Garland, TX Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- District purpose
- Holding zone for vacant/farm/floodplain/annexed land
- Default on annexation
- New land is automatically zoned AG
- By-right use
- Single-family homes on large lots
- Other uses
- By right or SUP per Land Use Matrix
- Governing section
- GDC § 2.35
Summary
Garland has no standalone right-to-farm ordinance; agricultural land is protected through zoning instead. GDC Section 2.35 creates the Agricultural (AG) district for land not yet ready for development, land used for farming or open space, floodplain-constrained land, and any newly annexed property, which defaults to AG until the City assigns a permanent zoning classification.
(A) Purpose. The Agricultural district is intended for vacant land which is not yet ready for development, land which is used for agricultural or open space purposes, land which due to its topography or location within a floodplain or other undevelopable area is not anticipated to be developed for more intense use, and land which has been newly annexed into the City of Garland. Land that has been newly annexed into the City is initially zoned Agricultural until it is zoned another more permanent zoning classification in the future. Single-family uses on large lots are appropriate in this district. (B) Allowed Uses. All allowed land uses in the AG district (whether by right or by SUP) are indicated within the Land Use Matrix, Article 5 of this Chapter 2.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862189; v40 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
35 of the Garland Development Code establishes the Agricultural (AG) zoning district as a holding designation rather than a right-to-farm nuisance shield. It applies to vacant land not yet ready for development, land actively used for agricultural or open-space purposes, land constrained by topography or a floodplain, and any parcel newly annexed into the City. Under Subsection (A), newly annexed land is automatically zoned AG until the City Council rezones it to a more permanent classification, and the code specifically identifies single-family development on large lots as an appropriate use within the district.
Subsection (B) allows other land uses in the AG district, whether permitted by right or requiring a Specific Use Provision (SUP), as listed in the Land Use Matrix in Article 5 of Chapter 2; a use marked as a specific use there needs an approved SUP application before the City will issue permits for it. Because AG functions as a default, transitional district, a landowner whose property was recently annexed should not assume the AG label guarantees long-term farming rights: the City can initiate rezoning to a residential or nonresidential district through the same public-hearing process used for any other zoning change, and AG carries no special protection against that reclassification beyond the normal zoning-amendment procedure in Article 2 of Chapter 2.
Violations & Fines
Using AG-zoned land for a use not listed as allowed by right or under an approved SUP in the Land Use Matrix is a GDC violation. Section 5.24 makes it a misdemeanor, fined under Section 10.05 (Title 1, Chapter 10, Article 1 of the City Code) up to $2,000, with each day of continued unauthorized use counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Garland have a right-to-farm law protecting agricultural use?
What happens to farmland when Garland annexes it?
Can I run a business or keep livestock on AG-zoned land in Garland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Garland to another location·View the Texas right to farm overview
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Agricultural Zoning Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle agricultural zoning protection.