Nassau County, FL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RS-E front yard
- 50 feet
- RS-E side yard
- 15 feet
- RS-E rear yard
- 25 feet
- RS-1 front yard
- 30 feet
- RS-2 front yard
- 25 feet
- First-offense fine cap
- $1,000 per day
Summary
In unincorporated Nassau County, front, side and rear yard setbacks are fixed by zoning district in the Land Development Code. The most restrictive residential district, RS-E (Single-Family Estate, one-acre minimum lots), requires a 50-foot front yard, 15-foot side yards and a 25-foot rear yard under Section 8.05.
Section 8.05. - Minimum yard requirement. (A)Front yard: Fifty (50) feet.(B)Side yard: Fifteen (15) feet.(C)Rear yard: Twenty-five (25) feet.
Full Breakdown
Nassau County's Land Development Code (Appendix A) sets minimum yard requirements article by article for each zoning district rather than in one countywide table. 04. 05: RS-1 requires a 30-foot front yard, 10-foot side yards and a 15-foot rear yard, while RS-2 requires a 25-foot front yard, 10-foot side yards and a 10-foot rear yard. 07 offers a conservation-subdivision incentive: if an approved site plan preserves at least 30 percent of the gross site as natural areas or recreation land outside any lot, stormwater facility, perimeter landscape buffer or easement, RS-2 lots may reduce to a 15-foot front yard (20 feet to the garage face), a 5-foot side yard and a 10-foot rear yard.
15 rather than the principal-structure yards. A property owner who cannot meet a required yard must apply to the Planning and Zoning Board for a variance rather than build as-is; the board of adjustment process is referenced throughout the zoning articles for dimensional relief. 02.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a structure within a required yard is a code violation investigated by the Planning and Economic Opportunity Department's code officers and heard by the county's special magistrate under Nassau County Code § 1-56. Fines under § 1-61 run up to $1,000 per day for a first violation and up to $5,000 per day for a repeat violation, with up to $15,000 per violation if the special magistrate finds the encroachment irreparable; unpaid fines become a lien capped at 35 percent of the property's assessed value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front yard setback in Nassau County's RS-E district?
Are RS-1 and RS-2 setbacks the same?
Can a conservation subdivision get reduced setbacks?
What happens if I build inside a required setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nassau County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Nassau County to another location·View the Florida building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.