent hotel occupancy tax on any stay costing $2 or more a day, City Code § 24-31, and applies it to short-term rentals as a permit condition: § 29-191(c)…

Grand Prairie does not impose an annual night cap on short-term rentals. Chapter 29, Article IX defines an STR as a lease of 1 to 30 consecutive days, so any single guest stay over 30…

Grand Prairie's STR ordinance (Ch. 29, Art. IX) requires permit applicants to specify property details. Occupancy limits are tied to the residential use and building code capacity. STR…

Grand Prairie will not approve a short-term rental permit without proof of insurance. Sec. 29-186(d)(3) requires host protection or liability coverage of up to one million dollars per…

A revoked Grand Prairie short-term rental permit doesn't just end that listing: Sec. 29-195(h) locks the address out of the program for a full year. No second or additional short-term…

Grand Prairie Code § 29-184 requires every short-term rental to hold a valid, active permit before it is used, offered, or advertised, with each rentable unit needing its own permit…

Loud parties at a Grand Prairie short-term rental are prosecuted the same way any unreasonable-noise complaint is citywide: as disorderly conduct under Texas Penal Code Sec…

Grand Prairie's short-term rental ordinance caps parking at the number of off-street spaces shown on the permit's site plan. City Code § 29-191(a) bars parking on unimproved surfaces…

Dallas County imposes no platform-liability requirements on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar STR hosting sites. Texas has no statewide platform mandate. City rules vary. Dallas Chapter 42B…

Grand Prairie only permits an accessory apartment, a second full living unit inside or added to a single-family home or in a separate structure on the same lot, if the property owner…

Grand Prairie caps accessory structures like sheds at 50% of the primary house's footprint on lots under half an acre, or 10% of the lot on larger tracts, with a hard 3-foot side and…

Converting an attached garage into living space in Grand Prairie needs a Special Exception from the Planning and Development Director, granted only if the home keeps two on-site…

Grand Prairie allows one accessory apartment, a second complete living unit with its own cooking, sanitation and sleeping space, inside or added to a single-family home or in a…

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…

Grand Prairie requires every dog and cat in the city to carry an implanted microchip under Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-11. Going without one is a criminal offense, though puppies and…

Grand Prairie's Unified Development Code defines a veterinarian clinic as an establishment where animals are diagnosed and treated for diseases and injuries, one that may include…

Grand Prairie only bans a cat from roaming at large if it is unvaccinated or unsterilized, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-12(b). A loose cat that is current on rabies shots and fixed…

Grand Prairie's animal services manager can declare any dog dangerous after an attack and order it excluded from the city or humanely destroyed under Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-17…

Grand Prairie requires an animal health care provider to sterilize any dog impounded three times, or whose owner is convicted of three running-at-large violations or has the dog…

Grand Prairie bans exchanging a dog or cat for money anywhere except where the animal was born, and separately bans curbside, parking-lot or park sales, under Code of Ordinances Sec…

Grand Prairie Sec. 5-26(a) requires livestock kept at least 100 feet from residences and businesses (other than owner's) with minimum 5,000 sq ft per animal. Swine prohibited except 2…

Grand Prairie requires dogs to be on a leash or confined at all times when off the owner's property. Dogs running at large may be impounded by Animal Services. All dogs must be…

Grand Prairie makes it unlawful to keep any wild animal within the city limits under Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-31, with only two narrow carve-outs: registered dangerous-wild-animal…

Grand Prairie's entire local beekeeping rule is one setback: Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-32 makes it unlawful to keep a honey bee hive closer than one hundred feet to the nearest private…

Native birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 64. Dallas County has no separate bird ordinance. Removing nests, eggs, or…

Dallas County has no county-specific hoarding ordinance. Texas Penal Code 42.092 governs cruelty to non-livestock animals; Dallas County Sheriff investigates in unincorporated areas…

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…

Grand Prairie allows recreational fires on residential property with conditions: area must be clear of combustibles including buildings and fences, only seasoned untreated wood may be…

Grand Prairie adopts the International Fire Code requiring smoke detectors in all residential units. Chapter 12 governs fire prevention. Smoke alarms required in each sleeping room…

Grand Prairie has no city-adopted Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code and no state-mapped wildfire hazard severity zone. Texas relies on the Texas A&M Forest Service Wildfire Risk…

Grand Prairie requires a fire marshal permit before anyone conducts outdoor burning for commercial land clearing, and bans open burning outright whenever weather or smoke make it…

Grand Prairie bans owning, possessing, selling, igniting or otherwise using fireworks anywhere inside the city under Code Sec. 12-6, with no exception for the Fourth of July, New…

