Temple, TX

Temple's UDC flatly bars any sign advertising a home-based business, so home occupations must operate without exterior signage of any kind.

Temple's UDC forbids home occupations that create increased traffic, ruling out regular client visits to a home-based business.

Family home and group day care home child care facilities are permitted by right in residential zoning districts under Temple's UDC, subject to floor-area, loading, and home-occupation…

Temple allows home-based businesses in any zoning district, but only inside the house itself, with no outside employees and no advertising signs.

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…

Temple requires every dog or cat adopted from Animal Services to be spayed or neutered within 14 days of adoption or by 6 months of age.

Temple lets residents keep up to six hens in a backyard coop at least 50 feet from a neighbor's house, but roosters and other fowl still need a 150-foot setback under the city's…

Temple requires every dog to be under restraint, enclosed, leashed, or under direct voice control, anywhere off the owner's property; running loose is a Code violation.

Temple limits any one property to three dogs and three cats (plus young litters) unless the owner holds a City-issued multi-pet permit.

Temple prohibits keeping lions, wolves, bears, primates, venomous reptiles, and other wild or exotic animals as pets citywide.

Temple bans keeping beehives within 300 feet of a neighbor's home and requires a water source for the colony.

Texas Health & Safety Code 822.047 prohibits any Texas city or county from regulating dogs based on breed. Local breed bans against pit bulls, Rottweilers, or other breeds are…

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…

In Temple's nonresidential zoning districts, accessory dwelling units must sit inside the main building, are capped at one per lot, and can only house an employee of the on-site…

Temple deleted the standard code exemption for small detached accessory structures, so sheds of any size need a building permit: unlike most cities that exempt structures under 200…

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…

Temple requires a 60-inch barrier around residential pools and 72 inches for public pools, enforced under the city's amended swimming pool code.

Temple requires a building permit for residential pools under its adopted Swimming Pool and Spa Code, with a City Council-set fee schedule.

Temple bans leaving any vehicle parked on the same city street, alley, or city lot spot for more than two days straight.

Temple restricts where RVs, trailers and boats can sit on private property, plus a curb-time cap on public streets.

Temple caps loading-zone stops at 30 minutes and reserves marked zones strictly for active freight or passenger loading during posted hours.

Temple makes it a nuisance violation to park vehicles on unpaved yard, grass, or other unimproved surfaces unless the area is screened from public view per the UDC.

Temple bans parking in front of driveways and requires cars to park headed with traffic, curb-side wheels within 18 inches of the curb.

Temple treats a wrecked, dismantled, or inoperable vehicle visible from a public place as a public nuisance requiring removal by the owner or property occupant.

Temple bans parking heavy trucks, tractors, semitrailers, and buses in front of homes in residential districts.

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…

Temple's UDC caps sound received at zoning-district property lines at 65-75 dB depending on the receiving district's type.

Temple prohibits keeping any animal or bird that causes frequent or long-continued noise disturbing neighbors' comfort and repose.

Temple law requires every vehicle operated on city roadways to have a muffler in efficient working condition and bans exhaust cut-outs, with related bans on engine brakes and excessive…

Temple bans stationary loudspeakers or amplifiers that disturb neighbors, and cuts them off entirely from 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and all day Sunday.

Temple bans loud radios, phonographs and stationary speakers between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if they disturb neighbors.

Temple bans burning trash, brush, and debris outdoors citywide, allowing only permitted recreational fires or permit-based land-clearing burns, and shuts down even those whenever the…

Temple allows recreational fire pits without a permit, but caps size, sets a 20-foot setback from structures, and requires constant attendance.

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2154 governs fireworks sales and use, while Local Government Code Chapter 352 limits how counties can restrict consumer fireworks during drought. The…

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…

Once Moderate Water Shortage is declared, Temple limits sprinkler irrigation to two assigned days a week by street-address parity, before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

Temple's UDC landscaping standards, which require living plant material, exempt single-family and duplex homes entirely, so no city rule dictates real vs. artificial turf in a house…

Temple bans letting weeds, grass, or other rank growth exceed nine inches on lots two acres or smaller, or on any lot with a structure.

Temple requires 7 feet of tree clearance over sidewalks and 13 feet over streets and alleys, with city-ordered trimming and billing for noncompliance.

Temple protects trees over 8 inches DBH within the floodplain and 300 feet beyond it inside the I-35 Corridor Overlay; removing a protected tree requires replacement trees equal to its…

Texas Property Code 202.007 prohibits HOAs from banning rainwater harvesting systems, and Health & Safety Code 341.042 sets statewide standards for harvested rainwater used as a…

Temple caps front-yard fences at 48 inches and rear/side fences at 8 feet, with a mandatory open design above 36 inches near the street.

