Citrus County, FL Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Chapter 101, adopted 2023
- Who can apply
- Owner, advisory board (with consent), owner majority
- BOCC decision deadline
- 60 days after board recommendation
- Appeal deadline
- 30 days to circuit court
- Certificate of appropriateness review
- Decided within 45 days
- Max penalty
- $500.00 fine / 60 days jail
Summary
Citrus County can designate historic structures, sites and districts through its Historical Resources Advisory Board and place them on a local register, and once designated, an owner cannot alter, reconstruct or demolish the exterior without a certificate of appropriateness. Designation requires the property owner's consent except for individually adopted National Register nominations.
No owner or person in charge of a historic structure, historic site of structure within a historic district shall reconstruct, alter, or demolish all or any part of the exterior of such property or construct any improvement upon such designated property or properties or cause or permit any such work to be performed upon such property or demolish such property unless a certificate of appropriateness has been granted by the advisory board.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 76).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 101, adopted by Ord. No. 2023-A07 in February 2023, lets a property owner, the advisory board with owner consent, or a majority of owners in a proposed district apply for designation (Sec. 101-5(a)). The advisory board holds a public hearing after notifying record owners within 500 feet at least ten days beforehand, then recommends approval or denial to the board of county commissioners, which must hold its own hearing and decide within 60 days of receiving that recommendation (Sec. 101-5(c)). A denied applicant or an aggrieved property owner may appeal a board decision to circuit court within 30 days (Sec.
101-5(c)(2)). Once a structure, site or district is designated, Sec. 101-6 requires a certificate of appropriateness from the advisory board before any exterior reconstruction, alteration, new construction or demolition; the board must decide within 45 days of a complete application and may deny work that would detrimentally change, destroy or fail to harmonize with the property's historic character. Ordinary maintenance using identical replacement pieces is exempt if approved by the department of growth management. The local register itself must be compatible with the state's Florida Master Site File system and is published on the county's website (Sec. 101-3).
Violations & Fines
Sec. 101-8 makes any violation of Chapter 101 subject to the general penalty in Sec. 1-9: a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment in the county jail for up to 60 days, or both, with each continuing day of violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Citrus County designate my property as historic without my consent?
Do I need approval to renovate a designated historic building?
What if the advisory board denies my certificate of appropriateness?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Citrus County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Citrus County to another location·View the Florida historic preservation overview
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