Ave Maria, FL

Florida's cottage food law (FS 500.80) lets Collier County residents make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from their home kitchen without a state food permit, as long as annual…

A family day care home in Florida (FS 402.302) is an occupied residence caring for children from at least two unrelated families. Capacity is capped by age, up to 10 children maximum…

A home-based business in unincorporated Collier County can't generate more traffic or parking demand than an ordinary house on the same street. Sec. 26-461(4) caps outside staff at two…

Collier County gives a home-based business no special sign allowance. Sec. 26-461(4)(g) holds it to whatever local or state sign regulation applies to any residence where no business…

Collier County lets a home occupation operate inside any dwelling in any residential zoning district, following Florida's home-based business statute. Sec. 26-461(2)-(3) makes the use…

Florida requires working smoke alarms in all dwellings. Battery-powered alarms installed or replaced in one- and two-family homes and townhomes must use a sealed 10-year, nonremovable…

Collier County sits in a high wildfire-risk region. Golden Gate Estates, Picayune Strand, and Big Cypress. The Land Development Code requires wildfire mitigation planning in the Rural…

Collier County's Land Development Code encourages wildfire-safe clearing. Firewise guidance recommends clearing vegetation within 30 feet of structures as defensible space, and…

Collier County has no year-round ban on open burning, but the Board of County Commissioners can declare a drought-triggered burn ban by resolution across the entire unincorporated…

Collier County does not require a permit for a small backyard fire pit or cooking fire under the county's fire-code amendment at Code § 58-27(D)(1), so long as it is not used to burn…

Florida law, not county ordinance, controls when Collier County residents may set off consumer fireworks. Section 791.08, Florida Statutes lets anyone use fireworks solely and…

Single-family homeowners in unincorporated Collier County may use most fence materials, including chain link and wood. The chain-link screening rules of LDC 5.03.02 G expressly do not…

Fences and walls are permitted uses in every zoning district, but a Collier County building permit (Fence/Wall application, PRFW) is generally required before installation. Effective…

A fence may sit on the lot line, but no part (including the footing) may cross onto a neighbor's property or right-of-way. The finished side must face the adjoining lot, though the…

Collier County's LDC has no separate retaining-wall ordinance. Walls fall under the same fence and wall height rules of LDC 5.03.02, and a structural retaining wall needs a building…

When a nonresidential development abuts or faces a residential district, Collier County requires the nonresidential owner to build a masonry or concrete wall or fence. Contiguous walls…

Collier County caps residential-district vehicles through Section 130-97: only trucks of one ton or less, and no taller than 7.5 ft, wider than 7.0 ft, or longer than 25 ft, are…

Collier County has no meters or residential parking permits, but Code Section 110-31 makes it unlawful to park in any public right-of-way unless authorized, and Florida Statute…

Land Development Code 4.05.03 limits residential parking to a stabilized surface such as concrete, crushed stone, crushed shell, asphalt, pavers, or turf systems; the front-yard area…

In unincorporated Collier County, recreational vehicles, boats, and jet skis may be stored only in a rear yard, carport, enclosed building, or on davits/cradles by a waterway. A…

Collier County Code Section 130-95 prohibits parking or storing inoperable or unlicensed vehicles anywhere in a Residential District except a fully enclosed building. For vehicles…

Collier County has no ordinance letting residents paint curbs. Curb and pavement markings in the right-of-way are controlled by the county or FDOT, and Code Section 110-31 requires a…

Collier County's Land Development Code 4.05.06 requires off-street loading facilities so delivery vehicles do not interfere with public use of streets and alleys. Commercial and…

Collier County bans parking of any kind in the public right-of-way unless the county specifically authorizes it first. Section 110-31.A folds that ban into the same right-of-way permit…

Loud or modified vehicle exhausts, engines and other vehicle-related noise are enforceable in unincorporated Collier County under Sec. 54-93(D)(2) without needing a decibel meter…

Collier's residential sound limit drops from 60 dB(A) daytime to 55 dB(A) overnight under Table I of the county noise ordinance, with the curfew running from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m…

Collier County has no leaf-blower ban. Lawn care and domestic power tools, including blowers, are expressly exempt from the noise limits when used between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. in…

Outdoor music in Collier County must stay within Table I limits (residential 60 dB(A) day / 55 night; commercial 65 / 60). Loudspeakers over public property need an annual permit and…

Site preparation and construction activity in unincorporated Collier County is confined to 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under Sec. 54-92(f)(2)a of the county noise…

Collier County's Table I caps sound by use: residential 60 dB(A) day / 55 night; commercial or tourist 65 / 60; manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural 75 dB(A) at all times. A…

Collier County's noise ordinance lets a Sheriff's deputy or Domestic Animal Services officer cite a barking dog as a violation just by listening, without sound-meter testing, whenever…

