Local Rules Near Downtown San Antonio

San Antonio bans car stereos and vehicle sound systems audible 30 feet or more from the vehicle, or felt as vibration outside it, under City Code Sec. 21-54, with no intent requirement. A separate rule, Sec. 21-52(a)(5), requires every vehicle exhaust to run through a muffler that prevents loud or explosive noise.

San Antonio has not banned gas-powered leaf blowers and likely cannot enforce one because Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 382 reserves air-quality regulation to the state, while HB 4 Regulatory Consistency further limits municipal authority over equipment.

San Antonio treats amplified music and sound equipment as a noise nuisance under City Code Sec. 21-52(a)(1) whenever it disturbs a person of reasonable sensibilities, and backs that standard with hard decibel caps measured at the property line: 63 dBA on residential land, 70 dBA on business land, 72 dBA on industrial land, and 85 dBA Leq in entertainment districts.

San Antonio noise ordinance quiet hours are 10 PM–6 AM Sun–Thu and 11 PM–6 AM Fri–Sat (City Code Ch. 21, Art. III). Residential cap 63 dB(A) day / 56 dB(A) night at the receiving property; amplified sound without permit 55/50. Fines $100–$500 standard, up to $2,000 willful.

San Antonio makes barking a public nuisance under Chapter 5. An animal noise nuisance means two recorded events in 24 hours where a dog is heard continuously for 20 minutes at 100 yards or through a wall.

San Antonio amended its construction noise ordinance in February 2022 (the 'Goodnight Construction Site' ordinance). Exterior construction is limited to 6 AM–10 PM Sun–Thu and 6 AM–11 PM Fri–Sat, with an 80 dBA construction noise limit. After-hours work requires a waiver with 72-hour neighbor notice.

San Antonio does not cap aircraft noise by decibel; instead the aviation department's Chapter 3 code sets a formal complaint channel. Residents can report aircraft noise from San Antonio International Airport operations in person, by phone, by email, or through the department's online feedback form.

San Antonio regulates industrial noise under Chapter 21, Article III of the Code of Ordinances. Industrial zones have maximum permissible sound levels of 72 dB(A) daytime and 65 dB(A) nighttime at the property boundary. The nighttime limit is 7 dB lower than daytime across all zone categories. Violations carry fines of $100 to $2,000 per offense.

San Antonio requires every short-term rental listing to display a valid city permit number, and it makes hosting platforms responsible for pulling noncompliant listings. Under Sec. 16-1103(c), the city notifies a platform when a listing lacks a permit number or shows one that is invalid, expired or revoked, and the platform must remove the listing within ten business days.

San Antonio's Type 1 short-term rental category is reserved for units that are owner- or operator-occupied under Sec. 16-1107(a). A non-owner-occupied unit must instead permit as a more restricted Type 2 rental, which cannot rent less than a whole dwelling and pays a higher fee.

A San Antonio short-term rental permit must be revoked once a property racks up three or more citations accepted by municipal court within a rolling three-year period, under Sec. 16-1110(b), whether those citations were issued to the operator or to occupants.

San Antonio requires every short-term rental owner or operator to file a monthly Hotel Occupancy Tax report under Sec. 16-1104.01, even in months with zero rental revenue. Platforms that collect the state HOT must also collect and remit the city's and Bexar County's local HOT on the host's behalf.

San Antonio requires every short-term rental applicant to carry, at minimum, a liability insurance policy covering guest personal injury under Sec. 16-1108(c), and to self-certify that coverage when applying for the permit.

San Antonio requires STR permits through Development Services Department under UDC §35-374.01. Type 1 (owner-occupied) permits cost $300/3 years; Type 2 (non-owner-occupied) cost $450/3 years. The June 2024 ordinance amendment strengthened enforcement, requiring platforms to remove unpermitted listings.

Under Sec. 16-1107(a)(2), a San Antonio Type 1 short-term rental requires that the owner be generally present at the property while it operates, distinguishing it from a whole-unit Type 2 rental where the owner need not be there.

San Antonio short-term rentals must observe quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday under Sec. 16-1108(e), and repeated noise complaints can get a property labeled a "problem property" subject to permit revocation.

Short-term rental operators must identify the off-street parking spaces serving the property on the permit application and comply with the parking standards in UDC Section 35-526 applicable to the underlying residential use; on-street parking does not satisfy the requirement.

San Antonio's STR ordinance (UDC § 35-374.01, updated by Ordinance 2024-06-13-0433) requires STR permit applications to specify maximum guest capacity, with sleeping areas and emergency evacuation routes detailed in submitted plans. The permit specifies the allowed number of guests based on habitable space, fire egress, and parking availability.

San Antonio allows commercially sold fire pits with 25-foot clearance from structures. Spark arrestor screens must be in place. Fire pits cannot be used beneath balconies, porches, or overhangs. Multifamily properties (Group R Div 1 & 2) face stricter rules including 10-foot combustible surface setbacks.

San Antonio's Property Maintenance Code requires smoke alarms outside every sleeping area in one- and two-family homes, with interconnection and hard-wired power in most cases. Landlords must verify a working alarm before a tenant moves in, and tenants cannot disable one without immediately replacing the battery.

All possession, sale, use, transport, and manufacture of fireworks is prohibited within San Antonio city limits and within 5,000 feet of those limits, per the adopted International Fire Code Section 5601.1.3 and Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2154.

San Antonio's northwest areas near Camp Bullis and the Hill Country contain wildland-urban interface zones with elevated wildfire risk. The City Manager was authorized under a 2016 ordinance (Ordinance 2018-11-03-0860) to execute interlocal agreements with the Texas A&M Forest Service for fuel reduction services. The International Fire Code as adopted in Chapter 11, Article III applies to brush management and defensible space.

San Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-46 makes it unlawful to burn solid waste on any premises in the city unless both the TCEQ and the fire department have approved it first. Violations fall under the general prohibitions in Sec. 14-45, which carries fines from $100 up to $2,000 per offense, rising for repeat convictions.

San Antonio requires any yard parking pad used for a vehicle, trailer, camper, or watercraft to be built of gravel with curbing, concrete, brick, or asphalt, and caps its width at 50 percent of the lot's average width under City Code Sec. 19-194(d)-(e). Narrow lots, curbless streets, and nonconforming setbacks carry separate width exceptions.

San Antonio lets residents petition the Center City Development Office to create a resident-only parking permit zone under City Code Sec. 19-433 when at least 60 percent of curbside spaces are occupied and 25 percent of those cars belong to commuters. Annual permits cost $10, and the petition itself carries a nonrefundable $50 fee.

San Antonio limits commercial vehicles to 30 minutes in a marked loading zone under Sec. 19-163, bars noncommercial vehicles from loading zones between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and fines violators $57.00 per the city's parking fine schedule.

Painting house or street numbers on San Antonio curbs or driveway approaches for pay is a licensed trade. Sec. 29-51 makes it unlawful to run that business, or work in it, without a city license from the department of building inspections, and it locks in exact size and color specs for the numbers themselves.

