Manatee County, FL Ordinances (2026)

Outdoor music at a home, patio or venue in unincorporated Manatee County must meet the same § 2-21-34 decibel limits, 60 dBA daytime, 55 dBA after 11 p.m., measured at the neighbor's…

Manatee County allows ordinary construction noise between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. under Code Sec. 2-21-33(4); anything earlier needs a written waiver from the county department…

In unincorporated Manatee County, amplified sound from a vehicle's radio or stereo that is 'plainly audible' at 50 feet is a violation. Ordinary motor-vehicle engine noise on public…

Leaf blowers, lawn mowers and domestic power tools are exempt from Manatee County's noise limits only between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Outside that window they lose the exemption and…

Manatee County treats persistent barking, howling, or other objectionable noise from a dog or cat as a nuisance under Sec. 2-4-13, but Animal Services cannot cite an owner until it has…

In unincorporated Manatee County, sound must not exceed 55 dBA / 60 dBC at night (11:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.) or 60 dBA / 65 dBC daytime. Fridays, Saturdays and pre-holidays extend daytime…

Manatee County sets numeric limits: 60 dBA / 65 dBC daytime, 55 dBA / 60 dBC overnight, and 72 dBA / 77 dBC for residential land next to commercial use. Levels are measured as a…

Aircraft operating under federal air regulations are exempt from Manatee County's noise ordinance in the unincorporated county, under Sec. 2-21-33(8) of the county Code. The exemption…

Unincorporated Manatee County has no adopted STR registration ordinance as of mid-2026. A draft ordinance (proposed June 2026) would require registration with a $250 initial fee and…

No. Manatee County does not require the host to be on-site during a short-term rental. Florida preemption (FS 509.032(7)(b)) means the county cannot force host presence. A proposed…

Manatee County charges a 6% Tourist Development Tax on rentals of six months or less (raised from 5% effective Jan 1, 2025), remitted to the county Tax Collector, plus 7% state…

Manatee County cannot set minimum-night or maximum-night limits on vacation rentals. Florida FS 509.032(7)(b) expressly bars local governments from regulating the duration or frequency…

No. Manatee County does not require a short-term rental to be your primary residence, and Florida law forbids local governments from banning non-owner-occupied vacation rentals…

In unincorporated Manatee County, sheds accessory to a home may total up to 400 square feet of aggregate floor area. A shed 120 square feet or less and up to 8 feet tall (measured…

In unincorporated Manatee County, a detached accessory dwelling unit may be placed under the Land Development Code. It must be a single story with a maximum height of twelve feet (no…

A Tree Removal Permit from the Planning Department Director is required to remove, relocate, or destroy protected trees: common areas, required landscape/street trees, commercial and…

Manatee County requires every tree and shrub on a property to stay clear of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and Sec. 2-9-105(h) sets a hard number for the sidewalk case: eight feet of…

Manatee County locally enforces Southwest Florida Water Management District water shortage orders, including the current Modified Phase III restrictions limiting irrigation to one…

In unincorporated Manatee County, lawn, grass, vegetation or weeds cannot exceed sixteen inches in height on any lot under the county's property maintenance code. Overgrowth is a…

Manatee County does not set a single flat 'lot coverage' percentage for standard single-family districts. Building intensity is controlled through minimum lot size, required setbacks…

In the agricultural and standard residential zoning districts (A, A-1, RSF-1 through RSF-6, and the duplex/multi-family districts), the maximum building height is 35 feet, with limited…

Setbacks vary by zoning district. In the common RSF-3 single-family district, the minimums are roughly 25 ft front, 10 ft side, and 25 ft rear; waterfront lots add a 30-ft waterfront…

Unincorporated Manatee County limits residential garage sales to one sale per lot, capped at three consecutive days, and no more often than once every three months. Sec. 2-9-105(n)…

Manatee County's reclaimed water article lets the utility operations department extend reused wastewater for irrigation where a distribution main is available, subject to backflow…

Manatee County exempts backyard barbecue grills and smokers from its open-burning permit entirely under Section 3.08(a)(1): no EMD permit and no fire-district notice are required if…

Barbecue grills are allowed without a permit if used only for cooking food, with a grate over the fire and only approved materials burned. Propane and gas grills stay legal even during…

Manatee County caps what a tow truck operator may charge for a non-consensual tow and bars bars and restaurants from ordering a parked vehicle removed between 9 p.m. and noon the next…

Manatee County requires every sexually oriented business and each of its employees to hold a county license under Chapter 2-2.5, and bars operation between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m…

Manatee County lets residents do minor auto work at home, but only on a vehicle they or a tenant actually own, limited to jobs like an oil change, battery, tire or spark-plug swap, or…

Manatee County bars retailers from selling tobacco through open, self-service displays: under Code Sec. 2-19-82, tobacco must sit behind the sales counter unless a clerk hands it over…

