Rowlett, TX

Rowlett makes it an offense to harbor a dog or other animal that barks, howls, or makes unreasonable noise disturbing neighbors; 15 minutes of noise is automatic evidence of a…

Rowlett bans outdoor power equipment in residential zones between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. on Sundays), and lowers its citywide decibel ceiling for the same overnight hours…

Rowlett's noise code sets numeric dBa ceilings by zone and time of day: residential tops out at 65/60 dBa, commercial at 72/67 dBa, industrial at 85 dBa around the clock.

Rowlett requires vehicles to keep an exhaust system with a tailpipe and resonator and bans playing a vehicle stereo loud enough to be heard 50 feet away, holding owners and absent…

Rowlett bars operating a radio, musical instrument, TV, phonograph, or other sound-reproducing device in a way that breaks the city's decibel table or unreasonably disturbs neighbors…

Rowlett bars outdoor power equipment in residential zones from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (9 a.m. Sundays), and only exempts home repair, lawn work, and loading noise from its limits inside…

Rowlett exempts lawn maintenance equipment, including leaf blowers, from noise limits only between 7 a.m. (9 a.m. Sundays) and 10 p.m.: otherwise the general power-equipment curfew…

Rowlett, Texas, in Dallas and Rockwall counties, bars parking RVs, boat trailers, and house trailers on residential streets, alleys, or rights-of-way, unless the owner holds a one-week…

Rowlett bars leaving any unattended vehicle parked or standing on a public street, alley, or other public place for more than 48 hours straight. Section 66-101 does not require the…

A wrecked, dismantled, or inoperable vehicle visible from a public place is declared a public nuisance in Rowlett, and maintaining one is a misdemeanor punishable for every day it…

In Rowlett, Texas, Dallas and Rockwall counties, it's unlawful to stop, stand, or park directly opposite an alley entrance or within ten feet of one on any public roadway, under Code…

Rowlett requires single-family and duplex driveways and parking spaces in the front yard or unscreened side yard to be paved with concrete, though pavers, grid-paving, asphalt, or…

Rowlett bans parking any truck rated over one and one-half tons on public streets in residential-zoned areas of the city. The rule sits in Sec. 66-104 of the Code of Ordinances…

Commercial, industrial, and public/institutional buildings in Rowlett must provide off-street loading berths sized by building type and floor area before construction or a 25%+…

Texas Transportation Code Section 544.011 gives official painted curb markings the force of regulatory signs across all of Dallas County. Red curbs prohibit stopping; yellow indicates…

Texas Occupations Code chapter 2308 sets the statewide rules for nonconsent towing and vehicle booting. A vehicle owner has 14 business days to demand a hearing in the justice court…

Rowlett is one of the few Texas suburbs with an outright sterilization mandate: any pet ferret over six months old must be spayed or neutered before it can legally be kept in the city…

Rowlett limits residential beekeepers to two hives on a half-acre lot or smaller and four on up to one acre, but lifts the cap entirely if hives sit 100 feet from every property line.

Rowlett bars keeping horses, cattle, goats, and other large livestock on residential lots under one acre, and requires 150 feet of separation from a neighbor's living quarters on…

Rowlett makes it a public nuisance to let a home, yard, or enclosure used for keeping animals become unsanitary or foul-smelling: the city's main tool against animal hoarding since it…

Rowlett bans letting any animal other than a cat run at large; an animal is legally "at large" unless it's confined by a fence or building, or on a leash and held by its owner. A…

Rowlett bans keeping any wild or exotic animal for pet ownership, sale, display, or exhibition anywhere in city limits, with narrow exceptions for zoos, circuses, and licensed wildlife…

Rowlett doesn't ban dog breeds: it regulates by behavior, requiring owners of dogs declared dangerous after an unprovoked attack to carry $100,000 liability insurance, secure…

Native birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 64. Dallas County has no separate bird ordinance. Removing nests, eggs, or…

Dallas County has no dedicated cat ordinance. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 826 mandates rabies vaccination for cats over four months. Dallas County HHS oversees rabies control…

Texas does not prohibit retail pet sales statewide, and Dallas County imposes no countywide pet-store sourcing ban. Dallas City Code Section 7-3.1 limits retail sales to rescue and…

Texas lets hunters bait and feed game animals, including deer, on private property statewide. Baiting is unlawful on most public land, for wild turkey in the East Zone, and for all…

Removing a protected tree in Rowlett requires an approved tree-removal and site-clearing permit under Sec. 98-72, reviewed by the planning and community development director and…

Rowlett ties routine landscape watering to whatever citywide drought plan is in effect and requires new development's automatic irrigation systems to carry rain and freeze sensors.