San Antonio Code Chapter 19, Article VI regulates parking. Front yard parking on residential properties requires wheels on permanently maintained surfaces (concrete, asphalt, brick, or curbed gravel). Code Compliance and SAPD enforce parking violations with fines of $100–$2,000.

San Antonio restricts parking commercial vehicles in residential zones (City Code §19-194), and its Unified Development Code §35-383 bars truck-tractors, semi-trailers, and three-plus-axle commercial vehicles from the recreational-vehicle trip-preparation exception. State law (Texas Transportation Code §545.307) separately prohibits overnight commercial-vehicle parking in or near residential subdivisions.

San Antonio bars parking a motor vehicle, watercraft, non-motorized camper, or trailer in the side or front yard of homes in the city's residential zoning districts under City Code Sec. 19-194(d), unless the vehicle sits entirely on a permanently maintained gravel, concrete, brick, or asphalt pad. Police and Code Compliance enforce it, with fines up to $500.

San Antonio regulates abandoned and junked vehicles under Chapter 19, Article X (Junked Vehicles) and Sec. 19-396 (Wrecked/Abandoned Vehicles). Inoperable, unregistered, or dismantled vehicles on residential property are code violations. Vehicles on public streets may be tagged and towed under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683. Code Compliance enforces violations with fines of $100 to $2,000.

New nonresidential buildings in San Antonio must reserve electrical panel capacity for future EV charging under a 2021 IECC amendment, Section C409. The rule requires enough spare breaker space to support one future 40-amp circuit for every two required EV-capable spaces, sized to cover 5 percent of the building's total required parking.

San Antonio regulates on-street parking through Chapter 19, Article VI of the Code of Ordinances. Time-limited parking is enforced between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM in posted areas (Sec. 19-196). Oversized vehicles are prohibited from parking in front of residential lots in specified zoning districts at all times under Sec. 19-194. Vehicles left parked after park curfew (11 PM) are subject to towing per Sec. 22-28.

San Antonio requires a new or repaired retaining wall to be designed by a registered professional engineer, with plans approved by the director of public works before a building permit issues. Walls must resist the maximum lateral pressure of retained material, and unsafe walls can be declared a public nuisance.

San Antonio UDC §35-514 limits solid front-yard fences to 3 feet and open/decorative fences to 4–5 feet in front yards. Rear and side yards allow up to 8 feet under certain conditions. Historic districts require HDRC approval. Permits are required for all fences except exempt repairs.

San Antonio requires a building permit before constructing or substantially replacing a residential fence, issued by the Development Services Department for a flat $25 fee. The only exemption is for minor repairs: work on fences six feet or shorter that replaces less than 25 percent of the fence's total contiguous length does not need a permit.

San Antonio UDC §35-514 specifies approved fence materials: wood, chain link, stone, rock, concrete block, masonry brick, decorative wrought iron, or similar durable materials. Prohibited materials include plywood under 5/8", particle board, paper, plastic tarp, and items not designed as fencing.

San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 5 regulates pet stores through licensing, sanitation, and consumer disclosures. Texas does not impose a statewide retail puppy or kitten sale ban, and San Antonio has not enacted a humane sourcing ordinance like Austin or El Paso.

Anyone operating a grooming shop in San Antonio must first get a license from Animal Care Services under Sec. 5-110 of the city code. ACS reviews building construction, sanitation and welfare compliance history, and zoning before approving a license, which is valid for one year and can be denied or revoked over a chapter 5 conviction.

Every dog, cat, and equine in San Antonio must be implanted with a registered microchip before it turns four months old, under Sec. 5-100 of the city code. Owners must keep the microchip registration current with the registry company, and dogs must wear a tag showing the chip number or the owner's contact information whenever they are outdoors.

San Antonio Animal Care Services treats hoarding as cruelty under SAMC Chapter 5 and Texas Penal Code Section 42.092. ACS removes animals from neglectful conditions, and counts above pet limits without a kennel permit trigger seizure and prosecution.

Anyone operating an animal rescue organization in San Antonio, including one housing wild birds or reptiles, must first obtain a license from Animal Care Services. Operating unlicensed, or missing the 30-day renewal window, is a misdemeanor.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code confines veterinary hospitals to industrial-zoned land: a small-animal veterinary hospital is permitted by right only in the "L" Light Industrial and "I-1" General Industrial districts, while a combined large-and-small-animal veterinary hospital is permitted by right only in "I-1." Neither use is allowed by right in office, commercial, or downtown districts.

San Antonio bans feeding or sheltering wild animals and birds anywhere on airport property at San Antonio International and Stinson Municipal airports, with a narrow carve-out for animals only being transported through. Anyone on airport grounds must also properly dispose of unused or abandoned food and containers so they do not attract wildlife, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 3-39.

San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 5 treats cats as companion animals subject to rabies vaccination, ACS licensing, and humane care. Free-roaming cats may be impounded, and registered TNR caretakers ear-tip and return community cats under ACS protocols.

San Antonio sets no hive count, no setback, and no permit for backyard beekeeping. Honeybees fall outside both the city animal code and the Unified Development Code, so residential keepers answer only to Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131, under which state registration is voluntary.

San Antonio bans no dog breeds. Texas Health & Safety Code 822.047 forbids breed-specific local rules, so pit bulls and every other breed are legal. The city instead regulates individual dogs by behavior through its dangerous-dog declaration process.

San Antonio lets a home keep up to eight domestic fowl with only one rooster, no permit required, plus two head of livestock. Fowl need a coop and run of at least 24 square feet.

San Antonio is one of the strongest mandatory spay-neuter cities in Texas. SAMC Section 5-26 requires all dogs and cats over six months to be sterilized unless owners hold an Intact Animal Permit. ACS enforces with citations and impoundment of unaltered animals.

San Antonio requires every dog owner to keep the animal on a leash whenever it leaves the owner's property, per Sec. 5-19 of the city code. Sec. 5-150(1) separately makes it a public nuisance to let a dog roam unrestrained, and dogs caught running free face mandatory sterilization at the owner's expense within 30 days, on top of citation and impoundment.

San Antonio prohibits keeping wild and exotic animals within city limits under Chapter 5 of the Code of Ordinances. Prohibited species include non-human primates, wolf hybrids, coyotes, foxes, exotic cats, bears, skunks, raccoons, miniature Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, and venomous species. The city defines nondomestic animals broadly, excluding only domestic cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, and similar household pets.

Feeding any animal or fowl belonging to the San Antonio Zoo, other than food purchased from the zoo's own vending machines, is illegal under Sec. 22-58, unless the San Antonio Zoological Society has specifically authorized the feeding. The rule covers the zoological area within Brackenridge and Koehler Parks.

