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Zoning Ordinance

The Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A of the Fort Worth City Code) is available through American Legal Publishing. Use the links below to access the various sections directly, or view instructions at the bottom of the page on how to use the ordinance.

View form-based codes(PDF, 6MB)

Recently Approved Ordinances

Number	Title	Effective Date
	Amend Near Southside Form Based Code(PDF, 5MB) Update certain development standards
	Create Expiration for Special Exceptions(PDF, 41KB) Allow for a unused special exception to expire after 180 days.
22335	Urban Agriculture/Farms(PDF, 10MB) Define and identify allowed locations for urban farms as a primary land use.	Aug. 18, 2016
22309	UR Parking and Setback(PDF, 5MB) Amend UR to not allow a 25% reduction in parking, not allow on street parking to count toward required parking, and allow a driveway in an easement or lot to count as the required 20 ft. setback.	Aug. 31, 2018
23430	Define Single Family home monotony differences(PDF, 6MB) Define architectural features that are considered to differentiate housing elevations for purposes of meeting the requirements of Sect. 6.507.	Oct. 3, 2018
23495	Amend Unified Residential Standards/Multifamily(PDF, 5MB) Multifamily Design standards for multi family development to address building orientations and layout, construction materials, and accessibility.	Dec. 23, 2018
23609	Create Conditional Use Permit(PDF, 44MB) Create and define CUP/Conditional Use Permit with standards and applicability. Final proposed Ordinance is uploaded when finalized. Provide comments to zoninglanduse@fortworthtexas.gov	April 5, 2019
23587	Industrial buffers and Light Industrial height(PDF, 605KB) Establish requirements for industrial districts when adjacent to One and Two Family districts including landscaping and building orientation; increase minimum height of "I" district

How to use this Ordinance

Rules

If you have property and want to know what rules apply:

Step 1: Find your zoning district and any overlay districts by looking at the Official Zoning Map.

Step 2: Go to Chapter 4, District Regulations, for details on minimum lot size, required yards and other district standards. You may also be referred to Chapter 6, Development Standards, for general parking, landscaping or sign regulations.

Step 3: Go to Chapter 4, Article 6, Residential District Use Table,, Chapter 4, Article 8, Nonresidential District Use Table, and Chapter 4, Article 12, Form-Based Code District Use Tables for details on permitted uses. If the use is listed with an asterisk (*), see Supplemental Use Standards.

Step 4: Don’t forget the overlay districts that apply to your site (if any). See District Regulations, for overlay district details.

Use

If you want to build or establish a particular use:

Step 1: – Go to Appendix C, Use Index. The alphabetical listing of uses will tell you how the use is listed in the use tables.

Step 2: – Go to Chapter 4, Article 6, Residential District Use Table, Chapter 4, Article 8, Nonresidential District Use Table and Chapter 4, Article 12, Form-Based Code District Use Tables look up your proposed use to see the districts in which it is permitted. If the use is listed with an asterisk (*), see Chapter 5, Supplemental Use Standards, for that use.

Step 3: – Look up the appropriate districts in Chapter 4, District Regulations, for details on minimum lot size, required yards, and other district standards. You may also be referred to Chapter 6, Development Standards, for general parking, landscaping or sign regulations.

Step 4: – Don’t forget the overlay districts that apply to your site (if any). Check the Official Zoning Map. If an overlay district applies, see District Regulations for overlay district details.

Zoning/Historic

If you want to change your zoning district:

Only the City Council may rezone property, following public notice and public hearings in front of the Zoning Commission and the City Council itself. See Chapter 3, Review Procedures, Article 5, Text or Map Amendment (Rezoning).

If you want to vary from the standards that apply:

The Board of Adjustment is authorized to grant variances from some of the regulations in this Ordinance in cases of special hardship. See Chapter 3, Review Procedures, Article 4, Variances.

If your property is located in an historic/cultural district:

You need to follow special procedures found in Chapter 4, Article 4, if your property is located in a preservation overlay district (“HSE,” “HC” or “DD”).

Zoning Map