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…

Home daycares in Grand Prairie must comply with Texas HHSC licensing requirements. Registered homes serve up to 6 children; licensed homes serve 7-12. Grand Prairie's UDC permits home…

Texas Cottage Food Law (TX Health & Safety Code Ch. 437) allows selling certain homemade foods directly to consumers from home without a city permit or health inspection. Annual sales…

No county signage ordinance for home businesses. Texas counties cannot regulate signs through zoning. TX Transportation Code restricts signs on state highway rights-of-way. HOA…

Grand Prairie requires pool fences at least 48 inches tall with gaps under 4 inches from the ground. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching. Chain link and slat fences prohibited…

Grand Prairie makes the swimming pool contractor, not just the homeowner, responsible for pulling a swimming pool construction permit before any digging starts on a residential pool…

Grand Prairie enforces the 2021 International Plumbing Code as its local plumbing code under Sec. 7-89, and Sec. 7-91 requires anyone installing plumbing in the city to get a permit…

Grand Prairie requires a separate building permit before anyone erects, constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves, improves, removes, converts or demolishes a building or structure…

No one may occupy or change the use of a building in Grand Prairie until the Chief Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy under UDC § 13.2.1, and every construction phase…

Grand Prairie doesn't mandate sprinklers citywide, but Sec. 12-4(a)(5) lets a residential fire sprinkler system substitute for a hydrant on agricultural-zoned land more than 600 feet…

Grand Prairie requires licensed child care centers with gas pipes to install carbon monoxide detectors under Code Sec. 13-123(b)(12), paired with mandatory smoke detectors and gas-line…

Grand Prairie requires a permit from the chief electrical inspector before any electrical wiring or fixture work begins in the city under Code of Ordinances Sec. 7-50, and enforces the…

Licensed child care centers in Grand Prairie must pass an annual fire inspection, keep an approved extinguisher on hand, post a fire and severe-weather evacuation plan, and give…

Grand Prairie requires every apartment complex operator to file for an annual operating certification with a $150 fee by January 1 each year under Code of Ordinances Sec. 28-20. The…

Grand Prairie has NO local just-cause eviction ordinance. Texas is a no-cause termination state under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001: a month-to-month tenancy may be ended by either party on…

Grand Prairie's housing code defines 'habitability' to mean every apartment, hotel or motel room, and rental building must be fit to live in, with working sanitary and mechanical…

Texas has no statewide source of income protection, and Dallas County has not adopted a county-level rule covering its 25 cities. Only the City of Dallas, through 2020 Chapter 46…

Texas has no statewide tenant relocation assistance law, and Dallas County has no county-level relocation ordinance. Tenants displaced by no-fault terminations, condemnation, or sale…

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…

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 County has…

Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules for all Dallas County rentals. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with…

Dallas County has not adopted a comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Tenants countywide rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and Section 92.0081…

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…

Texas law forbids cities from adopting rent control. A municipality may not establish rent control unless its governing body finds a housing emergency caused by a disaster and the…

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…

Grand Prairie Code § 29-113 puts joint and several responsibility on the homeowner, lessor, lessee, resident, occupant, property manager, or agent to keep the sidewalk, curb, driveway…

Grand Prairie declares it a nuisance to store or park any vehicle, running or not, on the public right-of-way between the improved roadway and the property line, including on or…

Grand Prairie bans private signs, ads, posters, placards, and handbills on public property, including sidewalks and rights-of-way, unless a sign fits a narrow permitted exception. The…

Grand Prairie requires every property to stay free of rodent harborage and infestation under Sec. 13-334, with extermination measures conforming to federal and state regulation. Sec…

Grand Prairie requires every food service, drinking, and food manufacturing employee to complete an accredited food handler course within 30 days of hire under Code Sec. 13-20(l), and…

Grand Prairie doesn't post letter grades on restaurant doors. Instead, Sec. 13-20 requires every food establishment to hold a valid, non-transferable annual permit that must stay…

Texas Property Code Chapter 92 makes landlords statewide responsible for habitable rentals including bed bug remediation. DCHHS responds to complaints in unincorporated Dallas County…

Grand Prairie makes it an offense to loiter in a public place under circumstances that manifest a purpose of buying or selling illegal drugs, per Sec. 17-48. A related provision, Sec…

Grand Prairie bans possessing an open, unsealed alcoholic beverage container in any park or other public place under City Code of Ordinances Sec. 17-43. The ban does not apply on…

