La Feria North, TX

Cameron County sets no STR occupancy limit — it can't zone. Limits are a city rule. South Padre Island generally allows about two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests, and prohibits large events or commercial gatherings at rentals.

Cameron County levies a county Hotel Occupancy Tax under Texas Tax Code Ch. 352, authorized because it borders the Gulf of Mexico. The tax may not exceed 7% of the room price. On South Padre Island the total tax stacks: 6% state + county + 10.5% city.

Cameron County has no host-presence rule for STRs. Instead of requiring an on-site host, South Padre Island requires a designated local contact available 24/7 who responds to complaints from city officials within one hour.

Cameron County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals, and it can't — Texas counties don't zone. South Padre Island does not restrict STRs to primary residences either; whole-home investment rentals are permitted if licensed.

Cameron County has no registration program for short-term rentals. On South Padre Island, every owner advertising a rental of under 30 days must register the unit with the City and renew annually; the $125 license carries a permit number that must appear in all ads.

Cameron County sets no annual night cap on short-term rentals, and cannot. South Padre Island — a year-round tourism market — imposes no cap on the number of rented nights either; STRs may operate all year provided they stay licensed and remit taxes.

Cameron County sets no STR parking rule — parking is regulated by cities. On South Padre Island, STR vehicles may not block driveways, fire lanes, hydrants, or traffic, and overnight parking in city-owned lots is no longer allowed.

Cameron County does not zone or license short-term rentals in unincorporated areas — Texas counties have no general zoning power. Permits are a city matter. South Padre Island requires every STR to hold an annual city license before advertising.

Cameron County has no STR-specific noise rule; noise is enforced by cities. South Padre Island applies quiet hours to rentals — stricter limits in Districts A and E after 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends until 7 a.m. — and STR operators must notify guests.

Cameron County imposes no STR insurance requirement. South Padre Island's ordinance centers on licensing, taxes, safety, and a responsive local contact rather than mandating a specific liability policy, though hosts are strongly advised to carry coverage given coastal risks.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no county quiet-hours ordinance — Texas counties cannot enact general noise ordinances. Outside city limits your only tool is the state disorderly-conduct law (Penal Code 42.01). Inside Brownsville, Harlingen and other cities, city noise codes apply.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no amplified-music permit or ordinance — Texas counties can't regulate noise. Cities do: Brownsville requires a permit to operate any amplifying 'device' on a public street and enforces zone decibel limits under Chapter 46.

Unincorporated Cameron County sets no decibel limits — Texas counties can't pass noise ordinances. The state uses an 85 dB threshold in the disorderly-conduct presumption. Cities set real limits: Brownsville allows 63 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) overnight in residential zones.

Cameron County sets no construction-hours ordinance for unincorporated areas — Texas counties can't zone or pass general noise rules. Cities do: Brownsville limits construction noise to 7 a.m.–5 p.m. (until 9 p.m. for light hand/power-tool work), and bars amplified sound as construction activity.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no industrial-noise ordinance — Texas counties can't zone or regulate noise. State disorderly-conduct and nuisance law provide limited fallback. Cities set zone decibel caps: Brownsville allows higher limits in commercial and industrial zones than residential.

Aircraft noise is regulated by the FAA, not Cameron County. Texas counties have no authority over aircraft or airspace noise, and none over ground noise generally. Complaints about Brownsville/South Padre Island International or Valley International (Harlingen) go to the airport and FAA.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no dedicated barking-dog noise ordinance — Texas counties lack general noise authority. Chronic barking may be addressed as a nuisance or as state disorderly conduct. Cities like Brownsville treat animal noise as unreasonable noise under their code.

There is no leaf-blower noise ordinance in unincorporated Cameron County — Texas counties can't regulate noise. Cities may limit equipment noise through their general noise codes. Brownsville's code covers any 'device' producing sound but sets no specific leaf-blower ban.

Cameron County has no county vehicle-noise ordinance in unincorporated areas — Texas counties can't regulate noise. State law bans defective mufflers on public roads. Cities set decibel limits: Brownsville caps moving-vehicle sound at 80 dB(A) in the right-of-way.

