Pop. 1,834 · Marion County
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Dunnellon sits within Marion County, which permits up to six hens (no roosters) on residentially zoned properties — but only if the parcel is in an unincorporated agriculturally-zoned area. Hens must be kept at least 150 feet from any neighbor's residence, and selling eggs, meat, or chicks is prohibited. Inside city limits, Dunnellon's own zoning code may impose stricter limits.
Marion County requires animals to be confined to the owner's property, and Florida's open-range repeal makes livestock owners liable for animals that stray. Letting cattle, horses, or other livestock run at large on public roads is a second-degree misdemeanor and creates civil liability for resulting damage.
Marion County's animal code does not cap ordinary household pet numbers, but anyone who owns, harbors, or keeps more than fifteen dogs or cats in aggregate is a 'high-volume owner' and must obtain a permit from Marion County Animal Services before keeping them.
In unincorporated Marion County it is unlawful to let any animal run at large on public streets, sidewalks, parks, school grounds, or another person's property without consent. Off the owner's property an animal must be kept under physical control at all times by leash or similar restraint.
Marion County does not ban or restrict any dog breed. Florida law (F.S. 767.14) bars local governments from regulating dogs based on breed, weight, or size, so the county's only dog rules are breed-neutral dangerous-dog provisions under Chapter 4 and F.S. Chapter 767.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulates exotic and captive wildlife statewide. Possession of Class I, II, and III wildlife requires FWC permits, and state law preempts most local exotic animal regulations.
Florida law prohibits intentional feeding of black bears, alligators, crocodiles, sandhill cranes, foxes, raccoons, and pelicans. These FWC rules apply statewide regardless of local ordinances.
In unincorporated Marion County, an accessory dwelling unit is regulated as a 'family/guest cottage/apartment' under Land Development Code Sec. 4.3.18, defined as a non-commercial dwelling unit smaller than the primary structure and located in the rear or side yard of the principal dwelling.
No Marion County-specific ordinance separately addresses garage conversions; converting a garage to habitable space is governed by the Florida Building Code and Florida Statutes Sec. 553.79, which makes it unlawful to alter or modify any building without first obtaining a permit from the county building department.
Unincorporated Marion County allows sheds, storage buildings, and detached carports not exceeding 12 by 12 feet to be exempted from side or rear setbacks with a signed, notarized neighbor agreement under Land Development Code Sec. 4.3.27, while larger accessory structures must obtain a building permit acted on within 30 business days under Florida law.
Florida Statute 553.73 makes the Florida Building Code the single, uniform construction standard for all permanent dwellings statewide, including tiny homes, preempting cities from setting different structural, fire, or life-safety construction requirements.
Contained fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, and outdoor cooking/heating devices burning only vegetative debris or untreated wood are expressly allowed under Florida Forest Service rule 5I-2.006(11) and Marion County Code Sec. 8-35. The fire must be attended and fully smothered before being left unattended.
Florida law expressly allows recreational and ceremonial backyard fires of vegetative debris and untreated wood, but the fire must be attended at all times and fully smothered (no visible flame, smoke, or emissions) before it is left unattended. Marion County Code Sec. 8-35 likewise allows recreational and ceremonial fires.
In unincorporated Marion County, yard-waste open burning is allowed without Marion County Fire Rescue approval only if the fire starts after 9:00 a.m., is out one hour before sunset, stays in a pile no more than 8 feet across, and meets state setbacks. Agricultural and land-clearing burns require Florida Forest Service authorization.
Florida law makes it unlawful to use or explode true fireworks except sparklers and approved novelties, and as of 2020 allows consumer fireworks on New Year's Eve/Day and July 4. In unincorporated Marion County, supervised public fireworks displays require a permit from the Board of County Commissioners under Fla. Stat. 791.02.
Florida regulates propane (LP-gas) storage, transport, and installation uniformly under Chapter 527 and the Florida Fire Prevention Code, preempting inconsistent local rules.
The Florida Forest Service has statewide jurisdiction over wildfire prevention and suppression on non-municipal land under Chapter 590, Florida Statutes.
Marion County's noise ordinance does not regulate aircraft. Section 13-11(3) exempts aircraft and airport activity conducted in accordance with federal laws and regulations, consistent with FAA preemption of aircraft noise.