Normal aircraft operations and airport activity in Collier County are fully exempt from the noise ordinance's decibel limits, including mosquito-fogging flights, but scale model…

Collier County Code sec. 14-48 requires every livestock owner to build and maintain a fence strong enough to confine their animals. Letting livestock run at large on roads…

In unincorporated Collier County, dogs may not run at large on any public street, sidewalk, public place, or another person's property. Animals must be confined to the owner's property…

Collier County Code sec. 14-42 makes it unlawful to keep a wild animal unless you are licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the animal is confined on…

Collier County Code sets no fixed numeric limit on household dogs or cats. Instead, keeping animals commercially triggers licensing: a person who breeds three or more litters a year…

Collier County cannot regulate or ban backyard beekeeping. Under Florida Statute 586.10, authority over managed honeybee colonies is preempted to the state through the Department of…

Cats over four months old must be licensed and rabies-vaccinated (sec. 14-33). Under sec. 14-35(1)(K), any cat that is outdoors while not under direct control must be sterilized…

Feeding or trying to pet wildlife is banned outright on Collier County's managed preserve lands under Sec. 54-334(e)(2), part of the county's Conduct on Preserve Lands rules. The ban…

Collier County bans injuring, killing, collecting, or possessing any shorebird or bird of prey, along with sea turtles, sand dollars, shellfish and sea stars, inside county parks…

Collier County incorporates Florida's dangerous dog statute (F.S. ch. 767) wholesale, then adds its own investigation and appeal machinery under Code Sec. 14-38. Animal Services can…

Every dog and cat that lands in Collier County's shelter and isn't already chipped gets a microchip implanted by Animal Services before it goes home, at the owner's expense, under Code…

Collier County's animal-related business standards set specific sanitation rules for every commercial groomer under Code Sec. 14-79(D): equipment must be sanitized after each animal…

Collier County doesn't ban retail pet sales, but Code Sec. 14-81 makes every dog, cat, puppy or kitten sold or transferred within the county carry a licensed veterinarian's Official…

Collier County's registration ordinance does not set a special STR headcount cap; occupancy is governed by the Florida Building Code and life-safety limits. State law bars the county…

Collier County levies a 5% Tourist Development Tax on the rent for any accommodation rented for six months or less (Ordinance 2017-35). Owners collect it and remit it to the Collier…

Before renting a home short-term in unincorporated Collier County, the owner must register with the state and the county tax collector and obtain a county Short-Term Vacation Rental…

Every owner of a registered short-term vacation rental in unincorporated Collier County must tell guests, before they move in, about the county's noise ordinance along with its parking…

No. Collier County cannot require that a short-term rental be the owner's primary residence. Florida law preempts vacation-rental licensing and bars local governments from prohibiting…

Collier County cannot set minimum-night stays or cap how often you rent. Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b) expressly bars local governments from regulating the duration or frequency of…

Collier County requires every short-term rental owner, or their Designated Responsible Party, to be reachable in person or by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and able to be…

Florida law preempts Collier County here. On your own single-family residential property you may prune, trim or remove a tree with no county permit, fee or mitigation if a certified…

Outside the FS 163.045 danger-tree exemption, Collier County's Land Development Code makes it unlawful to remove or destroy vegetation without a Vegetation Removal Permit. Small…

Collier County exempts rain barrels, cisterns and similar rain-harvesting devices from its landscape irrigation day-of-week and time-of-day restrictions entirely under Sec. 54-368(4)…

Collier County's Land Development Code favors native plants: required landscaping on sites south and west of US-41 must be 100% native species, native ground covers are encouraged…

Collier County adopts the South Florida Water Management District's year-round schedule at Sec. 54-368: landscape irrigation is barred every day between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and…

Collier County's landscaping code (LDC 4.06.05) limits artificial ground cover. Stone, gravel or any artificial ground cover may not be used for more than 20% of the landscaped area…

In unincorporated Collier County, weeds, grass or similar unprotected overgrowth over 18 inches high on a mowable lot is prohibited and declared a public nuisance. Owners of developed…

Collier County's Litter, Weed and Exotics Control Ordinance carves composting out entirely: Sec. 54-178 lets any residential or Estates-zoned property keep a compost pile without it…

Under Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (FS 515.29), a pool barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside, with no gaps a child could crawl under or through, and it…

Above-ground pools in unincorporated Collier County are regulated the same as in-ground pools. Under FS 515.29 the pool's own wall can serve as the safety barrier, or a barrier can be…

In unincorporated Collier County, a detached shed or utility building must sit at least 10 feet from the rear lot line and meet the principal-structure side setback. Accessory…

Collier County permits a detached guesthouse as an accessory use, but renting or leasing it is prohibited. It requires at least a one-acre (43,560 sq ft) lot, cannot exceed 40% of the…

