A Resident's Guide to Miramar's Local Ordinances

Miramar is a mid-sized city in Broward County, Florida, with about 135000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 135 ordinances across 40 categories that affect daily life in Miramar.

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Miramar requires every dwelling, including rental units, to be kept structurally sound, weatherproof and free of infestation. City Code Section 10-128 sets specific exterior maintenance duties, walls without holes that admit rain or pests, roofs kept watertight, and units maintained to prevent infestation, backed by the property maintenance article's stated goal of housing 'fit for human habitation.'.

Also covered: Rent Control (permissive), Just Cause Eviction (permissive). See the full rental property rules guide for Miramar for details.

Noise Ordinances

Aircraft Noise: Miramar requires a city manager permit before operating any loudspeaker or sound-broadcast device on an aircraft, wagon, truck or vehicle in city limits, and the manager can refuse the permit outright if it's against the public interest, under City Code § 10-111. It does not regulate aircraft engine or flyover noise, which is federally preempted..

Also covered: Decibel Limits (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Barking Dogs (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Miramar for details.

Animal Ordinances

Bird Protection: Miramar has formally declared itself a bird sanctuary, making it unlawful anywhere in the city to hunt, wound, molest, injure or kill a bird. Capturing a bird is also banned except for the health and welfare of the public, not for resale or private use..

Also covered: Pet Store Rules (restrictive), Breed Restrictions (moderate), Pet Groomer Rules (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Miramar for details.

Hurricane Preparedness

Flood Elevation: Miramar requires new buildings and substantially improved structures in mapped flood hazard areas to sit at least two feet above the base flood elevation, the freeboard the city added as a local technical amendment to the Florida Building Code. The building, planning and zoning director serves as floodplain administrator and must issue a floodplain development permit before qualifying construction begins in a Special Flood Hazard Area..

Also covered: Roof Standards (moderate), Hurricane Shutters (moderate), Storm Debris (moderate). See the full hurricane preparedness guide for Miramar for details.

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Miramar bans barbecue grills and similar cooking utensils on balconies, terraces, porches or other open areas of any multi-story building unless a designated cooking area has been provided and approved by the fire chief, under City Code Sec. 9-8..

Public Conduct

Public Marijuana Use: Miramar outright bans smoking, ingesting or consuming marijuana, medical marijuana, cannabis or Low-THC cannabis in any public building, public right-of-way or public space citywide, with no carve-out for medical patients using in public..

Also covered: Public Alcohol Use (restrictive), Loitering Rules (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Miramar for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Nearly every new building, addition or major renovation in Miramar, apart from single-family and duplex homes, must clear Community Appearance Board review under the citywide Community Design Plan, and LDC Section 813.3.3.3 directs that construction exhibit Spanish, Italian or French Mediterranean Revival style architecture before a building permit will issue..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Miramar for details.

Tree Protection

Protected Tree Species: Miramar's Land Development Code protects more than just large trees: Section 506.14.3 extends permit protection to street trees, perimeter landscaping, parking-lot vegetation, historical trees, specimen trees and any tree in a designated area of particular concern. A separate definition in Section 201 lists the natural forest communities and wilderness areas that trigger special-status tree protection..

Also covered: Heritage & Protected Trees (moderate), Parkway Planting (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Miramar for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Repeat Violator Strikes: Miramar suspends a short-term rental's operating certificate on an escalating schedule for repeat violations: 30 days on a second offense, 180 days on a third, 365 days on a fourth, and 30 more days for every violation after that, under the Land Development Code's vacation rental rules..

Also covered: Short-Term Rental Permits (restrictive), Host Presence Rule (restrictive), Insurance Requirements (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Miramar for details.

Building Safety

Childcare Center Rules: Miramar child care centers must sit at least 30 feet from residential property with a 50-foot front setback, fence every outdoor play lot to at least five feet, and now install crash-rated vehicle barriers around exposed play areas under a rule tied to specific ordinance dates..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Green Building Code (moderate), Electrical Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Miramar for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Miramar caps how bright a digital billboard can glow. LDC § 1014.3 limits messages to no more than 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, measured 250 feet out for a full-size 14-by-48 board or 200 feet out for a smaller 10.5-by-36 board, and requires a light-sensing dimmer that automatically adjusts brightness as daylight changes..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate), Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Miramar for details.