Unincorporated Marion County sets time-averaged decibel limits that drop at night: residential areas fall from 65 dB(A) (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) to 55 dB(A) (10 p.m.-7 a.m.), and commercial areas from 65 to 60 dB(A). Noise-sensitive zones are capped at 55 dB(A) at all times.
Marion County prohibits playing any radio, stereo, sound amplifier, or musical instrument so that it is plainly audible past the source property line at distances set in Table 3 (e.g., 50 feet for the largest lots) or audible inside a neighboring dwelling. Both code enforcement and law enforcement officers may cite violators.
Marion County's animal code makes an owner responsible for preventing a domestic animal from creating a noise nuisance: barking, whining or howling that can be heard beyond the property line and continues for a minimum continuous 30 minutes may be cited as a nuisance.
Construction work under a county development permit is exempt from the noise limits only when it occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Outside that window, construction noise must meet the standard Chapter 13 sound limits.
Marion County does not impose countywide hourly on-street parking limits in unincorporated areas; parking on roadways and rights-of-way is governed by Florida's state traffic code, which bars stopping, standing, or parking on the roadway side of a parked vehicle, on sidewalks, within intersections and crosswalks, in front of driveways, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, and at any place where signs prohibit parking.
No person may park a commercial vehicle in excess of 10,000 pounds GVW for more than three hours on private property, in any prohibited zoning classification, or in the right-of-way in unincorporated Marion County, with limited exceptions for delivery, loading/unloading at an approved business, and 24-hour emergency vehicles.
Marion County has no general ordinance banning overnight parking of passenger vehicles on residential lots; occupancy of a travel trailer or RV as living quarters is capped at 21 days per 60-day period in residential zones under a Temporary Use Permit, and parking on public roads overnight remains subject to Florida's state traffic code and signed no-parking areas.
In Marion County's residential zoning classifications, a travel trailer or recreational vehicle that is not occupied must be parked in the side or rear yard and kept in a stored state; a single self-contained travel trailer or RV may be occupied by a non-commercial guest for up to 21 days in any 60-day period under a Temporary Use Permit.
Florida Statutes Chapters 705 and 715 establish uniform procedures for declaring vehicles abandoned, providing notice, and disposing of them through licensed wreckers.
Florida law protects condo unit owners' rights to install EV charging stations and incorporates statewide accessibility requirements through the Florida Building Code.
Above-ground pools 24 inches or more deep require a permit in unincorporated Marion County, and under Florida Statutes Section 515.29 the pool structure may serve as the barrier only if it meets the four-foot, no-climb standards and any ladder or steps can be secured, locked, or removed to prevent access.
In unincorporated Marion County, residential pool barriers are governed by the Florida Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act: Florida Statutes Section 515.29 requires a barrier at least four feet high on the outside with no gaps a young child could crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over, and the Marion County Building Safety office confirms the child barrier must meet Florida Building Code (FBC) standards.
Marion County Building Safety requires a permit for any swimming pool, above or in-ground, that is 24 inches or more in depth, and under Florida Statutes Section 515.27 a new residential pool cannot pass final inspection until it has at least one approved pool safety feature such as a compliant barrier, safety cover, alarms, or self-latching doors.
Pool maintenance in unincorporated Marion County is anchored to the Florida Building Code and the Florida Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act: a new residential pool must keep at least one of the five safety features in Florida Statutes Section 515.27 in working order, and Marion County Building Safety requires the child barrier and electrical setup to meet FBC standards.
Nonportable hot tubs and spas that hold water more than 24 inches deep are treated as private swimming pools in Marion County, so they require a permit and must meet the Florida Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act's barrier (Section 515.29) and safety-feature (Section 515.27) requirements, with an approved lockable safety cover commonly used to satisfy the standard.
Marion County's Land Development Code imposes no general material restriction on residential fences in unincorporated areas (no barbed-wire ban for typical residential use); wall-like masonry or concrete fences trigger a building permit, and Florida's coterminous-boundary fence law (Fla. Stat. Ch. 588) supplies the state default where the county is silent.
Marion County's Land Development Code does not set a numeric maximum fence height for residential property in unincorporated areas; fences are exempt from setbacks under Section 4.1.4, and the county Building Safety Department generally requires a building permit only when a fence exceeds 6 feet in height, is masonry/concrete (wall-like), or encloses a pool.