Cameron County has no outdoor-music or event-noise ordinance for unincorporated areas — Texas counties can't regulate noise. Cities do: Brownsville requires a permit for amplified devices on public property and allows a parade/fireworks/event permit as a defense to noise charges.

Cameron County itself sets no general on-street parking rules. Texas counties can't zone or regulate parking on city streets, and on unincorporated roads the county mainly acts through the abandoned/junked-vehicle laws, not parking meters or time limits.

Cameron County has no ordinance requiring or restricting electric-vehicle charging stations — that's not a county power. EV charging installation is governed by state electrical code and, inside cities, city building and zoning rules.

Texas counties can't zone, so no county rule governs RVs or boats parked at your home in unincorporated Cameron County; your city sets that. But Cameron County's coastal RV parks (Isla Blanca, Andy Bowie) strictly limit vehicles per space.

Cameron County sets no driveway-parking rule — how many cars you keep on your own driveway or front yard is not a county matter, because Texas counties can't zone. Cities regulate driveway and yard parking inside their limits.

Cameron County sets no overnight on-street parking rule; that's a city matter. But at county beaches and parks, a Day Use pass grants no overnight privileges — overnight stays require a paid, registered RV or tent camping space.

Cameron County sets no on-street loading-zone rules — those are established by cities on their own streets. The county's comparable time-limited loading rule is at its beach boat ramps: five minutes to load or unload.

This is the real county-level parking power in Texas. Under Transportation Code Ch. 683, a motor vehicle left unattended, illegally, or without consent for more than 48 hours is an abandoned vehicle law enforcement may take into custody; junked vehicles are a declared public nuisance.

Cameron County has no curb-painting or curb-marking ordinance. Painted curbs (red no-parking, address numbers, colored zones) are set and controlled by cities on their own streets, not by the county.

No county rule governs parking a work truck or commercial vehicle at a home in unincorporated Cameron County — Texas counties can't zone. Cities set those limits. County parks separately ban commercial activity from camp spaces.

No county ordinance restricts oversized vehicles (buses, large RVs, trailers) at a residence in unincorporated Cameron County — that's a city zoning matter. The county's rules apply in its beach parks and to abandoned oversized vehicles under state law.

Yes. Unincorporated Cameron County has no county zoning and no county beekeeping ban, so backyard hives are generally allowed subject to nuisance rules. Texas classifies bees as agriculture. Inside cities, the municipal code may regulate hive placement.

Texas counties have no automatic leash law. In unincorporated Cameron County, a countywide restraint rule exists only if the commissioners court adopts one under Health & Safety Code Sec. 826.033. Inside cities (Brownsville, Harlingen, etc.) the city leash ordinance applies.

Animal hoarding is addressed through Texas cruelty law and county nuisance abatement rather than a numeric pet cap. Cameron County Animal Control investigates cruelty and hoarding complaints, and neglected animals can be seized under Health & Safety Code Ch. 821.

No. Texas law prohibits breed-specific bans. Cameron County cannot outlaw pit bulls or any other breed. Any extra rules a county places on dangerous dogs must apply regardless of breed under Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.047.

Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Cameron County sets no limit on backyard chickens or livestock. Animals may be kept subject only to nuisance and stock-law rules. Inside cities, the municipal code governs how many fowl or animals you may keep.

Texas is a right-to-farm state with a common-law open-range default: livestock owners are not automatically required to fence animals in. A county-adopted stock law changes that. Cameron County has no zoning, so livestock is limited by stock-law and nuisance rules, not zoning.

Texas regulates dangerous wild animals (lions, tigers, bears, primates, etc.) at the state level under Health & Safety Code Ch. 822, Subchapter E. Owners must register with the county animal registration agency and meet caging and insurance standards. Cameron County administers that registration locally.

Unincorporated Cameron County sets no numeric limit on dogs or cats, because Texas counties cannot zone. The practical ceiling is nuisance and hoarding law. Inside cities, the municipal code often caps how many animals a household may keep.

Cats in Cameron County must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age under state law. Texas has no automatic county cat-leash law, but the county may declare stray cats a nuisance and impound them as the local rabies control authority.