Converting a garage into living space in unincorporated Collier County needs a building permit, and adding a kitchen can turn the space into a separate dwelling unit. That is barred in…

It is unlawful to throw, drop or deposit litter of any amount on public or private property, streets, rights-of-way or water in unincorporated Collier County, except in designated…

Solid-waste collection is mandatory in unincorporated Collier County: all household waste must go to the county's designated contractor for disposal at an approved facility. Curbside…

Collier County designates seven categories of curbside recyclables under Sec. 118-136: paper, cardboard, glass, plastics numbered 1 through 7, aluminum and ferrous metal, and the Board…

Roll carts and other containers must be at the curb before 6:00 a.m. on your collection day but no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before, placed at least three feet from mailboxes or…

Collier County's contractor collects bulk waste, white goods (appliances) and electronics at the curb. Bulk items must not include vehicles, boats or liquid waste, and must be broken…

Collier County requires every residential and commercial property inside a solid-waste benefit unit to be serviced by the county's designated contractor unless it holds an exemption…

Collier County requires every business, institution and other non-residential property to identify and recycle its 'primary' recyclable materials, generated at more than 96 gallons a…

Collier County requires a permit for garage sales, lawn sales and similar temporary sales at private homes and residentially zoned institutions in the unincorporated county. The permit…

In Collier County, charcoal and wood barbecues are barred within 600 yards of forest, grassland, or marsh. Under the Florida Fire Prevention Code, grills cannot be used on balconies or…

Collier County lets you cook outdoors on any grill, smoker, or fire pit built to contain the flame, without a special county permit, under the outdoor-cooking exception written into…

In unincorporated Collier County, single-family homes in the RSF districts may be up to 35 feet tall. Estates (E) lots are limited to 30 feet, and Rural Agricultural (A) allows 35…

Most residential base districts in Collier County set no maximum building-coverage percentage for the principal home, relying on setbacks instead. Accessory buildings, however, may not…

Principal-structure setbacks in unincorporated Collier County depend on your zoning district. In the common RSF-3 district the front yard is 30 feet, side yards 7.5 feet (10 feet…

On unimproved lots in unincorporated Collier County, exotics, weeds and grass are a public nuisance where the lot is adjacent to a public or private right-of-way and outside a…

A structure the county's Housing Official finds unsafe, unsanitary, or damaged 33 percent or more in its exterior walls falls under Collier's dangerous-buildings process: written…

In unincorporated Collier County, election and referendum signs need a bulk temporary permit, must show the permit number, and must be removed within 7 days. On residential property…

Collier County requires a permit for garage or lawn sales, and garage-sale signs are temporary signs. On residential property a sign can't exceed 4 square feet or 3 feet in height…

Collier County's coastal lighting rules protect nesting sea turtles. Within 300 feet of the Gulf's mean high water, outdoor lighting must be minimal, floodlights and accent lighting…

Collier County sets no general numeric limit on light spilling onto a neighbor's inland property; that is handled as a nuisance. The county's enforceable light-trespass rule is…

Collier County parks are open every day of the year during hours set by the Parks and Recreation director, and each park's opening and closing times are posted on-site. Being in a…

Collier County created a dedicated "hurricane shutter/awning contractor" license so only tested, qualified installers put up storm shutters and awnings meant to protect a building from…

Collier County enforces the Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition (2023), on every roof in the unincorporated county, layering its own wind zone maps (Categories 1 through 4) onto the…

After the Board of County Commissioners declares a state of emergency for a major or catastrophic disaster, the County Manager may remove debris from county property and roads…

Every dwelling unit in unincorporated Collier County, rented or owner-occupied, must have a working kitchen sink, tub or shower, commode, hot and cold running water, and heat capable…

Any commercial, development or private excavation permitted under Collier County's Excavation Regulations must go up with erosion control already in place. A silt fence is required…

Collier County regulates stormwater discharges under Code Sec. 54-80.3, reaching industrial, commercial, residential and construction sites that discharge into the county's stormwater…

Any development in a Collier County flood hazard area, from subdivisions to swimming pools to manufactured-home placement, needs a floodplain development permit before work starts…

Collier County requires most unincorporated homes to sit well above the road, not just above the base flood elevation. Code § 62-80(H) sets a freeboard floor of 18 inches above the…

Every window and exterior door in a Collier County dwelling unit must be properly fitted, weather-tight, and provided with lockable hardware in good repair. The same Property…

Collier County's local amendment to the fire code, Code § 58-27(E), requires automatic fire sprinklers in every new residential building with more than four living units, installed to…

Collier County adopts the Florida Building Code by reference under Code Sec. 22-26 and requires a permit for virtually all construction, but Sec. 105.2 carves out narrow county…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Collier County falls under the adopted Florida Building Code and normally needs a permit, but Sec. 105.2.4 lets owners of detached single-family homes…

