Sarasota County, FL Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Sarasota County, FL, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing schedule
- SWFWMD F.A.C. Ch. 40D-21.641 / 40D-22
- Max civil penalty
- $500.00 per violation
- Rain sensor
- Required on all automatic irrigation systems
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Sarasota County water users
- Exempt
- Reclaimed effluent or saltwater irrigation
- Contest deadline
- 30 days to pay or request hearing
Summary
Unincorporated Sarasota County enforces its irrigation-day and irrigation-hour limits by adopting the Southwest Florida Water Management District's year-round watering schedule and shortage rules by reference, backed by a civil citation program capped at $500 per violation.
Subject to subsection (b) of this section, all water use restrictions or other measures imposed by the Board or District pursuant to Chapter 40D-21-641, Florida Administrative Code, as amended from time to time, which are applicable to unincorporated Sarasota County shall be subject to enforcement pursuant to this article. Irrigation days and hours for lawns and landscaping different from those listed in Chapter 40D-21.641 or Chapter 40D-22 "Year-Round Water Conservation Measures" shall be adopted by Board resolution, as amended from time to time. Otherwise, irrigation days and hours established by Chapters 40D-21.641 and/or 40D-22, shall be in effect throughout unincorporated Sarasota County.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 641 and Chapter 40D-22, the District's Year-Round Water Conservation Measures, unless the Board of County Commissioners adopts a different schedule by resolution. Sec. 54-924 separately adopts Chapters 40D-21 and 40D-22 by reference in full. The article applies to every person in the unincorporated area who draws on a water resource, whether from a public utility, a private well, or a surface-water connection, per Sec. 54-923, but exempts anyone irrigating with reclaimed effluent or saltwater. Sec. 62, kept operational at all times. Before any restriction takes effect, Sec.
54-926(c) requires the County or District to publish notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, and Sec. 54-926(b) lets a District-granted variance override the schedule. Sec. 54-928 makes it a violation to breach any watering restriction, to disperse water wastefully, or to run an automatic system without an operating rain sensor. A Code Enforcement Officer may enter private property other than a dwelling, structure, or fenced enclosure to investigate under Sec. 12(5) while doing so.
Violations & Fines
Officers may issue a Warning Notice before a Citation under Sec. 54-929, but a second offense for the same conduct or any rain-sensor violation can draw an immediate Citation. The recipient has 30 calendar days to pay or request a County Court hearing through the Clerk of Court; failure to do either waives the right to contest and lets the court enter judgment for the full penalty plus costs. Sec. 54-930 caps the civil penalty at $500 per violation, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense under Sec. 54-932, and unpaid judgments can result in a lien on the property. Willful refusal to sign a Citation is a second-degree misdemeanor under F.S. §§ 775.082 and 775.083.
Frequently Asked Questions
What days can I water my lawn in unincorporated Sarasota County?
Do I need a rain sensor on my sprinkler system?
What is the fine for violating an irrigation restriction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota County
How Sarasota County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota County to another location·View the Florida landscaping rules overview
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