Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 251, the Right to Farm Act, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits when neighbors arrive after farming began. Dallas County operations qualify under state law.
Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 251 bars nuisance lawsuits against agricultural operations that have been in operation for one year or more, provided they have not substantially changed practices. Protected activity includes crop production, livestock, dairy, poultry, equine, beekeeping, and routine farm noise, dust, odor, and chemical application. The 2023 amendments via HB 1750 strengthened protections by requiring plaintiffs to live within one half mile of the operation and capping damages. Dallas County has limited remaining farmland concentrated in southern and western unincorporated pockets and the Trinity River bottoms, but qualifying operations there receive the state shield. Dallas County does not layer a separate county right-to-farm ordinance on top. Disputes route through Dallas County district court.
A nuisance suit against a covered farm can be dismissed under Chapter 251. The 2023 amendments allow recovery of attorney fees by the prevailing farm and cap punitive damages, deterring frivolous suits.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Cedar Hill, TX
Cedar Hill does not ban specific dog breeds. Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 822 preempts breed-specific bans, but dangerous dogs face strict registration, co...
Cedar Hill, TX
Cedar Hill restricts livestock such as horses, cattle, goats, and pigs in residential zones. Large animals are typically only allowed on agricultural-zoned a...
Cedar Hill, TX
Cedar Hill has no city-adopted Wildland-Urban Interface code and no state-mapped wildfire hazard severity zone — Texas has no formal WHSZ system. Wildfire ri...
Cedar Hill, TX
Cedar Hill requires property owners to maintain tree clearance over sidewalks (8 ft) and streets (14 ft). Major pruning of protected trees may need approval;...
Cedar Hill, TX
Cedar Hill requires lawns and weeds to be kept under 12 inches under its property maintenance code. Code Enforcement issues notices and may abate at owner ex...
Cedar Hill, TX
Cedar Hill does not prohibit artificial turf, and Texas Property Code 202.007 limits HOA bans on water-conserving landscaping. Quality, drainage, and screeni...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Dallas County.
See how Cedar Hill's farm nuisance protection rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.