Huntsville, AL zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Huntsville, AL?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: AC, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, HI, LI, RPC.
It is not allowed in 13 districts: M, O, PDH, R1, R1A, R1B, R1C, R2, R2A, R2B, R2C, RA, RO2.
12 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC | By right | Restaurants listed in Airport Commercial Drive-thru not addressed. | Sec. 64.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| AIP | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| C1 | By right | Cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops and restaurants without alcohol. Code silent on drive-thru (no drive-in/fast-food use or definition); treated as restaurant use. C-1: business inside enclosed building except patio seating. | Secs. 20.1-27.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C2 | By right | Cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops and restaurants without alcohol. Code silent on drive-thru (no drive-in/fast-food use or definition); treated as restaurant use. C-1: business inside enclosed building except patio seating. | Secs. 20.1-27.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C3 | By right | Cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops and restaurants without alcohol. Code silent on drive-thru (no drive-in/fast-food use or definition); treated as restaurant use. C-1: business inside enclosed building except patio seating. | Secs. 20.1-27.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C4 | By right | Cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops and restaurants without alcohol. Code silent on drive-thru (no drive-in/fast-food use or definition); treated as restaurant use. C-1: business inside enclosed building except patio seating. | Secs. 20.1-27.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C5 | By right | Cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops and restaurants without alcohol. Code silent on drive-thru (no drive-in/fast-food use or definition); treated as restaurant use. C-1: business inside enclosed building except patio seating. | Secs. 20.1-27.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C6 | By right | Cafes, delicatessens, coffee shops and restaurants without alcohol. Code silent on drive-thru (no drive-in/fast-food use or definition); treated as restaurant use. C-1: business inside enclosed building except patio seating. | Secs. 20.1-27.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CIP | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| DS | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| HI | By right | Uses permitted by section 23.1 hereof Drive-thru not addressed; via C-3 restaurant line. | Secs. 40.1/41.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| HM | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IP | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| LI | By right | Uses permitted by section 23.1 hereof Drive-thru not addressed; via C-3 restaurant line. | Secs. 40.1/41.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| M | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in Medical district | Sec. 60.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| M2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| O | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in Office district | Sec. 81.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| PD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| PDH | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| PI | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| R1 | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R1A | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R1B | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R1C | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R2 | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R2A | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R2B | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R2C | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RA | Not allowed | Restaurants not listed in residential districts | Zoning Ord. Art. 7-12 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RO2 | Not allowed | Prohibited principal and accessory activities include drive-in facilities | Sec. 80.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RP | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RP2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RPA | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RPC | By right | Restaurants, delicatessens, and cafes. Drive-thru not addressed. | Sec. 53.1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RPW | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.
Official zoning map layer
To find the district for a parcel, query the jurisdiction's own GIS zoning layer: https://services1.arcgis.com/FsRunHWuiGXWVv3B/arcgis/rest/services/ZoningDistricts/FeatureServer/5 (district field: Zoning)
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.
Why this library exists
I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.
If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.