Rowlett, Texas requires every property owner, occupied or vacant, across Dallas and Rockwall counties, to keep grass, weeds and brush under 12 inches, or face a misdemeanor and a city…

Rowlett requires trees and shrubs to keep 8 feet of vertical clearance over sidewalks and 14½ feet over streets, with no branches encroaching into the path of travel.

Texas strongly supports rainwater harvesting. TX Water Code Section 16.0121 promotes collection. TX Property Code Section 202.007 prohibits HOAs from banning rainwater harvesting…

Dallas County does not regulate artificial turf on residential property in unincorporated areas. State law under Texas Property Code 202.007 limits an HOA's ability to ban synthetic…

Dallas County does not regulate residential planting choices in unincorporated areas, and Texas Property Code 202.007 bars HOAs from banning drought-tolerant landscaping, including…

Rowlett, Texas (Dallas/Rockwall County) caps residential accessory buildings at the zoning district's lot-coverage limit or 35% of the rear yard, requires a 3-foot side setback in the…

Rowlett allows a garage apartment as an accessory dwelling by right in the SF-40, SF-20, MF-2F and MF-S districts under City Code § 77-303(B), but it isn't a free-standing rental unit…

Texas has no tiny-home-specific statute. Any transportable, chassis-mounted dwelling that reaches 320 square feet is manufactured housing under Occupations Code Chapter 1201, built to…

Rowlett requires an active short-term rental permit before any owner can list, advertise, or operate an STR, with extra rules inside the Lake Ray Hubbard Take Area.

Rowlett caps short-term rental occupancy at two guests per bedroom plus two, and never more than 12 people total regardless of bedroom count. A city employee's visual count of over 12…

Rowlett, Texas makes it unlawful for a short-term rental owner to skip hotel occupancy taxes and requires occupant records on 30 days' notice.

No county parking requirements for short-term rentals. Texas counties cannot zone or impose parking requirements. No guest parking ratios, no off-street parking mandates. State highway…

Dallas County imposes no platform-liability requirements on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar STR hosting sites. Texas has no statewide platform mandate. City rules vary. Dallas Chapter 42B…

Dallas County does not impose a maximum number of short-term rental nights per year in unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack general authority to regulate STRs, and no…

Rowlett requires an annual city permit for every public pool, spa or water feature, plus safety vacuum release or pump shut-off testing where the code calls for it.

Rowlett requires plans for any residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub to show compliance with the city's child-safety fencing rules, and withholds final inspection and approval…

Rowlett caps fences at 36 inches in required front yards (both fronts on key lots) and eight feet in side or rear yards, including privacy fencing, unless the zoning ordinance says…

Rowlett requires a building-inspection department permit before installing a fence or altering one, unless the work affects 25 percent or less of the fence's total area.

Rowlett limits fences to chain link, brick, stone, stucco, wrought iron, wood picket or PVC; barbed wire and electric fencing are allowed only for large livestock, and razor wire is…

No county fence neighbor dispute ordinance. Texas is not a shared-fence-cost state. TX Property Code governs boundary disputes. Fence placement disputes are civil matters between…

Rowlett, Texas (Dallas/Rockwall County) allows home occupations by right in residential zones if the business stays under 500 square feet or 20% of floor area, the operator lives…

Rowlett bars any visible sign for a home-based business. City Code § 77-303(D)(1)(c)(5) prohibits advertising devices or other signs of a home occupation that are visible from outside…

A Rowlett home occupation cannot generate customer or delivery traffic, congestion, noise or nuisance detectable off the property. City Code § 77-303(D)(1)(c)(3), (4) and (8) require…

Dallas County does not license or zone home daycares: child-care regulation is handled by Texas DFPS / HHSC under Tex. Human Resources Code Ch. 42. Care for up to 3 unrelated children…

Texas does not license cottage food at all. Health and Safety Code Section 437.0191(a) declares that a cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment, and…

Burning combustible material outside a spark-containing enclosure is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Dallas County under Sec. 38-1, fined up to $1,000. On state ozone-alert days, Sec…