Electrical work in unincorporated Collier County needs a permit under the adopted Florida Building Code, but Sec. 105.2.4 excuses owners of detached single-family homes from that…

Collier County stamps every approved building permit set 'Reviewed for Code Compliance' under Sec. 107.3.1 and keeps one set on file while the other stays on-site for the inspector…

Collier County's Historic/Archaeological Preservation Board designates sites, structures, districts and buildings as historically or archaeologically significant under County Code Sec…

Collier County fines uncontested code citations on a rising scale under Sec. 2-2044: $105.00 for a first offense, $255.00 for a second, and $405.00 for a third or later offense…

Anyone can file an alleged code violation with the Collier County Code Enforcement Department under Sec. 2-2026. The officer investigates, gives the owner written notice and a…

Collier County bans unsealed alcohol containers and drinking in motor vehicles on public roads and in public or semipublic parking lots and beach access areas under Sec. 6-3…

Smoking is banned on trails within Collier County's managed preserve lands under Sec. 54-335(q), and the County can extend the ban further at its sole discretion whenever fire-control…

Collier County bans loitering or prowling on school grounds without permission, and bans loitering or prowling anywhere in public in a manner that creates justifiable alarm for safety…

Collier County bans skateboards, bikes, roller skates, in-line skates and similar toy vehicles on sidewalks directly in front of or next to any shopping center store entrance, so…

Collier County's Pedestrian Safety Ordinance bars anyone from blocking a sidewalk or crosswalk, or from impeding, standing, sitting, or lying in a public roadway or between travel…

Anyone who wants to dig, build, place material, or otherwise disturb the ground in a Collier County public right-of-way needs a right-of-way construction permit first. Sec. 110-31…

Anyone operating an outdoor music, dance or similar festival in unincorporated Collier County needs a license under Sec. 10-81. Applicants pay a $100.00 nonrefundable application fee…

Bona fide farm operations covered by the Florida Right to Farm Act are exempt from Collier County's fertilizer application ordinance entirely, along with non-covered pastures used for…

A bar or nightclub within 2,500 feet of a home or residential zone needs a one-time Amplified Sound Permit to run outdoor entertainment in Collier County, and can lose that permit for…

Air conditioning and heating units fall under Collier's noise ordinance definition of Equipment, and in multifamily buildings their sound cannot exceed 53 dBA during the day or 45 dBA…

Standby generator maintenance testing is exempt from Collier's noise limits only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, capped at 30 minutes once a week, and generators…

A car horn, siren or alarm left sounding longer than necessary is a cited violation in unincorporated Collier County under Sec. 54-93(D)(3), the same no-meter-needed section that…

Collier County allows bicycles on public sidewalks in the unincorporated area but caps speed at 15 mph and adds strict rules for electric bikes. A Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist up to 28…

Collier County has authorized red-light and school-zone speed cameras since 2010 under the state's Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act. Ordinance No. 2010-25 lets the County Manager…

Collier County splits electric bicycles into three classes under Sec. 110-162 and regulates where each may ride under Sec. 110-166: Class 1 and 2 bikes, both capped at 20 mph of motor…

Collier County bans needles, medication and other hazardous waste from curbside garbage carts. Sec. 118-104(C)(1) of the solid waste ordinance requires households to carry hypodermic…

Collier County bans camping, defined as sleeping outdoors, sheltering outdoors, or cooking over an open flame, on all public property in the unincorporated county, and on residential…

Collier County makes it unlawful to sit, lie, stand or loiter on a public sidewalk, street, curb or parking lot in a way that unreasonably blocks pedestrians or vehicles, but only…

Collier County requires a permit before opening a sexually-oriented business and keeps it 500 feet from any residentially zoned land, 1,000 feet from a church, school, day care or…

Collier County bans self-service tobacco displays outside a restricted access area under Code Sec. 26-2. Cigarettes, cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco must sit behind a counter or in a…

Collier County requires private-property tow and boot companies to keep an office and storage yard inside the county, store any towed vehicle within ten miles of where it was picked…

Collier County adopts Florida's secondhand-dealer law and tightens it: a dealer must hold any purchased item for 30 days before reselling it, cannot buy from a hotel room, vehicle…

Every pawnbroker operating in unincorporated Collier County must hold a $100.00 local business tax receipt for each location and keep a complete, true transaction record identifying…

Unincorporated Collier County bans medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facilities outright: Sec. 26-414 prohibits them from establishing or locating anywhere in the…

Collier County's Local Business Tax Ordinance (Ch. 126, Art. IV) requires every business, profession or occupation operating in the county, including inside Naples, Marco Island and…

The Collier County Water-Sewer District delivers IQ Water, also called reclaimed or reuse water, to homes, golf courses and HOAs for irrigation instead of drinking water. Section…