Prattville, AL zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Prattville, AL?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: B-2, B-4.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: RD-1.
It is not allowed in 16 districts: B-1, Downtown Overlay, F.A.R., INST, M-1, M-2, O-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, T-1, T-2, T-3.
3 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-1 | Not allowed | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant is P only in B-2 and B-4 columns. Neighborhood Commercial; standard restaurant P (max 100 seats), fast food not listed. Drive-thru (fast food) restaurant not permitted. | Art. 5, Table 5-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| B-2 | By right | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant - P in B-2 and B-4. Fast food restaurant = food ordered from an automobile and delivered through a drive-through window or ordering station (2.03.125). Check Downtown Overlay (fast food prohibited) and Art. 8 parking/stacking, Art. 10 buffers. | Art. 5, Table 5-1; def. 2.03.125 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| B-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 | |
| B-4 | By right | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant - P in B-2 and B-4. Fast food restaurant = food ordered from an automobile and delivered through a drive-through window or ordering station (2.03.125). B-4 Highway Commercial. Downtown Overlay prohibits fast food. | Art. 5, Table 5-1; def. 2.03.125 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| Downtown Overlay | Not allowed | The following uses are prohibited regardless of whether they are permitted in the underlying district: ... Fast food restaurant. Overlay - applies on top of the base district. | Sec. 6.03.02(3) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| F.A.R. | Not allowed | FAR Forest, Agricultural, Recreation District - fast food restaurant not listed. Agricultural/recreation district; fast food not listed among its uses. | Sec. 6.01 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| INST | Not allowed | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant is P only in B-2 and B-4 columns. Institutional. Drive-thru (fast food) restaurant not permitted. | Art. 5, Table 5-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| M-1 | Not allowed | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant is P only in B-2 and B-4 columns. Light Industry. Drive-thru (fast food) restaurant not permitted. | Art. 5, Table 5-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| M-2 | Not allowed | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant is P only in B-2 and B-4 columns. General Industry. Drive-thru (fast food) restaurant not permitted. | Art. 5, Table 5-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| N/A | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 | |
| O-1 | Not allowed | Table 5-1: Fast Food Restaurant is P only in B-2 and B-4 columns. Office. Drive-thru (fast food) restaurant not permitted. | Art. 5, Table 5-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| P.U.D. | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 | |
| R-1 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| R-2 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| R-3 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| R-4 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| R-5 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| R-6 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| RD-1 | Conditional | Special Exception Uses ... fast food restaurants Special exception (Board of Zoning Adjustment) in the RD land-use district that lists it; check which RD sub-area the parcel is in. | Sec. 6.02 Redevelopment District | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| T-1 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| T-2 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
| T-3 | Not allowed | Residential / manufactured-home district. Residential district. | Art. 4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-12 |
"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/fWUhmUATXl9W5CJW/arcgis/rest/services/ZONING_JULY_2017/FeatureServer/0 (district field: ZONING_07)
City of Prattville ArcGIS Online layer Zoning_2022 (service name ZONING_JULY_2017, item updated Jan 2026). Code: Prattville Zoning Ordinance via Zoneomics (city Code of Ordinances is on Municode; zoning ordinance read on Zoneomics). City spans Autauga and Elmore counties - saved under both keys.
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.