Manatee County requires secondhand dealers buying regulated goods, jewelry, electronics, and household appliances, to record every seller's ID and hold the item 30 days before resale…

Manatee County requires every massage establishment and therapist to hold a state Chapter 480 license on-site, keep exterior doors unlocked during business hours, and meet strict…

Manatee County's Sec. 2-21-1 adopts Florida's local juvenile curfew law, barring anyone under 16 from public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. on school nights and 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m…

Manatee County parks are generally open sunrise to sunset unless otherwise posted or allowed by special permit. Beaches such as Manatee Public Beach are open sunrise to 10 p.m. Rules…

Manatee County bans commercial pet stores from selling dogs or cats at retail outright, and bars anyone from selling one out of a public thoroughfare, common area, or flea market. Sec…

In unincorporated Manatee County, no dog or cat may be at large on public property, streets, sidewalks, or another's property. Owners must keep direct control of the animal at all…

Manatee County has no breed-specific ban; Florida law preempts that. Instead, Sec. 2-4-10 lets Animal Services declare an individual dog dangerous after an unprovoked attack, then…

Manatee County sets no fixed cap on the number of dogs or cats a household may own. Six or more adult animals kept for business becomes a boarding facility, and any animals kept must…

Manatee County lets residents run trap-neuter-return colonies for feral cats under Sec. 2-4-11's community cat diversion program, exempting sterilized, ear-tipped, vaccinated community…

Manatee County bans feeding wildlife in every county park and preserve. Sec. 2-24-3(3) lumps feeding in with hunting, trapping, capturing and harming any animal, reptile or bird, an…

Residential lots in unincorporated Manatee County may keep up to four chickens; roosters are prohibited. Coops must sit at least 10 ft from adjacent property lines and 25 ft from any…

Manatee County does not require every pet to be sterilized, but it mandates it in three situations: shelter animals must be sterilized before adoption (Sec. 2-4-23(e)), dogs declared…

Manatee County makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate anywhere in public except in a designated restroom, under Sec. 2-3-3(d). The Sheriff's Office and consenting municipal police…

Skating, including in-line skates and skateboards, is allowed on any Manatee County park trail by default. Sec. 2-24-7(10) only blocks it where a specific trail is posted as off-limits…

Approaching drivers for money, blocking pedestrians, or threatening someone on Manatee County roads and sidewalks is a punishable offense under Section 2-21-104. The county's…

Manatee County bans open containers and public drinking within 300 feet of any licensed alcoholic beverage establishment, on public streets, sidewalks, county property, parking lots…

Hosting a gathering loud enough to disturb neighbors violates Manatee County's noise ordinance even without a decibel reading. Section 2-21-34(1) makes any "noise disturbance"…

Manatee County code enforcement can order repair, vacation or demolition of any unsafe building in the unincorporated area, and separately requires every property to stay free of…

Owners of improved and unimproved land in unincorporated Manatee County must keep the property clear of weeds, brush, debris and noxious material. The Planning and Development…

Flying a drone in a Manatee County park is confined to areas the county has set aside for that kind of recreation. Sec. 2-24-6(6) lumps drones in with thrown and propelled-object games…

Unincorporated Manatee County collects yard waste once a week in its own container separate from trash and recyclables. Logs, limbs, brush and palm fronds can't exceed 6 inches in…

Dumping or littering solid waste on streets, right-of-way, waterways, or public places in Manatee County is prohibited under Chapter 2-16. Florida's litter law (FS 403.413) adds…

Manatee County residents must set carts within three feet of the curb in front of the residence, spaced three feet apart, never in the street, on the public way, or on a sidewalk. Set…

Household garbage is collected twice a week (Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday), with recycling and yard waste weekly. Find your days with the county's Resident Information Tool. When…

Commercial properties in unincorporated Manatee County must use county-provided 96-gallon carts or arrange their own covered containers, refuse bins, closed-top containers, roll-offs…

Bulk and special waste items in unincorporated Manatee County, from white goods to construction debris, aren't left at the curb on a whim: Sec. 2-16-35 requires calling the solid waste…

Manatee County requires recycling to go out in county-issued containers with the lid closed, set within 3 feet of the curb, no earlier than sunset the night before pickup and no later…

Manatee County bans lodging, pitching a tent or campsite, storing property unattended, or relieving oneself outside a restroom at the Historic Courthouse, Judicial Center and other…

Any Manatee County park gathering of more than fifty people needs a permit from the parks director before it happens. Sec. 2-24-9 requires the permit, sets content-neutral review…

Where you can ride an electric bicycle in unincorporated Manatee County depends on its class and your age. Section 2-22-17 requires riders 16 and older to use the bike path instead of…

Manatee County lets bicycles ride public sidewalks countywide, but electric bicycles face real limits: 15 mph on any sidewalk, a 750-watt sidewalk power cap, and a mandatory stop for a…

