Texas

Buying Land in Cooke County, Texas

Cooke County, seat Gainesville, sits on the Red River border with Oklahoma along I-35. Unlike almost every other rural Texas county, it actually exercises real zoning power around Lake Ray Roberts under a narrow state law exception, and it handles both groundwater regulation and septic permitting through its own local bodies rather than routing everything through the state.

Real Zoning Power Near Lake Ray Roberts

Case-by-case / verify locally

Subchapter F of Local Government Code Chapter 231 lets counties around Lake Ray Roberts (Cooke and Denton) adopt zoning, and Cooke County actually did: it adopted a Lake Ray Roberts Zoning Ordinance in 2003 and readopted updated regulations on March 11, 2019, covering the area generally within 5,000 feet of the lake's 645-foot elevation take line. This is a real, enforced ordinance with defined zoning districts, lot-size minimums, and setback rules -- not just unused statutory authority. See the dedicated zoning page for what it covers and where it applies.

Inside the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District

Case-by-case / verify locally

Cooke County is one of three counties (with Collin and Denton) covered by the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District. Wells producing 17.36 gallons per minute or less are exempt from permitting, metering, and fees; larger wells need registration and either a Historic Use Permit (based on 2010-2018 metered production) or a new Production Permit. Confirm current rules and whether a specific planned well is exempt directly with the district before assuming unrestricted pumping.

Septic Permits Are Handled Locally, Not by a TCEQ Regional Office

Generally favorable

Cooke County is a TCEQ authorized agent and runs its own Rural Septic Department (101 S. Dixon St., Gainesville), which reviews site evaluations, issues OSSF permits, and inspects installations -- a local, generally faster point of contact than a state regional office. Aerobic systems require a continuous maintenance contract filed with the department under 30 TAC 285.91(12).

Lake Ray Roberts: a rare, real zoning power

The Texas state hub explains that counties generally have no zoning authority outside a short list of named Chapter 231 exceptions -- and Cooke County is genuinely one of them. Subchapter F of Local Government Code Chapter 231 authorizes zoning around Lake Ray Roberts, a reservoir shared with Denton County, and Cooke County has actually used that authority rather than leaving it on the books unused. The county adopted its first Lake Ray Roberts Zoning Ordinance on February 10, 2003, establishing zoning districts, building height and lot-coverage limits, yard requirements, and density rules, and readopted updated zoning regulations on March 11, 2019. This is a genuinely different legal environment from almost anywhere else in rural Texas: land near this specific lake is subject to real, mapped county zoning districts, while land elsewhere in the county is not. See the dedicated zoning page for the district structure, lot-size minimums, and how to check whether a specific parcel falls inside the zoned lake area.

Groundwater: a three-county district with an exempt-well threshold

Groundwater in Cooke County is regulated by the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District (NTGCD), whose boundaries are coextensive with Collin, Cooke, and Denton Counties -- one district covering all three rather than a Cooke-only body. NTGCD sets a 17.36 gallons-per-minute production threshold below which a new well is exempt from metering, production fees, and permitting; a well above that threshold must be registered and requires either a Historic Use Permit (for owners who registered before the district's permanent rules were adopted, based on metered 2010-2018 production) or a new Production Permit. Confirm current registration and permitting requirements directly with NTGCD before drilling, since exemption status depends on the well's actual anticipated capacity, not just its intended household use.

Septic and subdivision: both handled by the county directly

Cooke County operates as a TCEQ authorized agent, meaning its own Rural Septic Department -- not a TCEQ regional office -- reviews site evaluations, issues OSSF permits, and performs inspections for septic systems countywide. Applicants need a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer's site evaluation before applying, and aerobic systems require a continuous maintenance contract with an approved maintenance company filed with the department. Separately, the county's Subdivision Regulations, adopted January 2019, are administered by the same office and the Commissioners Court: notable local requirements include a 1-acre minimum lot size for any new subdivision relying on private sewer (septic) facilities, a requirement that private-road subdivisions post an approved sign naming the road and the party responsible for its maintenance, and a requirement for a signed will-serve letter from each utility provider before Commissioners Court will review a plat. Confirm the current regulation text and any recent amendments directly with the Subdivision and Development Department before planning a land split.

What we could and couldn't confirm

Lake Ray Roberts zoning authority and the 2003/2019 ordinance dates are drawn from Cooke County's own posted ordinance PDFs and its Lake Ray Roberts Planning & Zoning webpage; this research read the county's own zoning regulations documents but did not independently pull the current official zoning district map to confirm boundaries for a specific parcel. NTGCD's three-county scope, exempt-well threshold, and Historic Use/Production Permit structure are drawn from the district's own FAQ and well-registration pages. Cooke County's authorized-agent status and Rural Septic Department contact details are drawn from the county's own OSSF procedures document and application forms. Subdivision Regulations details are drawn from the county's own adopted-regulations PDF and application materials.

Verify directly with: the Cooke County Lake Ray Roberts Planning & Zoning office for current zoning district boundaries and permitted uses on a specific parcel, the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District for well registration and permitting, and the Cooke County Rural Septic Department for OSSF permitting and subdivision plat review

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Cooke County

Cooke County is unusual for rural Texas in having an actual planning_zoning entry above, but only because Local Government Code Chapter 231, Subchapter F specifically authorizes zoning around Lake Ray Roberts -- land elsewhere in the county is not zoned. Cooke County is a confirmed TCEQ OSSF authorized agent, so septic permitting runs through the county's own Rural Septic Department rather than a TCEQ regional office. This research could not confirm a direct phone number for the Lake Ray Roberts Planning & Zoning office or an email address for the Appraisal District or County Clerk; confirm directly.

Planning & Zoning

Cooke County Lake Ray Roberts Planning & Zoning

Zoning district status, permitted uses, lot-size minimums, and setback rules for land within the zoned area around Lake Ray Roberts.

Official website →

Lake Ray Roberts Zoning Regulations (adopted 3/11/2019)

Septic / Onsite Wastewater

Cooke County Rural Septic Department

OSSF (septic) permit applications, site-evaluation review, and inspections; Cooke County is a TCEQ authorized agent.

Phone: (940) 668-5454Official website →

OSSF Application

Subdivision & Land Development

Cooke County Subdivision and Development Department

Subdivision plat applications and review under the county Subdivision Regulations (adopted January 2019), including private-road and utility will-serve requirements.

Official website →

Wells / Private Water