Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville requires rabies vaccination and a City license tag for every cat 4 months or older, and treats an unrestrained cat off its owner's property as at-large.

Hunting, trapping, or disturbing wild birds, waterfowl, fish, and reptiles is banned in every Jacksonville park, beach, dock, and marina under Ordinance Code Sec. 28.718.

Jacksonville requires dogs and cats four months or older to be implanted with a registered RFID microchip whenever sold, transferred, adopted, or given away, under Ordinance Code §…

Jacksonville allows up to five hens per single-family lot with a Planning and Development Department permit, mandatory extension office seminar, rear-yard coop, and a strict ban on…

Pet stores in Jacksonville can sell dogs and cats, no citywide retail ban, but must operate as a permitted "animal dealer" under ACPS, meeting health, space, and record-keeping…

Jacksonville does not regulate dogs by breed. Ordinance Code Part 4 (Sec. 462.401-462.412) lets Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) classify an individual dog as "dangerous"…

Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals are zoned commercial or agricultural uses in Jacksonville: permitted in CN, CCG-1/CCG-2, Industrial Light and Agriculture districts, not in…

Jacksonville doesn't force every pet owner to sterilize, but an at-large dog or cat that isn't spayed or neutered draws an extra $250-$500 fine layered on top of the underlying…

Jacksonville bans letting a dog or other animal run at-large off its owner's property; the animal must stay under physical control on a leash or tether no longer than eight feet.

Florida law requires every beekeeper to register their honeybee colonies with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, obtain inspection certificates, and renew annually…

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…

Florida has no standalone hoarding statute; hoarders are prosecuted under Fla. Stat. 828.13 for confining animals without enough good, wholesome food and water, and under 828.12…

Florida law prohibits intentional feeding of black bears, alligators, crocodiles, sandhill cranes, foxes, raccoons, and pelicans. These FWC rules apply statewide regardless of local…

Installing a propane or LP-gas storage tank in Jacksonville takes a mechanical permit under Ordinance Code Section 320.409(d)(6), tiered by tank size from 0 to 600 gallons up through…

Recreational campfires are permit-free, but any bonfire needs Fire Prevention sign-off and a 50-foot setback from structures.

Jacksonville enforces the Florida Building Code Residential Section R314 and Florida Statute 553.883 for smoke alarms, requiring units inside every sleeping room, outside each separate…

Jacksonville bans open burning outright unless allowed by state or Environmental Protection Board rules; small recreational campfires are exempt, but bonfires need Fire Prevention…

Under Florida Statute Chapter 791, most consumer fireworks, firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles and similar combustion or explosive devices, are illegal to sell, possess or use…

The Florida Forest Service has statewide jurisdiction over wildfire prevention and suppression on non-municipal land under Chapter 590, Florida Statutes.

Jacksonville defines every off-street parking space as an 'all-weather surfaced' space and requires driveways and parking areas to stay in a smooth, paved or hard-surfaced condition…

Heavy trucks, buses, cranes and similar oversized vehicles can't be parked on residential streets or lots except briefly for loading, service, or repairs.

Jacksonville caps passenger curb loading at 5 minutes and freight curb loading at 1 hour, with a decal required for commercial freight vehicles.

Boats, trailers and RVs on residential lots must stay in the rear or side yard, not the front yard, and can't be lived in while parked.

Jacksonville bans leaving any vehicle, boat, or trailer parked on a public street, highway, or right-of-way for more than 24 hours, with impoundment authorized.

Junk or abandoned vehicles can't sit on private property in Jacksonville past 15 days before the City orders removal.

Florida law protects condominium unit owners' rights to install electric vehicle charging stations in their designated parking areas under Fla. Stat. 718.113(8), while commercial…

Florida caps the drop fee a tower can charge at half the posted rate if the owner shows up mid-tow, requires a signed itemized receipt, and forces storage lots within 10 to 15 highway…

Jacksonville's noise ordinance bars construction work between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Ordinance Code Sec. 360.701(a)(29). Generators, mudhogs, and well point pumps may keep…

Metropolitan Park concerts with amplified sound and 500+ attendees must stay at or below 105 dB(A) measured 100 feet from the stage, and run only within set Friday-through-Sunday hours.

