Walton County, FL Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)
Key Facts
- Defined violations
- Junk, dilapidated structures, abandoned vehicles, overgrowth
- Governing section
- Land Development Code § 7.00.01
- Overgrowth threshold
- Vegetation over 18 inches tall
- Vehicle threshold
- No registration or 30+ days disabled
- First violation fine
- Up to $500 by citation
Summary
Walton County's Land Development Code defines the property conditions its Code Enforcement Officers most often cite in unincorporated Walton County: dilapidated structures, accumulated junk, junked or abandoned motor vehicles, and overgrown vegetation. Section 7.00.01 sets the definitions that trigger a violation, and the prohibitions that follow in Chapter VII turn each one into an enforceable rule.
5."Dilapidated structure" shall mean any building which exhibits exterior or interior defects, whether or not such defects are manmade, as a result of the failure to make necessary repairs or as a result of age related deterioration or decay, such that said building threatens the public health, safety, or welfare.6."Junk" shall mean any junked or abandoned motor vehicle or parts thereof; any real property, fixture, personal property or other article having only nominal or salvage value which has been left unprotected from the elements; combustible and noncombustible waste materials of any kind or character; trash, debris, waste, litter, or refuse; and any other discarded or abandoned personal property, including, but not limited to, iceboxes, refrigerators, deep-freeze lockers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, stoves and household furniture and furnishings.
Full Breakdown
01 of the Land Development Code (Appendix C) defines the conditions the county's code inspectors treat as violations. 03 separately declares any dilapidated structure a public nuisance regardless of whether the lot is improved or unimproved. 'Junk' is defined broadly to include any junked or abandoned motor vehicle or parts, salvage-value property left unprotected from the elements, waste materials, trash, debris and abandoned household items such as iceboxes, refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers and furniture, but excludes ordinary yard debris like clippings, leaves and compost kept for personal, noncommercial use.
A 'Junked or Abandoned Motor Vehicle' is a self-propelled vehicle lacking a current registration, missing an operable part for 30 or more days, parked without the landowner's permission, sited in violation of zoning, or otherwise unclaimed after reasonable inquiry. 'Overgrowth' covers weeds, grasses and shrubbery over 18 inches tall in a residentially zoned district. 12.
Violations & Fines
Each of these conditions can draw a civil citation of up to $500 per violation from a Code Enforcement Officer, or, if referred to the Code Enforcement Board, a fine up to $1,000 per day for a first violation, up to $5,000 per day for a repeat violation of the same code by the same party, and up to $15,000 for a violation the board finds irreparable or irreversible, plus the county's cost of any repairs performed and recorded as a lien.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as "junk" under Walton County's code?
When is a vehicle legally "abandoned" for code purposes?
How bad does a structure have to be before it's "dilapidated"?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walton County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Walton County to another location·View the Florida code violation reporting overview
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