Palm Beach County, FL Ordinances (2026)

HOA architectural review committees (ARCs) in Palm Beach County must follow procedures in the recorded declaration of covenants. FL §720.3035 limits ARC authority to standards…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires every POA declaration to grant automatic membership, voting rights, and assessment authority, and forces the developer to set a fixed date for…

HOA disputes in Palm Beach County must follow pre-suit mediation under FL §720.311 before litigation. Condominium disputes use mandatory non-binding arbitration through DBPR under FL…

HOA assessments in Palm Beach County are governed by FL §720.308. Annual budget and assessments require board approval; special assessments may require member vote per the declaration…

HOA covenants in Palm Beach County enforced under FL §720.305. Fines capped at $100 per violation, $1,000 aggregate (unless declaration sets higher), and cannot become a lien unless…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County treats medical marijuana dispensaries as a retail sales use, but bars them within 500 feet of any elementary or secondary school unless the County…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County keeps medical marijuana dispensing facilities at least 500 feet from any existing elementary or secondary school, with closer siting possible only…

Home cultivation of cannabis is prohibited in Florida. Only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may cultivate. Recreational cannabis remains illegal after Amendment 3…

Palm Beach County's Property Maintenance Code requires every rental dwelling unit to have working plumbing, hot water, adequate heat, and safe electrical service, enforced by code…

Palm Beach County follows Florida Statute Chapter 83 (Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) for evictions. No just-cause eviction requirement exists; landlords may decline to…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires landlords who rent apartment houses long-term to hold a county Business Tax Receipt, taxed at $1.64 per unit with a $27.50 minimum, renewed…

Florida Statute §125.0103(2) flatly prohibits rent control in Palm Beach County and every other Florida locality. The 2023 Live Local Act deleted the old housing-emergency referendum…

Food trucks selling from a Palm Beach County road right-of-way in the unincorporated area need an Engineering Department roadside vendor permit, $250 a year, $500,000 liability…

Palm Beach County requires an Engineering Department permit to vend from unincorporated county rights-of-way, restricting locations near schools, homes, competing businesses, and…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars roadside vendors from any location with a public sidewalk, curbing, driveway or bike path: vending permits only cover clear road shoulders, under…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps yard waste pieces at 6 feet, 6 inches thick and 50 pounds, and bars putting carts or containers at the curb before 3 p.m. the day before…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County residents must use the Solid Waste Authority's franchised recycling collection: recyclables set out at the curb are legally reserved for the authorized…

Palm Beach County makes it a crime to scavenge or remove recyclables once residents set them at the curb for pickup, and requires anyone collecting recyclable material to hold a county…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps curbside yard waste at 6 cubic yards, with oversized pieces and non-conforming debris left uncollected until removed by the owner.

Dumping, burying, or placing waste on any land or water in the county is illegal under the county's Waste Control Ordinance, with civil penalties up to $500 per violation per day.

In unincorporated areas, the Solid Waste Authority collects garbage on scheduled days with bulk once a week. Find your days with the SWA "My Pick-Up Days" tool. Collection runs on…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County residents may set garbage and yard waste carts out no earlier than 3 p.m. the day before pickup and must pull them back in the same day collection…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires trash and recycling dumpsters to sit in a 10-by-10-foot enclosure, set back at least 25 feet from any residential property line, and screened…

Palm Beach County bans e-cigarettes and other vapor-generating devices inside County public park playgrounds, not traditional cigarette smoking, and not the rest of the park, enforced…

Officers may issue a $100 civil citation instead of arresting adults caught with 20 grams or less of marijuana or paraphernalia in unincorporated Palm Beach County, capped at two…

Drinking or holding an open alcoholic beverage within 500 feet of a commercial parking lot in unincorporated Palm Beach County is a violation, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 60…

Palm Beach County bans loitering in park restrooms, dressing rooms, picnic shelters, and wooded areas countywide under Sec. 21-35, with violators facing citation, ejection, and fines…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires an Adult Entertainment license before any club, video store, or theater can open, and the Unified Land Development Code sets strict distance…

Non-consent tow companies operating in unincorporated Palm Beach County must post reflective tow-away signs at every driveway, let a vehicle owner who arrives before hookup drive off…

