Arlington, TX zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Arlington, TX?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: CC, FH, GC, IM, LI.
It needs a conditional or special use approval in: DB, NC.
It is not allowed in 11 districts: LO, MH, OC, RE, RM-12, RMF-22, RS-5, RS-7.2, RS-15, RS-20, VG.
10 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC | By right | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': P* in CC, GC, HC, BP, FH, LI, IM; S in NC and DB; blank in LO, OC, NMU, RMU. P* = permitted with supplemental standards 3.2.3.D: stacking lanes screened and meet stacking rules of Sec. 5.4.6. | UDC Sec. 3.1.5 Table 3.1-2; Sec. 3.2.3.D | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| CMU-4 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| CMU-6 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| DB | Conditional | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': S (Specific Use Permit) in NC and DB. Specific Use Permit (council). | UDC Table 3.1-2; Sec. 10.4.6 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| DT-C | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| DT-G | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| ETJ | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| FH | By right | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': P* in CC, GC, HC, BP, FH, LI, IM; S in NC and DB; blank in LO, OC, NMU, RMU. P* = permitted with supplemental standards 3.2.3.D: stacking lanes screened and meet stacking rules of Sec. 5.4.6. | UDC Sec. 3.1.5 Table 3.1-2; Sec. 3.2.3.D | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| GC | By right | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': P* in CC, GC, HC, BP, FH, LI, IM; S in NC and DB; blank in LO, OC, NMU, RMU. P* = permitted with supplemental standards 3.2.3.D: stacking lanes screened and meet stacking rules of Sec. 5.4.6. | UDC Sec. 3.1.5 Table 3.1-2; Sec. 3.2.3.D | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| IM | By right | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': P* in CC, GC, HC, BP, FH, LI, IM; S in NC and DB; blank in LO, OC, NMU, RMU. P* = permitted with supplemental standards 3.2.3.D: stacking lanes screened and meet stacking rules of Sec. 5.4.6. | UDC Sec. 3.1.5 Table 3.1-2; Sec. 3.2.3.D | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| LI | By right | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': P* in CC, GC, HC, BP, FH, LI, IM; S in NC and DB; blank in LO, OC, NMU, RMU. P* = permitted with supplemental standards 3.2.3.D: stacking lanes screened and meet stacking rules of Sec. 5.4.6. | UDC Sec. 3.1.5 Table 3.1-2; Sec. 3.2.3.D | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| LO | Not allowed | A blank cell indicates that the use is prohibited in the respective zoning district. Blank cell. | UDC Sec. 3.1.2.C; Table 3.1-2 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| MH | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| NC | Conditional | Table 3.1-2 'Restaurant with drive-through': S (Specific Use Permit) in NC and DB. Specific Use Permit (council). | UDC Table 3.1-2; Sec. 10.4.6 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| OC | Not allowed | A blank cell indicates that the use is prohibited in the respective zoning district. Blank cell. | UDC Sec. 3.1.2.C; Table 3.1-2 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| PD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| RE | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| RM-12 | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| RMF-22 | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| RS-5 | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| RS-7.2 | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| RS-15 | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| RS-20 | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 |
| TN | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| UN-3 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| UN-5 | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| UTA | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | arlingtontx.gov | 2026-11-14 | |
| VG | Not allowed | Table 3.1-1 (residential districts) has no restaurant or drive-through row. Residential district. | UDC Table 3.1-1 | arlingtontx.gov | 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://gis2.arlingtontx.gov/agsext2/rest/services/Planning/ZoningInfo/MapServer/6 (district field: DISTRICT)
City of Arlington zoning (Planning/ZoningInfo layer 6). DISTRICT = base district; ZONINGDETAIL carries overlays (EDO-, APO- etc.) - base rule applies unless the overlay says otherwise (UDC 3.1.2.E).
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.