Ocala, FL

Ocala bans amplified sound that crosses a property line and is plainly audible inside a hospital, medical clinic, church, or school at any hour, per City Code § 34-172(1). In the…

Ocala's quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. under City Code § 34-172(5): any noise crossing a residential property line that is plainly audible inside a neighboring residence…

Ocala bans motor vehicle noise, engine and exhaust noise included, that is plainly audible 50 feet or more from the vehicle, under City Code § 34-172(4). The general excessive-noise…

Ocala exempts permitted construction activity from its excessive-noise ordinance only between sunrise and sunset, under City Code § 34-174(10); construction noise outside that window…

Ocala exempts lawn mowers, edgers, weed trimmers, blowers, chippers, chain saws, and other property-maintenance power tools from its excessive-noise ordinance only between sunrise and…

Around the Ocala Regional Airport, § 18-107 divides land into noise zones I, II and III and bars new residential, school, church or hospital construction in zone III outright, while…

Ocala caps industrial noise with a hard decibel table in Sec. 122-1144: 79 decibels for the lowest octave band down to 39 decibels for the highest. M-1, M-2 and M-3 district activity…

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…

On streets and city lots posted against all-night parking, Ocala bars parking longer than 30 minutes between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., with an exception only for physicians and others…

Ocala Code of Ordinances Sec. 66-63 limits parking in alleys within a business district to 20 minutes for loading and unloading, and requires at least ten feet of alley width kept…

Ocala bans keeping an abandoned or derelict vehicle on any street, highway or property for more than five days, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-122(a). Exceptions exist for vehicles…

Ocala confines travel trailer parking and storage in residential yards to the rear yard only. Code of Ordinances Sec. 98-32 bars a required side yard and any front-yard spot beyond the…

Every new building or use in Ocala must provide its own off-street loading space under Sec. 122-982, sized at least 12 feet wide by 45 feet long with 12-foot vertical clearance…

Ocala bars parking commercial vehicles over three-fourths of a ton in its R-1, R-1A, R-2 and R-3 residential districts under Sec. 122-1193. The same section keeps travel, boat, utility…

Marion County requires driveways connecting to a paved road to be built as poured concrete or compacted lime rock with an asphalt surface, inspected before final approval. Plain dirt…

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…

Ocala does not print its own smoke alarm rule; instead Code of Ordinances Section 38-81 adopts the current Florida Fire Prevention Code by reference as the city's fire code, and makes…

Selling, possessing or using fireworks anywhere in the City of Ocala is unlawful under Code of Ordinances Section 38-155(a), with one exception: a public display permit issued by the…

Open burning anywhere within Ocala city limits requires a burn permit from the fire chief under Sec. 54-5, with narrow exceptions for state-authorized agricultural burns. No fire may…

Ocala requires a fire chief-issued burn permit before anyone burns material or waste openly, in a pit or in a container within city limits, under Sec. 54-5. Dry, untreated wood used as…

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

Ocala Code of Ordinances Sec. 58-31 caps shrubbery at 30 inches and requires tree branches to be trimmed above ten feet on private property near intersections. The rule protects driver…

Ocala caps weeds and undergrowth at 12 inches on any property within 300 feet of an occupied building, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-95(a)(1). The rule is a nuisance enforced by the…

For property already registered as abandoned under Ocala's foreclosure-maintenance rules, Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-143(d)(1) counts artificial turf or sod designed for residential…

Ocala restricts landscape irrigation to fixed watering days by address type under City Code § 118-138. During Daylight Saving Time, homes with odd-numbered addresses may irrigate…

In the City of Ocala, cutting, moving or destroying any tree four inches or more in diameter at breast height is unlawful without a tree removal permit under Sec. 118-71(a). The…

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…

A home-based business in an Ocala residential district gets exactly one sign option: a non-illuminated nameplate of one square foot or less, mounted flat on the house within two feet…

In the City of Ocala, a home occupation is allowed in any residential district but only after the building official issues a permit. The business must stay inside the home itself…

The City of Ocala permits a family day care home to run as a home occupation in residential districts, but it ties that permission directly to the state license required under F.S. §…