Cameron County sets no general county ordinance banning backyard wildlife feeding, because Texas counties cannot zone. Feeding that attracts pests or creates filth can be addressed through county nuisance abatement, and native wildlife is protected and managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Texas counties can't set a general grass-height limit like a city. But in unincorporated Cameron County, tall weeds within 300 feet of another home or business are a state-law public nuisance the county can order abated.

Cameron County itself sets no lawn-watering schedule. Restrictions come from your water utility or irrigation district's state-required drought contingency plan, which can limit outdoor irrigation days during a shortage.

There is no city-style weed ordinance for private lots, but Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 lets Cameron County treat overgrown weeds in the unincorporated area as a public nuisance and abate them after notice.

You generally don't need a county permit to remove a tree on private land in unincorporated Cameron County. Texas law only lets certain small Gulf-coast counties restrict live-oak clear-cutting, and Cameron's large population excludes it.

Cameron County places no restriction on using native or drought-resistant plants. Texas law actually protects that choice: an HOA cannot ban water-conserving natural or drought-resistant landscaping.

Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Texas. Cameron County can't deny a building permit just because a project uses rainwater collection, and HOAs can't ban rain barrels or rainwater systems.

Cameron County has no permit or ordinance for trimming trees on private property; that is left to cities and to common law. Under Texas neighbor law you may trim branches overhanging your side up to the property line.

Cameron County has no ordinance banning or regulating artificial turf on private property. Cities may set their own rules, and an HOA may steer choices toward water-conserving natural turf but faces state limits.

Home composting is allowed in Cameron County. Texas law protects it: an HOA cannot ban composting of yard vegetation, but a compost pile that draws pests could still be a state-law nuisance if it harms neighbors.

Residential fire pits are generally allowed in unincorporated Cameron County. During a Commissioners Court burn ban, ground fires are prohibited but residential fire pits and BBQ grills remain permitted. Cities may adopt stricter fire-pit rules within their limits.

Cameron County sets no county smoke-detector ordinance; Texas counties cannot zone or adopt building codes for existing homes. Smoke-alarm duties come from the state's building-code framework for new construction and Property Code rules for rental housing.

Cameron County sets no zoning-based defensible-space brush-clearance ordinance; Texas counties cannot zone. Overgrown lots are handled as nuisances under Health & Safety Code Chapter 343, and rural yard-waste burning is governed by TCEQ rules.

Cameron County has no wildfire-hazard zoning overlay; Texas counties cannot zone. Wildfire risk is managed through Commissioners Court burn bans under LGC 352.081 and Texas A&M Forest Service drought monitoring, not mapped fire-severity zones.

Consumer (1.4G) fireworks are legal in unincorporated Cameron County outside city limits and ETJ under state law. During drought or a burn ban, the Commissioners Court may restrict skyrockets and missiles, and outdoor burning of fireworks, as a Class C misdemeanor.

Texas law generally prohibits outdoor burning statewide, with limited exceptions for on-site residential yard waste where no trash collection exists. Cameron County's Commissioners Court can prohibit all outdoor burning during drought or wildfire conditions.

Contained recreational backyard fires are generally allowed in unincorporated Cameron County when no burn ban is active. During a Commissioners Court burn ban, ground fires are prohibited, though residential fire pits and BBQ grills stay permitted.

Propane storage is regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas, not Cameron County. State LP-Gas Safety Rules (16 TAC Ch. 9, adopting NFPA 58) preempt any county or city propane ordinance, so there is no separate county rule.

Cameron County does not referee boundary or shared-fence disputes; there is no county fence ordinance. Fence line, cost-sharing and boundary questions are private civil matters under Texas law, resolved by agreement, survey, or the courts.

Cameron County imposes no general fence construction or design requirements in unincorporated areas because Texas counties cannot zone. Specific fencing (like a pool barrier) is state or city-driven, not a county fence code.

Cameron County sets no fence height limit. Texas counties cannot zone, and unincorporated Cameron County has no zoning. If your address is inside Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito or another city, that city's code controls fence height.

Cameron County places no restriction on fence materials (wood, chain link, vinyl, masonry, barbed wire) in unincorporated areas, since Texas counties cannot zone. Cities and private deed restrictions are where material limits arise.