Jacksonville bans dogs and other animals from barking, howling, or making noise persistently for 30+ minutes unless the animal is in a sound-baffling enclosure, with fines starting at…

Jacksonville tickets loud motor-vehicle repair work, bad exhaust systems, and warning-device misuse as noise-pollution minor violations under Sec. 360.701(a). Work on vehicles that…

Noise sources on industrial, commercial and other zoned land can't send sound beyond the property line above levels set by the Environmental Protection Board, enforced under Chapter…

Jacksonville bars construction work and motorized-unit noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. near residential land, enforced as a $250 minor violation under the Environmental…

Jacksonville caps residential fences at 8 feet and front-yard fences at 4 feet unless a taller front fence gets site plan approval.

Jacksonville outlaws barbed wire on any fence fronting a street or sidewalk, and bans electrified fencing around residential property under the Ordinance Code.

Jacksonville's Property Maintenance Code puts the upkeep of every fence, including one on a shared property line, on whoever owns or controls the parcel it sits on. Section 518.415(b)…

Jacksonville caps residential fences at 4 feet in the front yard and 8 feet elsewhere, measured from grade to the top of the fence.

Building or replacing a retaining wall in Jacksonville requires a building permit under Ordinance Code Section 320.401, and Section 320.409(a)(4) lists 'masonry walls, retaining walls'…

Running a home business in Jacksonville means no clients on-site: Ordinance Code Sec. 656.401(n)(1)(iv) bars anyone from calling on the premises for retail sales, service negotiations…

Home businesses in Jacksonville must be run by a resident, stay under 250 sq ft or 10% of floor area, and cause no outside signs, traffic, or client visits.

In Jacksonville's RR, RLD, RMD-A and RMD-B zoning districts, a home business gets one sign: non-illuminated, one square foot, mounted flat against the building wall, that's the whole…

Jacksonville allows in-home family day care for up to five children or adults in single-family homes, but the operator must live there, keep the outside unchanged, and cap hours at 6…

Florida's Cottage Food Operations Act preempts local regulation, allowing home production of non-potentially hazardous foods up to a statewide gross sales limit.

Jacksonville limits landscape irrigation to specific days by address parity and season, with a citywide 10 a.m.-4 p.m. no-watering window year-round.

Jacksonville declares weeds, grass, underbrush and undergrowth over 15 inches tall a public nuisance on any lot, enforceable citywide by Municipal Code Compliance.

Jacksonville requires written permission from the Director of Public Works before anyone trims or removes a tree along a public street or on public property, under Ordinance Code…

Jacksonville's landscape code requires new landscaping to preserve existing plant communities and re-establish native species, and lets developers earn full credit toward planting…

Jacksonville requires a permit before cutting down any protected tree, six inches DBH near a lot line and up, though owner-occupied single-family and mobile-home lots are exempt from…

Jacksonville imposes no nightly minimum stay or annual night cap on short-term rentals. Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b) preempts cities from regulating the duration or frequency of…

Jacksonville (consolidated city-county for Duval County) has no STR-specific registration ordinance. After a November 2022 court ruling held the city's pre-2011 zoning provisions did…

Jacksonville charges a 4% tourist development tax on Airbnb and VRBO stays of six months or less, on top of state sales tax.

Jacksonville STRs must provide one off-street parking space per bedroom. Parking plan required with STR registration. Street parking alone insufficient. No lawn parking.

Jacksonville Ord. 656.401(d) limits short-term rentals to specific zoning districts and requires a Certificate of Use, but cannot require host presence due to FL §509.032 preemption of…

Jacksonville imposes occupancy limits on short-term vacation rentals. Maximum occupancy is two persons per bedroom plus two additional occupants, with a cap of 16 total individuals per…

FL §515.25 Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act applies. Minimum 48-inch non-climbable barrier with self-closing, self-latching gate required. Jacksonville Building Code enforces at…

Jacksonville requires a building permit for all in-ground and above-ground pools over 24" deep. Electrical, plumbing, and barrier inspections required. Flood zone pools need additional…

Jacksonville §656.403 permits ADUs in single-family residential districts. Max size: lesser of 25% of principal structure GFA or 750 sq ft. ADUs must be in backyard, owner-occupancy…

Garden sheds and toolhouses are permitted accessory structures in Jacksonville but must meet height-based setbacks from the lot line.