Unincorporated Dallas County bans burning combustible material outside an enclosure that contains all flames and sparks, so an open fire pit without a screen or containment violates…

Outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated Dallas County unless a daily burn permit is issued by the Dallas County Fire Marshal. Burns must be at least 300 ft from any building…

TX Local Government Code Section 352.051 allows county commissioners to restrict fireworks in unincorporated areas during drought or disaster. TX Occupations Code Chapter 2154 governs…

Selling, transporting, dispensing, or storing propane (LP-gas) in Texas requires a license from the Railroad Commission of Texas under Natural Resources Code Chapter 113. Only the…

Temporary decorative seasonal lighting is exempt from Rowlett's exterior-lighting standards, including footcandle limits, shielding, and the no-flicker rule, as long as each individual…

Rowlett caps residents at three garage or yard sales in any 12-month period, each running no more than three consecutive days, and requires every advertising sign to come down within…

Billboards are prohibited citywide in Rowlett, Texas, and the sign code separately bars electronic or scrolling messaging on any billboard, closing the digital-billboard workaround…

Rowlett caps window signage at 40 percent of window area per façade and bars window signs above the first floor, though most window signs need no permit at all.

Texas Election Code 259.003 and Election Code Section 259.002 protect political signs on private residential property. Cities cannot regulate compliant signs at any time, and HOAs…

Opening a vapor store anywhere in Rowlett, Texas requires a special use permit under the city's Development Code: capped at five years and revocable by the city council for repeated…

Rowlett bans operating a sexually oriented business within 1,000 feet of a church, school, public park, residential district, or residential lot, and within 1,000 feet of another…

Rowlett requires a city license for any massage establishment, approved in writing by both the health officer and the chief of police before it opens.

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1956 governs crafted-metal dealers (gold and silver buyers) statewide with DPS registration. Dallas County does not license general secondhand dealers…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 makes the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation the sole licensing authority for tow operators and vehicle storage facilities in Dallas…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 146 requires every tattoo and body-piercing studio in Dallas County to hold a Texas Department of State Health Services license. Dallas County HHS…

Pawnbrokers in Dallas County are licensed under Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 by the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC). The county adds no parallel license, but the Dallas…

Rowlett makes it an offense to obstruct any public street, alley, sidewalk, or parkway with lumber, boxes, fences, vehicles, or similar items unless a city ordinance expressly allows…

Rowlett puts sidewalk repair squarely on the abutting property owner: section 54-189(a)(3) requires owners to clean and keep the public sidewalk and driveway apron in good repair, and…

Property owners building improvements in the right-of-way abutting their Rowlett lot must first obtain a permit under the same rules that govern utility construction there.

Rowlett, Texas, in Dallas and Rockwall counties, levies a 7% hotel occupancy tax on any hotel room costing $2 or more a night, collected by the operator and remitted to the city…

Rowlett's exterior lighting standard bans off-site light spillover outright: Sec. 77-510(B)(1)(d)(4) says exterior lighting may never add more than one footcandle of illumination at…

Rowlett's Development Code directs exterior lighting to control light pollution and recapture views to the night sky, requiring that upward-directed architectural and decorative…

Rowlett residents can bar peddlers and solicitors from their property by posting a placard reading 'peddlers and solicitors prohibited' at least 3.75 inches square in 48-point type…

Rowlett requires anyone going door-to-door to sell goods, take orders, or solicit charitable donations to first get a master permit from the police department. Sec. 10-233 spells out…

Rowlett residents may only use the polycarts and recycling bins issued by the city's franchised solid waste hauler; section 50-1(b) declares those the only approved containers for both…

Dumping garbage, trash, rubbish, or dead animals on any street, alley, drain, or public or private property inside Rowlett city limits is unlawful, and it draws the code's enhanced…

Rowlett requires grass clippings to be bagged before collection: either inside the trash polycart or set out for bulk pickup in clear or yard-waste-labeled bags, with a 40-pound weight…

Commercial dumpsters and trash compactors in Rowlett must be screened from public view: dumpsters need six-foot masonry walls on three sides with a solid double metal gate on the…

Rowlett caps curbside bulk and brush pickup at two cubic yards per week, requires items out by 7 a.m. on collection day, and bans placement near polycarts, in alleys, or under low…

Rowlett runs solid waste and recycling collection exclusively through the city and its franchised contractors, and no business may collect, haul, or dispose of solid waste in the city…