Cameron County does not issue fence permits and does not require one in unincorporated areas, because Texas counties cannot zone or run a general building-permit program. Cities in the county require their own fence permits.

Cameron County has no residential retaining-wall building code outside cities. In platted subdivisions, the county's Subdivision Rules require engineered drainage and grading so walls and lots do not push stormwater onto neighbors.

There is no county-approved fence-materials list. In unincorporated Cameron County you may use any fence material; approval lists exist only in city codes and private subdivision covenants, not at the county level.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no zoning-based sign ordinance for a home business. Signs along state highways are regulated by TxDOT under the Highway Beautification Act. Inside a city, the city's sign code applies.

Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Cameron County places no zoning restriction on running a business from your home. Inside a city, that city's zoning controls home occupations. The county's real land authority is septic, floodplain, and subdivision platting.

Texas cottage food law lets you make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from your home with no permit and no local inspection. A cottage food production operation has annual gross income of $50,000 or less and is not a food service establishment (H&S 437.001, 437.0191).

Unincorporated Cameron County issues no home-occupation permit because it has no zoning authority. Inside a city you may need a city home-occupation permit or business license. Some businesses still need state licenses and a county septic sign-off.

Home child care is licensed by the state (HHSC Child Care Regulation), not by Cameron County, which cannot zone. Depending on how many children you keep, you need a state license, registration, or listing under Human Resources Code Ch. 42.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no zoning, so it issues no residential swimming-pool building permit. Inside city limits (Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, South Padre) the city permits pools. Public/commercial pools are regulated by the state, not the county.

Cameron County adopts no separate pool-safety code. Public pools follow state standards in 25 TAC Ch. 265. Multiunit-pool gates must be self-closing, self-latching, and open outward under Health & Safety Code Sec. 757.004.

Unincorporated Cameron County sets no residential pool-fence rule; cities enforce the IRC 48-inch barrier. For public and multiunit pools, Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 757 requires an enclosure at least 48 inches high.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no zoning or building code, so it does not separately regulate above-ground pools. Inside a city, the city's building code applies; barrier rules follow the IRC where the pool wall is under 48 inches.

Cameron County sets no hot-tub or spa ordinance in unincorporated areas. The state pool-yard enclosure law (H&S Ch. 757) applies to public and multiunit pools, not a private residential spa. Inside a city, that city's code applies.

Cameron County has no ordinance on converting a garage to living space, since Texas counties cannot zone or enforce a building code in unincorporated areas. If you live inside a city, that city's zoning and building codes govern the conversion. County-wide, only septic capacity and floodplain rules may apply.

Texas counties have no general zoning power, so unincorporated Cameron County sets no accessory-dwelling-unit rule. Whether you may add an ADU, garage apartment, or second home is governed by your incorporated city (Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito) or, in the unincorporated county, only by septic and subdivision-platting requirements.

Cameron County does not regulate sheds, workshops, or detached outbuildings in unincorporated areas because Texas counties have no zoning power. Setbacks, size caps, and shed permits come from your incorporated city. Outside city limits the main county touch-points are floodplain and septic, not shed placement.

Cameron County does not regulate carports, canopies, or metal awnings in unincorporated areas because Texas counties have no zoning or building-code power. Height, setbacks, and permits for carports come from your incorporated city. Outside city limits, a carport may still need a county floodplain permit in a mapped flood zone.

Unincorporated Cameron County has no tiny-home zoning rule; Texas counties cannot set minimum house size or density outside city limits. A tiny home on a foundation still needs an approved septic (OSSF) system and a platted lot; on wheels it is treated as an RV.

Cameron County sets no maximum building or structure height in unincorporated areas, because Texas counties cannot zone. Height limits come from cities, from airport-approach rules, and near the coast from floodplain elevation requirements.

Cameron County has no general zoning setbacks, but its adopted Subdivision Rules set minimum building setbacks in residential subdivisions: at least 10 feet from roads and rights-of-way and at least 5 feet from adjacent property lines where no fire code applies.

Cameron County sets no lot-coverage or floor-area ratio, since Texas counties cannot zone. Its Subdivision Rules do limit density: no more than one single-family dwelling per lot, and a minimum 5,000 sq ft lot on public sewer.