Ocala allows only one narrow home business that brings clients to the door: a one-chair hairstyling shop, and even that requires city council approval after a public hearing and limits…

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

Ocala Code of Ordinances § 46-185 bars bringing or keeping any unleashed dog, cat, or other animal into a city park unless the recreation and parks director authorizes it, and the…

Ocala Code of Ordinances § 46-214 protects wildlife roaming free in city parks: no one may molest, harm, frighten, kill, net, trap, snare, hunt, chase, shoot, or throw missiles at any…

Ocala's zoning code lets veterinarian offices operate in the A-1 agricultural district and most commercial zones, B-2 through M-1, without a permit hearing, per Table 122-287 in City…

Ocala allows up to six chickens in the rear yard of a single-family home in the R-1, R-1A and R-1AA districts, but only with a growth management department permit under Sec. 122-1217…

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…

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…

New pet shops in Marion County can't sell commercially-bred dogs or cats; they must source only from shelters or rescues under the adoption-based business model.

Marion County orders mandatory sterilization only after a repeat violator is designated an irresponsible animal owner, not for pet owners generally.

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

Ocala's zoning code limits backyard sheds to ten feet in height in a side yard, provided the required side setback is kept, per Sec. 122-254. In the rear yard, sheds and other…

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…

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…

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…

Ocala allows fences, walls and hedges in required yards, but on corner lots Sec. 122-253 bans anything between two and a half feet and ten feet tall inside a sight triangle measured…

Ocala's building code outlaws barbed wire fences, electrified fences and razor wire on ordinary property, treating an illegal barbed wire fence as a nuisance. Narrow exceptions cover…

Ocala doesn't require a standalone permit for an ordinary wood or chain-link fence, but Sec. 82-3(b)(2)h requires anyone installing an electrified fence to submit plans and specs to…

Ocala only singles out retaining walls where they cross into a regulated floodway: City Code § 90-26(c) requires any retaining wall, sidewalk or driveway that places fill in a floodway…

Florida's one statewide fence statute, §588.011, defines a legal fence as at least 3 feet high with three strands of wire on posts no more than 20 feet apart. Residential height…

Every residential swimming pool built in Ocala since the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act took effect October 1, 2000 must be constructed under that Act, F.S. ch. 515, or the…

Every Ocala pool owner must keep a barrier completely around the pool or property under City Code § 82-512. Section 82-513 sets the specifics: barriers at least 48 inches tall with no…

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…

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.

Dumping litter on any Ocala street, right-of-way, or public land outside a lawful container violates City Code § 34-201(b), and police, code enforcement, and park ranger officers can…

The City of Ocala requires residents and businesses to place recyclable commodities only in the recycling containers or dumpsters the city itself assigns, under Code of Ordinances…

The City of Ocala requires yard waste to be separated from other municipal solid waste and set out at curbside or the alleyway, clear of trees, fences and meters. Sec. 54-37 caps tree…

Once recyclable materials go into a city-provided recycling container in Ocala, they become city property under Sec. 54-33(e), and no one may remove or convey them without written…

In the City of Ocala, all solid waste must be collected by the city's sanitation division or by a private hauler holding a written city permit under Code of Ordinances § 54-33…

In the City of Ocala, dumpsters may only sit where the city approves under Code of Ordinances § 54-35, and moving a city-provided dumpster without consent is unlawful. New or renovated…

In the City of Ocala, Code of Ordinances § 54-35(j) sets the curbside window for trash and recycling containers: no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the evening before collection, and removed by…

In the City of Ocala, Code of Ordinances § 54-38(a) makes every residential customer pick one collection plan, curbside or rear-door, and stick with it for at least six months…

In the City of Ocala, discarded refrigerators, freezers, ranges, washers, dryers, water heaters and dishwashers count as 'white goods' under Code of Ordinances § 54-1 and get separate…

Ocala exempts delivery trucks, along with buses, trains, ships, airplanes and helicopters, from its excessive-noise ordinance as long as the truck is 'in good repair,' under City Code…