In unincorporated Marion County a building permit is generally not required for a residential fence 6 feet or less, but a permit is required for fences over 6 feet, for wall-like masonry or concrete fences, and for swimming-pool barriers; the Land Development Code also notes that walls and fences may require a building permit from the County.
Florida Statutes Chapter 515 establishes minimum statewide pool barrier requirements applying to every residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub. New pools must meet at least one safety feature requirement before receiving a certificate of completion, regardless of city or county location.
Marion County has no general numeric weed-height ordinance for unincorporated private property; weed and dead-vegetation overgrowth is handled through Florida's sanitary-nuisance statute and complaint-based code enforcement. The Land Development Code does require removal of UF/IFAS-listed prohibited/invasive plant species.
Marion County has no countywide numeric grass-height ordinance for unincorporated property. Overgrown lots are addressed mainly through Florida's sanitary-nuisance law (Fla. Stat. 386.01) and, in many subdivisions, through Municipal Service Taxing/Benefit Units (MSTUs/MSBUs) that fund roadside and lot mowing.
A tree removal permit from the County's Landscape Architect is required to remove any Regulated Tree in unincorporated Marion County, except for exempt activities. Individual single-family and duplex parcels and bona fide agricultural land are exempt from the tree-removal rules.
Most of unincorporated Marion County is governed by the St. Johns River Water Management District's year-round landscape irrigation schedule, which limits watering days by address, prohibits watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and caps application at three-quarters inch and one hour per zone per allowed day.
Florida Statute 373.185 declares Florida-friendly landscaping a matter of state policy and prohibits any deed restriction, covenant, or local ordinance from preventing property owners from installing native, drought-tolerant plant landscapes.
Florida Statute 163.045 prohibits cities and counties from requiring permits, fees, or replanting when a residential homeowner removes a tree documented by a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect as posing a danger.
Marion County LDC Sec. 4.3.1 allows home occupations in residential zoning (within a single-family dwelling, incidental to the residential use) and in agricultural zoning (within the dwelling or an accessory building), each with distinct area limits.
Residential home occupations are limited to one non-illuminated wall sign of two square feet or less; agricultural home occupations may have one sign up to six square feet and four feet high. No off-site advertising signs are allowed.
Operating a home occupation in unincorporated Marion County requires a Home Occupation Permit approved by the Planning/Zoning Manager and the Building Manager. Florida's home-based business statute (F.S. 559.955) limits how the county may regulate qualifying businesses.
Florida's Cottage Food Operations Act preempts local regulation, allowing home production of non-potentially hazardous foods up to a statewide gross sales limit.
Florida regulates family and large family child care homes uniformly under Chapter 402, setting capacity limits, training, and inspection requirements applicable statewide.
Unincorporated Marion County has no separate short-term-rental permit, but Florida law requires every vacation rental to obtain a state license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants (DBPR).
No Marion County ordinance sets a vacation-rental occupancy cap; Florida law bars counties from limiting STR occupancy unless the limit applies equally to all residential properties.
Short-term rentals of six months or less in Marion County owe a 4% county tourist development tax plus the 6% state transient rental tax, collected by the person receiving rent.
In unincorporated Marion County, FL, residential setbacks come from the Land Development Code Sec. 4.2.6 (Table 4.2-4). R-1 lots without central water/sewer require 25 ft front, 8 ft side, 25 ft rear; with central water/sewer the front and rear drop to 20 ft. Max building height is 40 ft.
Marion County's Land Development Code controls residential lot intensity primarily through density and lot-size limits in Sec. 4.2.6 rather than a percentage lot-coverage cap. R-1 zoning is capped at 1 dwelling unit per acre, with a minimum 10,000 sq ft lot (7,500 sf with central water/sewer) and a minimum 85 ft lot width.
Florida Statutes 161.053 establishes the Coastal Construction Control Line, a state-administered seaward setback that applies to all coastal counties regardless of local zoning. Construction seaward of the CCCL requires a Florida DEP permit and meets statewide structural and elevation standards.
Florida preempts local regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries: cities must either treat them like pharmacies or ban them outright.
Florida prohibits home cultivation of cannabis for both recreational and medical use; only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may grow cannabis.
