Fort Lauderdale, FL Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Under Sec. 11-11, code inspectors have sole authority to initiate enforcement and present cases before the code enforcement board or a special magistrate; board members and magistrates cannot start proceedings themselves. For a standard first-time violation, the inspector must provide written notice of the violation and allow a reasonable correction period, capped at 30 days unless a longer period is reasonable. If the violation isn't corrected in time, the inspector notifies the clerk, who schedules a board or special magistrate hearing, and written notice of the hearing goes out under Sec.

11-16. If a violation is corrected and then recurs, or isn't corrected by the deadline, the case can still proceed to hearing even if fixed before the hearing date. Repeat violations skip the correction-window step entirely: under Sec. 11-11(c), the inspector notifies the alleged repeat violator and the clerk schedules a hearing directly. Under Sec. 11-11(d), if the inspector believes a violation poses a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare, or is irreparable or irreversible, the inspector may go straight to a hearing with the development services director's approval, without prior notice to the violator, though reasonable notice is still attempted where possible.

A parallel citation track exists under Sec. 11-18: a code inspector may issue a written warning notice with no civil penalty as a first response, stating the correction deadline and the civil penalty that applies if the violation isn't fixed; if uncorrected or if it recurs, the inspector issues a citation violation notice specifying the code section violated, the penalty amount, and the 15-day window to request an administrative hearing.