Tampa, FL zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Tampa, FL?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: IH.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: CG, CI, IG, OP-1.
It is not allowed in 17 districts: CN, OP, RM-12, RM-16, RM-18, RM-24, RM-24/18, RM-35, RM-50, RM-75, RO, RO-1, RS-50, RS-60, RS-75, RS-100, RS-150.
33 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 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| AS-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CBD-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CBD-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CD-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CD-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CD-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CG | Conditional | Ch. 27 Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in = S2 in CG; Drive-in window = S2. Special Use 2 (City Council public hearing). | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| CI | Conditional | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in = S1 in CI and OP-1; Drive-in window = S1. Special Use 1 (administrative, Zoning Administrator). | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| CN | Not allowed | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in cell blank in CN, OP, RO, RO-1. Not allowed. | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| CU | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| IG | Conditional | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in = X in IG but Drive-in window = S1. Drive-in window still needs S1 (administrative). | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| IH | By right | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in = X in IH (Drive-in window row blank for IH). Table rows disagree for IH - confirm with staff. | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| M-AP-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| M-AP-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| M-AP-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| M-AP-4 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| NMU-35 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| OP | Not allowed | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in cell blank in CN, OP, RO, RO-1. Not allowed. | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| OP-1 | Conditional | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in = S1 in CI and OP-1; Drive-in window = S1. Special Use 1 (administrative, Zoning Administrator). | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| PD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD-A | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| RM-12 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-16 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-18 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-24 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-24/18 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-35 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-50 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RM-75 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RO | Not allowed | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in cell blank in CN, OP, RO, RO-1. Not allowed. | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RO-1 | Not allowed | Table 4-1: Restaurant, drive-in cell blank in CN, OP, RO, RO-1. Not allowed. | Tampa Code Sec. 27-156 Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-50 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-60 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-75 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-100 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-150 | Not allowed | Drive-in restaurant not allowed in residential districts. Residential district. | Table 4-1 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| SH-CG | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-CI | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-CN | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-PD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-RM | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-RO | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-RS | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SH-RS-A | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| UC | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-4 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-5 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-6 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-7 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-8 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| YC-9 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
"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://arcgis.tampagov.net/arcgis/rest/services/OpenData/Planning/MapServer/28 (district field: ZONECLASS)
City of Tampa Zoning District (OpenData/Planning MapServer layer 28, field ZONECLASS). City limits only - 'Tampa' mailing addresses in unincorporated Hillsborough fall outside it (use the county key).
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.