Lubbock, TX zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Lubbock, TX?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: AC, HC, HDR, NC.
It is not allowed in 12 districts: GI, IP, LI, MDR, MU-1, MU-2, MU-3, MU-5, OF, RE, SF-1, SF-2.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC | By right | Use table: Restaurant P; Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility L (Limited) in NC and AC. L = Limited: allowed by right if the use-specific standards are met (not read). | UDC use table; Sec. 39.0 use-specific standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| GI | Not allowed | Use table: Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility '—' (prohibited) in this district. '—' = prohibited (restaurants without drive-thru may be allowed). | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| HC | By right | Use table: Restaurant P and Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility P in HC. Both uses permitted outright. | UDC use table; Sec. 39.0 use-specific standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| HDR | By right | Use table: Restaurant L and Drive-Through L in HDR. Both limited; column offset checked - verify. | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| IP | Not allowed | Use table: Restaurant '—' in OF and IP (drive-through alone allowed in IP for other uses). Restaurant prohibited. | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| LI | Not allowed | Use table: Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility '—' (prohibited) in this district. '—' = prohibited (restaurants without drive-thru may be allowed). | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MDR | Not allowed | Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility: '—' (prohibited) in RE, SF-1, SF-2, MDR. Residential district. | UDC use table (Sec. 39.0x use-specific standards) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MU-1 | Not allowed | Use table: Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility '—' (prohibited) in this district. '—' = prohibited (restaurants without drive-thru may be allowed). | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MU-2 | Not allowed | Use table: Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility '—' (prohibited) in this district. '—' = prohibited (restaurants without drive-thru may be allowed). | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MU-3 | Not allowed | Use table: Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility '—' (prohibited) in this district. '—' = prohibited (restaurants without drive-thru may be allowed). | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| MU-5 | Not allowed | Use table: Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility '—' (prohibited) in this district. '—' = prohibited (restaurants without drive-thru may be allowed). | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| NC | By right | Use table: Restaurant P; Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility L (Limited) in NC and AC. L = Limited: allowed by right if the use-specific standards are met (not read). | UDC use table; Sec. 39.0 use-specific standards | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| OF | Not allowed | Use table: Restaurant '—' in OF and IP (drive-through alone allowed in IP for other uses). Restaurant prohibited. | UDC use table | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| RE | Not allowed | Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility: '—' (prohibited) in RE, SF-1, SF-2, MDR. Residential district. | UDC use table (Sec. 39.0x use-specific standards) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| SF-1 | Not allowed | Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility: '—' (prohibited) in RE, SF-1, SF-2, MDR. Residential district. | UDC use table (Sec. 39.0x use-specific standards) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-14 |
| SF-2 | Not allowed | Drive-In or Drive-Through Facility: '—' (prohibited) in RE, SF-1, SF-2, MDR. Residential district. | UDC use table (Sec. 39.0x use-specific standards) | 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.
Permit and impact fees
Worked out from the adopted fee schedules linked below for three sample buildings. "Not found" means the schedule did not give a figure, not that the fee is zero. This city is only partly researched.
| One-time fee | 800 sf drive-thru coffee | 3,500 sf restaurant | 22,000 sf grocery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit and plan review | $368 | $1,610 | $10,120 |
| Impact / mobility fees | not found | not found | not found |
| Water and sewer impact / capacity | not found | not found | not found |
| Tap and meter | not found | not found | not found |
| Stormwater (one time) | not found | not found | not found |
| State road driveway permit | not found | not found | not found |
| Total found so far | $368 | $1,610 | $10,120 |
State road access: TxDOT Form 1058: no fee unless TxDOT owns the access rights (43 TAC 11.59). Allow 30-60 days (assumed).
Assumptions: Impact fees not being collected since 9/8/2025 (recheck). Water/sewer taps and annual storm water fee not captured. FY2024-25 permit schedule is the newest found.
Fee schedules: ci.lubbock.tx.us · mylubbock.us
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.