Orlando, FL Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required from
- Permitting Division
- Water body setback
- 50 feet
- Classified as
- Impervious surface for ISR
- Prohibited in
- Rights-of-way, drainage features
- Prohibited material
- Indoor/outdoor plastic or nylon carpet
Summary
Orlando allows artificial turf with a Permitting Division permit, but bans it in rights-of-way, within 50 feet of water bodies, in drainage features, and under tree drip lines, and counts it as impervious surface against a lot's impervious-surface ratio.
The use of artificial turf is permitted subject to obtaining a permit from the Permitting Division and compliance with the provisions of this Section...Installation of artificial turf within public and private rights-of-way is prohibited. Artificial turf may not be installed within 50 feet of any artificial or natural water body...The installation of artificial turf shall be calculated as an impervious surface, as the intent of the Landscape Code is the installation of living, sub-tropical materials on pervious areas of the site.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
224 permits artificial turf "subject to obtaining a permit from the Permitting Division and compliance with the provisions of this Section," installed per manufacturer specifications and subject to stormwater requirements. 224(a) allow turf on residential, private park and school, and commercial sites, and in limited public park/institutional play areas, but installation is prohibited within public and private rights-of-way, within 50 feet of any artificial or natural water body, within drainage features such as retention ponds and swales, and inside the drip line of any tree; within Historic Preservation Districts it can't be visible from any right-of-way and needs a minor Certificate of Appropriateness.
224(b) requires artificial turf to be "calculated as an impervious surface," with the total quantity capped by the property's maximum impervious surface ratio (ISR) for its zoning district. 224(d)). 223(a)(1)(6) additionally limit turf, gravel and rock beds to accent use only, not counted as permanent landscaping. These standards were added by Ord. No. 2021-49 (8-23-2021), amending the base Ord. No. 2013-74 (12-9-2013).
Violations & Fines
Installing artificial turf without a Permitting Division permit, within the right-of-way, within 50 feet of a water body, inside a drainage feature or tree drip line, or letting it fall into disrepair with holes, fading or loose edges is a landscaping code violation subject to Code Enforcement Board action under Chapter 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to install artificial turf in Orlando?
Can artificial turf go anywhere in my yard?
Does artificial turf count against my property's impervious surface limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orlando
How Orlando compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Orlando to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.