San Antonio puts the job of keeping trees off the sidewalk squarely on the property owner. Sec. 29-10 requires every occupant, owner or agent to keep trees and shrubs on their premises trimmed so branches don't overhang and block free passage on the adjoining sidewalk or street, and to keep that frontage free of debris.

San Antonio bans weeds and grass over 12 inches in height on lots and parcels, treating them as a public nuisance. Code Enforcement can fine the owner and the city will mow the property and place a lien for the cost.

San Antonio actively encourages rainwater harvesting through SAWS (San Antonio Water System) rebate programs. SAWS offers $1.00 per gallon of storage up to $2,000 for residential customers who install at least 500 gallons of cistern capacity. Collected rainwater must be used for non-potable purposes like landscape irrigation. Texas state law (TX Tax Code § 151.355) exempts rainwater harvesting equipment from sales tax.

San Antonio City Code section 34-323 assigns each property a landscape watering day by street address and bars in-ground sprinklers between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Under Stage I, irrigation is limited to that one assigned day per week, and the San Antonio Water System issues citations to violators.

San Antonio promotes native and drought-adapted landscaping as part of its water conservation strategy, enforced through SAWS drought restriction stages. During Stage 1 restrictions (Edwards Aquifer at 660 ft), landscape watering is limited. SAWS encourages xeriscaping with Texas native plants adapted to the region's semi-arid climate. The UDC requires landscaping for new development but does not mandate specific native species.

San Antonio requires a tree permit before removing a significant or heritage tree, clearing land, grading, or expanding a building or parking lot past 2,500 square feet. Sec. 35-523(a)(1)(C) lists the regulated activities, and Sec. 35-493(c) fines anyone who starts work without the permit at least $2,000, on top of the mitigation the ordinance requires for what gets removed.

San Antonio does not have a specific ordinance prohibiting or regulating artificial turf on residential properties. Given the city's emphasis on water conservation through SAWS, synthetic turf is viewed favorably as an alternative to water-intensive grass lawns. The UDC landscaping standards (Art. V, Div. 3) apply to commercial development and do not specifically address residential artificial turf. HOAs may have their own restrictions.

San Antonio exempts a home-based business from the sign permit process for exactly one on-premise sign, but the exemption is narrow: the sign cannot exceed one square foot of facing and it cannot be illuminated. Anything larger, lit, or a second sign requires a full sign permit under Chapter 28, filed with Development Services and issued only through a city-licensed sign contractor.

San Antonio allows home occupations by right in residential zoning under UDC Sec. 35-378, provided the business stays invisible from the street: no altered exterior, no outdoor storage, no advertising signs beyond a one-square-foot nameplate, and no certificate of occupancy required. Certain uses, like vehicle repair and animal boarding, are barred outright.

San Antonio bars any home occupation from generating on-street parking or substantially increasing traffic in the neighborhood, under UDC Sec. 35-378(b). The same section folds in the city's noise ordinance, so a home business that draws heavy client visits or parking overflow loses its by-right status regardless of what it sells.

Home daycare operations in San Antonio are regulated by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (SAMHD) and must comply with state licensing through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). The UDC allows small home-based daycare as a permitted accessory use in residential zones. SAMHD conducts inspections and requires compliance with health and safety standards. Fees apply for child care facility inspections.

Cottage food operations are explicitly allowed in San Antonio's residential zones. UDC § 35-378(b)(4) exempts cottage food businesses from home occupation prohibitions. Operators must comply with Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 437 (Cottage Food Production), which requires a food handler certification, proper labeling, and direct-to-consumer sales. SB 541 expanded allowable food types and modified labeling requirements at the state level.

Building a residential swimming pool or spa in San Antonio requires a permit from Development Services. Apply through the BuildSA Customer Portal with a scaled site plan, and keep the pool waterline at least 5 feet from any property line.

San Antonio enforces the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) Section 305 for residential pool barriers, requiring a 48-inch perimeter fence with self-closing, self-latching gates and door alarms on dwelling openings facing the pool.

San Antonio caps accessory dwelling units at 800 square feet, or up to 1,600 square feet if that stays under half the primary home's floor area, under UDC Sec. 35-371. Detached units need a permit, a 5-foot rear and side setback, one parking space over 800 square feet, and a maximum height of 25 feet or two stories.

San Antonio requires the property owner to live in either the main house or the accessory dwelling as a permanent residence under UDC Sec. 35-371(a)(1), and bars charging rent on the owner-occupied unit. Owners must sign a notarized affidavit and record a covenant binding future owners to the occupancy condition.

San Antonio bars pure rental income from accessory dwelling units: the property owner must live in either the main house or the ADU as a permanent residence and can never collect rent on the unit they occupy. A notarized affidavit and a covenant recorded with the county lock this rule to the deed, and any ADU rented short-term must separately clear UDC Section 35-374.01.

San Antonio's Fire Code bars barbecue pits, grills, and fuel-fired heaters in apartment and condo buildings whenever they create a fire hazard, and it specifically prohibits use within 10 feet of any combustible surface, including a deck, porch, or balcony, or underneath a balcony, roof overhang, or veranda.

San Antonio's Fire Code Section 4104.2 bans operating charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of a combustible surface. The rule exempts one- and two-family homes outright, while multifamily Group R buildings stay subject unless they meet the fire-hazard standard in Section 308.4.2.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code requires new construction and substantially improved structures in the regulatory floodplain to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation. Habitable buildings need finished floors elevated that one foot of freeboard, and owners must file pre-construction and post-construction elevation certificates with the Floodplain Administrator before a permit is approved and before final inspection.

San Antonio adopted the IECC with local amendments through SAMC Chapter 10, requiring high-reflectance and high-emissivity roofing on low-slope commercial and multifamily roofs in climate zone 2A, reducing cooling loads and urban heat island effect.

Bexar County opted into TCEQ Rule 30 TAC 114.512, prohibiting commercial vehicles over 14,000 pounds GVWR from idling more than five consecutive minutes when temperatures fall between 40 and 90 degrees, with several work-related exemptions.

San Antonio bans dumping acids, oils, paint, automotive fluids, pesticides and other pollutants into the city's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) under Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-702. SAWS-designated inspectors enforce the rule against every storm drain, ditch, creek, or gutter feeding the MS4, with criminal fines up to $2,000 per day and civil penalties reaching $5,000 per violation.

Within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, San Antonio Code Sec. 34-912 bans nearly all construction in designated floodplain preservation areas covering watersheds over 100 acres. The San Antonio Water System requires a letter of certification before any development, and only listed exceptions like street crossings, utilities, fences, and park trails are allowed.

San Antonio's UDC requires property developers to manage all stormwater flowing through their property, including drainage from upstream development. The Storm Water Design Criteria Manual (Jan 2016) governs design standards. The Edwards Aquifer Protection Ordinance (Chapter 34, Div. 6) limits impervious cover to 15% for residential development on the Recharge Zone and prohibits impervious cover in floodplain buffer zones.