Grand Prairie bars smoking in a long list of outdoor public spots, from stadiums and amphitheaters to library and museum grounds, plus a 25-foot buffer around doorways of any indoor…

Grand Prairie Code § 29-68(10) declares it a nuisance to defecate or urinate on any street, alley, or public ground, or anywhere visible from a private residence or passersby. The…

Grand Prairie bans riding a skateboard or other 'play vehicle' on any sidewalk within a business district under Sec. 25-42, and the transportation services director can post signs…

Texas Transportation Code 552.005 requires pedestrians crossing outside marked crosswalks to yield right-of-way to vehicles in Dallas County. There is no specific jaywalking offense…

Passive panhandling is constitutionally protected speech in Texas after Reed v. Town of Gilbert. Aggressive panhandling that touches, blocks, or threatens a person can be charged as…

Texas Local Government Code 250.008 lets counties regulate noise only in unincorporated areas. Dallas County's Sheriff enforces state Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct (unreasonable…

Grand Prairie parks close to the public outside posted hours, defaulting to 6:00 a.m. to midnight when no hours are posted, under Sec. 18-5. Remaining in a park or facility after…

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…

Grand Prairie defines pawnbrokers by ordinance in Sec. 19-1 and restricts their operating hours in Sec. 19-3 to 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. on weekdays, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. on Saturdays, with…

Operating a sexually oriented business in Grand Prairie without a city license is a criminal offense. The chief of police issues licenses only for locations inside a planned…

Every tattoo or body piercing studio in Grand Prairie needs a Texas Department of State Health Services license plus a city Certificate of Occupancy, and it can't sit within 300 feet…

Grand Prairie requires every wrecker operator to hold a $20-per-truck permit from the chief of police under Code of Ordinances Sec. 27-62 before towing on city streets. Permits list…

Grand Prairie requires anyone selling junk or secondhand goods, other than a business with a permanent local storefront, to hold a city license under Sec. 19-20, pay a $25 annual fee…

Grand Prairie issues no separate city tobacco or vape retail license; that permit comes from the state. Instead Sec. 13-137 bars retailers from placing tobacco or e-cigarette vending…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455 makes massage therapy a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation program; Dallas County does not issue its own massage licenses. The Dallas…

Grand Prairie requires a permit from the parks director before holding organized sporting events, performances, gatherings of 100 or more, exclusive-use activities, amplified sound, or…

Grand Prairie treats a street fair or festival as a 'special event' under Sec. 7.5-1, and once a permit is triggered, the code sets separate thresholds for tents over 400 square feet…

Grand Prairie lets Main Street restaurants in Central Business District Two put tables on the public sidewalk, but only under a permit. Appendix R Section 6.2.3 of the Unified…

Grand Prairie defines a parade in Sec. 7.5-1 as any march, procession, organized movement or motorcade on public rights-of-way that is intended to attract attention and likely to…

A Grand Prairie block party only needs a special event permit if it closes or blocks a city street or right-of-way; Sec. 7.5-1 pulls block parties into the permit system 'regardless of…

Mobile vendors on Grand Prairie streets get no exclusive or stationary spot: a single vending stop can't run past 15 minutes in any hour. Officers can also clear vendors from congested…

Grand Prairie Ch. 13, Art. XII regulates mobile food vendors. A Mobile Food Truck Permit is required from the city. Operators need a Food Manager Certificate ($50), commissary…

Grand Prairie bars idling a motor vehicle's primary engine for more than five consecutive minutes while parked under Code Sec. 13-83, a rule aimed at heavy trucks and buses rather than…

Grand Prairie requires a Floodplain Development Permit from the Stormwater Department before any structure, fill, or land-use change occurs inside a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard…

Any new home or business built in a mapped Grand Prairie floodplain must set its lowest floor at least one foot above the fully-developed base flood elevation, or two feet above FEMA's…

Grand Prairie bars any construction-related stormwater discharge until the operator has a TPDES permit (when applicable) and a city-accepted stormwater pollution prevention plan on…

Grand Prairie bans discharging anything but stormwater into its municipal storm sewer system. City Code § 13-605 lists specific prohibited pollutants, from used motor oil and…

Texas has no statewide cool roof mandate, and Dallas County applies cool roof specifications only to its own facilities through capital project standards. Private buildings follow the…

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…

Grand Prairie levies a 7 percent hotel occupancy tax on any room or space costing $2.00 or more per day, collected by the hotel operator and remitted to the city's assessor-collector…

Grand Prairie bans riding or operating any neighborhood electric vehicle or motor-assisted scooter on its public streets outright, with no shared-program or dockless-rental carve-out…