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…

Camping or sleeping on any public property, building, or right-of-way is a class B offense unless the City has designated the site for that purpose.

Pawnbrokers in Jacksonville need a Sheriff-issued permit, annual renewal, and detailed transaction records subject to inspection anytime.

Towing firms need a signed property-owner agreement filed with the Sheriff's Office before trespass-towing any vehicle, plus posted signage and JSO notice within 30 minutes.

Jacksonville's home-occupation standard bars customers from calling at the house and bans working out of a detached garage or carport, so a paid auto-repair business can't legally run…

Anyone giving massages for pay in Jacksonville must hold a Florida massage therapist license, and Ordinance Code Chapter 198 bars paid massage services between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Junk dealers, junk gatherers, and secondhand dealers in Jacksonville must hold a Sheriff-issued permit before doing business, renewed annually by September 30.

Jacksonville requires a Sheriff's Office license for every adult bookstore, theater, or entertainment establishment and blocks new sites within 1,000 feet of another such facility, a…

Florida Statute 569.315 expressly preempts the regulation of the marketing, sale, and delivery of nicotine products and dispensing devices to the state, voiding most municipal…

Urinating or defecating on any street, sidewalk, park, beach or place open to public view is a class B offense in Jacksonville, enforced by the Sheriff.

Smoking marijuana, like tobacco or vaping, is banned in any Jacksonville city park posted with a no-smoking designation, a class A offense punishable by up to a $25 fine.

Jacksonville bans soliciting or begging in an aggressive manner citywide, and bans all sidewalk begging without permission inside the downtown Central Core Enhancement Area.

Drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol on Jacksonville streets, sidewalks, parks or other City property is a class B offense, except inside the designated Riverwalk Open…

Loitering, soliciting or begging in a hotel, office or building open to the public against the owner's wishes is a class C offense in Jacksonville.

Skateboarding is banned on private business, commercial or industrial property in Jacksonville once the owner posts a required warning sign under Sec. 616.118.

Jacksonville's residential waste contractor must pick up garbage, rubbish, other trash, and yard trash from the curb at least once a week under Sec. 382.405(a), and only between 6:00…

Every new building in Jacksonville except single-family homes must include off-street space for storing and emptying solid waste containers, sized to the project by the Director of…

Loose yard trash must be bagged or boxed and capped at 5 cubic yards a week; tree trimmings over 5 feet or 6 inches thick aren't picked up.

Duval County's waste contractor can't just skip a route because of a holiday. Sec. 382.405(b) of the Ordinance Code requires Director approval and published newspaper notice before any…

Jacksonville requires residents to separate recyclables from trash, bans mixing them in the same curbside container, and makes it illegal to contaminate or scavenge recycling set out…

Dumping litter on Jacksonville streets, rights-of-way, waterways, or private property without consent is unlawful under the city's Litter Law, with citations issued by the Sheriff's…

Jacksonville collects household garbage weekly and recycling every other week (Week A or B) on the same weekday. Find your day and recycling week at coj.net/swschedule or the MyJax…

Jacksonville bars curbside carts before 5:00 p.m. the day before pickup and requires them off the curb by 6:00 a.m. the next morning, or removal is on the resident.

Jacksonville residents must separate recyclables from household trash and set them out at the curb; mixing them into one bin or contaminating the load is a code violation.

Jacksonville caps loose trash and yard debris put out for collection at 5 cubic yards a week and won't pick up tree trimmings over 5 feet long or 6 inches thick.