Texas has no recreational cannabis program, so San Antonio's Unified Development Code provides no commercial cannabis zoning. Only state-licensed Compassionate Use dispensing organizations and licensed hemp and CBD retailers operate, subject to standard retail zoning and state oversight.

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 481 prohibits all personal cannabis cultivation. San Antonio cannot authorize home grows under home-rule authority, and any number of plants exposes the grower to felony manufacturing charges under state law.

Home cultivation of marijuana is illegal in San Antonio under Texas state law. Texas Health & Safety Code § 481.121 makes possession of marijuana a criminal offense, and cultivation constitutes manufacture under § 481.112-113. Texas does not distinguish between recreational and home-grown marijuana. Only licensed dispensaries under the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) may cultivate low-THC cannabis for registered patients.

Solar panel installation in San Antonio requires a building permit from the Development Services Department and pre-approval from CPS Energy for grid-tied systems. UDC § 35-398 governs renewable energy systems, setting zoning rules for ground-mounted solar farms and height limits of 12 feet for panel arrays. Roof-mounted residential systems require structural engineering analysis and must comply with the adopted electrical code. Permit fees range from $275 to $525.

Texas Property Code § 202.010 prohibits HOAs from banning or unreasonably restricting solar energy devices, including solar panels and solar roof tiles (added by HB 431). HOAs may require devices to conform to the property's roof slope and color but cannot deny installation. San Antonio follows state law, and CPS Energy's solar rebate program provides additional incentives for residential solar regardless of HOA status.

Garage sale signage in San Antonio is regulated under Chapter 16, Article XII (Garage Sales) and Chapter 28 (Signs). Residents may post up to 3 signs to advertise their sale, beginning 2 days before the event. All signs must be removed when the sale ends. Signs may not be placed on telephone poles, light standards, street signs, or city right-of-way. A garage sale permit ($16) must be obtained before the sale.

Along the IH-10 West/Loop 1604 corridor outside city limits, San Antonio bans off-premise billboards outright and caps on-premise freeway-facing signs at 40 feet (pole) or 50 feet (multi-tenant) in height, and 350 or 500 square feet in area, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 28-65. The overlay runs 500 feet from the right-of-way along each expressway.

Inside any San Antonio historic district or on a designated landmark, a window sign, defined under UDC Sec. 35-612 as anything placed inside a window or on the glass to communicate business or event information, counts as a building-mounted sign. It shares the same facade cap as any other sign there: no more than 20 percent of the facade and 50 square feet total per building without a variance.

Inside San Antonio's Military Lighting Overlay Districts near Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, Camp Bullis/Camp Stanley and Martindale Army Air Field, decorative holiday lighting is exempt from the district's strict color-temperature, foot-candle and shielding rules only from November 15 through the following January 15.

New off-premises digital signs, digital billboards, are prohibited across San Antonio and its ETJ. Only the roughly 13 LED billboards from a 2007 pilot program, plus narrowly council-authorized additions, may operate, and each must meet strict dwell-time, spacing, and brightness limits.

Political signs in San Antonio are regulated as temporary signs under Chapter 28 (Signs) of the Code of Ordinances. They may be displayed for up to 90 consecutive days, must be staked to the ground or securely affixed, and cannot be placed on city-owned property. Signs must have property owner approval and cannot create hazardous conditions. Violations are punishable through Municipal Court with fines up to $500.

Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 342.004 lets San Antonio require every property owner to keep real property free of weeds, brush and nuisance conditions, and Sec. 342.008 lets the city mow weeds over 48 inches without notice if they're an immediate danger. Unpaid abatement costs become a lien against the lot, accruing 10 percent interest, senior only to tax and street-improvement liens.

San Antonio enforces property blight standards through the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code (SAPMC, effective May 2025) and Chapter 6, Article IV of the Code of Ordinances. Code Enforcement Services addresses property maintenance, inoperable vehicles, graffiti, and general blight. Properties with unfit structures or unsafe equipment are handled under SAPMC Section 108. Appeals go through the Building Standards Board under Chapter 6, Article VIII.

San Antonio caps how bright a digital sign or billboard can glow under Code of Ordinances Sec. 28-43: full-color displays can't exceed 7,000 nits by day or 2,500 nits at night, with lower ceilings for single-color reds, greens, and ambers. Every digital display also needs a dimmer and photocell, and light reaching the nearest home can't exceed 0.2 footcandles.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code requires outdoor lighting for signs, parking, and other uses to be arranged so the light source is concealed from adjacent residential properties. Fixtures on residential property that produce any measurable foot-candles at the property line must be full cutoff, blocking light output above 90 degrees. Parking and loading area lights face height caps tied to how sharply they cut off glare.

San Antonio requires full-cutoff fixtures on residential lighting that reaches the property line, and caps parking-lot light poles at 15 to 30 feet depending on the fixture's cutoff angle, under UDC Sec. 35-392. Every light source must be shielded so its output stays off adjacent residential land and out of traffic.

San Antonio adopts the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code as its minimum housing standard under Sec. 6-51, and multifamily complexes with five or more units that rack up repeated code violations are enrolled in the Apartment Inspection Program under Sec. 6-66. Enrolled properties face monthly Development Services inspections until every violation affecting resident health, life, safety, and welfare is fixed.

San Antonio 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 30 days' written notice without stating a reason. Fixed-term leases may be terminated for breach under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 24.

Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules for San Antonio landlords. Deposits must be returned within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions. San Antonio does not impose stricter local limits.

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. San Antonio has no just-cause requirement and no ordinance restricting no-fault, end-of-lease nonrenewal.

San Antonio has no comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance like Los Angeles or Seattle. Tenants rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and SA Fair Housing Code Chapter 2-92 for protection against landlord harassment based on protected characteristics.

Texas has no statewide source-of-income protection. San Antonio Fair Housing Code Chapter 2-92 covers traditional protected classes but does not broadly add source of income citywide. Limited voucher protections apply through federally assisted housing and SA's nondiscrimination policy for city-funded projects.

San Antonio has NO local rent control ordinance. Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902 preempts any Texas municipality from adopting rent control unless the governor approves it after a declared housing-emergency disaster. The City of San Antonio Code of Ordinances has no rent stabilization chapter.

San Antonio does not have a comprehensive rental property registration program for standard residential rentals. However, the city does require short-term rental registration through the STR permit system (UDC § 35-374.01). The Absentee Property Owner's Registration program under Chapter 6 applies to properties not occupied by the owner and ensures a local point of contact for code enforcement purposes.

San Antonio provides a green cart for yard trimmings and food scraps under Sec. 14-17, but the program is not mandatory: a resident can decline it entirely and simply keep once-a-week refuse pickup, or lose the cart for repeated contamination.

San Antonio homes must use and pay for the city's garbage, brush, and refuse service; Sec. 14-30(a) makes it mandatory outside a narrow apartment or mobile-home-park exemption, with monthly fees set by container size and refuse required in sealed bags in a brown cart under Sec. 14-11.