Temple's UDC confines barbed wire and electric fences to agricultural, light industrial, and heavy industrial zoning, keeping both out of residential yards.

Temple requires a Building Permit, backed by a site plan and landscape plan, before any fence, wall, screen, or enclosure goes up, per UDC Sec. 7.7.1-7.7.2, so the city can confirm…

Under Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 143, Subchapter F, you cannot tear out a fence you jointly own with a neighbor, or one attached to a neighbor's fence, without mutual consent. To…

Texas imposes a 6 percent state hotel occupancy tax on short-term rentals, including houses, condos, and Airbnb or VRBO stays, whenever a room costs 15 dollars or more per day.

Temple's curbside recycling program is voluntary, funded through the standard monthly utility fee, with recycling containers supplied by the City and rules set by the Solid Waste…

Temple's Solid Waste Division collects furniture, appliances, junk, and bulk items curbside on the regular brush/bulk schedule, but mixing bulk items with a brush pile triggers a…

Temple requires brush, leaves, and tree trimmings to be placed at the curb in a separate pile from bagged trash, with strict clearance rules or a special pickup fee applies.

Temple requires garbage carts at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on collection day and removed by 8:00 p.m., per City Code Section 15-11.

Temple requires refuse container storage areas for commercial and multi-family properties to sit in a rear or side service area and be screened by a solid fence when visible from a…

Temple requires every residence to carry city garbage service, with containers curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day and off the curb by 8 p.m.

Temple's Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful to place, store, or abandon garbage, junk, furniture, appliances, or brush in any alley or street within city limits, and separately bans…

Temple's zoning code defines two separate data center use classes, Large and Small, based on a 10,000-square-foot building threshold.

Temple caps industrial noise at the property line: a data center in a Light or Heavy Industrial zone can't exceed 75 decibels, measured with an ANSI-standard, A-weighted meter.

Temple limits residential garage sales to two per year, each capped at three consecutive days, under City Code Article V.

Temple bids out its official wrecker contract, and no other wrecker may respond to an accident scene unless summoned by police or the vehicle owner.

Temple's Unified Development Code lists "Vape Shop" as a prohibited use inside the TMED (Temple Medical and Educational) overlay zoning district, grouped with pawn shops, tattoo…

Temple's Unified Development Code confines sexually oriented businesses to specific zoning districts and treats any existing outside those districts as a nonconforming use subject to a…

Temple requires a City Secretary-issued license before any door-to-door sales or solicitation, with a criminal background check and set canvassing hours.

Temple bars uninvited door-to-door solicitation before 9 a.m. or after 6-7 p.m., and lets residents post a no-soliciting sign that has legal force.

Temple requires a City mobile food unit permit before any food truck can operate, on top of a Bell County health permit.

Temple allows mobile food units to operate on private property in any zoning district for temporary events with a city permit, plus a rented space at the city's food truck court.

Temple prohibits mobile food units, including push carts, from operating or soliciting sales in any public street, sidewalk, or right-of-way; a Class C misdemeanor bars this common…

In Temple's I-35 Corridor Overlay District, outdoor fixtures must be full-cutoff, floodlights capped at 45 degrees below horizontal, mercury vapor lighting is banned, and light can't…

Temple caps outdoor light spilling onto neighboring homes with a bulb-visibility test tied to full-cutoff fixtures.

Temple collects storm-downed brush and bulk debris through its regular Solid Waste Division cycle, but out-of-cycle or storm-generated piles trigger a council-set special pickup fee…

Temple makes the owner or occupant of abutting property responsible for keeping the public sidewalk in front clean, enforceable by city notice.

Temple bans placing barrels, boxes, stands, or other obstructions on city sidewalks, though merchants may briefly use half the walk for loading goods.

Temple requires a street use or encroachment license before placing private improvements in public right-of-way, sidewalks, or easements.

Temple requires new construction in special flood hazard areas to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation, not just at it.

Temple requires construction sites disturbing an acre or more to install erosion and sediment control BMPs before work begins, per Chapter 27 Stormwater.

Temple prohibits discharging anything but stormwater into the city's storm drain system, with fines up to $2,000 per violation for repeat offenses.

Temple requires a floodplain development permit before any construction, fill, or land alteration in a special flood hazard area.

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…

Temple enforces habitability through the 2009 International Property Maintenance Code, adopted citywide with local amendments under Chapter 21.

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…

Texas places no statutory limit on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit. However, the landlord must refund the deposit within 30 days after the tenant surrenders 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…

Temple's fire code bans outdoor burn containers, including grills, on porches, decks, or balconies attached to multi-family buildings, and requires containers on single-family decks to…

Temple's Unified Development Code lets holiday decorations, including string lights, go up in commercial and other non-residential districts starting 45 days before a holiday, with no…

Temple limits window signs to 25% of a storefront's window area in every district except residential and agricultural, with no permit required as long as the sign doesn't block a…

Temple allows one garage-sale sign, no larger than 2 square feet, and only on the property hosting the sale.