Jacksonville's Agriculture (AGR) zoning district, Ordinance Code Sec. 656.331, lets landowners raise farm animals, keep poultry and run roadside stands as of right, and caps…

Jacksonville's Noise Control Ordinance, Chapter 368, doesn't reach bona fide farm operations. Sec. 368.105(c) exempts 'agricultural activities of a farm' as defined by the state's…

Jacksonville regulates digital billboards as "changing message devices": electronic content must hold static at least eight seconds and switch in one second or less, with no flashing…

In Jacksonville's Downtown Sign Overlay Zone, temporary window signs cannot collectively exceed 35 square feet or 20 percent of a storefront's total window area, whichever is smaller…

Since June 1, 1987, Jacksonville Charter Section 23.03 has banned building or erecting any new offsite commercial billboard anywhere in the city, including along the interstate and…

Jacksonville allows one temporary election sign per candidate or ballot issue per private lot, capped at 4 sq ft, 6 feet tall, with a 10-foot setback if freestanding, removed within 7…

Garage sale signs 4 square feet or smaller are exempt from Jacksonville's sign code entirely, but they still can't be tacked to a pole, tree, or hydrant, or placed in the street…

Holiday decorations on JEA electric poles and light standards are exempt from Jacksonville's sign-permit chapter only if the posting is approved by a City Council resolution and the…

Jacksonville requires new construction in flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor to 2 feet above base flood elevation, using stem-wall or off-grade methods.

Construction sites in Jacksonville must use best management practices to keep sediment on-site and control stormwater runoff before it reaches storm drains or waterways.

Any development in a Jacksonville flood hazard area needs a floodplain permit, and new lowest floors must sit 2 feet above base flood elevation.

Jacksonville bans dumping anything but stormwater into its storm sewer system and funds citywide drainage management through a mandatory monthly utility fee on every developed parcel.

Private boathouses on residential waterfront lots in Jacksonville are capped at 900 square feet as an accessory structure under the Zoning Code.

Florida regulates construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line through state permits, with uniform standards administered by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Jacksonville's Property Safety and Maintenance Code requires every rental dwelling unit to have working heat, hot water, a flush toilet, and a kitchen sink, with heat reaching 65°F in…

Jacksonville has no rent control ordinance. Florida preempts all local rent control under Fla. Stat. Sec. 125.0103, which limited counties to enacting rent control only after specific…

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…

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…

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…

For a month-to-month tenancy, Fla. Stat. § 83.57 now requires 30 days' written notice (raised from 15 days by 2023's HB 1417). Breaking a fixed-term lease triggers landlord remedies…

Florida has no rent control and no statute setting a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period. On a month-to-month tenancy, a new rent takes effect only through the…

Florida Statute 509.032(7) preempts local regulation of vacation rental bans, duration, and frequency, while FS 83.425 (2023) preempts local regulation of residential tenancies…

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…

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…

Jacksonville's Ordinance Code Chapter 605 criminalizes unauthorized entry into the city and requires the Sheriff to notify ICE and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on every…

Every exit door in a Jacksonville building must have a working locking device that still opens easily from inside, per the property maintenance code.

The Building Official inspects permitted work at every stage, from pre-permit plan review through completion, and logs every inspection and code violation found, per Ordinance Code…

Jacksonville's Sustainable Building Program under Chapter 327 requires new City-owned buildings to earn LEED, Green Globes, or FGBC certification, while private construction can opt in…

No plumbing work in Jacksonville, other than minor repairs that don't change fixtures or piping, can start until a permit is obtained under Ordinance Code Section 341.202, and Section…

Jacksonville requires a Building Inspection Division permit for roofing work, with a narrow exemption for minor repairs and small reroofs under Sec. 320.408.

