Plastic Bag Rules: Coral Gables vs Miami
How do plastic bag rules rules compare between Coral Gables, FL and Miami, FL?
Coral Gables and Miami have similar restriction levels.
Coral Gables, FL
Miami-Dade County
Florida Statute §403.7033 preempts all local regulation of disposable plastic bags. Miami-Dade and its cities cannot ban or tax single-use plastic bags. Miami Beach passed a bag ban in 2018 that was struck down. Retailers may voluntarily adopt reusable-bag programs.
View full Coral Gables rules →Miami, FL
Miami-Dade County
Miami cannot ban or tax plastic carryout bags. Florida Statute §403.7033, on the books since 2008 and reinforced by HB 7045 in 2019, expressly preempts local regulation of "auxiliary containers" including plastic carryout bags. Coral Gables' 2017 ban was struck down by Florida's Third District Court of Appeal in 2019. Plastic bags remain legal citywide.
View full Miami rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Coral Gables | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Preemption | FL §403.7033 | - |
| Local bans | Not allowed | - |
| Coral Gables case | FRF v. Coral Gables 2019 | - |
| Retailer programs | Voluntary only | - |
| - | - |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Coral Gables FAQ
Can my city ban plastic bags?
No. FL §403.7033 preempts all local regulation. The 2019 Florida Retail Federation decision struck down Coral Gables and similar bans across the state.
Are paper bag fees allowed?
No local fee on disposable bags is permitted. Stores may voluntarily charge or rebate, but a government-mandated fee is preempted under §403.7033.
Miami FAQ
Is there a plastic bag ban in Miami?
No. Florida Statute §403.7033 preempts all local bag regulation, and the Third District Court of Appeal struck down Coral Gables' ban in 2019. Miami cannot enforce any bag ban or fee.
Why can't Florida cities ban plastic bags?
Because state law (Fla. Stat. §403.7033 and HB 7045/2019) expressly preempts local regulation of "auxiliary containers" including plastic carryout bags. Only the legislature can change this.
Do Miami stores charge for bags?
No mandatory charge exists. Some retailers voluntarily offer reusable-bag credits, but the city has no authority to require a fee.
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