Hillsborough County, FL Ordinances (2026)

FL 720.311 requires pre-suit mediation for most HOA disputes between owner and association. Covenant and restriction disputes require mandatory mediation before litigation. DBPR…

FL 720.305 allows HOAs to enforce CC&Rs via fines up to 100/day (1,000 aggregate cap), suspension of common area privileges, and liens for fines over 1,000. 14-day hearing notice…

Hillsborough County confines walk-up retail transactions for a home-based business to inside the residential dwelling itself, though other incidental business activity can happen…

Hillsborough County gives home-based businesses no special signage allowance: any sign has to meet the same Sign Regulations that apply to the property's residential zoning district.

Hillsborough County exempts compliant home-based businesses from needing a zoning permit, but any business type that would need a Conditional or Special Use permit elsewhere in the…

Unincorporated Hillsborough County requires anyone caring for unrelated children in a residence for pay to hold a Family Child Care Home or Large Family Child Care Home license from…

Hillsborough County requires all outdoor light fixtures on non-residential and multi-family projects to be full cutoff type, shielded to control glare and confine light within the site…

Hillsborough County limits outdoor lighting on non-residential, multi-family, and shared single-family development areas to 1.0 footcandle at property lines next to homes, requiring…

Hillsborough County requires wind-borne debris opening protection on site-built single-family homes getting $50,000+ of permitted work when the home is worth $750,000 or more and sits…

Once a state of emergency is declared, Hillsborough County can enter private roads and rights-of-way in the unincorporated area to clear disaster debris, and can direct its franchise…

Hillsborough County's Land Development Code requires developers to preserve any oak 34 inches or more in trunk diameter, a 'grand oak', unless the County Administrator authorizes…

Hillsborough County requires one street tree per subdivision lot, plus extra trees for wide frontages, planted within the road right-of-way near the curb and sidewalk.

Hillsborough County requires developers to preserve every tree 5+ inches in trunk diameter and every grand oak on a site, with a Natural Resources Permit needed to remove one and…

Hillsborough County caps weeds, grass and underbrush at ten inches within 200 feet of any building, structure, recreational area or street right-of-way, with exceptions for…

Hillsborough County limits lawn irrigation with potable, well or surface water to twice a week on set days by address ending number, within either a morning or evening window.

Hillsborough County requires new landscaping installed under a Landscaping Permit to draw at least half of its required trees from Florida native species, hybrids, or cultivars, part…

Hillsborough County tree trimming on residential single-family parcels is largely deregulated by FL 163.045, which preempts local permit and documentation requirements when a licensed…

Hillsborough County bans loitering or prowling in any county park, including playgrounds, restrooms, and parking areas, under Sec. 38-24(6).

Hillsborough County bans drinking alcohol on any public street, alley, sidewalk, parking lot, or right-of-way in the unincorporated county, with violators facing criminal misdemeanor…

Smoking any substance is banned in Hillsborough County park athletic areas, nature trails, nature areas, dog parks, inside County buildings, and any other park facility the County…

Unincorporated Hillsborough County designates historic and cultural landmarks through the Historic Resources Review Board, and owners of designated sites need a Certificate of…

Hillsborough County sorts businesses into classifications by size or type, and the local business tax receipt fee depends on which class a business falls into.

Unincorporated Hillsborough County splits farmland into seven agricultural zoning districts, A, AR, AM, AI, AS-1, AS-0.4, and ASC-1, each setting its own minimum lot size, from one…

Hillsborough County bans parking commercial vehicles in residential districts outright, with one narrow carve-out: an owner living on a deeded lot of at least an acre in…

Hillsborough County requires driveways, drive aisles and the minimum parking spaces on most properties to be paved with a durable, dustless surface such as asphalt or cement under LDC…

Unincorporated Hillsborough County requires new commercial, industrial and hotel buildings to provide off-street loading berths sized to floor area, up to five berths for the largest…

Hillsborough County lets homeowners keep one RV, boat or utility trailer in the yard on lots under an acre, but bans hookups, living in them, and street parking, and pushes anything…

Hillsborough County bars stopping, standing or parking in the unincorporated area at driveways, crosswalks, fire hydrants and other listed spots under Sec. 50-110, and a vehicle left…

Sec. 8-116(e) bans storing any inoperable vehicle outside a completely enclosed building anywhere in unincorporated Hillsborough County, covering domestic, recreational, commercial…

A garage sale sign counts as a temporary sign under the Land Development Code: it must be non-illuminated, built of rigid material, and taken down within 20 days after the sale ends.

