Sarasota County, FL Ordinances (2026)

Construction, demolition, drilling, land clearing and filling operations may not run between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, or between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends and…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, amplified sound not inside a fully enclosed building may not exceed 65 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., measured at the property line. This is…

Sarasota County has no separate leaf-blower ordinance. Gas leaf blowers are treated as general equipment noise under the Sec. 54-118 sound-control limits and the Sec. 54-153…

Amplified sound outside a fully enclosed building may not exceed 65 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or 75 dBA (continuous) between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., measured beyond the…

Sarasota County restricts powered model vehicles (RC cars/boats/planes) near homes: prohibited 7:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. weekdays and 7:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m. weekends/holidays within 50 yards…

Sarasota County does not set aircraft noise limits. Aircraft in flight and airport operations are regulated by the FAA under federal law; the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority manages…

Sarasota County Code prohibits frequent or continuous noise by any animal or bird that disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring inhabitants. There is no fixed minute-count…

Sarasota County sets numeric dBA limits at the property line: a general daytime continuous cap of 75 dBA (7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.) and a 65 dBA nighttime cap for amplified sound (10:00…

Outdoor and open-air music is amplified sound 'not in a completely enclosed building,' so it must stay under 65 dBA after 10:00 p.m. and under 75 dBA (continuous) during the day…

Industrial and commercial noise in unincorporated Sarasota County is capped by Sec. 54-118's Table I dBA sound-level limits, which vary by zoning district and by daytime versus…

Unincorporated Sarasota County has no standalone STR permit. Operators must hold a Florida DBPR transient public-lodging license (state) and comply with the county's 30-day…

Sarasota County does not cap the number of rental nights or bookings per year. Florida law bars local governments from regulating the frequency or duration of vacation rentals, except…

Sarasota County has no STR-only noise rule; the general county noise ordinance covers rental guests like any resident. Amplified sound and loud noise are restricted, with tighter…

Unincorporated Sarasota County does not require an owner or host to be on-site during a rental. A future registration program could require a locally 'designated responsible party,'…

Sarasota County has not adopted a short-term-rental registration program. Commissioners directed staff in April 2026 to study one. Until then, registration means the state DBPR license…

Sarasota County levies a 6% Tourist Development Tax on rentals of six months or less, on top of 7% state sales tax. Owners must register a bed-tax account with the Sarasota County Tax…

Sarasota County's UDC sets no numeric per-unit occupancy cap for rentals; a proposed registration program could add maximum occupancies. Florida preempts local rules that would target…

Sarasota County has no short-term-rental parking ordinance. Rentals follow the same residential off-street parking and no-street-obstruction rules as any home. A future registration…

Sarasota County does not require STRs to be an owner's primary residence. Instead, the UDC bans leases under 30 days in most residential zones, allowing true short-term rental only for…

Sarasota County does not require short-term-rental hosts to carry specific insurance. Standard homeowners policies often exclude rental use, so hosts should verify liability and…

In unincorporated Sarasota County residential districts, storing or overnight-parking a commercial vehicle over 6,000 pounds empty weight is prohibited, along with semi-trucks, dump…

Sarasota County does not impose a countywide mandate requiring EV charging spaces in residential development; charging is voluntary and supported through the ChargeUP! rebate program…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, a licensed, operational RV or boat may be parked on your own residential lot, but no parcel may hold more than one boat/boat-on-trailer, two jet…

On unincorporated Sarasota County roads, using the public right-of-way for long-term vehicle storage or to co-opt public spaces is prohibited. Standard traffic and right-of-way rules…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, an inoperable or untagged vehicle stored in the open on residential property is a code nuisance and must be kept inside a completely enclosed…

Sarasota County caps personal-vehicle empty weight at 6,000 pounds in residential districts (7,500 pounds on rural parcels of one acre or more outside the urban service boundary), with…

Sarasota County has no blanket ban on overnight parking of a properly registered passenger vehicle in your own driveway or on-street where signs permit. The county does prohibit…

Sarasota County's zoning regulations require off-street loading spaces for commercial and industrial uses based on building floor area. This is a development/site-plan standard, not a…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, you may park operational, tagged personal vehicles on your own driveway. Additional or oversized personal vehicles beyond the allowed count must be…

Sarasota County does not have a residential curb-painting ordinance for house numbers or personal parking. Painting or marking a public curb is not a homeowner right; official curb…

Under Florida law, consumer fireworks are legal in Sarasota County on New Year's Day, July 4, and New Year's Eve. On all other days, only sparklers and similar non-explosive novelties…

Backyard recreational and cooking fires are allowed in unincorporated Sarasota County without a permit, using only approved fuel, kept at least 25 feet from any structure, attended by…

Sarasota County has no separate propane-storage ordinance; storage follows the Florida Fire Prevention Code (adopting NFPA 1 and NFPA 58). For multifamily buildings, LP-gas grills and…