Bars and clubs in Ocala's downtown entertainment area may run amplified sound audible 100 feet away until midnight on weekdays and 2:00 a.m. on weekends under Code of Ordinances Sec…

Ocala's noise ordinance doesn't set a decibel limit for bass; instead, Sec. 34-172 lets an officer prove 'plainly audible' amplified noise by detecting a rhythmic bass alone, without…

Ocala's Reclaimed Water Ordinance requires new developments in designated reuse service areas to connect their irrigation systems to the reclaimed water main, with mandatory hookup…

Ocala lets customers who find and repair a water-line leak on their property get a bill credit, but only if they notify the utility within 45 days of the leak and the excess usage tops…

No one may organize, aid, or start a parade in the City of Ocala without a permit from the Recreation and Parks Department. Applications are due 30 days ahead for a parade that needs…

A restaurant or takeout establishment in the City of Ocala cannot put tables and chairs on a public sidewalk without a sidewalk cafe permit from the building, zoning and licensing…

The City of Ocala requires written permits for reserved park uses, picnic-shelter and community-facility bookings, and organized events under Code of Ordinances § 46-125. Applicants…

Ocala allows large shopping centers to host one special outdoor event a month, such as a festival or arts and crafts show, under Sec. 122-921. Only centers with a…

In the City of Ocala, Code of Ordinances § 58-5 lets the city manager, police chief, fire chief, city engineer, traffic engineer and other named officials temporarily close a public…

Ocala uses unmanned image-capture cameras to catch red light signal violations under a civil enforcement system separate from state traffic law. A red zone infraction draws a $125.00…

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…

Anyone filming a commercial motion picture, television production or audio/visual recording on Ocala public property must get a permit from the city manager's office and pay a $10.00…

Once a film or television crew has a Section 42-14(c) permit for a public location, Code of Ordinances Section 42-14(b)(1) makes it unlawful to create or cause audible interference…

In the City of Ocala, filming a commercial movie, TV show, or other audio or visual production on public property, including streets and sidewalks, requires a permit from the city…

The City of Ocala enforces a minors' curfew by incorporation rather than by writing its own hours: Code of Ordinances Section 42-15 adopts all of Florida Statutes Sections 877.20…

Ocala's parks stay open to the public every day of the year, but only during the hours the recreation and parks director sets and posts at each park, per Code of Ordinances § 46-211…

Ocala Code of Ordinances Sec. 42-10 bans lodging in the open on public or private property without authority, including sleeping near a tent, sleeping bag or campfire. Merely sleeping…

Ocala Code of Ordinances § 46-213(g) bars camping in any park or on an abutting highway, road, or street without the recreation and parks director's authorization. Camping is defined…

Ocala Code of Ordinances Sec. 58-104 makes it unlawful to obstruct pedestrian traffic at a public place, defined broadly to cover sidewalks, streets, alleys, driveways, parking lots…

In the City of Ocala, Code of Ordinances § 58-4 puts the cost of fixing sidewalks and curbs that are beyond repair on the city, not the abutting property owner, reconstructing them…

Ocala Code of Ordinances Sec. 62-63 requires a separate local business tax certificate for every location or branch of a business and for each distinct type of business activity. A…

Ocala's local business tax schedule, Sec. 62-81, lists a $250.00 tax for tattoo artists, a personal-service classification far above the $30.00 charged to barbers or beauticians. The…

The City of Ocala has no municipal license for massage establishments. City Code § 10-79 states plainly that the city council does not intend to legislate massage establishments…

Ocala does not issue a separate tobacco retail license; instead, § 15-63 bans self-service tobacco, e-cigarette and liquid nicotine displays and sales to anyone under 18, city-wide…

An adult use establishment cannot open in the City of Ocala without a building department license under § 10-102, and it cannot locate within 500 feet of a residential district…

The City of Ocala flatly excludes outdoor repair work from the list of businesses allowed to operate as a home occupation, so running an auto repair shop out of a residential driveway…

Anyone operating as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer in the City of Ocala must first obtain a regulatory permit from the building director under Sec. 50-51. The director can deny the…

