Putnam County, FL Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)
Key Facts
- Where to file
- Sheriff's office (citizen or county staff complaint)
- Chapter covered
- Drug, prostitution, gang, stolen-property nuisances (ch. 26)
- Who prosecutes
- County enforcement officer, before the special magistrate
- Recurrence window
- Same violation within 5 years = recurring nuisance
- Appeal window
- 30 days to circuit court (§ 26-12)
Summary
In unincorporated Putnam County, a nuisance-abatement code violation, drug, prostitution, criminal street gang or stolen-property activity at a property, is filed with the sheriff's office. Sec. 26-7(a) lets both citizens and county code-enforcement staff file the complaint, and the enforcement officer who receives it must open a case and prosecute it before the county's special magistrate.
Recurring public nuisance means the violation of a provision of this Code or an ordinance by a person who has been previously found through a special magistrate or any other quasi-judicial or judicial process to have violated, or who has admitted violating, the same provision within five years prior to the violation. S ... ec. ... 26-7. - Enforcement procedures. (a)An alleged violation of this chapter may be filed with the sheriff's office, either by citizens or by county staff who have the responsibility of enforcing the various codes or ordinances of the county. It shall be the duty of the enforcement officer to initiate enforcement proceedings. The enforcement officer shall be responsible for prosecuting violations of that ordinance before the special magistrate. The special magistrate shall not have the power to initiate enforcement proceedings.
Full Breakdown
Putnam County created a special magistrate system under Chapter 26 to abate drug, prostitution, criminal street gang and stolen-property nuisances (Sec. 26-2), authorized by F.S. § 893.138. Sec. 26-7(a) sets the intake point: an alleged violation of the chapter may be filed with the sheriff's office, either by citizens or by county staff who have the responsibility of enforcing the various codes or ordinances of the county. The enforcement officer who takes the complaint must initiate the case and prosecute it before the special magistrate; the magistrate itself cannot start a case.
A complaint that becomes a recurring problem, the same provision violated again within five years per Sec. 26-1's definition, can be brought straight back to the magistrate under Sec. 26-7(c). Once a nuisance is found, Sec. 26-7(b) requires the enforcement officer to schedule a hearing and give notice under Sec. 26-13, which allows certified mail, hand delivery by the sheriff or another officer, or leaving notice with a resident over 15 or a business manager. At the hearing (Sec. 26-8), testimony is under oath and recorded, and the special magistrate can subpoena witnesses and records (Sec.
26-6). If the magistrate finds a public nuisance and it isn't corrected, Sec. 26-9 authorizes a fine, and Sec. 26-10 lets the county record a lien against the property. A magistrate order can be appealed to the circuit court within 30 days under Sec. 26-12.
Violations & Fines
Once the enforcement officer finds a public nuisance under Sec. 26-4, drug, prostitution, gang or stolen-property activity, the case goes to the special magistrate for a hearing under Sec. 26-8 rather than criminal court. The magistrate can issue a compliance order, assess a daily fine under Sec. 26-9, place a lien on the property under Sec. 26-10, or, if the respondent still won't comply, order the property closed under Sec. 26-7(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report a suspected drug or nuisance property in unincorporated Putnam County?
What happens after I file a complaint with the sheriff's office?
What if the same property becomes a nuisance again after a hearing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Putnam County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Putnam County to another location·View the Florida code violation reporting overview
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