Orange County, FL Ordinances (2026)

Unincorporated Orange County requires a zoning department permit before any garage sale, valid for up to 72 hours and displayed on-site during the sale.

Orange County Code § 21-72(b) forbids staging, promoting, conducting, or even participating in a public assembly in any county public park that draws 700 or more people at any one time…

Restaurants with 20+ feet of street frontage in Orange County's Village Center PD districts may add outdoor dining, but tables, chairs, and planters can't block the sidewalk…

Street fairs, festivals and similar outdoor special events in unincorporated Orange County need zoning approval and a Fire Marshal outdoor event permit, with vendor food trucks capped…

Orange County requires a public assembly permit from the county administrator for any parade, march, rally, or similar gathering of 100 or more people on a public right-of-way.

A dock on a waterway in unincorporated Orange County needs a dock construction permit from the county's Environmental Protection Division. Under § 15-342, the structure must stay open…

Orange County regulates any development that sits wholly or partially inside a mapped flood hazard area in the unincorporated county. Section 19-2 sweeps in everything from subdividing…

Unincorporated Orange County requires an engineered stormwater management system on every new development before construction begins. Code § 30-277 sorts projects into three categories…

In unincorporated Orange County, a manufactured home that is placed, replaced, or substantially improved in a flood hazard area must have the bottom of its frame elevated to at least…

Orange County requires a development approval and tree removal permit before any land clearing, mass grading, fill, or excavation in the unincorporated area: standalone grading permits…

Homes in unincorporated Orange County that are entitled to full solid waste and recycling service get curbside bulk trash collection from their residential franchise hauler under §…

Orange County's solid waste code sets a tight window for curbside carts in the unincorporated county: garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulk trash go within 3 feet of the paved…

Every household on full solid waste and recycling collection service in unincorporated Orange County must use the recycling container supplied by the county or its franchise hauler…

Florida law puts solid waste and recycling pickup in the hands of county government: Fla. Stat. Sec. 403.706(1) makes the county responsible for solid waste disposal facilities serving…

Unincorporated Orange County caps uncontainerized yard waste bundles at 3 feet long and 60 pounds, per the county code.

Orange County bans construction dumpsters, roll-off containers and other centralized waste or recycling collection containers from being placed in or obstructing any county-maintained…

Orange County Code § 32-160(a) makes county trash and recycling collection mandatory in unincorporated Orange County: every person owning or possessing property entitled to full solid…

Orange County pays cash rewards, up to half of any fine, to anyone whose tip leads to a conviction for illegally dumping garbage or refuse on public or private land.

In unincorporated Orange County, § 15-185(i) exempts generators used during or as a result of an emergency from the noise ordinance entirely, while § 15-185(j) confines routine…

Noise complaints from bars and nightlife in Orange County's I-Drive Regional Center that involve alcohol or suspected illegal activity go straight to a Sheriff's investigating officer…

Orange County's noise ordinance specifically names thumping bass music that vibrates buildings or people as a noise disturbance, and a detectable bass beat alone can count as a plainly…

Orange County's noise ordinance treats a running heat pump or air conditioning condenser as "intermittent sound," the code's term for noise lasting longer than one second but under…

Orange County Code § 5-55(a) directs the county animal services division to sterilize and return healthy community cats that enter the county shelter instead of holding or destroying…

Pet stores throughout Orange County, inside city limits and out, are barred from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits at retail. The only way a store may display those animals is for…

Orange County bans letting any dog or other domestic animal run loose off its owner's property, and separately prohibits tethering an animal where it can reach public property or a…

Orange County lets the public trap nuisance wildlife only if the trapper holds a current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission permit and is separately registered with the…

Orange County will not release an impounded dog or cat back to its owner until animal services implants a microchip at the owner's expense, alongside rabies and sterilization…

In unincorporated Orange County, a veterinary hospital or clinic for domestic pets is a special exception, not a by-right use, on A-1 and A-2 agricultural land under the Sec. 38-77 use…

Orange County Zoning Code § 38-79(49) lets property owners in agricultural and residential districts of unincorporated Orange County raise goats, sheep, lambs, and pigs, but caps them…

Beekeeping is allowed throughout unincorporated Orange County under FL Statute 586.10, which preempts all local bans. Beekeepers must register annually with FDACS and follow state best…

Orange County has NO breed-specific legislation. FL Statute 767.14 preempts all local breed bans statewide. Dangerous dog determinations are behavior-based under FL Chapter 767.

