Zoning

Beginning on September 1, 2025, public participation in board and commission meetings will transition to in-person attendance exclusively, with the WEBINAR OPTION NO LONGER AVAILABLE. This citywide policy is consistent with the established protocols for all Commission and City Council meetings.

Board and commission members can still attend virtually.

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What is Zoning?

The city promotes orderly growth and land use while protecting existing property owners by grouping together compatible development — a practice known as zoning.

Before land is developed in the city, it must be zoned and platted. Property in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is subject to platting only. The Zoning Commission reviews all zoning requests to provide recommendation for City Council, who will approve or deny the request. 

The Zoning regulations and districts are adopted to help implement the Comprehensive Plan and its policies. The policies address land use, transportation and infrastructure, economic development, urban design, housing, historic preservation, environmental quality, parks and recreation, and other topics

Everything to know about Fort Worth Zoning in TWO MINUTES! - YouTube

• Applications & Fees(PDF, 395KB)
• Applications & Fees (Spanish)(PDF, 417KB)
• Online Permitting

Meet (Optional)

• A Pre-Development conference is available to discuss all aspects of a project including, but not limited to, zoning. 

Submit

• Submit a complete application with all required information and attachments by the deadline.

Notices

• Zoning Staff sends courtesy notices to all neighborhood organizations registered with the City that are located within ½ mile of the subject area. 
• If you are in a neighborhood that does not have an organization or your organization is not registered, contact the Community Engagement Office.
• Zoning staff sends legal notices to landowners within 300 feet of property to be rezoned.

Hearings

• A public hearing is held at the Zoning Commission Hearing. The Zoning Commission only provides a recommendation to City Council.
• City Council holds a public hearing the following month for approval or denial of the Zoning Change request.

When the City Council has denied a proposal, or when the applicant has withdrawn the proposal at the Zoning Commission meeting after the giving of public notice, no new applications of like nature shall be accepted by the City or scheduled for hearing by the Zoning Commission within a period of twelve (12) months of the date of Council denial or applicant’s withdrawal. 

The Board of Adjustment is a citizen court appointed by the City Council to hear an

appeal and request for: Variances, Special Exceptions, and Interpretations of the Zoning Ordinance. An application may be filed by the owner of property or an authorized agent. Anyone aggrieved by an Interpretation of the Zoning Ordinance, rendered by a City Official, may appeal such decision to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

• Zoning Variance Application(PDF, 507KB)
• Zoning Variance Application (Spanish)(PDF, 1MB)

More Information

A multi-family development permit (MFD) is required for all multi-family projects within CR, C and D zoning districts.  The applicable zoning standards for these projects can be found in their respective zoning districts within the Zoning Ordinance. 

All Mixed Use (MU) and Urban Residential (UR) projects are exempt from this requirement. 

For application information, click on the link below.

Multi-Family District (MFD)