Jacksonville requires a separate electrical permit for wiring, service upgrades, and equipment installations under Ordinance Code Section 320.408, issued only to Chapter…

Jacksonville's Building Code requires scaffolds to hold four times their expected load, at least 125 psf, plus guard rails, toe boards, and overhead protection on active construction…

Jacksonville requires a production permit for commercial filming on City property, and small student or hobbyist shoots stay exempt only if they avoid noise that's frequent, habitual…

Commercial filming on Jacksonville streets or sidewalks needs a City production permit, and applicants must spell out in the application whether public streets or sidewalks will need…

Any commercial filming, photography, or motion picture production on Jacksonville's public streets, parks, or right-of-way needs a production permit from the Film Commissioner before…

Downtown development projects in Jacksonville's Downtown Overlay Zone must follow the Downtown Design Guidelines, adopted by the Downtown Investment Authority and enforced by the…

The Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission designates landmarks, landmark sites, and historic districts for cultural, historical, or architectural value, then requires a…

FAA airspace blankets Jacksonville International, Cecil, Craig, and Herlong airports plus NAS Jacksonville and NAS Mayport. Recreational and Part 107 pilots must obtain LAANC…

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.

Jacksonville cannot enforce a plastic bag ban or fee. Fla. Stat. § 403.7033 preempts any 'local government, local governmental agency, or state governmental agency' from enacting any…

Florida Statute 500.90 and 403.7033 preempt local regulation of polystyrene foam containers. Jacksonville may not ban Styrofoam takeout boxes, cups, or coolers. Restaurants remain free…

Florida prohibits all home cultivation of cannabis. Even qualified medical patients under FL §381.986 must purchase from licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers; growing a single…

Medical marijuana treatment centers (dispensaries) in Jacksonville are regulated under state law and local zoning provisions in Jax Ord. Code Ch. 656, Part 4 (Supplementary…

Home cultivation of cannabis is illegal in Florida. Recreational marijuana remains prohibited statewide: a 2024 ballot initiative received 56% support but failed to reach the 60%…

Jacksonville cannot set its own minimum wage. Fla. Stat. § 218.077 preempts political subdivisions from establishing private-employer wage requirements above the state minimum. The…

Jacksonville cannot require paid sick leave or paid family leave. Fla. Stat. § 218.077 preempts political subdivisions from imposing employment-benefit requirements on private…

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…

Private barbecue pits and smokers are a permitted accessory use in every Jacksonville residential district, but Ordinance Code Sec. 656.403 bars placing them in required front or side…

Abutting owners must maintain sidewalks, but since 2003 the City pays for repairs unless owner negligence caused the damage.

Willfully blocking a Jacksonville sidewalk, street or public passageway is a class D offense under Ordinance Code § 614.117, and separately, the Sheriff can remove any unlawful…

Placing a planter, tree, shrub, bush, or mailbox on a Jacksonville sidewalk or right-of-way requires a written permit application to the Director of Public Works before installation.

Where reclaimed water lines reach a property, Jacksonville requires connection and bans potable water for irrigation once hooked up.

Jacksonville permits only two dockless scooter operators, confines them to a downtown geofenced zone, and bans overnight operation from midnight to 5 a.m.

Jacksonville ran a red-light camera program from 2012 until the City Council repealed it outright in 2019. Ordinance Code Chapter 636, Part 4 (former §§ 636.401-636.403) and § 111.397…

Jacksonville's two permitted dockless e-bike operators must field only low-speed electric bicycles under Ordinance Code Section 235.105(a): pedal-equipped, under 750 watts, capped at…

Florida flips the usual assumption: a golf cart is barred from public roads unless a county, a municipality, or a water control district has affirmatively designated that road for cart…

An offsite sign within 200 feet of a residentially zoned district in Jacksonville must be nonilluminated and can't exceed 400 square feet, under the nonconforming-sign standards of…

Jacksonville shields outdoor lighting use by use rather than through a single citywide dark-sky code: filling stations and service stations must hold illumination at property lines to…

Jacksonville's zoning code bars glare and excessive light from spilling onto neighboring property, requiring parking lots, storage yards, schools and other lit sites to shield fixtures…

Jacksonville requires a Special Event Permit before staging any street fair, festival, or public gathering expected to draw 500 or more people on public property, per Ordinance Code…

Jacksonville requires a single motion photography production permit for commercial filming on City property, and once issued it replaces separate special-event or assembly permits for…

Any parade, festival or other gathering expected to draw 500 or more participants or spectators on public property in Jacksonville needs a Special Event Permit from the Economic…

Jacksonville lets the Mayor temporarily close a residential street to traffic for neighborhood recreation under Ordinance Code § 664.401, but only with written consent from 60% of…

Any gathering of 500+ people on Jacksonville public property, including city parks, needs a Special Event Permit from the Chief; smaller park gatherings need a Parks Department…

Restaurants in six named shopping districts need a Building Inspection Division permit before putting tables and chairs on the public sidewalk.