Rowlett residents must place trash and recycling polycarts curbside between 4 p.m. the day before collection and noon the day after, with the recycling cart set about three feet from…

No county trash collection service. Residents must contract with private waste haulers. TX HSC Chapter 343 requires rubbish not accumulate to nuisance levels. Illegal dumping…

Rowlett makes it a criminal offense to sleep overnight in any public transportation facility, public place, vacant lot, street, alley, or park within city limits unless you own the…

Rowlett requires a floodplain development permit before any construction, land alteration, or use change inside its areas of special flood hazard, which cover the city's jurisdiction…

Rowlett requires storm sewer inlets sized to keep 100-year design-storm flows under 1.5 inches over residential street curbs, capping street flow at 45 cubic feet per second under the…

Any Rowlett property owner proposing new development must submit an erosion control plan covering excess siltation and downstream erosion, approved by the city engineer, under Code §…

Rowlett requires new and substantially improved residential structures in mapped flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, two feet above the base flood…

Dallas County sits within the Dallas-Fort Worth ozone nonattainment area, where TCEQ Rule 30 TAC 114.512 limits commercial heavy-duty vehicle idling to five minutes. Locally adopted by…

Texas has no statewide cool roof mandate, and Dallas County applies cool roof specifications only to its own facilities through capital project standards. Private buildings follow the…

Texas prohibits damaging, destroying, or removing a sand dune or its vegetation seaward of a dune protection line or within a critical dune area unless a permit authorizes the work…

Rowlett makes it unlawful to loiter in a public transportation facility, public park, or public place when the loitering is tied to specific red flags: apparent street-gang activity…

Rowlett bans loitering in any public place, or within 50 feet of an ATM, bank entrance, pay phone or fuel pump, for the purpose of aggressive panhandling.

Rowlett bans smoking not just inside enclosed public buildings but within 15 feet of any entrance to one, under § 22-242(a). Owners must post signage naming the 15-foot buffer, and a…

Rowlett bans drinking alcohol in parks, streets, sidewalks, parking areas and on city property citywide, with a narrow exception for Downtown Rowlett during set weekday, weekend and…

Texas Transportation Code 552.005 requires pedestrians crossing outside marked crosswalks to yield right-of-way to vehicles in Dallas County. There is no specific jaywalking offense…

Texas Local Government Code 250.008 lets counties regulate noise only in unincorporated areas. Dallas County's Sheriff enforces state Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct (unreasonable…

Texas does not have a stand-alone public urination statute, but Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct and 21.08 indecent exposure cover the conduct in Dallas County. The Dallas County…

Rowlett requires a building permit before any electrical wiring, equipment, or sign installation, alteration, or addition under its adopted 2023 National Electrical Code.

Every short-term rental in Rowlett, Texas must have working carbon monoxide detectors, verified by a mandatory city inspection before the permit issues.

Rowlett adopts the 2021 International Plumbing Code in full, so any plumbing installation, repair or alteration inside city limits needs a permit and inspection from the building…

Rowlett requires a building permit before any construction, enlargement, or structural alteration of a building, plus a certificate of occupancy before use: except single-family homes.

Texas amended IRC R313 to make residential fire sprinklers optional for one- and two-family homes. Dallas County does not require home sprinklers in unincorporated areas, but…

Daycare centers in Dallas County must be licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Regulation division. Dallas County HHS handles local sanitation…

Rooftop solar panels that meet Rowlett's location, height, and screening standards need no special permit, but any panel or supporting structure that doesn't comply requires a special…

TX Property Code Section 202.010 prohibits HOAs from banning solar energy devices. HOAs may require prior approval but cannot unreasonably deny. Solar roof tiles included per HB 431…

Rowlett has no separate heritage-tree list: instead, Sec. 98-52 designates any tree with an 8-inch trunk diameter (about 25-inch circumference) as a legally "protected tree,"…

Rowlett requires every rental house, duplex, or townhouse to be safe and habitable, fully served by utilities, nuisance-free, and up to International Property Maintenance Code…

Rowlett requires owners and landlords to register every single-family, duplex, or townhouse rental with the city annually before it can be leased or occupied.