San Antonio residents get a blue recycling cart with once-a-week pickup under Sec. 14-12, accepting paper, cardboard, metal cans, and rigid plastics loose and unbagged. Carts with refuse, appliances, clothing, or other contamination will not be collected.

San Antonio's Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-41 sets tight placement and collection windows for commercial dumpsters and roll-out containers, especially downtown. In the Central Business District, roll-out containers can only sit curbside from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and must be gone by 9 a.m., with fines up to $2,000 per violation for containers left out late.

San Antonio picks up brush only twice a year on a fixed, evenly spaced citywide schedule under Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-13, and it's unlawful to set brush at curbside outside that window. Weekly yard trimmings instead go in the green organics cart under Sec. 14-17, and off-cycle brush pickup costs an extra fee under Sec. 14-14.

San Antonio collects garbage weekly, with recycling and organics on separate days. Use the city's My Collection Day tool to find your days. When a holiday falls on a weekday, that day and the rest of the week shift one day later.

Dumping trash, debris, junk, or garbage on any San Antonio street, waterway, drain, or public or private lot is unlawful and a declared public nuisance under Municipal Code section 14-47, carrying municipal-court fines of $100 to $2,000 per day.

San Antonio provides curbside bulky item collection for single-family residents through the Solid Waste Management Department. Items not accepted include brush, construction debris, hazardous materials, mirrors/glass, vehicle parts, and electronics. Placing prohibited items in bulky piles is a violation of Chapter 14 with fines up to $2,000/day plus collection and disposal fees. The $3.00 monthly environmental fee provides access to drop-off centers for additional disposal.

San Antonio's solid waste management department sets exact rules for where wheeled carts go and when: clear of sidewalks, mailboxes, and parked cars by three feet, out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before pickup, and removed from the curb by 10:00 p.m. on collection day.

San Antonio issues every serviced household a blue cart for weekly recycling under Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-12. Only city-designated materials go in loose, never bagged, and the department can skip a cart on inspection if it's contaminated. Repeated contamination gets a resident pulled from the program and billed for a second garbage cart for at least six months.

Drone pilots cannot fly inside the Class C or D airspace covering San Antonio International and Stinson Municipal Airports without FAA Air Traffic Control Tower authorization. Anyone flying within three miles of either airport must first call the airport duty manager and the FAA tower before takeoff.

Texas law (Government Code § 423.009) preempts local drone regulation, so San Antonio cannot enact its own UAS ordinances. Recreational drone operators must follow FAA rules, including obtaining a TRUST certificate and registering drones over 0.55 lbs. San Antonio's proximity to five JBSA military installations creates significant controlled airspace; operators must use the LAANC system for airspace authorization near military airfields.

Anyone operating a food truck, pushcart, trailer, or vending food on foot in San Antonio must hold a current mobile food establishment permit from the Metropolitan Health District director, with the permit naming the food type and vehicle.

San Antonio bars mobile food vending within 300 feet of a school around school hours, bans it in the downtown business district without a special permit, and caps residential-area operating hours. Sec. 13-63 lays out where, when, and how a permitted truck, cart, or trailer may stop.

San Antonio maintains a no-soliciting framework where residents can display 'No Soliciting' signs. While the city does not operate a formal no-knock registry, solicitors who ignore posted signs may face enforcement action. The peddler permit ordinance (Chapter 16, Sec. 16-226) authorizes SAPD to respond to complaints about solicitors in posted neighborhoods. Soliciting from vehicle occupants is separately prohibited under Sec. 19-8.

San Antonio Code Chapter 22 requires solicitors, peddlers, and itinerant vendors to obtain a permit from the city through SAPD. Applicants undergo fingerprinting and a background check. Religious, political, and charitable canvassing is exempt. Permitted hours are 9 AM to sunset and "No Soliciting" signs are enforceable.

Most San Antonio city parks close at 11:00 p.m. and reopen at 5:00 a.m., with Woodlawn Lake Park closing at midnight and natural-area creekway parks closing at sunset. Sec. 22-28 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to be in a park during closed hours without a special events permit or holiday declaration.

San Antonio's youth curfew, City Code Secs. 21-121 through 21-125, still bars anyone under 17 from public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on school days, with parents fined $50 to $500 for letting a child violate it. Texas House Bill 1819, effective September 1, 2023, stripped every city's authority to enforce a curfew like this, so SAPD can no longer act on it.

San Antonio sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks per zoning district in the Unified Development Code's dimensional matrix, Table 310-1. A single-family lot zoned R-20 needs a 10-foot front setback, 5-foot side setback and 30-foot rear setback; R-6 drops the rear setback to 20 feet, and R-1 to just 5 feet.

Building height in San Antonio is capped per zoning district in UDC Table 310-1 and administered under Sec. 35-517. Single-family districts R-20 and R-6 top out at 35 feet or 2½ stories, R-1 at 25 feet or 1½ stories, and multi-family RM-6 at 35 feet across 3 stories, measured under the International Building Code.

San Antonio caps accessory structures, garages, sheds, workshops, at 50 percent of the combined side and rear yard area on any lot. Sec. 35-370(b) adds a hard floor-area ceiling of 2,500 square feet in residential districts and keeps every accessory structure taller than 30 inches at least five feet off the side or rear property line, three feet if it has no eaves.

San Antonio requires street trees along the public right-of-way whenever a development adds five or more parking spaces or goes through subdivision review. Sec. 35-512 sets spacing by overhead utility clearance: one large tree every 50 feet with no utility conflict, or a medium or small tree every 30 feet under lines, planted in a twelve-foot strip and irrigated for three years.

San Antonio protects any tree of six inches or greater trunk diameter as a 'significant tree,' but five hardy natives, Ashe juniper, huisache, mesquite, Arizona ash and hackberry, need 10 inches before they count, while six ornamentals like Texas persimmon and redbud qualify at just five inches. Sec. 35-523(f)(1)(A) sets the species-specific list that drives every tree permit review.

San Antonio classifies a tree as a heritage tree once it reaches 24 inches in trunk diameter, or just 12 inches for six ornamental natives like Texas persimmon and Texas mountain laurel. Table 523-1A then requires developers to preserve 100 percent of heritage trees on a platted lot or project site, the strictest standard in the tree preservation ordinance.

San Antonio limits residential properties to 4 garage sales per year, one per quarter, under Chapter 16, Article XII. Each sale may last no more than 2 consecutive days. Registered nonprofit organizations are allowed up to 12 garage sales per year. The sale of more than 5 items on residential property triggers the permit requirement. Estate sales must follow the same rules and regulations as garage sales.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code requires any homeowners' association formed to maintain a subdivision's common facilities, like parks or open space, to adopt articles of incorporation and bylaws that substantially match the city's model text in UDC Section 35-B130, covering board elections, annual meetings, assessments, and member inspection rights before development services will certify the plat.