Orange County created an Office of Tenant Services to receive, process, and investigate renter complaints under its Tenant's Bill of Rights Ordinance and Rental Notices Ordinance, and…

Unincorporated Orange County outlaws prohibited open burning in broad terms: no one may ignite, cause to be ignited, or allow to be ignited material that results in it, and yard waste…

Campfires, bonfires and outdoor fireplaces are allowed in unincorporated Orange County only if the fuel pile stays under three feet across and two feet tall and sits at least 25 feet…

Consumer fireworks are legal in Orange County only on July 4, December 31, and January 1 under FL §791.08. On all other days only sparklers and novelties are allowed; aerial and…

Orange County Code § 26-51 makes it a misdemeanor to loiter in or upon any public place in the unincorporated county for the purpose of prostitution or lewdness, procuring another for…

Drinking or possessing alcohol in unincorporated Orange County's public parks, playgrounds and recreation areas is illegal unless the county has issued an alcoholic beverage permit for…

Commercial buildings in unincorporated Orange County must provide on-site space for loading, unloading and maneuvering trucks: using the public street for loading is banned.

Orange County caps a trespass tow at $135 for a Class A vehicle and $500 for a Class D, gives 24 free storage hours on a trespass tow and six on a crash tow, and lets an owner who…

A recreational vehicle may stay in the right-of-way of an Orange County street or highway for no more than seventy-two (72) hours. Section 35-63(a)(9) makes the 72-hour mark the line…

Orange County bars parking in a space designated for electric vehicle charging if your vehicle can't actually use the charging station: the classic 'ICE-ing' ban.

Boats and RVs are barred from unincorporated Orange County lots by default; section 38-79(45) then sets exact counts, yard locations, setbacks and permits that allow them.

Orange County Code § 35-62 controls how a vehicle must sit when parked on a roadway in the unincorporated county. On a two-way street the right-hand wheels must be parallel to and…

Orange County bans parking or storing any "dual rear wheel vehicle," meaning tractor-trailers, semitrailers, box trucks and other multi-axle commercial rigs, on streets and…

In unincorporated Orange County, a wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, abandoned, or severely rusted motor vehicle parked on residentially or agriculturally zoned property, including the…

The Lily Quintus Child Care Center Vehicle Impact Protection Ordinance, Orange County Code § 9-656 et seq., requires child care centers built or expanded in unincorporated Orange…

Before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building or structure in unincorporated Orange County, an owner must apply to the building official and…

Orange County's building safety chapter makes the National Electrical Code the governing standard for all electrical work in the unincorporated county, and Chapter 9 permitting rules…

In unincorporated Orange County, the Building Official must make every inspection required for permitted construction under section 104.4 of the Florida Building Code, Building, as…

Orange County enforces plumbing work in the unincorporated area under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing, adopted wholesale by Code § 9-203(a). The county's one local tweak routes…

Pre-1978 housing in Orange County subject to federal EPA Renovation Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule and HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule. FL DOH oversees lead poisoning prevention. No…

Orange County bans regularly sleeping or camping on county-owned public property and rights-of-way, with a formal notice process and misdemeanor penalties up to $500 or 60 days in jail.

Orange County allows medical-marijuana dispensing facilities in the unincorporated area, but only for a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center holding a valid license from the Florida…

Medical marijuana cultivation, processing, and dispensing facilities in unincorporated Orange County must sit at least 500 feet from any public or private school, measured property…

Home cultivation of cannabis is illegal throughout Florida including Orange County. Florida permits only medical cannabis through FL §381.986, with product distributed exclusively…

Orange County requires anyone operating a junkyard or buying and selling scrap metal, wrecked cars or other used and discarded material in the unincorporated county to hold a local…

Every pawnbroker operating in unincorporated Orange County must hold a local business tax receipt under Section 25-101, paying a base $75 per location plus an added tax scaled to the…

Companies that trespass-tow or immobilize vehicles from private property in Orange County must hold a county business tax receipt before operating, on top of complying with state…

Before an adult entertainment establishment can operate in unincorporated Orange County it needs a license granted by the county tax collector, and the code then confines where it may…

Orange County Code Sec. 38-1501 sets minimum front, rear, side and side-street yard setbacks for every unincorporated zoning district, from half-acre A-1 agricultural lots to the…

In Orange County's Planned Development district, general commercial construction can't cover more than 70 percent of a parcel with impervious surface. Chapter 38's site standards pair…

Orange County caps most single-family zoning districts, R-1 through R-1AAAA plus the A-1 and A-2 agricultural districts, at 35 feet of building height, regardless of lot size. Section…

Orange County's noise ordinance carves out a blanket exemption for aircraft and airport activity conducted in accordance with federal laws and regulations, meaning the county's decibel…

Unincorporated Orange County caps sound at 60 dBA daytime and 55 dBA at night in residential areas, with a 55 dBA any-time cap near noise-sensitive zones under Sec. 15-182.