Texas has no statewide source of income protection, and Dallas County has not adopted a county-level rule covering its 25 cities. Only the City of Dallas, through 2020 Chapter 46…

Texas has no statewide tenant relocation assistance law, and Dallas County has no county-level relocation ordinance. Tenants displaced by no-fault terminations, condemnation, or sale…

Dallas County does not regulate cash-for-keys voluntary buyout agreements. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 governs landlord-tenant relations and allows landlords and tenants to…

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. Dallas County has…

Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules for all Dallas County rentals. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with…

Dallas County has not adopted a comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Tenants countywide rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and Section 92.0081…

No just-cause eviction protections. Texas is a landlord-friendly state with no county or state just-cause eviction requirements. TX Property Code Chapter 24 governs eviction…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005, a Texas landlord must give a defaulting or holdover tenant at least three days' written notice to vacate before filing a forcible detainer (eviction)…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.019 a residential late fee must be reasonable and may be charged only if written in the lease and the rent stays unpaid two full days after due. A fee is…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001, either party may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving notice, and the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after notice is…

Texas law forbids cities from adopting rent control. A municipality may not establish rent control unless its governing body finds a housing emergency caused by a disaster and the…

In Texas a squatter can claim title only through adverse possession, with periods that shorten as the claim strengthens: 3 years under title or color of title (§ 16.024), 5 years with…

Rowlett requires every food establishment, including mobile food units, to hold a city-issued permit before operating, renewed annually.

Rowlett bans stationary retail vending on streets and public right-of-way; on private property it must still comply with zoning.

Rowlett treats carnivals, fairs, and vendor sales on public or restricted private property as a 'special event' requiring a permit application detailing every merchandise, food, or…

Any meeting or gathering inside a Rowlett park or recreation facility that will draw more than 100 people needs a special permit from the parks and recreation director first, unless it…

Rowlett requires a permit for any parade of three or more people marching in procession on a public street, filed at least 60 days ahead with the special event coordinator.

Rowlett requires a police-issued permit for any neighborhood block party that closes a residential street, filed at least ten days ahead with abutting owners' signatures and police…

Rowlett caps building height by zoning district in the Development Code's dimensional table: 40 feet or 3 stories in SF-40, down to 35 feet or 2.5 stories in SF-20/SF-10, and 35 feet…

Rowlett, Texas (Dallas/Rockwall County) sets minimum front, side, and rear setbacks by zoning district in Table 4.1-1; the largest-lot SF-40 district requires a 50-foot front, 25-foot…

Rowlett caps residential accessory buildings, like sheds and detached garages, at whichever is smaller: the zoning district's maximum lot coverage or 35 percent of the rear yard. City…

Rowlett inspects single-family, duplex, and townhouse rentals at first registration, on complaint, and at every change of tenant, and won't issue or renew registration until the…

Rowlett's Property Maintenance Code requires every vacant building, structure or lot in the city, Dallas and Rockwall counties, Texas, to stay clean, safe, secured and sanitary so it…

TX HSC Chapter 343 nuisance abatement applies to vacant lots: weeds over 36 inches, rubbish accumulation, and stagnant water within 300 ft of a residence are nuisances. Dallas County…

Rowlett allows reclaimed (recycled) water in landscape irrigation only with purple-coded piping, backflow protection on the potable line, no spray across property lines, and bilingual…

Dallas County does not run a turf replacement rebate, but member cities and water utilities including Dallas, Frisco, and Plano offer SmartScape and turf-conversion incentives…

Rowlett's city parks operate on a daybreak-to-11:00 p.m. schedule under section 42-94, and staying inside a park after hours is enforceable alongside the parks department's general…

Rowlett bars minors under 17 from public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on school nights, and from just after midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends, under a curfew renewed by the city…

Rowlett residential garage sales are capped at three per 12-month period, each lasting no more than three consecutive days, under the city's occasional-sale ordinance.

Texas allows open carry of holstered handguns by adults 21 and older without a permit. House Bill 1927 (2021) ended the License to Carry requirement. Long guns may also be openly…

House Bill 1927 (2021) lets most Texans 21 and older carry a handgun concealed without a permit anywhere in Dallas County. The optional License to Carry through Texas DPS still…

Texas Penal Code section 46.02(a-1), the Motorist Protection Act expanded by HB 1927, lets any adult legally entitled to possess a firearm carry a handgun inside their motor vehicle or…

Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 broadly preempts municipal regulation of firearms, ammunition, knives, and related accessories. Cities cannot adopt or enforce ordinances…

Texas counties cannot generally zone land. Dallas County regulates only subdivision plats, floodplains, and on-site sewage facilities in unincorporated areas under Local Government…

Texas HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act effective September 2023, broadly preempts local labor regulation including paid sick leave. Dallas County cannot mandate paid leave…

Texas HB 2127 (2023) preempts local predictable scheduling laws. Dallas County has no scheduling ordinance and is barred from adopting one. Federal FLSA overtime is the only floor.

Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts any city or county from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour floor. Dallas County cannot enact a higher local wage.

Filming inside a Dallas County building requires written approval from the commissioners court, plus a copy of the film script submitted with the rental request. Productions pay a…

Dallas County's Nuisance Abatement Division enforces a set list of public nuisances in the unincorporated area: overgrown weeds, accumulated junk, unsanitary conditions, unsafe…

Dallas County residents can report a suspected public nuisance verbally or in writing to the Nuisance Abatement Division, or the county can catch it during a routine field inspection…

Dallas County must investigate a reported nuisance within seven days under Sec. 34-141(b). Once a violation is confirmed, the owner gets 30 days to abate it, and the county reinspects…

Dallas County's outdoor-burning ban under Sec. 38-1 expressly exempts charcoal grills, so grilling is allowed without the enclosure requirement that applies to open fires. The county…

No county generator noise ordinance. No time-of-use restrictions or decibel limits. TX Penal Code Section 42.01 applies to unreasonable noise. Generators unregulated at county level.

No county HVAC noise ordinance. Texas counties cannot enact noise regulations. Only TX Penal Code Section 42.01 applies if unreasonable. No setback or sound barrier requirements for…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 preempts cities and counties from regulating containers and packages, which the Texas Supreme Court Laredo case extends to polystyrene…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 and the 2018 Laredo Supreme Court decision preempt city and county regulation of single-use packaging, which restaurant lawyers extend to…

The Texas Supreme Court ruling in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association (2018) invalidated municipal plastic-bag bans under Health and Safety Code section 361.0961. Dallas…

FAA regulations govern recreational drone use. Texas Government Code Chapter 423 preempts local drone ordinances. Counties cannot create separate drone rules. FAA TRUST test required…

Texas has no statewide E-Verify requirement for private employers. State agencies and contractors must use E-Verify under a 2014 executive order. Dallas County requires it for its own…

Texas SB 4 (2017) prohibits any county, city, or sheriff from adopting sanctuary policies or refusing ICE detainers. Dallas County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction and the Sheriff…

Dallas County Health and Human Services Vector Control monitors rodents and mosquitoes countywide, while Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 343 lets the county abate rodent harborage…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 438 requires food handlers to complete an accredited course within sixty days of hire. DCHHS verifies cards and Certified Food Manager credentials…

Texas Property Code Chapter 92 makes landlords statewide responsible for habitable rentals including bed bug remediation. DCHHS responds to complaints in unincorporated Dallas County…

Cannabis home cultivation is illegal in Texas. TX HSC Chapter 481 classifies marijuana as a Schedule I substance. No county exception. Possession of any amount is a criminal offense…

Dallas County has no recreational cannabis dispensary buffer-zone rules because Texas does not allow recreational dispensaries. Compassionate Use Program (CUP) sites face no…

Texas has no recreational cannabis program, so no social-equity licensing exists in Dallas County. The state's narrow Compassionate Use Program (CUP) licenses three dispensing…

Texas prohibits all personal cannabis cultivation. Growing even one plant violates TX Health and Safety Code Section 481.120, treated as possession with intent to deliver based on…

Hemp and CBD retail in Dallas County operates under standard commercial zoning per TX Agriculture Code Chapter 122, which permits hemp-derived sales. Recreational cannabis dispensaries…

Texas prohibits all recreational cannabis delivery. Compassionate Use Program low-THC products may be delivered to qualifying patients only by the three licensed dispensing…

Dallas County designates historic markers and monuments through its 15-member Historical Commission, not through a zoning or landmarks board. A state historical marker cannot be…

California's Mills Act does not exist in Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets cities and counties exempt part or all of designated historic property's appraised value from local…

TX Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessments. Liens allowed for unpaid assessments but foreclosure requires specific procedures including notice and payment plan offers. County…

Texas law requires HOAs to provide written architectural guidelines and fair review procedures, with statutory protections for solar, flags, and xeriscape.

