Goldsboro, NC zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Goldsboro, NC?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: GB, HB, HB CZ, I-2, SC, SC HB & R-9.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: CBD.
It is not allowed in 20 districts: AB, AG, I-1, NB, O-R, R-5, R-6, R-7, R-9, R-9SF, R-12, R-12 & O&I, R-12SF, R-16, R-20, R-20A, R-40, RM-6, RM-8, RM-9.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | Not allowed | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' blank in this column. Blank cell (sit-down restaurants may be allowed). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| AG | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| B-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| B-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| B-4 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| CBD | Conditional | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' S2 in CBD. S2 = special use permit. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| GB | By right | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' P in GB, SC, HB, I-2; S2 in CBD. Permitted with Sec. 5.5.4 standards (not read). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| HB | By right | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' P in GB, SC, HB, I-2; S2 in CBD. Permitted with Sec. 5.5.4 standards (not read). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| HB CZ | By right | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' P in GB, SC, HB, I-2; S2 in CBD. Permitted with Sec. 5.5.4 standards (not read). Suffix/overlay "CZ" may add conditions - check. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| HB/OI-1 CZ | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| I-1 | Not allowed | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' blank in this column. Blank cell (sit-down restaurants may be allowed). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| I-2 | By right | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' P in GB, SC, HB, I-2; S2 in CBD. Permitted with Sec. 5.5.4 standards (not read). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| I-5 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| IBP-1 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| M | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| NB | Not allowed | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' blank in this column. Blank cell (sit-down restaurants may be allowed). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| O&I | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| O&I-I | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| O&I-II | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| O-R | Not allowed | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' blank in this column. Blank cell (sit-down restaurants may be allowed). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| P-2 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| PUD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 | |
| R-5 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-6 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-7 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-9 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-9SF | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-12 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-12 & O&I | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-12SF | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-16 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-20 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-20A | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| R-40 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-6 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-8 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-9 | Not allowed | Restaurants, drive through: blank in AG and residential columns. Residential district. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| SC | By right | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' P in GB, SC, HB, I-2; S2 in CBD. Permitted with Sec. 5.5.4 standards (not read). | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| SC HB & R-9 | By right | Table: 'Restaurants, drive through or pick-up window' P in GB, SC, HB, I-2; S2 in CBD. Permitted with Sec. 5.5.4 standards (not read). Suffix/overlay "HB & R-9" may add conditions - check. | UDO Table of Permitted Uses; Sec. 5.5.4 | 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://services5.arcgis.com/q2nSlChj7QgGTANO/arcgis/rest/services/Goldsboro_Zoning/FeatureServer/43 (district field: CURRENT_ZONING)
City of Goldsboro zoning (Goldsboro_Zoning layer 43, field CURRENT_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.