Window signs in unincorporated Hillsborough County need no sign permit, but Land Development Code Section 7.03.00.F caps them at 25 percent of the window surface area facing a public…

Off-premises signs, including digital billboards, are banned outright in unincorporated Hillsborough County. On-site electronic displays survive only as changeable-copy signs limited…

Hillsborough County provides weekly curbside recycling to residential customers through a county-owned cart, and requires recyclables to be kept separate from other household waste.

Hillsborough County's unincorporated curbside service includes two garbage pickups, one recycling, and one yard-waste collection each week. Find your specific days with the county's…

Hillsborough County requires solid waste containers used by hazardous-waste generators near parks, playgrounds, or elementary schools to be locked or fenced, protecting children from…

Hillsborough County caps weekly curbside yard waste at two cubic yards, three during spring growing season, with branches limited to four feet long and six inches thick.

Curbside residential collection is mandatory for nearly every single-family home in unincorporated Hillsborough County. The Board of County Commissioners sets a fixed weekly schedule…

Hillsborough County doesn't collect bulky or nonprocessable waste at the curb by default: residents must schedule a special collection or self-haul it to a county drop-off site.

Dumping, burning or disposing of solid waste anywhere in Hillsborough County without an Environmental Protection Commission or state permit is unlawful, and any accumulation over seven…

Hillsborough County residents must not set carts out before 6 p.m. the evening before collection, must have them out by 6 a.m. on pickup day, and keep them within two feet of the…

Hillsborough County lets a dog or cat wear a currently registered microchip instead of its county tag, but the chip's ID numbers must be reported to the Pet Resources Department at…

Hillsborough County bans keeping livestock and other farm animals in residential zoning districts, with narrow exceptions only for honey bees, permitted exotic animals, and backyard…

Hillsborough County has no breed-based dog ban. Instead, Code of Ordinances Part A Sec. 6-27 adopts Florida's dangerous dog law, F.S. Chapter 767, in full: any dog that unprovoked…

Hillsborough County requires any cat allowed outdoors without an owner's direct control to be sterilized, while exempting officially ear-tipped feral colony cats and their registered…

Animal hospitals and veterinary clinics in unincorporated Hillsborough County must sit 50 to 150 feet from residential property depending on how enclosed the building is.

New pet shops in Hillsborough County may not sell dogs or cats sourced from breeders: only animals from shelters, rescues, or an approved non-breeder sourcing model.

Hillsborough County bans keeping animals other than household pets in residential zoning districts, but LDC § 6.11.13.B.1.a carves out honey bees: hives are allowed if kept under…

Hillsborough County bars dogs from running loose on streets, sidewalks, or parks and requires that a dog on public property stay under its owner's direct control, such as a leash…

Unincorporated Hillsborough County exempts construction noise from its general noise-disturbance ban only between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sec. 36-435(12) covers construction activity…

Blasting a car stereo loud enough to hear from 50 feet away is illegal on unincorporated Hillsborough County roads, drawing a $150 civil citation under the county's dedicated…

Hillsborough County caps sound from manufacturing, processing and assembly operations at 60 dBA daytime and 55 dBA nighttime near homes, 65/60 dBA near commercial uses, and 75 dBA…

Hillsborough County does not set an aircraft noise decibel limit in its noise ordinance. Instead, the Land Development Code creates the SPI-AP Airport overlay district, splitting land…

Unincorporated Hillsborough County bans any 'noise disturbance' at any hour, not just at night. Sec. 36-434 makes it unlawful to make, continue, or knowingly permit any noise…

A dog or other pet that barks, howls or whines nonstop for 20 minutes or more in unincorporated Hillsborough County violates the county's nuisance-animal rule, unless it's enclosed to…

A backyard pool in unincorporated Hillsborough County needs a building permit before the first shovel of dirt, and the pool itself must satisfy the Land Development Code's fencing and…

Sec. 8-117 requires every private pool, hot tub, or spa in unincorporated Hillsborough County to be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches tall with no more than a four-inch gap at…

Reclaimed water use in unincorporated Hillsborough County is voluntary except where a development's wastewater permit requires it, and every connection runs through the County…

Any construction, alteration, demolition or occupancy change to a building in unincorporated Hillsborough County needs a permit from the Building Official before work starts, under…

Electrical work in unincorporated Hillsborough County runs on Chapter 27 of the Florida Building Code and the Florida Residential Code, adopted locally at Section 101.4.1, and any new…

Hillsborough County requires the building official to inspect construction at set stages before work can be covered up, ending in a final inspection before a Certificate of Occupancy…

Hillsborough County requires a permit for plumbing work in unincorporated areas, enforcing the Florida Building Code's plumbing chapter rather than a county-written plumbing code.