Section 15-185(n) exempts concrete placement for permitted nonresidential development in unincorporated Orange County from the noise ordinance between 3:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. A pour…

In unincorporated Orange County, letting a dog or other domestic animal make habitual or repeated bothersome noises is a nuisance violation under the county's animal ordinance. Animal…

Amplified sound in unincorporated Orange County must stay within Table 1's decibel caps by land use and time of day, and producing a noise disturbance that's plainly audible or exceeds…

Orange County STR ordinances require one off-street parking space per bedroom for vacation rentals. Street parking and grass parking prohibited. Rental listing must disclose parking…

Orange County caps STR occupancy at 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional, not exceeding FL Fire Marshal life-safety limits. Maximum occupancy must be posted inside unit and included…

Orange County zoning code bars food trucks and portable food vendors from operating within any public right-of-way; those on land abutting a right-of-way must get a driveway access…

In C-1 zoned areas of unincorporated Orange County, a food truck may operate by right only under the principal building's canopy; anywhere else in C-1 it needs a special exception with…

A single food truck is a permitted use on most parcels in unincorporated Orange County, but only within set hours, without outdoor seating or A/V equipment, and with a notarized…

Orange County's Schedule A lists the most-cited code violations enforceable by citation, from property maintenance and lot cleaning to zoning and solid waste, each ranked into a I-III…

Orange County requires a motion photography production permit from the county administrator before anyone advertises, engages in, or starts a commercial film, TV, video, or…

Before issuing an Orange County motion photography production permit, the county administrator must find the shoot "will not result in noise of a level inappropriate for the areas…

Orange County requires a right-of-way utilization permit before any private contractor, citizen, or utility installs a fence, driveway, landscaping, or other facility within a county…

In unincorporated Orange County, contractors working under a right-of-way utilization permit who block a sidewalk or bike lane must apply the same traffic-control measures required for…

Orange County caps window signage at 25% of window area and limits most window-sign lettering to 6 inches tall, though window signs don't count toward total sign area.

Orange County limits every garage sale in the unincorporated area to one advertising sign or poster of no more than four square feet. The sign cannot go on any public right-of-way, and…

Orange County requires digital billboards to hold each image static for at least 8 seconds and to auto-dim brightness to ambient light conditions.

Orange County allows political and ideological signs in all zoning districts but caps residential signs at 16 sq ft and requires removal within 10 days after the election.

Orange County charges a 6% tourist development tax on hotel, motel, and short-term stays of six months or less, collected by the operator and remitted monthly to the county comptroller.

In unincorporated Orange County, a home occupation may display one identification sign without a sign permit only if it is a wall sign no larger than two square feet, per Code Sec…

Family day care homes in unincorporated Orange County are permitted as home occupations but must be licensed by Florida DCF under FL Chapter 402 and registered with Orange County…

Unincorporated Orange County treats a home-based business as a permitted accessory use in every residential district as long as it meets Florida's statewide home-based business…

Orange County bars stopping, standing, or parking any vehicle on an exclusive bicycle lane, or on a bicycle or shared-use path, anywhere in the unincorporated county.

Orange County runs two camera programs: red light infraction detectors at intersections and, since 2025, speed detection systems in school zones, both issuing civil notices of…

Orange County splits electric bicycles into three classes with different riding rights on county streets, bike lanes, trails and sidewalks in the unincorporated area.

Shared micromobility companies need a county license and up to three may operate; riders are confined to the company's approved service area at 10 mph or less.

Orange County restricts landscape irrigation to two set days a week by address parity, banning watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., under the county's year-round water conservation…

Unincorporated Orange County residents may compost yard waste, but only in a proper bin: two bins per lot maximum, screened from view, never in the front yard, and kept 10 feet off…

Orange County can't stop a property owner from replacing turf with native or Florida-friendly plants: § 24-6(b)(6) says nothing in the county's water-efficient landscaping ordinance…

In unincorporated Orange County, grass, weeds, or brush that reaches 18 inches is legally "excessive growth," and the property's owner, agent, custodian, lessee, or occupant must cut…

Florida §163.045 preempts most local tree trimming rules for residential properties. Orange County cannot require permits or documentation to prune trees on your own residence, though…

Under FL §163.045, Orange County cannot require permits to remove residential trees when a certified arborist documents a danger. Specimen tree replacement may still apply for…

In unincorporated Orange County, commercial and office lighting must be full cutoff, with no floodlights and no more than one percent of lamp lumens above horizontal. Pole-mounted…

Commercial and nonresidential development in unincorporated Orange County can't spill light onto neighboring residential property: § 9-649(a)(5) caps illumination at the property line…

In Orange County's Town Center Framework Streets, canopy street trees must be planted roughly every 40 feet with a 6-foot clear trunk and 3-inch caliper, except along Rear Lane streets…

Orange County gives seven native tree species, including live oak, southern magnolia, and bald cypress, extra protection once they reach a listed trunk diameter, under Section 15-283.