Commercial drone operations in Florida are regulated by federal FAA Part 107 and state law; local governments cannot impose additional commercial operation restrictions.
Florida expressly preempts local regulation of drones, reserving authority to the state and federal government, with limited surveillance and trespass exceptions.
Florida Statute 218.077 prohibits local governments from establishing a minimum wage other than the state or federal rate, preempting city and county living-wage ordinances except for direct local government employees.
Florida Statute 218.077 and 448.110 framework, combined with FS 125.01045 and 166.04151 limits, preempt local mandates requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave or other employment benefits beyond state law.
Florida Statute 509.032(7) and broader employment preemption framework prevent local governments from requiring private employers to follow predictive or fair-scheduling rules beyond state and federal law.
Florida regulates construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line through state permits, with uniform standards administered by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Florida adopts a single statewide building code that incorporates flood-resistant construction standards from FEMA and ASCE, applying uniformly to all jurisdictions.
Florida allows permitless concealed carry of firearms by law-abiding adults under FS 790.01 and continues to issue concealed weapon licenses through FS 790.06, with both regimes preempting local concealed-carry restrictions.
Florida Statute 790.33 expressly preempts the entire field of firearm and ammunition regulation to the state, voiding all local ordinances and imposing personal civil penalties on local officials who knowingly enact or enforce conflicting rules.
Florida's open carry ban (FS 790.053) was struck down by the First District Court of Appeal in McDaniels v. State on September 10, 2025. The Florida Attorney General issued guidance on September 15, 2025 instructing law enforcement that the ban is no longer enforceable. Eligible adults may now openly carry firearms statewide.
Florida Statute 790.25(5) allows any law-abiding person 18 or older to possess a concealed firearm in a private vehicle for self-defense, provided the firearm is securely encased or not readily accessible for immediate use, regardless of any concealed-carry license.
Under Fla. Stat. § 720.3085, unpaid assessments become a lien on a parcel, and the homeowners' association may foreclose like a mortgage. Before recording the lien the association must send a 45-day written notice by certified and first-class mail, and a second 45-day notice is required before foreclosure can begin.
Under Fla. Stat. § 720.303(2), Florida HOA board meetings must be open to members with notice posted at least 48 hours ahead. Section 720.306 governs member meetings and elections, § 720.303(4)-(5) gives members the right to inspect official records within 10 business days, and HB 1203 added website transparency rules for larger associations.
Under Fla. Stat. §§ 720.303 and 720.3035, a Florida HOA enforces its recorded covenants and architectural standards, but only where authority is stated or reasonably inferred in the governing documents, and standards must be applied reasonably and equitably to all owners. HB 1203 added new limits and written-denial transparency rules effective July 1, 2024.
Under Fla. Stat. § 720.305, a Florida HOA may fine up to $100 per violation and $1,000 in the aggregate unless the governing documents allow more. The association must give at least 14 days' written notice and a hearing before a committee of at least three members, who must approve the fine by majority vote.
Florida law overrides HOA covenants on several fronts: Fla. Stat. § 163.04 voids any deed restriction prohibiting solar collectors, § 720.304(2) protects display of the U.S. flag, and HB 1203 protects vegetable gardens and other items not visible from the frontage. Section 604.71 separately bars cities and counties from regulating residential vegetable gardens.
Florida Statute 448.095 requires every private employer with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm work authorization for new hires beginning July 1, 2023, with public agencies and contractors subject to broader requirements.
Senate Bill 168 (2019), codified at FS 908.103 and 908.104, prohibits sanctuary policies in Florida and requires every state and local law enforcement agency to use best efforts to support federal immigration enforcement and honor ICE detainer requests.
Fla. Stat. § 83.56 requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or vacate for nonpayment, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays from the count. For lease violations, the landlord serves a 7-day notice to cure (or a 7-day unconditional notice for repeat or non-curable violations). Only a court may order eviction through Florida's summary procedure.
Fla. Stat. § 83.51 requires landlords to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes or keep the structure, plumbing, and (for most multi-unit buildings) heat, running water, hot water, and pest control in working order. Tenants enforce these duties through the § 83.56 seven-day written notice to cure before withholding rent or terminating.
Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Chapter 83 Part II, exclusively defines lawful eviction grounds and procedures statewide, preempting cities from adding just-cause requirements that restrict when a landlord may terminate a tenancy.