Recreational fires are allowed in unincorporated Sarasota County without a permit if contained in a fire pit, bowl, chimenea, or similar structure, kept at least 25 feet from any…

Burning yard waste, household trash, and debris from routine property maintenance is prohibited in Sarasota County. Only recreational fires and cooking fires are allowed without a…

Sarasota County sets no mandatory defensible-space clearance ordinance like fire-prone Western states. The Florida Forest Service recommends clearing dead vegetation within 30 feet of…

Smoke alarm requirements in Sarasota County follow the Florida Building Code and Florida Statutes, not a separate county ordinance. Alarms are required in every bedroom, outside each…

Much of Sarasota County lies in a wildland-urban interface with real wildfire risk. The county issues countywide burn bans during dry conditions, automatically enacted when the drought…

Cooking fires and grilling are allowed in Sarasota County using approved fuels. Under the Florida Fire Prevention Code, in multifamily buildings gas and charcoal grills may not be used…

Backyard smokers are allowed in Sarasota County as cooking fires using approved fuel, but any outdoor smoke-producing process must avoid creating a nuisance. Officials weigh wind, air…

Sarasota County cannot regulate managed honeybee colonies. Florida Statute 586.10 preempts beekeeping to the state Department of Agriculture, so registration and inspection are handled…

Larger livestock like horses and cattle is allowed only in agricultural and rural zoning districts under Sarasota County's Unified Development Code, subject to lot-size, use-table, and…

Sarasota County's Unified Development Code allows up to four chickens (no roosters) on many residential lots, with coop setbacks and enclosure rules. Larger livestock is limited to…

Sarasota County cannot ban or restrict dogs by breed. Florida Statute 767.14 preempts breed-, weight-, and size-specific dog regulation statewide; only behavior-based dangerous-dog…

Exotic pets are regulated by the state, not Sarasota County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission licenses captive wildlife; Class I and II animals and venomous…

Cats in unincorporated Sarasota County must be vaccinated for rabies at four months and older and may not run at large on public property or a neighbor's land. There is no numeric…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, dogs and cats may not run at large on public streets, sidewalks, other public property, or a neighbor's property unless leashed. Animal Services…

Feeding wildlife is governed by state FWC rules, not a Sarasota County ordinance. Florida bans intentionally feeding bears, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, pelicans, sandhill cranes, and…

Sarasota County sets no fixed numeric limit on dogs or cats per household. Instead, the animal-control ordinance regulates through nuisance and sanitation standards, so excessive…

Sarasota County has no set pet-number cap, but keeping too many animals to care for them becomes illegal under the county nuisance ordinance and Florida's animal-cruelty statutes (FS…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, fences and walls facing a side or rear lot line may be up to 8 feet. In a street (front) yard, a fence set back under 4 feet from the line is capped…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, chain-link, wood, or vinyl residential fences meeting the Zoning Regulations may be built without a building permit. All other fences and walls, plus…

Sarasota County zoning does not set cost-sharing rules for shared fences. A residential fence may be installed up to the property line but must remain entirely on the owner's land and…

Sarasota County Zoning Regulations Sec. 7.8 sets the full fence framework: tiered height limits by yard, a landscaping requirement for tall street-yard fences, prohibited materials…

A retaining wall is treated as a wall/structure under the county Zoning Regulations rather than an exempt residential fence. Only chain-link, wood, or vinyl residential fences are…

Sarasota County Zoning Regulations Sec. 7.8 treats chain-link, wood, and vinyl as the standard permit-free residential fence materials. Other materials are allowed but require a…

Sarasota County Zoning Regulations Sec. 7.8 prohibits barbed wire and similar materials except where required by other ordinances or used by lawful agricultural uses. Chain-link is…

In unincorporated Sarasota County RSF districts, the maximum building coverage for a single-family structure is 35 percent of the lot area. Structures, including accessory buildings…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, minimum front, side, and rear setbacks are set by zoning district under Article 6 of the Zoning Regulations. Residential single-family (RSF)…

In unincorporated Sarasota County RSF districts, a single-family structure may not exceed 35 feet, measured from the established minimum floor elevation, including in-structure…

Removing most trees in unincorporated Sarasota County requires a Tree Permit under Code Section 54-584 unless an exemption applies. Florida law (F.S. 163.045) lets homeowners remove a…

Sarasota County treats excessive weeds and overgrown vegetation on developed lots as a code nuisance. Enforcement is complaint-based, beginning with a Notice of Violation and time to…

Sarasota County encourages rain barrels and cisterns as a conservation practice, and Florida law protects residential rainwater collection. There is no county ban on capturing…

Pruning your own residential trees generally needs no county permit, but pruning any tree in a public right-of-way or Canopy Road Protection Zone is prohibited without a Tree Permit…

Sarasota County follows Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) rules. The standard year-round schedule allows watering twice per week by address (odd Wed/Sat, even…

Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in Sarasota County. County code prohibits letting grass clippings, vegetative material, or debris wash, sweep, or blow into stormwater…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, code enforcement treats tall grass and weeds as a nuisance and requires property owners to keep vegetation cut. Enforcement is complaint-driven…

Sarasota County promotes Florida-Friendly, drought-tolerant landscaping and requires water-efficient landscape design for new development. State law also protects a homeowner's right…

Sarasota County has no outright ban on residential artificial turf, but it does not count toward required landscape, open-space, or stormwater-pervious area. Placement must comply with…

Sarasota County requires a Tree Permit before removing most trees in the unincorporated area and specially protects Grand Trees. Exemptions cover invasive exotics, emergencies, and…

Permanent above-ground pools in unincorporated Sarasota County generally need a building permit and must meet the same FS 515 barrier/alarm safety standards as in-ground pools; small…

Yes. Building a residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Sarasota County requires a county building permit, and you must submit a signed Residential Swimming Pool…

Residential hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Sarasota County require a building permit, and a spa must either meet FS 515 barrier/alarm safety requirements or use an approved safety…

Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act sets the barrier standard used countywide: a fence at least 4 feet high with no climbable gaps, and self-closing, self-latching gates…

Every new residential pool in Florida must have at least one approved safety feature: a compliant barrier, an approved safety cover, exit alarms on pool-access doors, self-closing…

Florida's cottage food law (FS 500.80) lets residents make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from their home kitchen without a permit or inspection, as long as annual gross sales…

Under FS 559.955, a home-based business must keep the property looking like a normal residence as viewed from the street - which effectively bars business signage that would advertise…

Florida preempts special home-occupation permits: FS 559.955 lets a compliant home-based business operate without a use-specific license, though a local business tax receipt under…

Florida law (FS 559.955) lets home-based businesses operate in any residentially zoned property in unincorporated Sarasota County, and the county cannot treat them differently from…

Under FS 402.313, a family day care home must be licensed if the county requires it by ordinance or resolution; otherwise it must register annually with the Florida Department of…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, owners and occupants must keep premises free of accumulated solid waste and recyclables not properly stored (Sec. 106-58). Improperly stored junk…

Vacant lots in unincorporated Sarasota County must not have Excessive Growth: vegetation over 12 inches that is untended and near improved property. The Property Standards Ordinance…

Unincorporated Sarasota County declares excessive vegetation growth, improper outdoor storage of junk, and graffiti to be public nuisances under the Property Standards Ordinance (Sec…

Unincorporated Sarasota County has no separate garage-sale permit or per-year cap in its code; occasional residential yard sales are allowed. Sale merchandise and signs must not create…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, grass and weeds over 12 inches are "Excessive Growth" and a public nuisance under the Property Standards Ordinance (Sec. 54-473, 54-475). Owners must…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, carts must be at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on collection day, set out no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before, and returned to storage by 10:00 a.m. the…

Sarasota County residents get bulk-waste collection limited to 20 cubic yards, four times per year; additional collections are supplemental service arranged with the franchised hauler…

Curbside residential collection is mandatory in unincorporated Sarasota County's Solid Waste Service District (Sec. 106-41). Class I curbside customers get once-per-week collection of…

It is unlawful to dump solid waste or recyclables on any public or private property in unincorporated Sarasota County except at approved sites (Sec. 106-54). Florida's Litter Law (FS…

Recycling is mandatory in unincorporated Sarasota County under the Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Collection Ordinance (Ch. 106, adopted per Ord. 2006-001). It is unlawful to…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, political signs up to 16 square feet may be placed on private property in residential districts, with the total not exceeding 80 square feet. They…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, garage-sale and other temporary signs may not be placed in the county right-of-way or on any public street. Signs must go on private property with…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, detached accessory structures such as sheds may not exceed 20 feet in height (or the height of the principal structure if taller) and may not sit in…

Sarasota County has no separate tiny-home category. A permanently placed tiny house on a foundation is treated as a single-family dwelling and must meet zoning, minimum-size and…

Unincorporated Sarasota County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in designated residential districts, up to 750 square feet with a full kitchen and bath. The owner must occupy…

Converting a garage into living space in unincorporated Sarasota County requires a building permit and Florida Building Code compliance. If you create a second dwelling unit with a…

In unincorporated Sarasota County a carport is an accessory structure regulated by the Unified Development Code. It generally may not exceed 20 feet in height, cannot sit in a required…

Sarasota County parks are day-use areas that generally open around 6:00 a.m. and close at sunset unless posted otherwise, and county beaches close at sunset. Being in a county park…

Sarasota County's Marine Turtle Protection Ordinance restricts beachfront lighting during the May 1 to October 31 nesting season on Casey, Lido, Manasota and Siesta Keys and the…

Sarasota County's outdoor-lighting standards cap light spilling onto neighbors: illumination at the property line may not exceed 0.2 footcandles on adjacent residential uses and 0.5…