Land Use & Zoning
Under Texas law, a municipality may annex territory within its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Recent Texas legislation has made involuntary annexation:
AEasier and more common
BMore restricted, generally requiring voter approval in most cases✓ Correct
CCompletely prohibited statewide
DOnly possible for commercial areas
Explanation
Texas House Bill 347 (2017) and subsequent legislation significantly reformed municipal annexation. Most involuntary annexations now require voter approval in the area to be annexed, making it much harder for cities to forcibly annex territory without consent. This was a major shift from prior Texas law.
Related Texas Land Use & Zoning Questions
- Texas is unique among major states because most of its cities, except Houston, have zoning but Houston famously operates without traditional Euclidean zoning. Houston instead regulates development primarily through:
- Texas Property Code Chapter 212 governs city and county authority over subdivision plat approval. A municipality may withhold plat approval if:
- A Texas property owner who believes their property has been incorrectly zoned in a way that deprives them of reasonable economic use may file a:
- Under Texas law, deed restrictions (restrictive covenants) in a residential subdivision expire after 25 years unless:
- Texas law generally allows property owners in unincorporated county areas to:
- The Texas Subdivision Act requires developers to file a plat with the county for subdivisions in unincorporated areas. The primary purpose of the plat is to:
- A Texas city's 'form-based code' is an alternative to traditional zoning that emphasizes:
- In Texas, a 'reinvestment zone' (tax increment financing zone/TIRZ) is created by a city to:
Practice More Texas Real Estate Questions
1,500+ questions covering all exam topics. Start free — no signup required.
Take the Free Texas Quiz →