Under Fla. Stat. § 83.53, a Florida landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice to enter for repairs and may enter only at reasonable times, defined as between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. No notice is required in an emergency or to preserve the premises, and access may not be used to harass the tenant.
Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ch. 83, Part II) has no late-fee statute and no cap on late-rent charges. Late fees are governed entirely by the written lease; if the lease is silent, the landlord cannot charge one. Courts will not enforce fees that are punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of damages.
For a month-to-month tenancy, Fla. Stat. § 83.57 now requires at least 30 days' written notice (raised from 15 days by 2023's SB 102). Breaking a fixed-term lease triggers landlord remedies under § 83.595, including a pre-agreed early-termination fee capped at two months' rent. Servicemembers may terminate early under § 83.682.
Florida effectively bans local rent control. State law bars any city or county from imposing controls on rents, and the 2023 Live Local Act removed the old narrow exception that had allowed a one-year emergency referendum riddled with exemptions. There is no statewide rent cap, so landlords set increases freely by lease terms.
Florida has no rent control and no statute that sets a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period for raising rent. On a month-to-month tenancy, a new rent takes effect only through the termination/change notice in Fla. Stat. § 83.57, which 2023's SB 102 (ch. 2023-314) lengthened from 15 to 30 days.
Florida Statute 509.032(7) preempts local regulation of vacation rental duration and frequency, and FS 166.0445 (2023) prohibits cities from imposing inspection-based rental registration programs unless tied to specific code complaints.
Florida places no dollar limit on residential security deposits, but it enforces tight deadlines. If the landlord makes no claim, the deposit must be returned within 15 days of move-out. If the landlord intends to keep any part, written certified-mail notice is due within 30 days, and the tenant then has 15 days to object.
Adverse possession in Florida requires 7 years of actual, continued, exclusive possession plus paying all taxes within a year and filing a return with the property appraiser (Fla. Stat. § 95.18). Separately, the 2024 anti-squatter law HB 621 (Fla. Stat. § 82.036) lets owners have a sheriff remove unauthorized occupants within hours, without a lawsuit.
Florida Statutes 823.14 and 163.3162 restrict local governments from adopting zoning rules that inhibit established farms on agriculturally classified land, preserving agricultural uses against incompatible local regulation.
Florida Statute 823.14, the Florida Right to Farm Act, protects established bona fide farm operations from nuisance suits and local ordinances that would inhibit standard agricultural practices conducted in good faith.
Florida Statute 403.7033 preempts the regulation of disposable plastic bags by local governments, prohibiting cities and counties from enacting bans or fees on retailers pending a legislative review that has not occurred.
Florida Statute 500.90 preempts the regulation of polystyrene products by local governments, blocking cities and counties from banning expanded polystyrene foam food containers, cups, and similar items.
Florida Statute 403.7033 and related law impose a moratorium on enforcement of municipal plastic straw bans, requiring DEP study before any local prohibition can take effect, effectively preempting current ordinances.
Florida law renders unenforceable any HOA covenant or rule prohibiting solar collectors. HOAs may dictate where on a roof panels go only if the alternate location does not impair system performance.
Florida statute 163.04 prohibits any ordinance, deed restriction, or covenant from preventing installation of solar collectors. Local building permits are required but cannot effectively ban rooftop solar.
Florida Statute 569.101 prohibits the sale or delivery of tobacco and nicotine products to persons under 21, aligning with federal law and applying uniformly statewide with local preemption under FS 386.2125.
Florida Statute 386.2125 preempts local regulation of nicotine products and dispensing devices, blocking cities and counties from banning flavored e-cigarettes, menthol, or other flavored tobacco at the retail level.
Florida Statute 386.2125 expressly preempts the regulation of nicotine products, nicotine dispensing devices, and vape retailing to the state, voiding most municipal ordinances on electronic cigarettes and vape shops.
Section 163.045 expressly applies regardless of any local heritage, specimen, or champion tree designation, preempting protective ordinances when an arborist documents danger.
Florida law prohibits local governments from requiring permits or replacement trees for the removal of dangerous trees on residential property when supported by a qualified arborist's documentation.
Florida law prohibits local governments from requiring replacement plantings or mitigation when a residential tree is removed under documented danger conditions.