5 rules for unincorporated Okaloosa County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Okaloosa County requires a building permit for every in-ground pool and spa, and for above-ground pools deeper than 24 inches. The Growth Management Department reviews setbacks, electrical, drainage, and Chapter 515 safety features before final inspection.
Fla. Stat. § 515.27
In order to pass final inspection and receive a certificate of completion, a residential swimming pool must meet at least one of the following requirements relating to pool safety features:
Every residential pool in Okaloosa County needs a barrier under Chapter 515 of the Florida Statutes: at least four feet high on the outside, with no gaps a child can crawl through, plus a self-closing, self-latching gate.
Fla. Stat. § 515.29(1)
The barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside. The barrier may not have any gaps, openings, indentations, protrusions, or structural components that could allow a young child to crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over the barrier.
Beyond the barrier, Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act makes an Okaloosa County pool carry at least one added safety feature, and federal law requires anti-entrapment drain covers.
Fla. Stat. § 515.27(1)
The pool must be equipped with an approved safety pool cover.
Okaloosa County treats an above-ground pool like any other: a building permit is required once it holds standing water deeper than 24 inches, and Chapter 515 barrier rules still apply.
A hot tub or spa in Okaloosa County needs an electrical permit for its 240-volt circuit, and Chapter 515 treats a spa as a pool, so a barrier or an approved latching safety cover is required.
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