Ocala Police Department runs a wrecker rotation list under Chapter 75, and any tow call that doesn't come straight from an officer must be cleared through OPD dispatch before the…

Ocala requires every building in the city, new or existing, to be ratproofed or kept rat free under Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-63. The health officer inspects on suspicion of…

Ocala's Code of Ordinances defines used disposable sharps as biohazardous waste under Sec. 54-1, and Sec. 54-6 bars putting biohazardous or hazardous waste into garbage cans…

Ocala's code enforcement officers can bypass a board hearing and issue a direct citation for specific Code violations listed in Sec. 2-461: weeds and trash, abandoned vehicles…

Once a City of Ocala code enforcement officer issues notice of a violation eligible for citation, § 2-462(c) caps the correction period at 30 days. Miss that window and the officer can…

In the City of Ocala, a code inspector must formally investigate and initiate every code enforcement case under City Code § 2-441; neither the code enforcement board nor a special…

Ocala treats accumulated trash, tree debris and unsightly items left in any yard, vacant or not, as a nuisance under Code of Ordinances Sec. 34-95(a)(4) and (6). Indoor furniture and…

Ocala declares any structure meeting the dangerous-building criteria in § 82-181 a public nuisance under § 82-182, giving the owner 30 days to repair, vacate or demolish it. The…

The City of Ocala bans drinking or carrying an open alcoholic beverage container on any city-owned street, sidewalk, alley or public parking facility, and in publicly owned buildings…

Ocala Code of Ordinances § 46-182 bans loitering in or around any restroom, dressing room or bathhouse inside a city park or recreation area. The same section requires anyone changing…

Ocala Code of Ordinances § 46-233 confines skateboards, roller skates, and other rough or propelled-object games to areas the recreation and parks director specifically designates for…

The Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board designates local landmarks under City Code Sec. 94-81: the board itself or any interested individual, including the owner, can nominate a…

Ocala bans dumping anything but rain into its storm drains under the city's illicit discharge and connection ordinance. The engineering department enforces the rule citywide, and…

Ocala folds erosion and sediment control into its stormwater ordinance: any project disturbing an acre or more counts as regulated construction activity, and operators must notify the…

Ocala's flood amendments to the Florida Building Code require most new construction to sit at least one foot above base flood elevation or the ASCE 24 standard, whichever is higher…

Anyone developing in an Ocala flood hazard area must get a floodplain development permit from the floodplain administrator, the city engineer, under City Code § 90-14(a), even for…

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

Ocala lets developers build up to 25 percent more units than the base density allows in four future land use classifications if the project qualifies for the city's affordable housing…

Ocala treats permanent window signs as regular signage needing a permit, but temporary window signs and banners advertising sales or events are exempt as long as they cover no more…

Ocala only allows billboards facing Interstate 75 and a short list of other named arterials, and only where the underlying property carries B-2, B-4, B-5, M-1 or M-2 zoning, so most of…

Ocala bans new digital and tri-vision billboards outright except through a sign-removal credit program: a new digital sign requires taking down 4 square feet of existing billboards for…

Garage sale advertising in the City of Ocala is limited to three signs under Sec. 50-104, each capped at nine square feet, and every sign must sit on private property with the owner's…

Florida has no statewide statute that fully preempts municipal regulation of political signs on private property, but F.S. 720.304(2) protects homeowners' rights to display one…

Ocala caps digital billboard illumination at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light and requires automatic sensors that dim the sign as daylight changes, verified with a foot candle…

Any itinerant food seller in the City of Ocala, including a food truck operator, must obtain a mobile vendor's license (MVL) from the Building Department before setting up. The license…

Under the City of Ocala's mobile vendor rules, a licensed itinerant seller, including a food cart or food truck operator, may not enter upon sidewalks or footpaths at all unless the…

The City of Ocala confines licensed mobile vendors, including food trucks, to zoning districts the code allows for that use and keeps them away from schools during class hours. Sec…

The City of Ocala confines door-to-door solicitors, peddlers and itinerant vendors to daytime hours at private residences. Sec. 22-360 makes it unlawful to solicit, peddle or vend at…