Palm Beach County requires a sheriff's-office permit before anyone buys, consigns, or pawns secondhand goods, with a $350 fee, mandatory transaction records, and a 15-day holding…

Palm Beach County doesn't license massage establishments itself: Code § 17-149 defers entirely to the state Board of Massage under Chapter 480, Florida Statutes, and a studio still…

Temporary tattoo and body piercing establishments in Palm Beach County must pass a county Health Department plan review and pay a $200 fee before opening, per the Environmental Control…

Palm Beach County requires anyone operating a pawnshop or buying/pawning secondhand goods to get a $350 sheriff's office permit, hold goods 15 days before resale, and submit…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars home-based businesses from performing paid repair services on-site, and caps work vehicles at one per lot (12,500 lbs GVWR) unless you're zoned…

Grooming parlors and mobile grooming units in unincorporated Palm Beach County must hold an annual operational permit from Animal Care and Control, renewed yearly and subject to…

Palm Beach County requires every cat four months or older to be implanted with an electronic animal ID (EAID) microchip, and owners must keep their contact information tied to that…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets registered caregivers manage feral cat colonies under a trap-neuter-vaccinate-return program instead of licensing each cat, provided the cats are…

Feeding any exotic or native animal in a Palm Beach County park is strictly forbidden unless the Parks and Recreation Director authorizes it, with violators facing fines up to $500 per…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires every dog six months or older and every cat four months or older to be spayed or neutered unless the owner qualifies for one of seven specific…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, keeping horses, poultry, or livestock in a residential zoning district requires a lot of at least one acre under the county's land development code.

Palm Beach County caps how many dogs and cats a household may keep before extra acreage or a special permit is required - up to 10 are allowed on any lot, 11 to 30 need 1.5 to 2.5+…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps veterinary clinics at 5,000 sq ft in AR, AGR and CLO zones and requires a 1-acre lot with 50-foot setbacks for any outdoor runs.

Palm Beach County barred new pet-shop and pet-dealer permits for stores selling dogs or cats since October 1, 2016; existing licensed stores keep operating and can transfer ownership…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, keeping a dangerous or FWC Class 1 or 2 animal requires Board of County Commissioners approval as a Class A Conditional Use and a five-acre minimum…

Beekeeping is allowed countywide under FL §586.10, which preempts local bans. Hives must be registered annually with FDACS Division of Plant Industry, free of charge.

Palm Beach County has no breed-specific restrictions. FL Statute §767.14 preempts all local breed bans statewide. Dangerous-dog determinations are behavior-based under FL §767.

Dogs must be leashed or crated whenever off the owner's property in unincorporated Palm Beach County; loose dogs can be impounded and owners cited under the county's Dog and Cat…

Palm Beach County exempts temporary holiday lighting from its outdoor lighting standards, no permit or photometric plan needed, unless the display creates a safety hazard or glare…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets campaign signs go up without a permit, but they must come down within ten days after the election and stay under strict size caps.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps electronic message signs at 50 percent of sign area, restricts them to regional and civic/assembly facilities, and bans flashing, scrolling, or…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, window signs can't cover more than 20 percent of the glass window or door they're mounted on, and digital or message-center displays are barred…

New subdivisions and Planned Development Districts in unincorporated Palm Beach County must plant canopy street trees an average of 50 feet on center, or palms at 40 feet, along both…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans removing any specimen tree listed in Appendix 7 unless it's preserved in place, relocated with a certified arborist's report, or mitigated with…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County prohibits removing any specimen tree listed in Appendix 7 unless it can't be relocated, and ERM requires an arborist report and mitigation planting for…

Palm Beach County charges a 6% tourist development tax on stays of six months or less at hotels, motels, and vacation rentals countywide, including inside every municipality, collected…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County limits landscape irrigation to three assigned days a week by address, with no watering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps grass and weeds at 7 inches on developed lots and 18 inches on vacant lots, and bans all noxious weeds outright under the county's Property…

Florida-Friendly Landscaping using Florida native plants is protected statewide under FL FS §373.185 and encouraged by Palm Beach County. PBC ULDC Article 14 awards landscape credits…

Residential tree removal in unincorporated Palm Beach County is preempted by FL FS §163.045 when an ISA-certified arborist documents the tree is a danger. Outside that exemption, PBC…