Hillsborough County requires every child care facility to hold a license from the Local Licensing Agency before operating, with fines up to $500 per violation per day for running…

Hillsborough County's Property Maintenance Code flatly bans lead-based paint on any exterior surface of a dwelling, accessory structure, or building in the unincorporated area. The…

Medical marijuana dispensing facilities may open only as a conditional use in Hillsborough County's CN, CG, CI and M zoning districts, or as an accessory use in the BPO, UC-1 and UC-2…

Hillsborough County bars medical marijuana dispensing facilities from locating within 500 feet of any public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school, measured property line…

Florida law, not county code, controls this: Fla. Stat. § 381.986(11) preempts cultivation regulation entirely to the state, and paragraph (d) makes it a violation for any registered…

Sec. 10-656(a) requires a separate county permit for every bathhouse or massage establishment location and for every individual bathhouse or massage technician working in…

Hillsborough County bars new sexually oriented businesses within 2,000 feet of residential zoning, churches, schools, or parks, and within 500 feet of another sexually oriented…

Businesses in Hillsborough County that sell vapor-generating devices or vapor products must check government-issued ID and cannot sell to anyone under 21, with mandatory point-of-sale…

Every pawnbroker in unincorporated Hillsborough County must hold a business tax receipt from the County Tax Collector before opening, at $337.50 per place of business. The receipt is…

Non-consensual private towing from real property in Hillsborough County is capped at Board-set maximum rates and requires posted tow-away signage; operators who skip the required…

Secondhand dealers, pawn-style flea market merchants, and precious-metals buyers in unincorporated Hillsborough County must log every transaction electronically with the Sheriff's…

Hillsborough County lets residents repair their own vehicles at home as an accessory use, but most work must move indoors once it goes past fluids, spark plugs and tires, and body work…

Grading, filling, excavating, or otherwise changing the topography of land in unincorporated Hillsborough County is regulated 'land alteration': a Natural Resources Permit from the…

New subdivisions in unincorporated Hillsborough County must design stormwater systems to SWFWMD water-quality standards and the county's own Stormwater Management Technical Manual…

Any development in a Hillsborough County flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit before work starts, covering subdivisions, fill, grading, and building alteration.

Hillsborough County requires new critical facilities in flood hazard areas to sit three feet above base flood elevation, or use the 500-year flood level if it is higher.

Hillsborough County lets residential fences use common materials like chain link, masonry, wood or PVC, as long as the design fits the neighborhood's appearance.

In unincorporated Hillsborough County, a fence needs no zoning or building permit under LDC § 6.07.01.C, but a wall does: walls require a building permit and must meet the Florida…

Residential fences in unincorporated Hillsborough County top out at 6 feet under the Land Development Code, with front-yard fences capped at 4 feet and corner-lot side fences allowed…

Rent control is PROHIBITED in Hillsborough County under FL §125.0103 statewide preemption. Hillsborough voters rejected a proposed rent stabilization ordinance in the November 2022…

Sec. 8-115 bars anyone from occupying or renting out a dwelling in unincorporated Hillsborough County that lacks a working kitchen sink, bathroom, adequate light and ventilation, safe…

Producers filming on location in unincorporated Hillsborough County must file a sworn permit application 7 to 180 days before shooting, detailing the location and production.

A student film shot for personal, non-commercial use in unincorporated Hillsborough County skips the county's photography permit if five or fewer people are involved.

A film production permit application in unincorporated Hillsborough County must disclose any need to close public streets or sidewalks and for how long.

Unfenced Hillsborough County parks close between sunset and sunrise; fenced parks close when the gates lock, and staying after hours is a trespass violation.

Hillsborough County Code Chapter 42 establishes juvenile curfew for persons under 17. Sunday through Thursday 11 PM to 5 AM, Friday and Saturday midnight to 6 AM. Exceptions for…

Under Sec. 8-62, the county's Building Director or Housing Assistance Director can order an owner to repair, restore, or demolish an unsafe building anywhere in unincorporated…

Hillsborough County treats overgrowth exceeding 24 inches on abandoned or vacant land as an 'imminent health threat,' letting Code Enforcement abate it immediately without standard…

Hillsborough County requires a rights-of-way use permit before anyone builds, installs, or works within, on, under, or above county rights-of-way, including sidewalks.