In the City of Ocala, a licensed day care facility must fence its outdoor play area, keep it away from residential lot lines and public streets, and screen it with a masonry wall or…

Ocala requires customer electrical installations to meet the National Electrical Code under Sec. 70-588, lists electrical permits on the fee schedule city council sets by resolution…

Sec. 82-40 requires a building permit for new construction and for essentially every addition, alteration or repair citywide, with a no-fee expedited permit for single-family jobs…

Ocala requires a building permit for new plumbing construction, additions, alterations and repairs under City Code § 82-40(a), with plumbing permits billed under the fee schedule City…

Ocala's building department runs plan review and inspections through Chapter 82's fee schedule: commercial and residential plan review, fire department review, new construction…

Ocala has not opted out of medical marijuana dispensing and has no standalone cannabis-zoning chapter. City Code § 122-3 instead defines 'pharmacy' to include any Florida-licensed…

Florida prohibits home cultivation of cannabis for both recreational and medical use; only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may grow cannabis.

In City of Ocala parks, Sec. 46-251 confines picnicking and cooking to areas the Recreation and Parks Department designates or the director authorizes, bars building or lighting any…

A garage sale in the City of Ocala cannot run longer than 48 consecutive hours and can only be held during daylight, between sunrise and sunset, under Sec. 50-102. The same premises…

The City of Ocala zones farmland A-1, a district meant for properties still in active agricultural use where more intensive rezoning is premature. The A-1 district permits farms, horse…

Ocala's landscape fertilizer ordinance, Sec. 118-137, exempts bona fide farm operations from its nitrogen and phosphorus application limits. Sec. 118-137(m)(1) excuses farms defined…

Ocala amends the Florida Building Code's wind-load rules to require a 100 mph basic design wind speed east of I-75 and 110 mph west of it, and it lets roofers do like-for-like patch…

In the City of Ocala, Code of Ordinances §§ 54-150 and 54-151 let the city manager and director of public works enter and clear debris from public and private roads and gated…

Ocala amends the Florida Building Code's flood provisions under City Code § 82-33, adopted under F.S. § 553.73(5). New buildings must be elevated to the base flood elevation plus 1…

Sec. 122-286 of the Ocala Code caps building coverage, the share of a lot a structure may occupy, for every zoning district. A single-family R-1 lot tops out at 35 percent, A-1…

Sec. 122-286 sets minimum front, side and rear yards for every Ocala zoning district. A single-family R-1 lot needs a 25-foot front yard, a 10-foot interior side yard and a 25-foot…

Sec. 122-286 caps building height by zoning district. A single-family R-1 lot is limited to 35 feet, matching R-1A, R-1AA, R-2, RBH, OH, RO, O-1, B-1 and B-1A. R-3 rises to 50 feet…

Sec. 114-98(b) of the Ocala Code makes the homeowners association, not the City of Ocala, the entity legally responsible for governing and maintaining private streets, drainage and…

In the City of Ocala, developers of gated or private subdivisions must file HOA restrictive covenants with the city engineer before plat approval. Sec. 114-98(b) requires those…

Ocala does not enforce a gated subdivision's maintenance obligations directly: Sec. 114-98(b) requires the developer's restrictive covenants to carry their own enforceable assessment…

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…

The City of Ocala designates four specific roadway segments, including SE Fifth Street and NE Third Street, as canopy roads under Sec. 118-103. No one may cut, remove, trim or damage a…

The City of Ocala's tree code names seven nuisance tree species by common and botanical name in Sec. 118-32, from Australian pine to Chinese tallow tree. Removing one of these species…

Marion County treats data centers as land use acoustic category D (industrial), capping noise at 75 dB(A) at the receiving property line at any time under the county's Chapter 13…

Marion County declares any structure that is unsafe, unsanitary, lacks adequate egress, or is a fire hazard illegal and orders it repaired or torn down.

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

Florida statute 163.04 prohibits any ordinance, deed restriction, or covenant from preventing installation of solar collectors. Local building permits are required but cannot…

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…