Business Licensing & Operations in Sumter County, FL (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Sumter County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Sumter County Code § 13-572 confines sexually oriented businesses to zoning districts where Table 13-417A lists them as a permitted use, then layers on distance rules: any such business opened or expanded after May 1, 2005 must sit at least 1,000 feet from residential property and 2,500 feet from schools, churches and public parks.
Sexually Oriented Business Spacing in Sumter County
Significant RestrictionsSumter County Code § 13-572
(b)Separation requirements. Sexually oriented businesses shall be allowed only in the zoning districts in which a specific sexually oriented business is listed as a permitted use under Table 13-417A. ... Any sexually oriented business established or expanded after May 1, 2005, in such a district shall be by at least the number of feet set forth as to the following uses:(1)Residential property. ...
Massage Establishments
Sumter County Code § 13-564 requires every massage establishment to employ or contract a therapist licensed by Florida's Board of Massage Therapy under F.S. § 480.031, and the county will not issue an operating permit without proof of that license posted on the premises.
Massage Establishment Licensing in Sumter County
Some RestrictionsSumter County Code § 13-564
(a)Massage therapy as a permitted use or activity shall be permitted only when operated in accordance with applicable licensing laws of the State of Florida (§ 480.031 et seq., F.S.).(b)Standards. The county shall not issue a permit for a massage parlor or similar establishment unless the applicant has been licensed by the board of massage therapy or the applicant provides the name(s) and or li...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
A home auto-repair operation in unincorporated Sumter County must run as an accessory home-based business: all parts, tools and vehicles being worked on have to sit inside a fully enclosed building or behind an opaque screen, equipment must stay in working order to control noise and fumes, and the business gets at most two dedicated parking spaces.
Home Auto Repair Limits in Sumter County
Some RestrictionsSumter County Code § 13-513(c)(3)-(4), (7)
(3)Any storage of equipment, materials or goods shall be inside of a fully enclosed building or fully enclosed by a durable, one hundred (100) percent opaque material to a height sufficient to completely screen the stored items. This screening shall be maintained in good repair and appearance at all times. Equipment and materials related to the agricultural operation of a site zoned for that pu...
Towing Companies
Sumter County caps what wrecker operators can charge for non-consent tows, adopting the maximum towing and storage rates set by the local Florida Highway Patrol troop as the ceiling for private-property tows, accident-scene recoveries and any removal the vehicle owner didn't agree to. Charging above that FHP-set rate is itself a code violation under § 17-20.
Sumter County Towing Rate Cap
Some RestrictionsSumter County Code § 17-20
A.The county does hereby adopt the maximum towing and storage rates established by the Florida Highway Patrol Troop whose service area includes the county, as may be modified from time to time, as the maximum fees to be charged on the towing of vehicles or vessels from or immobilization of vehicles or vessels on private property, removal and storage of wrecked or disabled vehicles or vessels fr...
All Sumter County ordinances
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