Special Events & Permits

Street Fair Rules: Miramar requires a temporary use permit before anyone holds a circus, carnival, fair, or other public exhibition, and City Code narrows who can even apply: only nonprofit organizations that have operated in the city for at least three years and pursue charitable, civic, religious, or scholastic work qualify. A separate occupational license follows once permission is granted..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (moderate), Parade Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Miramar for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Miramar's Land Development Code sets minimum yard setbacks by single-family district in Table 402-2. Front setbacks range from 50 feet in the RL, E, and RS1 districts down to 10 feet in the Trailer/Mobile Home Park (T) district, while side setbacks run from 25 feet down to 5 feet and rear setbacks from 25 feet down to 10 feet, all under LDC Sec.

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Miramar for details.

Sign Regulations

Freeway-Facing Signs: Miramar bans billboards and off-premises signage on every roadway in the city except two corridors: the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 75. LDC § 1014 defines those as the only 'major expressways' where a billboard, always in digital form, may be located, and even there the sign must sit on a parcel contiguous to the expressway itself..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Digital Billboards (restrictive). See the full sign regulations guide for Miramar for details.

Accessory Structures

Shed & Carport Rules: Miramar's Table 505-1 accessory-use standards cap utility sheds at 240 square feet and 10 feet tall, but only in the Rural, Estate, and Residential Single-Family 1 districts, where sheds need a 25-foot side and rear setback. Everywhere else on single-family, duplex, or triplex lots, sheds max out at 100 square feet and 8 feet tall with just a 3-foot side and rear setback..

Also covered: ADU Rules (moderate), ADU Rental Restrictions (limited), Garage Conversions (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Miramar for details.

Fence Regulations

Retaining Walls: Miramar doesn't set a citywide retaining wall height cap, but its Land Development Code does regulate retaining walls built within FEMA-mapped regulated floodways. Section 616.3 requires any retaining wall involving fill placement in a regulated floodway to meet the no-rise engineering standard in Section 612.4 before the city will permit it..

Also covered: Material Restrictions (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Miramar for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Miramar regulates every form of development inside a mapped flood hazard area under Chapter 6 of its Land Development Code, the Floodplain Management Ordinance. Section 601.2 sweeps in subdivision, filling, grading, construction and pool installation, and Section 604.1 requires a permit from the floodplain administrator before any of that work can begin..

Also covered: Boat Dock Permits (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Miramar for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Adult Entertainment: Miramar confines adult entertainment establishments to the Planned Industrial Development (PID) district and requires a city-issued adult entertainment license before any doors open. Every use must sit at least 1,500 to 2,500 feet from schools, churches, parks, other adult businesses and bars, measured property line to property line..

Also covered: Pawnbrokers (restrictive), Tattoo & Body Modification (moderate), Auto Repair on Residential Property (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Miramar for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Miramar requires a Tree Removal/Relocation Permit before cutting down, relocating or encroaching on the dripline of any tree two inches or larger in caliper anywhere in the city. Section 506.14.5 limits when the Community Development Department can issue one, and approved permits under Section 506.14.6 are valid for only 90 days..

Also covered: Composting (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Miramar for details.

Fire Regulations

Smoke Detectors: Miramar enforces the Florida Building Code Residential R314 and the Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 101 / NFPA 72, 2021 editions) as adopted by the State Fire Marshal, plus Broward County local fire amendments. Smoke alarms are required in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every story.

Also covered: Outdoor Burning (strict), Propane Storage (moderate), Fireworks (restrictive). See the full fire regulations guide for Miramar for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Miramar's General Code requires every business and nonbusiness building to be rodentproofed and kept free of rats under the supervision of the building official. Owners who receive a rodentproofing notice have at least 15 days to comply, and it's unlawful to let garbage or trash accumulate so it could feed or shelter rodents..

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Miramar's Rural District is built around agricultural coexistence: Land Development Code § 405.3.1 protects rural farms, ranching, groves, beekeeping and animal breeding on Rural- or Estate-designated land as long as the operation doesn't become a nuisance, with structures kept at least 50 feet from any lot line..

Solar Energy

Expedited Solar Permitting: Miramar fast-tracks rooftop solar through Section 505.12, which limits its accessory-use exemptions to installations processed through the Go SOLAR-Broward Rooftop Solar Challenge's web-based, pre-approved permitting system, a program tied to U.S. Department of Energy grant DE-EE0005701.

Also covered: HOA Restrictions (permissive). See the full solar energy guide for Miramar for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping trash, rubbish or refuse on Miramar streets, alleys, vacant lots or waterways is unlawful under City Code § 10-91, and dumping litter into the stormwater system carries its own $500 minimum penalty per offense under § 21-254. Every day a violation continues counts as a separate offense..

Also covered: Bulk Item Disposal (moderate), Recycling Rules (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Miramar for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: Any food truck operating in Miramar needs a temporary use permit before it can set up, because the Land Development Code's Table 8 classifies '"Food Trucks," mobile catering sales by properly licensed and Inspected businesses' as a use requiring one. The department reviews the application administratively, and it must be renewed roughly every 30 days..