Sidewalk vendors citywide need a Tax Collector permit and must keep carts within strict distance limits from driveways, hydrants, crosswalks, and competing businesses, or face a class…

Mobile food dispensing vendors need Florida state and City of Jacksonville permits, licenses, and a business tax receipt before setting up, and the Neighborhoods Department must…

Sidewalk vendors need a Tax Collector permit and must set up only on curbed commercial or industrial streets, clear of driveways, hydrants and rival businesses.

Jacksonville levies a combined 4% tourist development tax on hotels, motels, and short-term vacation rentals like Airbnb for stays of six months or less, collected by the Duval County…

Jacksonville's County Business Tax (Ordinance Code Ch. 770) sets license tax rates by business classification, size or type, rather than one flat fee, with over 100 dedicated schedules…

Jacksonville exempts most pines and palms from tree protection but shields Live Oaks with extra-strict mitigation during development.

Property owners in Jacksonville must get a Public Works permit before planting a tree, shrub, or planter in the street right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb, or face removal…

Jacksonville's zoning code singles out large hardwoods 24 inches DBH or greater as "exceptional specimen trees," stripping away most removal exemptions and requiring a permit and 1:1…

Jacksonville cannot enact local firearm ordinances. Florida Statutes Section 790.33 reserves to the state Legislature the whole field of firearm and ammunition regulation. Local…

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…

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…

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…

Jacksonville can order an unsafe building repaired or demolished within 30 days, then bill the owner and lien the property if it doesn't comply.

Jacksonville caps weeds, grass and underbrush on vacant and unimproved lots at 15 inches under Ordinance Code § 518.202; taller growth is a public nuisance the City can abate and bill…

Jacksonville regulates residential soliciting and peddling under Jax Ord. Code Ch. 250, Part 7 (Residential Soliciting and Peddling). Solicitors must examine any notice posted on…

Jacksonville's no-knock (Do Not Knock/Do Not Solicit) provisions are part of the residential soliciting ordinance under Jax Ord. Code Ch. 250, Part 7. Property owners can post notices…

Jacksonville prohibits minors under 18 from public places between 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM Sunday-Thursday and between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM Friday-Saturday. Exceptions include parental…

Jacksonville parks close at sunset and reopen at sunrise; being in a closed park after hours is a criminal offense.

Jacksonville caps how much of a lot can be covered by buildings and pavement through a zoning-district impervious surface ratio table, ranging from 15% in agricultural areas to 95%…

Jacksonville's Zoning Code sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks that vary by residential zoning district, from 25 feet in RLD-120 estate lots down to 3 feet in RLD-40 side…

Jacksonville caps single-family structures in every Residential Low Density (RLD) zoning district, from RLD-120 down to RLD-40 and RLD-TND, at 35 feet under Ordinance Code Sec…

Jacksonville requires a plumbing permit before installing any solar water-heating device, tank, or collector connected to the potable water system.