Dallas County does not operate a countywide bicycle network. Bike lanes are designed and maintained by individual cities and TxDOT on state highways. DART runs regional transit, and…

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…

Grand Prairie tells residents exactly where and when to put out garbage containers: at the alley if one is designated for collection, otherwise at curbside, and never earlier than 8:00…

Grand Prairie requires every owner, occupant or person in control of a premises to carry garbage removal service, collected twice a week for $22.26 a month per residential unit, with…

Grand Prairie requires every commercial, institutional and industrial property to keep garbage and trash in approved containers placed where the city's collector can reach them, under…

Grand Prairie provides twice-weekly garbage collection and weekly recycling. Collection schedule varies by zone: check by address online. Trash must be at curb by 7 AM on collection…

Grand Prairie will not collect grass clippings as a regular service, but brush and other yard trimmings qualify for pickup if bundled correctly. Section 26-112 caps brush lengths at…

Grand Prairie Code § 13-108 makes it unlawful to discharge, deposit, or dump hazardous or other regulated waste on any sidewalk, alley, street, drain, waterbody, or public or private…

Grand Prairie's recycling collectors cannot mix recyclables with garbage, and residential and commercial recycling customers must keep a separate garbage container too. Reusable…

Grand Prairie provides bulky waste pickup for items too large for regular collection. Items must be placed at curb. Brush limited to 6-foot lengths, 3-foot stacking height, 1 cubic…

Any Grand Prairie subdivision built with private streets or alleys, including gated communities, must form a mandatory property owners association covering every lot served by those…

Grand Prairie's own permit office backs up HOA architectural control: the city can withhold or condition a residential construction, addition or renovation permit until the applicant…

TX Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessments. Liens allowed for unpaid assessments but foreclosure requires specific procedures including notice and payment plan offers. County…

Texas HOAs must follow strict notice, hearing, and fine procedures before enforcing covenants, with mandatory cure periods for most violations.

TX Property Code Chapters 202 and 209 govern POA procedures statewide. HOAs must provide open board meetings, annual meetings, and financial reports. County has no role in HOA…

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…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA fines, but only for mandatory-membership subdivisions; condos fall under Chapter 82 instead. State law sets no dollar cap on a fine, only a…

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…

Grand Prairie's Agriculture District (A) keeps land in farm use with a 5-acre minimum lot and a 1,600-square-foot minimum home. The Unified Development Code uses it as the default…

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…

Grand Prairie's tree code protects any species 8 caliper inches or larger except a named list of Unprotected Trees such as hackberry, Bradford pear, mesquite, and cottonwood, which…

Grand Prairie's city tree board maintains an official list of small, medium and large tree species approved for planting along streets, and Sec. 9-7 bars planting any other species as…

Grand Prairie's Unified Development Code sets binding downtown design standards in Appendix R for the four Central Business Districts along Main and Jefferson Streets. In CBD Two, new…

Texas counties cannot generally zone land. Dallas County regulates only subdivision plats, floodplains, and on-site sewage facilities in unincorporated areas under Local Government…

Grand Prairie caps how much light any use can throw onto a neighbor's land: outdoor fixtures must be aimed so the beam never crosses the property line above three feet, and at a…

Grand Prairie's Unified Development Code requires outdoor light fixtures to be down-light, indirect, diffused or shielded so they don't spill glare onto neighboring property and…

Grand Prairie's Unified Development Code bars any residence from sitting closer to a lot line or street right-of-way than the minimum set in the Article 6 dimensional tables, but the…

Grand Prairie lets rooftop features like chimneys, flagpoles and HVAC units rise 15 feet above a zoning district's height cap, but only if they cover no more than 30% of the roof (75%…

Grand Prairie confines truck loading, unloading and idling noise near homes to daytime hours. Sec. 13-277(11)(d) limits loading and unloading of trucks and similar large vehicles…

Grand Prairie caps low-frequency noise from gas drilling and production equipment at 65 decibels in the 16, 32 and 64 hertz octave bands, measured at the nearest protected use's…

Grand Prairie treats the continued or frequent sounding of a vehicle horn, alarm or other signal device, outside a genuine warning use, as a presumed noise nuisance under Sec…

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…

Grand Prairie treats an unrepaired water leak as a non-essential use under its drought contingency plan, Code of Ordinances Sec. 26-237, once the utility has given the customer notice…

Grand Prairie's cross-connection control article flatly bars hooking any auxiliary water source, including reclaimed or recycled water, graywater, and rain or stormwater, into a…

