Alabama Dillon's Rule Baseline — Title 11 Chapter 52 Delegated Zoning Authority (AL)
Tracked preemption from the Alabama overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
1975-01-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:AL
Other Alabama preemptions
Alabama Short-Term Rentals — No State Preemption (April 2026)Alabama Density / ADU / Inclusionary Zoning / Design Review — No State PreemptionAlabama Black Belt National Heritage Area — Non-Regulatory Heritage DesignationAlabama Land Recycling & Economic Redevelopment Act — Voluntary Brownfield CleanupSelma to Montgomery National Historic Trail — NPS Viewshed Compatible-Use AdvisoryMobile Bay National Estuary Program — CCMP Coordination (Non-Regulatory)Alabama Group-Home Preemption — Multi-Family District InclusionAlabama Manufactured Housing — No Zoning Preemption (Title 40/24 govern taxation, installation)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
always true
Preempted fields
4 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
city_attributes.home_rule_basis | override | al_dillons_rule_title_11_chapter_52_delegation | Alabama is a strict Dillon's Rule state under the 1901 Constitution; municipalities have no inherent police power. Title 11 Chapter 52 is the enabling delegation for municipal zoning. |
zoning_decision_procedure.requires_comprehensive_plan_basis | override | True | §11-52-72 requires zoning be 'in accordance with a comprehensive plan' and serve enumerated public purposes. |
base_districts[*].zoning_authority_source | override | ala_code_11_52_70 | §11-52-70 grants the municipal corporation power to divide territory into districts and regulate use/height/bulk. County zoning power, if any, requires separate local act. |
enforcement.max_ordinance_penalty_dollars | cap_at | 500 | §11-45-9 caps municipal ordinance penalties at $500 / 6 months — applies to zoning enforcement. |
Citation
Authority source
Ala. Code §§11-52-1 through 11-52-85; §11-45-1 (police power) and §11-45-9 (penalty cap); Ala. Const. of 1901
§ §§11-52-70 through 11-52-85 (Article 4 — Zoning); §11-45-1; §11-45-9
Research notes
Universal baseline for every AL city record. Any zoning regulation outside Chapter 52 scope is exposed to ultra vires challenge. Counties have no general zoning power — only when a local act has delegated it (e.g., Baldwin County, Jefferson County). HB 281 / Act 2025-331 amended §11-52-81 (BZA appeal procedure) — 30-day appeal window, tried de novo in circuit court.