San Antonio HOAs draw their fine power from the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act, not a city ordinance. Since January 2024 an association must adopt a written enforcement policy with a fine schedule, give written notice, and grant a hearing on request.

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 (the Residential Property Owners Protection Act) requires all HOA board meetings to be open to homeowners. Boards must provide advance written notice of meetings, and meetings where assessments are discussed must include member notification. San Antonio HOAs follow these state-level requirements as there is no separate municipal HOA ordinance.

Texas Property Code Chapter 202 and Chapter 209 govern HOA architectural review authority. Associations may enforce deed restrictions on exterior modifications, but must follow specific procedural requirements including written notice and an opportunity to cure before taking enforcement action.

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessments and liens. Associations with 15 or more lots must offer payment plans for overdue assessments (minimum 3-month term). Before filing a lien, the HOA must send a written notice allowing at least 30 days to cure. HOAs may foreclose on assessment liens but must follow strict notice and procedural requirements.

Texas Property Code Section 209.007 provides homeowners with the right to a hearing before the board or a board-appointed committee to dispute violations or fines. Before filing suit, the association must attempt resolution through this hearing process. Mediation is encouraged but not mandatory under state law.

Texas Property Code Chapters 202 and 209 govern enforcement of CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions). The association must provide written notice and a 30-day cure period before fines or legal action. San Antonio requires all HOAs with mandatory assessments to register with the city's Association-Organization Registry.

After severe weather, San Antonio has no guaranteed storm-debris pickup. City Code section 14-25(e) gives the Solid Waste Management director authority to decide the response; absent extraordinary action, storm debris moves through the normal brush and bulky cycles or at the resident's expense.

Shooting commercial film or movie production in a San Antonio city park, on the River Walk, or at Alamo Plaza requires a permit from the San Antonio Film Commission. Sec. 22-34 sets flat per-shoot fees of $200 for the River Walk and Alamo Plaza and $50 for other city parks.

San Antonio enforces IFC and IBC sprinkler requirements through SAMC Chapter 10 and 11 for new commercial and multifamily construction. Texas Government Code Section 1301.551 preempts mandatory sprinklers in detached one and two-family homes despite IRC R313.

San Antonio has not adopted a mandatory green building code such as IgCC or CALGreen. The Build San Antonio Green program and CPS Energy rebates incentivize voluntary residential and commercial green construction beyond Energy Code minimums.

San Antonio's Fire Code, Sec. 11-40 amending Section 915.4, requires carbon monoxide detection in new buildings and points existing buildings to Section 1103.9. Under Section 1103.9.1, existing Group R-2 apartments with fuel-burning appliances serving multiple units had until October 1, 2019 to retrofit CO alarms.

San Antonio's Property Maintenance Code requires every dwelling unit door to have hardware that tightly secures the entrance, plus security devices on doors, attic access, windows and hatchways. Landlords meet the security-device rule by installing hardware that satisfies Texas Property Code Chapter 92, Subchapter D.

San Antonio's Code Official carries the authority to inspect any structure under the Property Maintenance Code, accepting written reports from approved agencies or inspecting directly. Inspectors must carry city identification, notify on-site management and occupants when practical, and enter only at reasonable times.

San Antonio enforces the 2023 National Electrical Code as its electrical standard, with city-specific amendments in Sec. 10-52 covering everything from dwelling-unit definitions to grounded-conductor color coding. Electrical work covered by the code needs a Development Services Department permit, and contractors must hold a state or city-recognized electrical license before pulling one.

San Antonio enforces the 2024 International Plumbing Code, Chapters 2 through 15 plus Appendices B through E, as its plumbing standard under Sec. 10-81, layered with local amendments in Sec. 10-82. Plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs need a Development Services Department permit, and only licensed master plumbers, resident homeowners, or specially licensed installers may pull one.

Before you build, enlarge, alter, move, demolish, or change a building's occupancy in San Antonio, City Code Sec. 10-6(a) requires applying to the Building Official and obtaining a permit first. The Development Services Department issues it.

San Antonio childcare centers are licensed and inspected by Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Regulation under 26 TAC Chapter 746, layered with SAMC Chapter 10 building, fire, and zoning requirements before opening.

San Antonio adopts the International Building Code (IBC) with local amendments through Chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances. Scaffold erection and use must comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L standards. Scaffolds on public sidewalks or rights-of-way require a permit from the Development Services Department.

Elevator safety in San Antonio is regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 754. All elevators, escalators, and related equipment must be registered with TDLR, inspected annually, and maintained by licensed contractors.

San Antonio requires a procession permit under City Code Sec. 19-631 before organizing any parade, march or public assembly that blocks the normal flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. First Amendment processions get free permits with a 15-business-day filing window, while commercial processions pay a $75 fee and file 45 days ahead.

San Antonio requires a Fire Code operational permit before running any portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliance, from patio heaters to event-scale units. Section 324 of the amended 2024 International Fire Code sets the safety rules: one 2A:10BC fire extinguisher for every 3,000 square feet of heater coverage, positioned within 75 feet of travel distance.

Any food booth at a San Antonio street fair or festival needs a Fire Code operational permit, $35 a day if prepaid or $45 if paid on site, under Section 323 of the amended 2024 International Fire Code. The section sets booth spacing, cooking fuel, fire extinguisher, and propane tank rules vendors must follow.

Reserving a San Antonio park pavilion for a birthday party, family reunion or other gathering requires a paid reservation through the Department of Parks and Recreation. Sec. 22-10 sets an hourly fee scaled by day of week and location, with a four-hour minimum and fixed rules for rescheduling or canceling the booking.

Restaurants in San Antonio's downtown business district need an annual sidewalk cafe permit from the Downtown Operations Department before placing tables and chairs on the public right-of-way. Fees run $250 to $750 by footprint, and the permit excludes Market Square and the Riverwalk.

San Antonio requires a director-issued permit before anyone builds a fire escape, balcony, awning or connecting walkway that extends into a public street, alley, sidewalk area or drainage easement. Permits run 10 years, cost $500, and are limited to a short list of approved uses.

Abutting property owners in San Antonio, not the city, are on the hook for sidewalk, curb, parkway and driveway repairs. Sec. 29-11 requires owners to keep these areas in good, safe condition and gives them just thirty days from written notice by the director of public works to fix a defect once the city flags it.

San Antonio makes it unlawful to place or maintain 'appurtenances' (planters, trash receptacles, fences, vending machines, public artwork, bike racks and similar street furniture) on sidewalks or right-of-way abutting streets rebuilt under the Tri-Party Downtown Transportation Improvements Project. Sec. 29-20 backs the ban with a fine and a 72-hour removal notice before the city hauls the item away itself.

San Antonio caps noise from entertainment-zoned property, the bars, nightclubs and live-music venues where amplified sound concentrates, at 85 decibels using the Leq averaging method, measured from an adjoining property under separate ownership. Sec. 21-52(a)(12) sets this ceiling well above the 63 to 72 dBA limits for residential, business and industrial zoning, but crossing it is still a citable noise nuisance under Chapter 21.

