Brunswick County (unincorporated), NC zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Brunswick County (unincorporated), NC?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: CO-CI, CO-CI-CZ, CO-CLD, CO-CLD-CZ, CO-NC.
It is not allowed in 10 districts: CO-CP, CO-IG, CO-MR-3200, CO-MR-3200-CZ, CO-R-6000, CO-R-7500, CO-R-7500CZ, CO-RR, CO-RR-CZ, CO-SBR-6000.
1 district is not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO-CI | By right | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': L (Limited Use Standards) in C-LD, N-C, C-I, RU-I; blank in I-G, CP and residential. L = permitted subject to limited use standards (staff review, not a special use permit). | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table; Sec. 5.3.5 limited use standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-CI-CZ | By right | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': L (Limited Use Standards) in C-LD, N-C, C-I, RU-I; blank in I-G, CP and residential. L = permitted subject to limited use standards (staff review, not a special use permit). | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table; Sec. 5.3.5 limited use standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-CLD | By right | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': L (Limited Use Standards) in C-LD, N-C, C-I, RU-I; blank in I-G, CP and residential. L = permitted subject to limited use standards (staff review, not a special use permit). | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table; Sec. 5.3.5 limited use standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-CLD-CZ | By right | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': L (Limited Use Standards) in C-LD, N-C, C-I, RU-I; blank in I-G, CP and residential. L = permitted subject to limited use standards (staff review, not a special use permit). | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table; Sec. 5.3.5 limited use standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-CP | Not allowed | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': blank in I-G and CP. Blank cell. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-IG | Not allowed | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': blank in I-G and CP. Blank cell. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-MI | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| CO-MR-3200 | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-MR-3200-CZ | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-NC | By right | Use table 'Drive Through Facilities': L (Limited Use Standards) in C-LD, N-C, C-I, RU-I; blank in I-G, CP and residential. L = permitted subject to limited use standards (staff review, not a special use permit). | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table; Sec. 5.3.5 limited use standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-R-6000 | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-R-7500 | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-R-7500CZ | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-RR | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-RR-CZ | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| CO-SBR-6000 | Not allowed | Drive Through Facilities: blank in RR, R-7500, R-6000, SBR-6000. Residential district. | UDO Sec. 5.2 use table | 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://geo.brunswickcountync.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Layers/Zoning/MapServer/0 (district field: ZCODE)
Brunswick County all-jurisdiction zoning (Layers/Zoning/0, field ZCODE). County districts are prefixed CO-; -CZ = conditional zoning (site plan conditions).
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.