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City Limits & ETJ Practical

City limits and an ETJ are not the same map

Fort Bend County Rules & Licenses

Land outside city limits is unincorporated. That stays true when the land is in a city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ. County rules apply there. A city may also have limited power over subdivision plats and related work.

An ETJ does not bring normal city zoning or building rules by itself. State law limits what a city may control there. A county-city agreement may decide which office reviews a plat.

For land outside city limits, ask the Fort Bend County Engineering Plats office which county and city reviews apply. Then check the current ETJ line with the nearby city. Do not rely on an old map or listing.

Content last revised 2026-07-11

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