Temple's Unified Development Code prohibits animated or moving signs citywide, and its off-premise sign (billboard) standards along I-35 and H.K. Dodgen Loop set only static…

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…

Temple limits single-family homes to 2 to 2½ stories under the UDC, with height measured from average grade to roofline.

Temple caps building coverage on the rear half of most residential lots at 50%, per the UDC's dimensional standards table.

Temple's Unified Development Code sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks that vary by zoning district, with a uniform 10-foot rear yard across residential zones.

Temple requires an electrical permit from the construction safety department before any wiring, sign, or equipment work begins, under a locally amended 2008 National Electrical Code.

Temple's amended 2015 International Residential Code strikes the standard exemption letting small, low decks skip a building permit, so any deck built in the city needs a permit from…

Temple adopts the 2015 International Plumbing Code and requires a permit for all plumbing work, issued only to specific classes of applicants.

Temple prohibits consuming or possessing alcohol with intent to consume it inside Jones Park and the Temple Skate Park, a targeted ban that leaves the city's other parks unrestricted…

Temple prohibits playing music or amplified sound loud enough to disturb neighbors, with a strict 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. cutoff for residential noise.

Temple requires a $100 city permit for any carnival, circus, rodeo, or tent show before it can set up or operate in the city.

Temple requires an event permit before any parade, walk-a-thon, rally, march, or similar activity closes or uses city streets.

Parades, races, marches and rallies using Temple streets need a city event permit filed 30 days ahead with a $10 fee.

Temple delegates park and facility use fees, rental rates, and reservation policies to the City Manager rather than setting them by ordinance.

Temple parks close on posted hours set by the city manager, and staying in a park after closing is a criminal offense.

Texas HB 1819 (88th Legislature, 2023), codified at Local Government Code 370.008 (originally 370.007), prohibits all Texas municipalities and counties from adopting or enforcing…

Temple declares any substandard or dangerous building a public nuisance, subject to a Building Standards Commission order to repair, vacate, secure, or demolish it.

Temple has no citywide heritage-tree ordinance, but its UDC requires protecting trees over 8 inches DBH near the floodplain inside the I-35 Corridor Overlay, backed by a…

Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 487 limits cannabis dispensing to state-licensed Compassionate Use Program providers: expanded to as many as 15 organizations by HB 46 (2025). There…

Texas Health & Safety Code 481.121 makes it a crime to possess or grow marijuana anywhere in the state. Home cultivation is illegal in every Texas city and county regardless of plant…

Texas Government Code Chapter 423 occupies the field of unmanned aircraft regulation. Cities and counties cannot adopt their own recreational drone ordinances, though limited municipal…

Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 expressly preempts municipal and county minimum wage ordinances. The state minimum wage equals the federal floor of $7.25 per hour, and political…

Texas appellate courts have struck down municipal paid sick leave ordinances in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio as preempted under the Texas Minimum Wage Act. HB 2127 (2023) further…

Texas authorizes License to Carry (LTC) holders to carry concealed handguns statewide under Government Code Chapter 411. Since 2021, permitless constitutional carry under HB 1927 also…

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 authorizes open carry of holstered handguns statewide for adults 21 and older under Penal Code 46.02 and HB 910 (2015). Long guns may be openly carried subject to disorderly…

Texas Penal Code 46.02(a-1) lets any non-prohibited adult carry a handgun inside a personally-owned or leased motor vehicle or watercraft without a License to Carry. Since HB 1927…

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 §…

Under the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act, unpaid assessments become a lien (Tex. Prop. Code § 209.0094), but a Texas HOA may not foreclose that lien without first…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs residential subdivision homeowners associations, not condominium associations and not associations that are themselves subject to the Public…

A Texas HOA enforces its recorded restrictive covenants (Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 202), but Chapter 209 controls the procedure: § 209.006 requires certified-mail notice and a cure…

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…

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 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 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…

The Texas Right to Farm Act, Agriculture Code Chapter 251, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits and local regulations after one year of operation. HB…

The Texas Supreme Court in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association (2018) held that Health and Safety Code Section 361.0961 preempts municipal plastic bag bans. Cities and…

Section 202.010 of the Texas Property Code voids any homeowners association rule that bans or restricts installing a solar energy device, a term that under Tax Code Section 171.107…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 161 sets the minimum age for purchasing or possessing tobacco and e-cigarette products at 21 statewide, aligned with federal Tobacco 21. Active…

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…