Dallas County does not run a turf replacement rebate, but member cities and water utilities including Dallas, Frisco, and Plano offer SmartScape and turf-conversion incentives…

Grand Prairie Code § 29-79(c) caps garage-sale signs at six per property, five square feet each, and forty inches tall, all bearing the permit tag issued with the sale permit. Signs…

Texas Election Code §259.002 protects political signs on private property. Grand Prairie cannot prohibit political signs on residential property. Signs in public right-of-way, on…

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…

Grand Prairie requires a filming application through the city manager's office before any commercial movie, TV program, commercial or music-video shoot on city property: two business…

Grand Prairie makes noisy filming equipment a permit item, not a free-for-all: exterior lighting, power generators and any other noise or light producing gear used on a production need…

Grand Prairie charges by the block and by the day when a film production closes a public street. A full or obstructive closure of a street or right-of-way, including on-street parking…

Grand Prairie Sec. 29-79 limits garage sales to 2 per year per location, each lasting no more than 3 consecutive days. This is a 12-month rolling period. Exceeding limits results in…

Cannabis cultivation is illegal in Grand Prairie and throughout Texas. The Texas Controlled Substances Act prohibits possession and cultivation of marijuana. Only the Compassionate Use…

No recreational cannabis dispensaries are allowed in Grand Prairie. Texas prohibits recreational marijuana sales statewide. The Compassionate Use Program has 3 licensed dispensing…

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

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

Texas prohibits all personal cannabis cultivation. Growing even one plant violates TX 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 only by the three licensed dispensing…

Grand Prairie requires a building permit from the Building Inspections Division for residential solar panel (photovoltaic) installation. Electrical permits also required. Must comply…

TX Property Code Section 202.010 prohibits HOAs from banning solar energy devices. HOAs may require prior approval but cannot unreasonably deny. Solar roof tiles included per HB 431…

Grand Prairie requires anyone canvassing door to door to sell goods, take orders, or peddle merchandise to hold an itinerant vendor, merchant, or peddler permit under City Code Article…

Grand Prairie residents can post a weatherproof 'NO SOLICITORS' card at their main entrance, and peddlers must check for and honor it by leaving without knocking. Separately, all…

Grand Prairie inspects apartment complexes every year under Code of Ordinances Sec. 28-19, giving owners 30 days' notice before the initial inspection and tenants 10 days' notice…

Grand Prairie Ch. 29 prohibits accumulation of rubbish, junk, and unsightly matter on property. Code Compliance officers issue 10-day abatement notices. Dangerous structures addressed…

TX HSC Chapter 343 nuisance abatement applies to vacant lots: weeds over 36 inches, rubbish accumulation, and stagnant water within 300 ft of a residence are nuisances. Dallas County…

Texas Government Code §423.009 prohibits cities from adopting drone ordinances except for limited exceptions. Grand Prairie follows FAA and state rules. Recreational drone operators…

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.

Dallas County's Nuisance Abatement Division enforces a set list of public nuisances in the unincorporated area: overgrown weeds, accumulated junk, unsanitary conditions, unsafe…

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…

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…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 preempts cities and counties from regulating containers and packages, which the Texas Supreme Court Laredo case extends to polystyrene…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 and the 2018 Laredo Supreme Court decision preempt city and county regulation of single-use packaging, which restaurant lawyers extend to…

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…

Texas has no statewide E-Verify requirement for private employers. State agencies and contractors must use E-Verify under a 2014 executive order. Dallas County requires it for its own…

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 County designates historic markers and monuments through its 15-member Historical Commission, not through a zoning or landmarks board. A state historical marker cannot be…

California's Mills Act does not exist in Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets cities and counties exempt part or all of designated historic property's appraised value from local…

Federal Tobacco 21 (PL 116-94) and Texas Health and Safety Code section 161.082 ban sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapor products, and any tobacco to anyone under 21 in Dallas…

Texas House Bill 1771 (2023), codified at Health and Safety Code section 161.0876, preempts cities and counties from restricting flavored tobacco, menthol cigarettes, or vape flavors…

Texas Tax Code Chapter 171 imposes a single state franchise tax on most businesses operating in Dallas County. Texas does not allow city or county business gross-receipts taxes, so…

Texas is a one-party consent state. Under Texas Penal Code §16.02, only one party to a conversation must consent to recording. This applies to both in-person conversations and phone…

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 Local Government Code Chapter 234, Subchapter E lets any county's commissioners court license, zone, and inspect "game rooms": for-profit businesses with six or more skill or…

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 §…

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…