San Antonio classifies the continued or frequent sounding of a car horn, alarm or other vehicle signal device as a noise nuisance under City Code Sec. 21-52(a)(4), unless the horn is being used as a genuine danger signal. A violation is a Class C misdemeanor enforced by the housing and neighborhood services director's noise abatement officers.

San Antonio's noise ordinance exempts air-conditioning units, heat pumps, and pool equipment from citation only when sound stays at or below 63 dBA on residential property or 70 dBA on non-residential property. The city measures from 15 feet away or the nearest exterior wall of a neighboring building, whichever is closer, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 21-55(6).

Any person, including a tenant, can trigger a San Antonio dangerous-building inspection by filing a complaint that a hotel, apartment or other building may be substandard or unsafe. The director of code compliance can inspect on a filed complaint, on referral from another city department, or on the director's own good-faith belief of a violation.

San Antonio enrolls apartment complexes of five or more units in a mandatory Apartment Inspection Program once an owner racks up three program points in six months. Enrolled owners must register, pay a fee, and submit to monthly inspections of common areas and a sample of units.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code excludes Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) from tree preservation protection. Owners and developers may remove it without a tree permit, mitigation payment, or arborist variance, and it never counts toward the city's minimum final tree canopy requirements, unlike native significant and heritage species that trigger permitting and civil penalties up to $2,000.

San Antonio names eight non-native invasive tree species, including Chinese tallow, tree of heaven and salt cedar, as unprotected under its tree preservation ordinance. Sec. 35-523(f)(1)(C) excludes them from the tree survey entirely, so owners can remove them without a tree permit, mitigation, or counting them toward preservation percentages required for other species.

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. Audio recording on security cameras is legal if at least one party consents or conversations are in public areas.

Since 2021, Texas House Bill 1927 lets most adults 21 and older carry a handgun concealed without a permit. The optional License to Carry under Texas Government Code chapter 411 still gives reciprocity, school-zone benefits, and federal background-check shortcuts in San Antonio.

Under the Motorist Protection Act, Texas Penal Code section 46.02(a-1) lets adults legally entitled to possess a firearm carry a handgun inside their own motor vehicle or watercraft without a permit, provided it is not in plain view if the carrier is engaged in criminal activity.

Texas allows open carry of handguns in a holster for adults 21 and older. House Bill 1927 (2021) removed the License to Carry requirement. Long guns have long been openly carried. San Antonio adds no local rules; only state sensitive-place limits apply.

San Antonio 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 flavoring of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products beyond state law.

Selling, giving, or furnishing tobacco, e-cigarettes, or any nicotine product to anyone under 21 is illegal in San Antonio under Texas Health & Safety Code section 161.082, which aligns with the federal Tobacco 21 law enacted in December 2019.

San Antonio does not regulate plastic straws or stirrers. Texas state law preempts city container regulations, and restaurants may distribute single-use plastic straws freely without on-request or upon-request limits anywhere in the city.

San Antonio has no ordinance restricting expanded polystyrene foam cups, plates, or takeout containers. Texas state law preempts local container bans, so restaurants and retailers may freely use foam packaging across the city.

Texas Labor Code Chapter 62 reserves minimum-wage authority to the state and ties Texas to the federal $7.25 floor. San Antonio cannot enact a higher private-employer minimum, so federal FLSA rules govern most private workers in the city.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code sets aside an FR Farm and Ranch zoning district to preserve rural, agricultural land with a 25-acre minimum lot size and by prohibiting incompatible land uses. The district allows farming, ranching, and limited accessory dwellings while barring multi-family development outright.

Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 251 protects farms operating one year or longer from nuisance suits based on changed surrounding conditions. The state shield applies in San Antonio but mostly affects edge-of-city and Bexar County agricultural parcels.

Texas SB 4 (2017), codified in Government Code Chapter 752, prohibits any Texas city from adopting sanctuary policies. San Antonio is not a sanctuary city; SAPD must honor ICE detainers and may inquire about immigration status during lawful stops.

San Antonio makes it unlawful to camp in any public place outside city-designated areas under City Code Sec. 21-28, a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to $500. The ban covers storing belongings, pitching tents or shelters, cooking, campfires and digging on streets, parks, sidewalks and other outdoor areas the public can access.

San Antonio bars sitting or lying in the downtown right-of-way when it blocks pedestrians, but only after a police warning. The central-business-district rule under City Code Sec. 21-26 is a Class C misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $500.

Uber, Lyft and other transportation network companies operating at San Antonio's airports must use the TNC's own app for every trip and confine pick-ups and drop-offs to zones the aviation department designates, which the director can change, alter or expand at any time.

San Antonio's Sec. 19-660 splits micromobility devices into three legal classes: electric bicycles capped at 20 mph and 100 pounds, motor-assisted scooters with a motor no bigger than 40cc, and bicycles equipped with GPS. Sec. 19-661 bars scooter riders from sidewalks entirely and sets a 16-year minimum age for scooters and e-bikes alike.

San Antonio requires any dockless scooter or e-bike company to register and hold a city permit agreement before charging riders. Fleet size is capped at the number the permit authorizes, and riding or parking is banned on the River Walk and downtown plazas.

San Antonio's Bike Plan and SAMC Chapter 19 govern bicycle operation on city streets, requiring motorists to provide three feet of passing distance, while the citywide bike network expands protected lanes, neighborhood greenways, and bayou trails.

San Antonio has no ordinance targeting cryptocurrency mining. Facilities are allowed by right in nonresidential zoning like any data-processing use. The only mandatory rule is Texas's requirement that large miners over 75 megawatts register with the state utility commission.

San Antonio's UDC has no dedicated data-center use. Data centers fall under "Office Data Processing & Management" in the Nonresidential Use Matrix, permitted by right in office, C-2/C-3 commercial, downtown, and light and general industrial districts, but not in residential or neighborhood-commercial zones.

SAWS WaterSaver Landscape Coupon, administered by the Conservation Department, pays residential customers for replacing high-water turf with drought-tolerant landscape, supporting drought-stage compliance and the Edwards Aquifer Management Plan.

SAWS' recycled water program, set out in San Antonio Code Secs. 34-1141 through 34-1145, limits recycled water to commercial, industrial, irrigation, and streamflow uses under a written contract. Drinking, food preparation, and domestic use are banned, and reselling recycled water for an unauthorized purpose is unlawful citywide.

San Antonio's drought and water conservation ordinance classifies failing to repair a controllable leak as unlawful "waste" of water. SAWS enforces the rule citywide and in its ETJ, with Class C misdemeanor fines that escalate for repeat violations and possible water service discontinuation for chronic offenders.