Florida law voids any deed restriction, covenant, or HOA agreement that bans or effectively blocks solar collectors on homes or condo units, and boards cannot deny installation…

Jacksonville's Property Safety and Maintenance Code (Chapter 518) requires all structures to be maintained free of pest infestations. Properties providing breeding places or shelter…

Florida Statute Chapter 720 governs HOA assessments. Before placing a lien for unpaid assessments, the association must send a written demand granting at least 45 days to pay. The…

Florida Statute Section 720.311 requires mandatory presuit mediation for certain HOA disputes before filing a lawsuit. Disputes regarding elections, meeting notice, and record access…

Florida Statute Chapter 720 governs CC&R enforcement. The association must provide written notice of a violation with a reasonable time to cure before imposing fines (up to $100/day…

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, §…

Florida Statute 163.04 bars homeowner association deed restrictions and local ordinances from prohibiting clotheslines, solar collectors, or other renewable-resource energy devices in…

Florida law bars HOA declarations, articles, and bylaws from prohibiting Florida-friendly landscaping, defined by statute as drought-tolerant, water-conserving design. Section…

Florida law bars homeowners associations from stopping owners from flying up to two flags, each no larger than 4 1/2 by 6 feet, including the U.S. flag, Florida's state flag, military…

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…

A Florida association can foreclose an assessment lien in the same manner a mortgage is foreclosed, but only after two separate 45-day notices, and fines are largely off limits: a…

Florida limits how homeowners' associations can restrict renting out a home, but only in communities governed by Chapter 720, not condos or co-ops. Under Fla. Stat. § 720.306(1)(h), a…

Jacksonville sets local wind-speed design zones under the Florida Building Code, requiring roofs east of a mapped demarcation line to withstand higher wind speeds than the west side.

Jacksonville requires new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to elevate their lowest floor to at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, a stricter local…

After a declared disaster, Jacksonville may enter private streets and other private property to remove storm debris that poses an immediate threat to life, health or safety. The Mayor…

Jacksonville's Property Maintenance Code declares specific property conditions public nuisances that residents can report to the Municipal Code Compliance Division: vegetation over 15…

Jacksonville's landscape code bars planting invasive or state-controlled plant species in any required landscaping on new development.

Florida cardrooms operate only inside licensed pari-mutuel facilities, dog tracks, horse tracks, and jai alai frontons, under a license from the Florida Gaming Control Commission. Fla…

Florida lets charitable, nonprofit, and veterans' organizations run bingo without applying for any state gaming license: the statute itself sets the eligibility bar and the limits. A…

Florida law exempts small-stakes card and tile games from gambling crimes under Fla. Stat. § 849.085, but only under strict conditions: winnings per hand can't exceed $10, the game…

Sports wagering is legal in Florida only through the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bet platform, authorized under the state's gaming compact codified at Fla. Stat. § 285.710(13)(b)7…

Florida allows sobriety checkpoints, and the discretion of the individual trooper is what gets constrained. Fla. Stat. § 321.05(1) gives Florida Highway Patrol officers the power to…

Florida is an all-party consent state, but that rule reaches less far than it sounds. Fla. Stat. § 934.03(2)(d) makes interception lawful only when every party consents, while §…

Florida has no general stop-and-identify statute. The Florida Stop and Frisk Law, Fla. Stat. § 901.151(2), lets an officer temporarily detain you to ascertain your identity when…

Florida wrote the automobile exception into its statutes in 1927. Fla. Stat. § 933.19 adopts the United States Supreme Court's decision of March 2, 1925 in the Carroll case, reported…

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 under the…

Florida is one of the states that says yes to underbody lighting in so many words. Fla. Stat. § 316.235(3) provides that any motor vehicle may be equipped with one or more lamps or…

Florida does not give dash cameras a windshield carve-out. Fla. Stat. § 316.2952(2) is written as a closed list of exactly four things that may be attached to, or located in or upon, a…

Florida bans lane splitting in so many words. Fla. Stat. section 316.209(3) states that no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Florida treats an obscured plate as a crime, not a ticket. Fla. Stat. section 320.061(1) makes it unlawful to apply or attach any substance, reflective matter, illuminated device…

A driver of a private passenger vehicle may use a radar detector in Florida. No section of the Florida Statutes prohibits owning, carrying or operating one, and chapter 316, which…

Florida does not ban studded tires and does not restrict them to a winter season. The one wheel-surface provision in the traffic code, Fla. Stat. section 316.299, prohibits driving on…

Florida sets a separate light transmittance floor for each piece of glass rather than one statewide number. Side wings and side windows forward of or next to the driver must pass at…