State land laws

Which states restrict foreign ownership of land?

A closer who asks which states restrict foreign buyers of land should start with the statute, not a vendor list. This page names five. Texas is live. Florida is building. The others are page only.

States restrict foreign land ownership in different ways: agricultural land only, all real property, or land near military and critical-infrastructure sites. This page covers five states read from a primary source. A ParcelClear Record exists only where a live rule set can open a file. Texas is live at $79. Florida is building. Indiana, Arizona, and Arkansas are page only.

Texas SB 17 (89th Legislature, 2025) is the foreign-land statute at Property Code sections 5.251 to 5.259. It is not Texas SB 17 (88th Legislature, 2023) on DEI offices in public higher education.

States that restrict foreign ownership of land, and whether a ParcelClear Record exists
StateWhat it coversStatusParcelClear Record
TexasAll real property interests named in Tex. Prop. Code sec. 5.251(6)Enacted September 1, 2025Live. $79 Record
FloridaAgricultural land; real property within 10 miles of military or critical infrastructure; any Florida real property for named PRC personsEnacted 2023 (ch. 2023-33)Building
IndianaAgricultural land today; all real property under SEA 256 from July 1, 2026Amended; SEA 256 effective July 1, 2026Page only
ArizonaA substantial interest, thirty percent or more, in real propertyEnacted July 1, 2025Page only
ArkansasAgricultural land, plus an AFIDA-copy filing with the stateEnacted 2021 (filing) and 2023 (prohibition)Page only

What does this table cover?

Five states this site has read from a primary source. The National Agricultural Law Center compiles more. A row here is not a legal opinion and is not a Record.

Does ParcelClear sell a Record in every state?

No. A Record exists only where a versioned rule set is active and a file route can select it. Texas is live. Florida is building. Indiana, Arizona, and Arkansas are page only.

Is Texas SB 17 the 2023 DEI bill?

No. The 2025 foreign-land statute is Property Code chapter 5, subchapter H. The 2023 bill that shares the number is about DEI offices in public higher education.

Where do these descriptions come from?

The enrolled or chaptered statute linked on each state page, plus the National Agricultural Law Center compilation for the wider list.

Sources

Last verified