Also covered: Vending Zones (moderate), Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Miramar for details.

Parking Rules

EV Charging: New construction in Miramar, other than single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes and communities under 10 units, must build in electric vehicle charging infrastructure under LDC Section 808.7: at least 1 reserved EV space once 20 parking spaces are required, rising to 4 charging spaces plus added EV-ready spots once a site needs 75 or more..

Also covered: Driveway Rules (moderate), RV & Boat Parking (moderate), Loading Zones (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Miramar for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Miramar flatly prohibits signage for home-based businesses. LDC § 1009(r) lists 'signs in conjunction with a home occupation' in a residentially-zoned area among the specifically prohibited sign conditions in Chapter 10, grouped with the same ban on assisted-living-facility signage.

Also covered: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (limited), Customer Traffic Restrictions (strict), Cottage Food Operations (permissive). See the full home business guide for Miramar for details.

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: Miramar does not enforce private HOA or condo association rules, but Code of Ordinances Section 22-29 requires anyone applying for a building permit on property inside an association to sign an 'affidavit of awareness' acknowledging that a city permit does not override any additional Homeowners' or Condominium Association regulations. The building division then forwards a copy to the registered association by certified mail..

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Bars and clubs in Miramar that want to pour past 2 a.m. must hold a city-issued extended hours license, and the building itself has to be soundproofed and sealed against noise leaking into the neighborhood.

Also covered: Car Alarm Limits (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Miramar for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Miramar assigns every business a specific classification for its local business tax receipt, and when an applicant's business doesn't fit an enumerated category, City Code Section 11-42 gives the director of finance/support services authority to assign the most similar listed classification instead of leaving it unclassified..

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Miramar posts operating hours at every city park and recreation center by sign, and once a park is closed, no one may congregate or loiter there without a special event permit from the Parks and Recreation Department. Vandalizing park property carries up to a $500 fine or 60 days in jail..

Water Use Rules

Turf Replacement Rebates: Miramar's landscaping code caps gravel, stone, concrete, asphalt, and synthetic turf at 10 percent of any landscaped area, but Section 506.5.1 carves out a full exemption for synthetic turf on single-family lots of one acre or less if it meets Florida Department of Environmental Protection turf standards. Larger lots and every other non-living material still count toward that 10 percent cap..

Also covered: Recycled Water Rules (moderate). See the full water use rules guide for Miramar for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Sit-Lie Rules: Miramar bans camping or sleeping on public property, including streets, sidewalks and rights-of-way, under City Code Sec. 13-17, adopted November 20, 2024.

Also covered: Encampment Sanitation (restrictive). See the full homelessness & encampment rules guide for Miramar for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Miramar limits garage sales to three consecutive days within any six-month period, and every sale needs a permit first. City Code Section 11-83 sets the day limit and a one-sign advertising cap, while Section 11-82 requires a community development department permit and fee before any sale opens..

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Miramar can designate a property as an archaeological or historic landmark under LDC Sec. 323 if it meets criteria such as association with a significant person or event, and once designated, 'no new construction or ground disturbing activity shall be permitted' without commission-approved development approval..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Miramar requires anyone going door-to-door to sell goods or seek donations to first get a solicitor's permit from the city clerk. City Code Section 11-103 makes canvassing without a permit unlawful, and Section 11-104 requires a sworn application, photograph, fingerprints and a $20.00 investigation fee, waived for charities..

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Miramar's Land Development Code bars fences, walls, sheds, signs and landscaping from encroaching on any public utility easement next to a street right-of-way. The city manager or a designee can lift that ban only by issuing a revocable license agreement, and only when the encroachment is minor, tied to a permitted structure, and cleared in writing by every utility with rights to the easement..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Miramar for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Miramar's building official can post any building found unsafe, unsanitary or a fire hazard and order it vacated under City Code Sec. 22-81 through 22-85.

Also covered: Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Miramar for details.

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Miramar names eight nuisance plant species by Latin and common name in Section 201, from Brazilian Pepper to Australian Pine, and backs that list with teeth: Section 506.5.1 requires eradicating invasive and nuisance vegetation before a certificate of occupancy issues, and Section 506.12.1 keeps every property, including homeowner-association common areas, permanently free of the same species..

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: At least 2 safety features per FL Ch. 515.

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Miramar for details.

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Miramar, buying a home, or starting a project, use this as a starting point. Each category links to detailed pages with the full text, penalties, and FAQs. Verify anything time-sensitive with Miramar's city hall or code enforcement office.