Pembroke Pines, FL Local Ordinances Guide

Pembroke Pines is a mid-sized city in Broward County, Florida, with about 171000 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 124 ordinances across 39 categories that affect daily life in Pembroke Pines.

Short-Term Rentals

Night Caps: Pembroke Pines does not impose an annual night cap on short-term rentals. Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b) prohibits any city from regulating the duration or frequency of vacation rentals, and no Pembroke Pines pre-2011 ordinance grandfathers a cap.

Water Use Rules

Leak Reporting Duty: Pembroke Pines gives utility customers a path to a partial sewer credit when metered water leaks into the ground before reaching the sewer system. The Utilities Division requires proof of the leak and the repair, not just a phone call, before it will adjust a bill..

Also covered: Recycled Water Rules (limited). See the full water use rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Delivery Truck Noise: Pembroke Pines bars commercial trucks from loading or unloading between 11:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Also covered: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (moderate), Generator Noise (moderate), Bar & Nightclub Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Pembroke Pines requires a city permit before any property owner cuts down or relocates a tree, per Code of Ordinances § 155.674. Single-family homeowners pay a $10 application fee; nonresidential and multi-family sites pay $50 for the first ten trees, with larger removals routed through a full landscape permit..

Also covered: Tree Trimming (moderate), Water Restrictions (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Pembroke Pines fixes local business tax amounts by classification on a fee schedule kept in the City Clerk's office. A business that could fit more than one classification pays only the single highest tax that applies, never a combined total for multiple categories..

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: Pembroke Pines requires a special event permit before anyone organizes a parade, festival, walk, race, or similar public gathering. The City Manager decides applications case by case, and events on private property are capped at nine calendar days, with zoning, competing-business, and frequency limits built into the criteria..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (restrictive), Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Pembroke Pines flatly bans commercial signs at any home-based business location. Section 120.02(A)(11) says no commercial sign of any type may be posted or displayed on the residence, and (A)(13) reinforces it by barring any display or sign visible from the street..

Also covered: Home Daycare (restrictive), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Pembroke Pines Code of Ordinances Section 94.02 bars anyone from placing material in a canal, culvert, catch basin, weir, or other drainage way that would alter, impede, or block stormwater flow, unless the city has permitted the work. Unpermitted obstruction is a code violation enforced citywide by the Code Enforcement Officer..

Also covered: Flood Zones (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Massage Establishments: Chapter 117 of the Pembroke Pines code bans specified sexual contact inside any massage parlor and makes owners and managers criminally liable if they knowingly allow it. Every massage parlor must post a copy of the chapter where customers can see it..

Also covered: Towing Companies (moderate), Auto Repair on Residential Property (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Pembroke Pines bans billboards outright, digital or otherwise, under Code of Ordinances § 155.6107(A)(8). The code defines a SIGN, BILLBOARD as one designed for letters, numerals or illustrations applied by painting, light projection, bills or posters that is changed regularly, periodically or frequently, a definition broad enough to reach electronic message displays as well as printed panels..

Also covered: Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Window Signs (moderate), Political Signs (permissive). See the full sign regulations guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Public Conduct

Public Alcohol Use: Pembroke Pines Code § 97.06 bans bringing, drinking, or selling alcoholic beverages anywhere in a city park facility. The only exceptions are drinks sold by an official city concession and consumed on the concession premises, or beverages offered by a private vendor leasing city park space for food service.

Also covered: Public Marijuana Use (limited), Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (restrictive), Loitering Rules (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Pembroke Pines caps a household garage sale at three consecutive days within any six-month period, and a $5 permit is required before the sale starts. Charitable rummage sales get their own cap of three per organization in any 12-month period..

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Pembroke Pines sets minimum habitability standards for every dwelling, rental or owner-occupied, under the city's Property Maintenance Code, Code of Ordinances § 150.95. Owners must keep buildings weathertight, sanitary and free of infestation regardless of when the structure was built, permitted, or last altered, with the Code Enforcement Division empowered to inspect and cite violations..