Texas HOAs must follow strict notice, hearing, and fine procedures before enforcing covenants, with mandatory cure periods for most violations.

TX Property Code Chapters 202 and 209 govern POA procedures statewide. HOAs must provide open board meetings, annual meetings, and financial reports. County has no role in HOA…

Property Code Section 202.007 voids any homeowners association rule that bans drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, and Section 202.008 bars fines for a brown…

Texas Property Code section 202.012 stops homeowners associations from banning display of the U.S. flag, the Texas flag, or an official U.S. armed forces flag. An association can…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA fines, but only for mandatory-membership subdivisions; condos fall under Chapter 82 instead. State law sets no dollar cap on a fine, only a…

A Texas property owners' association cannot sell your home at a trustee's sale the way a mortgage lender can. Tex. Prop. Code Section 209.0092 requires the association to obtain a…

Texas Property Code Section 209.016 sets no cap on how much of a subdivision an association can rent out, no minimum lease term, and no grandfather clause: a declaration can still ban…

Federal Tobacco 21 (PL 116-94) and Texas Health and Safety Code section 161.082 ban sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapor products, and any tobacco to anyone under 21 in Dallas…

Texas House Bill 1771 (2023), codified at Health and Safety Code section 161.0876, preempts cities and counties from restricting flavored tobacco, menthol cigarettes, or vape flavors…

Texas does not grant counties general Euclidean zoning authority. Dallas County has minimal unincorporated land, so agricultural zoning decisions largely fall to cities. Local…

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…

Texas Tax Code Chapter 171 imposes a single state franchise tax on most businesses operating in Dallas County. Texas does not allow city or county business gross-receipts taxes, so…

Dallas County does not operate a countywide bicycle network. Bike lanes are designed and maintained by individual cities and TxDOT on state highways. DART runs regional transit, and…

Texas lets golf carts onto public roads in four defined situations rather than by general permission: inside a platted master planned community, on a beach open to vehicular traffic…

Texas is a one-party consent state. Under Texas Penal Code §16.02, only one party to a conversation must consent to recording. This applies to both in-person conversations and phone…

Texas nonprofits can conduct bingo only under a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which absorbed the Texas Lottery Commission's charitable bingo program on…

Texas Local Government Code Chapter 234, Subchapter E lets any county's commissioners court license, zone, and inspect "game rooms": for-profit businesses with six or more skill or…

Texas Penal Code § 47.02(a) makes betting at cards, dice, or any game of chance a Class C misdemeanor. Section 47.02(b) supplies a defense: gambling that happens in a private place…

Texas licenses no retail sportsbook and no betting app. Placing a wager on the outcome of a game, contest, or a player's performance is a criminal offense under Penal Code §…

The Texas Legislature has authorized exactly one vehicle checkpoint program, and it has nothing to do with alcohol. Government Code Section 411.0095 lets the Department of Public…

Texas has never enacted an express statutory right to film police, so the legal boundary for a bystander with a phone is set by the offense of Interference with Public Duties, Texas…

Texas Penal Code Section 38.02 makes it a crime to refuse your name, residence address, or date of birth only after a peace officer has already lawfully arrested you. Being detained on…

No Texas statute obliges a driver to consent to a vehicle search, and none requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What Texas law does require is a paper trail: Article…

Texas regulates extra lighting by color, count, height and aim rather than by naming underglow. Transportation Code Section 547.305 bars any lamp showing red from directly in front of…

Texas grants no square inches of windshield to a camera. Transportation Code Section 547.613(a)(1) makes it a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle with an object or material placed on or…

Texas banned motorcycle lane splitting in plain words on September 1, 2023. Transportation Code Section 545.0605(a)(3)(B), added by House Bill 4122 of the 88th Legislature, says the…

Texas outlaws license plate covers in Transportation Code Section 504.945(a)(7), which makes it an offense to display a plate carrying a coating, covering, protective substance or…

Texas does not prohibit owning, mounting or using a radar detector in a private passenger vehicle. The one radar offense in the vehicle equipment chapter, Transportation Code Section…

Texas is one of the states that never wrote a studded tire calendar. Transportation Code Section 547.612(c) is the whole of the law: a tire on a moving vehicle may not carry a block…

Texas allows film down to 25 percent light transmission on both front side windows and on the windshield strip, with a matching ceiling of 25 percent luminous reflectance, and it sets…