Hillsborough County bans standing or gathering in groups on any street, alley, sidewalk, parking lot or right-of-way when it blocks free passage of people or vehicles and threatens…

Hillsborough County requires developers to remove three invasive plant species, Brazilian pepper, melaleuca and Australian pine, from developable uplands, buffers and setback areas…

Hillsborough County runs both red light cameras (Sec. 50-49–50-52, since 2013) and school zone speed cameras (Sec. 50-221–50-232, since 2023), with the Sheriff's Office administering…

Hillsborough County bans stopping, standing or parking a vehicle on a bicycle path, and bans standing or parking in an exclusive bicycle lane, anywhere in the unincorporated county…

Carports in unincorporated Hillsborough County are accessory structures capped at 15 feet high and kept out of front yards, with a 3-foot minimum from side and rear lot lines.

Hillsborough County requires the principal home on any lot with an accessory dwelling unit to be owner-occupied, a condition the Land Development Code says cannot be varied.

Hillsborough County requires accessory dwelling units to sit on a conforming lot of at least 7,000 square feet and caps living space at 900 square feet under the Land Development…

Hillsborough County bans open burning countywide except for a short list of exemptions, noncommercial cooking or recreational campfires, ceremonial fires, official weed-abatement…

Hillsborough County treats residential propane tanks as mechanical equipment under its Land Development Code: they cannot sit in a required front yard, and can project only limited…

Every dwelling in unincorporated Hillsborough County must have operational smoke detectors outside sleeping areas under NFPA standards, a maintenance-code duty for existing housing…

Consumer fireworks are legal in unincorporated Hillsborough County on the three state-designated holidays only: July 4, December 31, and January 1. Outside those dates, only sparklers…

Hillsborough County's Wimauma Downtown Overlay District requires buildings along 4th Street and State Road 674 to occupy at least 70% of street frontage, cap front setbacks at 20 feet…

Hillsborough County lets affordable housing projects request density and floor-area-ratio bonuses under LDC Sec. 6.11.07 if at least 20% of units serve households earning 80% or less…

Hillsborough County bans nearly all street vending: the only commercial activity allowed in a public right-of-way is selling ready-to-eat food or drinks from a moving vendor vehicle…

Hillsborough County requires temporary food truck vendors to hold a county occupational license, a state food permit, and a signed property lease, all kept on-site for inspection.

Food trucks and other temporary vendors on private property in unincorporated Hillsborough County may set up only on parcels zoned commercial or office, excluding O-R, under Land…

Tenants can trigger a Code Enforcement inspection of a rental in unincorporated Hillsborough County by filing a complaint, and inspectors can enter without delay if there's probable…

Hillsborough County levies a 6% tourist development tax on hotel, motel and other short-term rentals of six months or less, county-wide.

Hillsborough County authorizes a needle and syringe exchange under Sec. 28-250 through Sec. 28-260 of the Code of Ordinances, run only by a county-contracted operator on a strict…

Hillsborough County enforces pest control under FDACS licensing (FL §482) with additional termite protection requirements for all new construction per Florida Building Code 1816…

Hillsborough County Code Inspectors cannot act on anonymous tips. Anyone reporting a suspected code violation must give the Code Enforcement Department their name and address before an…

Any outdoor gathering of 200 or more people on private land in unincorporated Hillsborough County, festivals, fairs, big parties, needs a Special Event Permit filed at least 35 days in…

Public meetings, festivals, rallies or political events expecting more than 50 people in a Hillsborough County park need a written permit from the Parks, Recreation and Conservation…

Hillsborough County caps building height by zoning district in the Land Development Code's dimensional table: 35 feet for the county's standard single-family district, RSC-4, with…

Hillsborough County caps free garage sales at two per household in any six-month period before a business tax receipt kicks in.

FL §163.04 prohibits any HOA, condo association, or deed restriction from banning solar panels on homes in Hillsborough County. HOAs may only impose reasonable aesthetic rules on exact…

Hillsborough County enforces No Soliciting signs under FL trespass statute 810.09. Posted sign at entry gives constructive notice; solicitor who ignores commits second-degree…

Hillsborough County STRs limited to 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional, not to exceed 12 total occupants. FL Fire Code capacity applies to larger homes.

Hillsborough County drone operation governed by FAA Part 107 and Florida Statute 330.41 (Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act). Tampa International Airport (TPA) Class B airspace…