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

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Pembroke Pines carves out a dedicated Agriculture (A) zoning district under LDC § 155.410 for land used for agricultural production, plus a separate Agriculture Excavation (A-E) district under § 155.411 for mineral extraction. Both set minimum lot sizes, lot coverage caps and building setbacks rather than banning farming outright..

Animal Ordinances

Bird Protection: Section 91.02 declares the entire city a bird sanctuary and makes it unlawful to hunt, wound, injure, or kill any bird or related wildlife within city limits, or to capture one except for the animal's own health and welfare. The rule has stood since Ordinance 852 in 1987..

Also covered: Chickens & Livestock (moderate), Cat Rules (limited), Exotic Pets (limited). See the full animal ordinances guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Pembroke Pines bars anyone from altering the contours of a swale, the strip of city right-of-way between the road and the sidewalk or property line, or paving it over, without a permit from the Building and Zoning Department. Applicants must submit plans and specifications and follow the Department's conditions first..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate), Sidewalk Repair (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Noise Ordinances

Leaf Blower Rules: Pembroke Pines exempts landscape and yard equipment, including leaf blowers, mowers and trimmers, from its noise-disturbance rules only when the equipment runs between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Also covered: Construction Hours (moderate), Decibel Limits (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Building Safety

Childcare Center Rules: Every child care facility in Pembroke Pines must keep its doors locked during operating hours and whenever children under 18 are present, install a panic alarm button, and add a door access control system on every primary entry. Section 124.03 layers these city-specific security mandates on top of state Department of Children and Families rules..

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

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Pembroke Pines gives extra protection to 'specimen trees,' any tree 18 inches or more in diameter at breast height, aside from a handful of carve-outs. Removing or relocating one still goes through the standard tree permit, but a certified arborist must appraise the specimen's dollar value for replacement, and a relocated specimen tree can require a survival bond..

Also covered: Protected Tree Species (moderate), Parkway Planting (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Pembroke Pines parks are open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year, and City Code § 97.02 makes it unlawful to enter or remain in a park after closing without a permit. Lighted courts, ball fields and similar facilities stay open only as long as their lights remain on, and vehicles left inside a park after closing can be towed..

Also covered: Juvenile Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Trash & Recycling

Yard Waste Collection: Under Pembroke Pines Code § 94.13(B), homeowners must tie yard trash into neat bundles and set it at curbside with regular solid waste for the city's contracted collector to pick up. Bundles cannot go out earlier than 6:00 p.m.

Also covered: Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate), Bulk Item Disposal (limited). See the full trash & recycling guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: Pembroke Pines bans parking big rigs, tow trucks, tractor-trailers and any vehicle fitted with a box, rack, lift, ladder, bucket or refrigerated body anywhere in the city, on private property or in the street, under Code of Ordinances § 155.613(A). Trailers longer than 30 feet from hitch to rear are covered even without commercial equipment.

Also covered: Street Parking Limits (moderate), Abandoned Vehicles (moderate), Driveway Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Shared E-Scooter Rules: Pembroke Pines bars anyone from riding or renting out shared mobility devices, including dockless scooters, e-bikes, and mopeds, without city sign-off. Section 74.03 bans device use on sidewalks and § 74.04 requires operators to hold a signed memorandum of understanding with the city before offering any device for rent..

Also covered: Red-Light Cameras (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Property Maintenance

Vacant Lot Maintenance: Pembroke Pines Code § 101.02 defines EXCESSIVE GROWTH as grass, weeds, brush, or undergrowth reaching eight inches or more, and § 101.05 requires every owner to control that growth on the property and the adjoining right-of-way. Violators get a 20-day notice to cut, a 15-day appeal window, and city cleanup billed to the property..

Also covered: Property Blight (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Pembroke Pines requires full cutoff, directionally shielded fixtures on nonresidential pole lighting and directs architectural and landscape lighting downward with full shielding under Code of Ordinances §§ 155.686(F) and 155.687(A), to cut glare, light trespass, and light pollution..