Any infill or redevelopment project on property zoned 'D' Downtown must follow the Downtown Design Guide in UDC Appendix G, per Sec. 35-310.11(b) and Sec. 35-425. Sec. 35-650 layers a Certificate of Appropriateness requirement on top, reviewed against both the guide and Sec. 35-608, and where the two conflict, Sec. 35-608 controls, not the guide.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code lets developers build more units as of right under Sec. 35-360 by trading extra open space, affordable units, or commercial retrofits for density credit. Bonuses run up to 130 percent of base density under Table 360-2, and qualifying residential subdivisions can shrink minimum lot sizes to match the added unit count.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code (UDC), codified at SAMC Chapter 35, governs zoning, subdivision, and land use citywide. The SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan and dozens of community and neighborhood sub-area plans guide rezoning decisions.

San Antonio requires every food establishment to post its current health permit and the latest city inspection report where customers can see it. The Metropolitan Health District also issues an optional grade placard tied to that inspection score, and a restaurant may never display any placard except its own.

San Antonio relies on Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 728 and Metro Health guidance for sharps disposal. Used syringes must go in puncture-resistant containers, never in household trash or recycling, and Metro Health partners with pharmacies on take-back drop-offs.

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 438 requires every San Antonio food employee to complete an accredited food handler course within 60 days of hire. Metro Health enforces during inspections, and a Certified Food Manager must also be on staff.

San Antonio's Property Maintenance Code (SAPMC) requires all structures to be maintained free of pest infestations. Property owners must eliminate rodent, insect, and vermin harborage through approved methods. The city's Code Compliance Department enforces pest-related nuisance violations with fines of $100-$2,000.

San Antonio hotels collect a 9% city Hotel Occupancy Tax under SAMC Chapter 31 (7% general plus 2% expansion) on top of the 6% Texas state HOT, producing a 15% combined burden. Operators register with the San Antonio Finance Department and file monthly returns electronically.

San Antonio can designate a building, site, structure or district a historic and cultural landmark under UDC Sec. 35-607 once it meets at least three of ten listed criteria, from cultural heritage value to unique architectural design. City council, the historic preservation officer or the owner can initiate the process, and once approved the property carries an 'HL' zoning suffix and falls under Certificate of Appropriateness review for exterior work.

Any exterior change to a building in a San Antonio historic district, or to a designated landmark, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic and Design Review Commission before permits issue. The Office of Historic Preservation and the HDRC review the work against adopted design guidelines.

San Antonio's Unified Development Code confines tattoo parlors and body piercing studios to "C-3" General Commercial zoning: Table 311-2's Nonresidential Use Matrix marks both uses "P" (permitted by right) only in the C-3 column, with every office, neighborhood-commercial, light-commercial, downtown, and industrial column left blank.

San Antonio outlaws vehicle painting, service, or repair as a home occupation anywhere in the city's residential zoning districts, under UDC Sec. 35-378(b)(1). Unlike other home-business limits based on traffic or noise impact, this is a categorical ban: no permit, waiver, or low-volume exception brings auto repair work at a residence into compliance.

San Antonio towing companies must hold a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation license under Occupations Code Chapter 2308 plus a city wrecker permit under SAMC Chapter 19. Nonconsent tow rates are capped, signage is required at every lot entrance, and storage fees are limited.

San Antonio licenses sexually oriented businesses under San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 21 and zones them through Unified Development Code Section 35-373, requiring annual permits, manager screening, and 1,000-foot buffers from churches, schools, parks, residences, and other SOBs.

Every San Antonio retailer selling cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, or alternative nicotine must hold an annual Texas Comptroller permit under Tax Code Chapter 154 and Health and Safety Code Chapter 161. State preemption bars San Antonio from imposing a separate city tobacco license.

San Antonio secondhand dealers, including used-jewelry buyers, used-merchandise stores, and metal recyclers, must register under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1956 and report transactions to SAPD's Pawn Detail through LeadsOnline within 48 hours to support stolen-property recovery.

Pawnbrokers operating in San Antonio must hold a Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner license under Texas Finance Code Chapter 371. Maximum interest is roughly 20% per month on small pawns, items must be held 30 days, and SAPD monitors transactions through LeadsOnline.

Massage therapists and establishments in San Antonio must hold Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation credentials under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455. SAPD Vice and Code Enforcement target illicit parlors through joint inspections, zoning checks, and human-trafficking referrals to Bexar County.

San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 21 and Texas Penal Code Section 42.01 (Disorderly Conduct) prohibit urinating or defecating in any public place. The act is a Class C misdemeanor, and aggravated cases near minors can support enhanced charges or sex-offender screening.

San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 21 bans aggressive solicitation involving touching, blocking pedestrians, persistent following, threatening conduct, or solicitation near ATMs and bus stops. Texas Penal Code Section 22.06 covers any offensive contact. Passive sign-holding remains protected speech.

Marijuana possession stays a state crime in San Antonio: two ounces or less is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas Health and Safety Code 481.121. Since July 2019, SAPD officers may cite and release resident offenders instead of arresting, at their discretion.

San Antonio bans loitering in public for the purpose of soliciting prostitution under City Code Sec. 21-25(c), a Class C misdemeanor. Officers must weigh circumstances like repeated attempts to flag down passing vehicles or a known history of prostitution convictions, and must give the person a chance to explain before making an arrest.

Riding a skateboard, bicycle, skates or rollerblades in a San Antonio city park is illegal outside a short list of approved spots. Sec. 22-26 confines wheeled recreation to designated trails, park roads and designated park equipment, and a violation is a Class C misdemeanor citation from park police.

San Antonio Municipal Code Chapter 21 caps residential noise at 70 dB(A) day and 63 dB(A) overnight at the property line. SAPD can cite hosts and tenants, while repeat-call cost-recovery rules under Chapter 12 charge property owners for each follow-up response within 12 months.

The 2011 San Antonio Smoke-Free Air Ordinance, codified at SAMC Chapter 13, bans smoking in restaurants, bars, workplaces, sports venues, and within 20 feet of building entrances. Public parks, plazas, and the River Walk are also covered. E-cigarettes were added by 2015 amendment, making it among the strongest in Texas.

Texas Transportation Code Section 552.005 requires pedestrians outside marked crosswalks to yield to oncoming vehicles. San Antonio Police continue to cite jaywalkers, unlike California's Freedom to Walk reform, with base fines around $100 plus court costs in San Antonio Municipal Court.

Inside San Antonio's downtown central business district, it is a Class C misdemeanor to hold an open container or drink alcohol in public. Consumption on a licensed bar or restaurant premises, in a private building, or in a car is a defense.

San Antonio levies a local occupation tax on every business, profession or occupation equal to half the state's occupation tax and fee for that classification. Operators must buy a license from the tax assessor-collector before opening, renewed annually by June 1.

San Antonio taxes and decals every skill, pleasure, or music coin-operated machine, the category covering eight-liner and game-room devices, at up to a quarter of the state occupation tax per machine. Machines without a valid decal are unlawful to possess or exhibit and can be sealed shut.