Zoning Library › Florida › Orange County (unincorporated), FL
Orange County (unincorporated), FL zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Orange County (unincorporated), FL?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: C-1, C-2, C-3, IND-1/IND-5, IND-1A, IND-2/IND-3, IND-4.
It is not allowed in 26 districts (mostly residential; see the table).
31 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| A-2 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| A-R | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C-1 | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C-2 | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| C-3 | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CITY | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IND-1/IND-5 | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| IND-1A | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| IND-2/IND-3 | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| IND-4 | By right | Use table SIC 5812 'Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru...': P in C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1A, I-1/I-5, I-2/I-3, I-4; P(148) in NC, NAC. Permitted; general site development standards apply. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| M-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| NAC | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| NC | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| NR | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| P-D | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| P-O | Not allowed | Use table: drive-thru restaurant blank in P-O (restaurants without drive-thru are P). Blank cell. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| P-O Restricted | Not allowed | Use table: drive-thru restaurant blank in P-O (restaurants without drive-thru are P). Blank cell. Suffix/overlay "Restricted" may add conditions - check. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1-C | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1A | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1A-C | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1AA | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1AA-C | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1AAA | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1AAA-C | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-1AAAA | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-2 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-3 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-CE | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-CE-2 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-CE-2-C | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-CE-5 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-CE-C | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-L-D | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-T | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-T-1 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-T-2 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive-in restaurants, drive-thru: blank in agricultural/residential columns. Residential district. | Zoning Code Sec. 38-77 use table (SIC 5812) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| Restricted A-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| Restricted NAC | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| Restricted NC | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| Restricted NR | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| Restricted P-O | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| Restricted R-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| Restricted R-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD C-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD C-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD C-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD IND-1/IND-5 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD IND-1A | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD IND-2/IND-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD IND-4 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-1A | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-1AA | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-1AAA | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-1AAAA | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-CE | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-CE-5 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-CE-C | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-T | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-T-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| RSTD R-T-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| U-R-3 | 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://ocgis4.ocfl.net/arcgis/rest/services/AGOL_Open_Data/MapServer/51 (district field: ZONING)
Orange County FL zoning (AGOL_Open_Data layer 51, field ZONING). PD = planned development (its land use plan governs).
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.