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: Pembroke Pines' open-burning ban carves out an exception for cooking: § 93.01(A) says the section does not stop a homeowner from burning wood, tinder, or similar fuel in a stove, oven, barbecue pit, grill, or fireplace for cooking, but only at One- and Two-Family Dwellings. Multi-family properties are not covered by that exemption..

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Pembroke Pines Code § 97.27 requires a permit from the Director of Recreation and Cultural Arts before anyone shoots commercial still or motion pictures in a city park using special settings, structures, or a cast of amateur or professional performers. Casual, prop-free personal photography is not covered by the section..

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Pembroke Pines Code § 150.95(P) requires every building's exterior walls to be free of holes, loose boards, or damaged finish that admits rodents, insects, or vermin, and mandates that every dwelling and all parts of the premises be maintained to prevent infestation. Definitions of EXTERMINATION and INFESTATION back the standard..

Fire Regulations

Smoke Detectors: Pembroke Pines enforces smoke alarms through the 2023 Florida Building Code (adopted by reference under Code Section 150.11 with Broward County Administrative Provisions) and the 8th Edition Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1, 2021). FBC R314 / NFPA 72 require alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every story.

Also covered: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate), Outdoor Burning (strict), Fireworks (strict). See the full fire regulations guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: Single-family lots in Pembroke Pines' R-1A, R-1B, and R-1C districts cannot cover more than 40% of the lot with buildings under Table 155.421.1 through .3 of the Land Development Code. The same 40% ceiling applies to both residential and nonresidential structures, on top of each district's minimum lot size and setback rules..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Setback Rules (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Pembroke Pines bans selling food, goods, or merchandise from vehicles anywhere in the city except under Section 155.518's mobile food vendor rules, which confine trucks to private commercial or industrial lots with owner authorization. Sidewalk and right-of-way vending is flatly prohibited: displays and wares must never encroach onto a public street, easement, or right-of-way..

Also covered: Vending Zones (restrictive). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Accessory Structures

Garage Conversions: Pembroke Pines lets a homeowner turn an attached garage into a legal accessory dwelling unit, but the Land Development Code demands specific work: if the garage door faced the street it must come out, the opening enclosed to match the house's finishes and color, and the whole unit must meet size, parking, and permitting standards under Code of Ordinances § 155.621(A)(7)..

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: New plantings of any species the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council lists as Category I invasive for south Florida are banned citywide under § 155.664(Q). A licensed city landscape arborist can grant a narrow, site-specific exception, and removing an existing Category I invasive tree is financially encouraged rather than penalized..

Also covered: Front Yard Gardens (permissive). See the full invasive plant rules guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Pembroke Pines bans barbed wire and barbed-wire-topped fencing on residential property citywide, except in the low-density R-E and A zoning districts. The same ban covers community facility, recreation, and commercial zoned land; only industrial-zoned parcels can add barbed wire, and only after clearing the city's development review process, per § 155.655(C)(1)(h) and (C)(2)(e)-(f)..

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: Pembroke Pines requires every building permit applicant to sign an affidavit acknowledging that a homeowners' or condominium association may impose its own rules beyond whatever the city allows, under Code of Ordinances § 150.04. The city built the requirement specifically to stay out of disputes between owners and their associations.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Pembroke Pines prohibits medical marijuana dispensing facilities everywhere within city limits. Section 155.516 exercises the opt-out authority Florida gives municipalities under F.S.

Also covered: Home Cultivation (strict). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Pembroke Pines enforces Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (F.S. 515).

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

Solar Energy

HOA Restrictions: FL Statute 163.04 protects homeowners' rights to install solar panels and limits HOA restrictions on solar energy devices. HOAs in Pembroke Pines cannot prohibit solar panel installations on residential property.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

No-Knock Registry: Pembroke Pines regulates soliciting through its business licensing provisions. Section 113.09 restricts right-of-way soliciting and canvassing on major roadways and within 200 feet of specified intersections.

Also covered: Solicitor Permits (moderate). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Pembroke Pines for details.

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Pembroke Pines, 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 Pembroke Pines's city hall or code enforcement office.