Texas Local Government Code Chapter 212 and Agriculture Code Chapter 251 limit municipal authority to zone or regulate land qualified for agricultural use appraisal. Counties have no general zoning authority, and cities face restrictions on annexing or imposing land use rules on established farms.
Texas counties generally lack zoning authority outside narrow statutory grants such as floodplain or subdivision regulation under Local Government Code Chapter 232. Municipal zoning under Local Government Code Chapter 211 is limited near agricultural land. Agriculture Code 251.0055, added by HB 1750 (2023), bars cities from imposing requirements that prohibit generally accepted agricultural practices unless clear and convincing evidence shows an imminent health or safety danger. Land qualified under Tax Code 23.51 for agricultural appraisal receives additional protections. HB 347 (2019) ended unilateral annexation statewide, requiring landowner consent or an election before bringing rural ag land into city limits and zoning jurisdiction.
Municipal ordinances violating Chapter 251 protections are subject to declaratory judgment and injunctive relief, with attorney fees awarded to prevailing agricultural operators.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Katy, TX
Katy's Code of Ordinances and Zoning Ordinance (Exhibit 14A) do not set a numeric maximum fence height for residential lots and require no building permit fo...
Katy, TX
Katy property owners must keep lots free of rubbish, brush, and other debris under Chapter 6 (Ordinance 01023). Weeds taller than nine inches, or any vegetat...
Katy, TX
Katy prohibits the manufacture, sale, possession, and discharge of all fireworks inside city limits under Article 5.07 of its Code of Ordinances. Violators f...
Katy, TX
Katy bans construction or use of any barbecue pit or open flame within 10 feet of a multifamily building wall, or beneath a balcony, porch, roof overhang, or...
Katy, TX
The City of Katy collects garbage and recycling weekly by color zone - Blue on Monday, Red on Tuesday, Yellow on Wednesday - through Texas Pride Disposal. Fi...
Katy, TX
Katy requires a building permit for converting a garage to living space under the 2021 IRC and 2023 NEC adopted Jan 1, 2024. Conversions cannot create an unr...
See how Katy's agricultural zoning protection rules stack up against other locations.
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