Palm Beach County exempts rain barrels, cisterns, and similar rain-harvesting devices from the county's landscape irrigation watering-day and time restrictions, letting residents water…

Tree trimming in unincorporated Palm Beach County is largely deregulated for residential parcels following FL FS §163.045 (2019), which preempts local permit requirements when an…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars lounges, restaurants, and nightclubs from running amplified outdoor music or speakers that create excessive noise at the property line of nearby…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps residential noise at 60 dB by day, 55 dB in the evening, and 50 dB overnight, with a flat 70 dB limit for commercial and non-residential receiving…

Lawn and garden equipment can't generate excessive noise at a residential property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. in unincorporated Palm Beach County.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars noisy construction work at residential property lines from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and bans it outright on Sundays except for minor homeowner repairs.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans noisy construction, demolition, and lawn or garden equipment at residential property lines from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with construction work barred…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, a dog, cat, or bird that habitually barks or makes objectionable noise is a public nuisance, but Animal Care and Control only investigates after…

Hosts renting short-term in unincorporated Palm Beach County must file a registration application and pay fees for a Business Tax Receipt and Tourist Development Tax account before…

Airbnb, Vrbo and other hosting platforms operating in unincorporated Palm Beach County must verify each host holds an active Tourist Development Tax account and Business Tax Receipt…

Palm Beach County can revoke a Home Sharing or Vacation Rental registration for any violation of the short-term rental ordinance, and the host must wait a full year before reapplying.

Palm Beach County splits short-term rentals into Home Sharing, where the host lives on-site during the stay, and Vacation Rentals, where the host is absent: both require separate…

Palm Beach County has not imposed minimum night stay requirements on STRs in unincorporated areas. Minimum stay caps are preempted by FL §509.032 for the County, though incorporated…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County levies a 6% Tourist Development Tax on stays of six months or less, and hosts must hold an active Business Tax Receipt and TDT account with the Tax…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars parking any vehicle, equipment, trailer, or boat on a public street or right-of-way for more than one hour in any 24-hour period, effectively…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, any electric vehicle charging parking space must be painted green or marked with green painted lines or curbs under the county's land development…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires driveway and yard parking on an improved surface, and bars parking RVs, boats, or trailers in the front setback except for a two-hour loading…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County allows electric vehicle charging spaces by right, with no special permit, but caps them at 50% of required parking and sets design rules for buffer…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, vehicles at a marked freight curb loading zone can stop for loading or unloading materials for no more than 30 minutes, and passenger curb loading…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars parking equipment, RVs, boats, trailers or commercial trucks on any public street or right-of-way for more than one hour in a 24-hour period, with…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County prohibits parking in front of any driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or against the flow of traffic: vehicles must parallel park within 12…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps outdoor residential parking at one recreational vehicle plus up to three boats, sports vehicles, or trailers, all screened in the side or rear…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County outright bans leaving any wrecked, junked, or nonoperating vehicle on a road, and gives private property owners just ten days to remove one before the…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires impact-rated shutters or glazing on new site-built single-family homes worth $750,000+ in the wind-borne debris region under the county's…

Reroofing or new roof work in unincorporated Palm Beach County needs a building permit and at least two Building Division inspections, covering dry-in, sheathing, flashing and roof…

Once a local state of emergency is declared, the Solid Waste Authority may enter unincorporated Palm Beach County's private roads and gated communities to collect and remove disaster…

County Code § 18-2 makes it unlawful to occupy, lodge, or sleep in the open on private property, vacant lots, or under bridges without the owner's permission, and separately bans…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires new construction and substantial improvements in AE, AH, and VE flood zones to elevate the lowest floor at least one foot above the Base Flood…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, accessory boat docks on a residential lot must clear a five-foot side setback, and any dock, seawall, bulkhead, or pier built in state waters needs…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans dumping anything but rainwater into county storm drains, covering illicit discharges, illegal connections, and construction-site runoff, enforced…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, new construction must be graded to keep stormwater on the building site until it reaches the roadway or public drainage system, with the Floodplain…

Palm Beach County has extensive coastal AE and VE flood zones requiring elevation above Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Inland AE zones near canals and Lake Okeechobee. Flood insurance…

Remote-controlled drones are banned in Palm Beach County parks unless specifically allowed under FAA rules and Florida law, and they can never be flown over people or wildlife.