Manatee County treats rodent and pest infestation as a property maintenance violation, not a standalone rodent-control program: Sec. 2-9-105(d) forbids any property in the…

Retaining walls are structures subject to the Florida Building Code and Manatee County permitting; like fences and walls, they may not sit in a right-of-way, easement, or visibility…

Most fences in unincorporated Manatee County require a building permit, but fences for agricultural uses on agriculturally zoned property are exempt from permitting while still meeting…

In unincorporated Manatee County, fences within a required front yard max out at 48 inches (4 feet); fences in all other yards may reach 8 feet, or 9 feet where a non-residential…

Manatee County bars broken glass, spikes, and similar materials on fences. Barbed wire is limited to A and A-1 districts (or any agricultural-use fence), and electrified fences are…

Manatee County's LDC governs fence height and placement, but it does not assign fence ownership or cost-sharing between neighbors. No fence may sit in a right-of-way or easement, and…

The Manatee County Board regulates parking and reserved/tow-away zones on county-owned property by resolution and posted signs; unauthorized vehicles in a marked reserved or tow-away…

On residential lots in unincorporated Manatee County, a resident's commercial vehicle can't exceed 15,000 lbs gross vehicle weight or 9 feet in height, and larger restricted vehicles…

Restricted vehicles (RVs, boats) may sit on a paved front-yard driveway only in A, A-1, or RSF-1 districts; commercial vehicles must be off-street in a driveway, carport, or garage…

In unincorporated Manatee County, RVs and boats ("restricted vehicles") may be stored in a garage/carport or in the side or rear yard of an occupied single-family or duplex lot, not…

No one may park a motor vehicle on a Manatee County road or county-controlled parking area for more than 48 continuous hours, and never in restricted areas or fire lanes (Code 2-22-22).

Manatee County treats inoperable vehicles as a nuisance per se. No inoperable vehicle may be parked or stored on any property in major disassembly or disrepair unless it's inside a…

Manatee County bars parking a vehicle on any county road or county-owned lot for more than 48 continuous hours. Sec. 2-22-22(b) sets the limit; violators face a civil parking ticket…

Manatee County bans all open burning outside its Environmental Management Department (EMD) permit system, Open Burning Code, Appendix A, Article III. Unpermitted fires, from yard…

A recreational fire pit or bonfire in unincorporated Manatee County is a Category VII open burn under Section 3.07(5) of the county's Open Burning Code: it needs a free Environmental…

Smoke-alarm requirements come from Florida law, not a special county rule. New and replacement battery-powered smoke alarms in one- and two-family homes must use a 10-year…

Selling or setting off fireworks is illegal for almost everyone in unincorporated Manatee County. Sections 2-21-88 through 2-21-91 of the county Code ban sales and use outside a narrow…

Manatee County requires owners of unincorporated land, improved or vacant, to keep it clear of weeds, brush and debris that create fire hazards, breed mosquitoes or harbor snakes and…

On Manatee County's Gulf beaches, including Anna Maria Island, lighting that shines onto the beach must be shielded or turned off between sunset and sunrise from May 1 to October 31 to…

In unincorporated Manatee County, outdoor lighting fixtures must have full oblique shielding so a property's lights do not directly illuminate a neighbor. Total spillover onto another…

In unincorporated Manatee County, garage sale signs are among the sign types allowed without a sign permit under the Land Development Code. Garage sales themselves are limited to one…

In unincorporated Manatee County, political signs may be up to 6 square feet in residential districts (32 square feet elsewhere) and up to 10 feet tall. In non-residential districts…

Anyone who builds, installs, removes, relocates or performs work within, on, under or above a county right-of-way in unincorporated Manatee County needs a right-of-way use permit…

When the Governor or the county commission declares a public emergency, Manatee County and its authorized waste collector may enter private roads, rights-of-way and ingress/egress…

Property owners in unincorporated Manatee County must maintain any stormwater drainage facility on their land that principally collects that property's own runoff, and get the public…

Unincorporated Manatee County requires the lowest floor of new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to sit at or above the base flood elevation plus 1 foot of…

Any development wholly or partly inside a mapped flood hazard area in unincorporated Manatee County needs a floodplain development permit before work starts, under the county's…

A pool barrier used to satisfy Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act must be at least 4 feet high on the outside, have no gaps a child could crawl under or climb over, and be…

Every residential pool built in unincorporated Manatee County needs a Florida Building Code permit under County Code Sec. 2-6-1, and Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act…

Manatee County requires ice cream trucks vending on public roads to hold a Sheriff's Office-inspected vehicle certificate and a separate operator permit, and it fixes exactly when and…

Any new construction, alteration, repair, or demolition in unincorporated Manatee County must comply with the Florida Building Code, which County Code Sec. 2-6-1 adopts by reference as…

Florida's cottage food law lets you sell certain non-hazardous homemade foods, like baked goods and jams, directly to consumers with no state license or inspection, as long as annual…