Orange County names two species as heritage trees at large diameters: Live Oak at 40 inches DBH and Southern Magnolia at 24 inches DBH, under Code § 15-283(b), in the unincorporated…

In unincorporated Orange County, Sec. 38-1408 bars barbed wire, razor wire and electrically charged fencing on any building site in residential or office districts. The only exception…

One- and two-family fences six feet or less don't need a Building Safety permit in unincorporated Orange County, but must still meet zoning and flood requirements; taller fences need…

In unincorporated Orange County, residential fences are capped at 4 feet in the front yard, 6 feet on side streets, and 8 feet in side and rear yards, with a mandatory street-corner…

Owners of improved or unimproved residential, office, commercial, or industrial lots in Orange County must keep the property free of accumulated trash, junk, debris, and yard waste.

Orange County declares unsafe or dangerous buildings illegal and requires the owner to abate them by repair, rehabilitation, or demolition under the county's amended building code.

Unincorporated Orange County adopts the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code as the governing habitability standard for rental dwellings and other structures.

Orange County bans renting or leasing an accessory dwelling unit for 30 days or less, except in the R-3 zoning district, under the county's ADU standards.

Orange County Code Sec. 38-1426(2)c.2 requires an accessory dwelling unit and its primary home to stay under single ownership at all times. The lot must qualify as homestead property…

Accessory dwelling units in unincorporated Orange County are charged impact fees at the same rates set in the county's impact-fee chapter, plus applicable water and wastewater capital…

Orange County allows accessory dwelling units on many single-family lots subject to zoning district, lot size, and owner-occupancy rules. Maximum ADU size is typically 800 square feet…

Orange County exempts small, owner-built detached accessory structures like tool sheds, storage sheds and gazebos from a building permit if they stay under 120 square feet and 30…

Orange County follows FL Chapter 482 (Structural Pest Control Act) administered by FDACS. Termite protection required for all new construction per FL Building Code 1816. Subterranean…

Orange County authorizes a sterile needle and syringe exchange program under County Code Section 20-225, run only by a contracted operator the Board of County Commissioners has…

Orange County Utilities bars cross-connections between reclaimed and potable water and can cut off service for unsafe hookups or system misuse in unincorporated areas.

Any commercial site plan submitted in unincorporated Orange County has to show that every existing invasive exotic plant on the property, as listed by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant…

Orange County exempts bona fide farm operations covered by Florida's Right to Farm Act from its local fertilizer-use restrictions, under the county's Fertilizer Management Ordinance.

Orange County HOA disputes must first go through FL DBPR pre-suit mediation under FL §720.311 for covenant/election disputes. Arbitration available through DBPR Division of…

HOAs in Orange County enforce Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) under FL §720.305. Fines capped at $100 per day aggregate $1,000 unless governing docs authorize more…

A building permit is required to construct a residential swimming pool in unincorporated Orange County; only storable, above-ground pools and portable spas are exempt from the permit…

Orange County will not let a new residential pool be filled with water until its Swimming Pool Safety Inspection passes, with final barriers installed, bonding connections made, and…

Nonresidential buildings inside one of Orange County's designated Community Village Centers must be built as a single, unified project, not a disjointed collection of outparcels, and…

Orange County's Town Center allows developers to exceed the Comprehensive Plan's dwelling-unit cap by drawing from a 1,540-unit density bonus bank, earned through PD/Unified…

Anyone who goes door-to-door in Orange County selling, leasing, or renting more than $25.00 of consumer goods or services away from a fixed place of business needs a home solicitation…

Posted No Solicitation or No Trespassing signs carry legal weight under FL §810.09 (trespass after warning). Solicitors must leave immediately when requested or when posted signs are…

Orange County Code Chapter 15, Article V establishes juvenile curfew for persons under 18. Curfew hours: 11 PM to 6 AM Sunday-Thursday, midnight to 6 AM Friday-Saturday. Exceptions for…

After a hurricane, Orange County residents can't legally burn their own storm debris in the yard: chapter 15's open-burning rules reserve that option for the municipal or county…

Orange County's local business tax varies by what the business does. Chapter 25, Article III, Division 2 of the county code sets a classification and rate for each business type, and §…