Any owner constructing, altering, repairing, or demolishing a building, or working on electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems in unincorporated Palm Beach County, must get a…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a staged inspection sequence, foundation, framing, sheathing, roofing, and final, and bars concealing any stage of work until the building…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets qualifying projects earn a Type 1 Waiver from standard architecture guidelines by hitting a Green Architecture points threshold.

Running a child care facility, large family child care home, or family day care home in Palm Beach County requires a permit from the county's own Child Care Facilities Board, on top of…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, buildings with passenger elevators must keep at least one running whenever the building is occupied, under the county Housing Code.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a building permit before any plumbing installation, alteration, or repair, issued under the adopted Florida Building Code, Plumbing, and…

Palm Beach County adopts the National Electrical Code as its minimum electrical construction standard, and the Building Division requires a permit for wiring work in unincorporated…

Lead-based paint disclosure and abatement in Palm Beach County follow federal EPA RRP Rule and HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule. Pre-1978 housing requires EPA-certified renovators for any…

In the AGR and AP agricultural zoning districts, Palm Beach County's code puts neighbors on notice that Florida's Right to Farm Act, F.S. § 823.14, can bar nuisance suits against…

Farms in Palm Beach County's unincorporated AGR and AP agricultural districts are shielded from nuisance suits over noise, odors, dust, and machinery under the county's Right to Farm…

Above-ground propane and LP-gas tanks three feet or taller in unincorporated Palm Beach County must meet the zoning district's yard setback or the Florida Building and Fire Prevention…

Smoke alarms are required in all dwelling units in unincorporated Palm Beach County under the Florida Building Code (Residential) Section R314 and FL FS §553.883. Battery-powered…

Recreational campfires and bonfires are allowed without a county burn permit under the Open Burning Ordinance, but they can't produce excessive visible smoke: the standard used to…

Palm Beach County prohibits open burning countywide unless the material and method are specifically allowed under the Open Burning Ordinance, with narrow Health Department-approved…

Consumer fireworks in unincorporated Palm Beach County are governed by Florida Statute §791.08, which preempts local bans on three designated holidays: July 4, December 31, and January…

Placing anything, a driveway, landscaping, fence, pathway, or utility line, in a county right-of-way requires a Right-of-Way Permit from Engineering and Public Works before work…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, the Property Maintenance Code requires every property owner or occupant to keep sidewalks, walkways and driveways bordering their premises in a…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans willfully obstructing streets, roads, and sidewalks, and separately prohibits parking a vehicle on a sidewalk; violations are non-criminal traffic…

Palm Beach County bans stopping, standing, or parking on bicycle paths and bicycle lanes in unincorporated areas, with only a momentary passenger drop-off exception allowed on bike…

Uber and Lyft are otherwise exempt from Palm Beach County's vehicle-for-hire ordinance, but drivers must still follow the county's Airport and Port of Palm Beach rules on pickup fees…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County runs red-light cameras under Article IV of the county code, fining drivers $158 for failing to stop, with a 60-day window to pay, contest, or submit an…

Palm Beach County makes it unlawful to disrupt a permitted commercial film or TV shoot on public property, banning sound interference, lighting interference, blocking equipment access…

Palm Beach County requires a permit or contract issued by the Parks Director to reserve athletic fields, picnic shelters, amphitheaters, equestrian centers, pools, or areas for special…

Palm Beach County requires a permit from the Parks and Recreation Director before holding a parade, demonstration, or other mass gathering on county park property in the unincorporated…

Fixed mechanical equipment like HVAC condensers can't exceed 60 decibels measured at a neighboring residential property line in unincorporated Palm Beach County, enforced any time of…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans amplified sound from lounges, restaurants, and nightclubs that reaches the property line of nearby homes, with no special-events exemption for…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets homeowners test a permanent generator only once a week, never Sunday, for up to 30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., under the county's land…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps light spilling onto neighboring land at 0.33 foot-candles at residential property lines and 3.0 foot-candles at non-residential lines, measured…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires full-cutoff outdoor luminaires that direct zero lumens above 90 degrees from nadir, caps light trespass at property lines, and shuts off most…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, billboard illumination must be aimed only at the billboard face, no outward floodlighting, under the Unified Land Development Code's Supplemental…