BBQ grills, including propane grills, are permitted in unincorporated Cameron County and stay allowed even during a county burn ban. Propane cylinders follow Railroad Commission LP-gas rules and NFPA 58, not a separate county ordinance.

Backyard smokers, whether wood, pellet, or charcoal, are allowed in unincorporated Cameron County and are treated like BBQ grills, remaining permitted during a burn ban. No county ordinance restricts residential smoking of food.

Cameron County has no citywide blight or zoning code, but state law lets it abate public nuisances in the unincorporated area — accumulated rubbish, junk, weeds, and unsafe structures visible from streets or near neighbors.

In the county's unincorporated solid-waste program, each home gets one 96-gallon cart. Place it within 5 feet of your mailbox by 6:30 AM on collection day, lid opening toward the street, and remove it from the roadside after pickup.

The county has no zoning code for vacant lots, but in the unincorporated area it can abate a lot that becomes a public nuisance — accumulated rubbish or junk, overgrown weeds near homes, or standing water breeding mosquitoes — under Health & Safety Code Chapter 343.

Unincorporated Cameron County sets no garage-sale permit requirement — Texas counties can't regulate this through zoning. Permit rules and sale-day limits are set by cities such as Brownsville and Harlingen for sales within their limits.

There is no county grass-height limit, but Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 makes it a public nuisance to allow weeds to grow within 300 feet of another residence or commercial establishment in a neighborhood in the unincorporated area. Cities set their own weed-height rules.

Cameron County has no light-trespass ordinance for private property, because Texas counties cannot zone or set nuisance-lighting standards outside city limits. If a neighbor's floodlight spills onto your property, your remedy is your city's nuisance code or a private civil nuisance claim, not a county rule.

Cameron County has no dark-sky or outdoor-lighting ordinance for private property, because Texas counties lack zoning power. Any shielding or curfew rules come from your incorporated city. Near the coast, sea-turtle-nesting lighting guidance may apply on beachfront property, but the county sets no general dark-sky code.

Cameron County does not issue tree-removal permits. Texas counties lack that power; only a Gulf-coast county of 50,000 or fewer people can restrict live-oak clear-cutting, which Cameron's population excludes. Cities may require permits.

Cameron County sets no rule on garage-sale or yard-sale signs in unincorporated areas, since Texas counties cannot zone. Cities regulate temporary signs within their limits. Keep signs out of the highway right-of-way; TxDOT controls advertising along state highways under Transportation Code Ch. 391 and Ch. 394.

Cameron County has no political-sign ordinance for private property, because Texas counties cannot zone. Cities set their own sign rules, and the Texas Election Code protects most yard signs. Along highways, TxDOT regulates commercial signs under Transportation Code Ch. 391 and outdoor advertising on smaller roads under Ch. 394.

Cameron County's real land-use authority is its beaches and parks. Under the county's Dune Protection and Beach Access Plan and Court Order 1994, no one may obstruct free public beach access, beach vehicles are restricted, glass bottles and littering are prohibited, and officers may order emergency closures.

Dumping litter or solid waste anywhere but an approved site — including within 300 feet of a highway, on a right-of-way, or into coastal or inland water — is a crime under Health & Safety Code Chapter 365, punished from a Class C misdemeanor up to a state jail felony

For county collection, place your 96-gallon cart within 5 feet of your mailbox by 6:30 AM on collection day, lid opening toward the street, clear of vehicles and obstructions — then remove it from the roadside after pickup.

Cameron County runs a mandatory residential collection program in unincorporated areas: each household must have service, billed at $93.30 per quarter (before tax), with one 96-gallon cart and set collection days. Inside cities, the city or its hauler provides pickup.

Texas doesn't mandate residential recycling, and Cameron County's unincorporated collection program is trash-focused with no separate curbside recycling requirement. Some cities and drop-off centers accept recyclables; check your municipality.

The county Solid Waste Division offers brush and bulk disposal information for unincorporated program customers, and residents can haul large items to an approved solid-waste site. Never dump bulk waste on the roadside — that's illegal dumping under state law.