Palm Beach County authorizes a needle and syringe exchange program only through a BCC-contracted nonprofit or health provider; operating one without a county contract is a criminal…

Palm Beach County mosquito control is handled by PBC Mosquito Control Division. Termite protection required at construction per FBC 1816. Tent fumigation requires 72-hour neighbor…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County designates historic sites and districts through the Historic Resources Review Board, applying criteria that include cultural, architectural, and…

Palm Beach County sorts local business tax receipts into more than three dozen specific occupation classes, restaurants by seat count, contractors and retailers by employee count, with…

Palm Beach County lets developers earn up to a 100 percent density bonus above the Future Land Use Atlas cap by building Workforce Housing Program units, or up to 50 percent under the…

County parks stay open every day of the year, but each park's opening and closing times are set and posted by the Parks Director, and anyone found inside after closing can be cited.

Palm Beach County enforces a juvenile curfew under PBC Code Chapter 11, Article V. Minors under 17 are prohibited from public places between 11 PM and 5 AM Sunday-Thursday and midnight…

Palm Beach County requires a construction permit for every residential fence built in unincorporated areas, with fee tiers of $75 without inspection or $125 with inspection under Code…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, residential fences and walls max out at 4 feet within the required front setback and 6 feet within the side, side-street, rear setback, or a…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, a fence or wall built along a retaining wall on a Single Family lot can gain extra height matching the grade change next door: up to six feet in a…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans electrified fencing and dangerous materials like barbed wire, broken glass, and razors on any fence or wall, with narrow permitted exceptions.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district under the ULDC's Table 3.D.1.A: a standard single-family (RS) lot needs a 25-foot front setback, 7.5-foot…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County limits buildings and structures to 35 feet in every zoning district unless the ULDC states otherwise, with taller multifamily, office, commercial, and…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps grass and weeds on vacant lots at 18 inches under a half acre, with a 25-foot buffer strip on larger parcels, enforced by Code Enforcement.

Palm Beach County's building official can declare a structure unsafe, insanitary, or dangerous to life and order it repaired or demolished, with costs assessed as a lien against the…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, rooftop solar counts as mechanical equipment and can go on principal or accessory buildings, including front and side street yards, without special…

Florida Statute §163.04 strongly preempts HOA restrictions on solar panels in Palm Beach County. HOAs may regulate placement for aesthetics only if performance is not impaired…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars any outdoor sign or advertising evidence for a home-based business, including the address in print or broadcast ads.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bars on-premise sales or services for home businesses except instructional lessons or incidental retail; instructional visits are capped at three…

Cottage food operations in unincorporated Palm Beach County are governed by FL FS §500.80, which preempts local regulation. Producers may sell up to 250,000 dollars annually of…

Family day care homes in unincorporated Palm Beach County must be licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families under FL §402.313 and registered with the County. Maximum…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County allows home-based businesses by right in any residential zoning district, but the use must stay incidental to the home, skip retail storefronts, and…

Palm Beach County allows tiny houses as small as 400 square feet under Florida Building Code Appendix Q, formally adopted into the county's own building code with reduced…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets you convert a garage or carport to living space, but only if you replace the lost parking in the driveway or a common lot first.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets homeowners build one Accessory Quarters unit by right, but the code defines it as located on the owner-occupied principal dwelling's lot, so…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County allows accessory dwelling units (called Guest Cottages or Servant Quarters) under PBC ULDC Article 4.B.1.A on lots of at least one acre in agricultural…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a building permit before you erect a shed of any size: the county's own exemption list for building work never carves out small accessory…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps a household garage sale at 72 hours and two sales per year per dwelling unit, held in the front yard or garage by the occupant.

Building a residential pool in unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a building permit under the county's Florida Building Code amendments, with ten staged inspections from steel…

Pool barriers in Palm Beach County must comply with FL §515.27 Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act. Required: 4-foot minimum barrier height, no openings allowing a 4-inch sphere to…

Palm Beach County does not maintain a no-knock registry, but residents may post 'No Solicitation' signs that legally bar commercial solicitors. Violators may be cited for trespass…

Palm Beach County requires property owners to eradicate prohibited invasive non-native plants such as melaleuca, Brazilian pepper, and Australian pine by set deadlines under the…