On Top of the World, FL

In unincorporated Marion County, yard-waste open burning is allowed without Marion County Fire Rescue approval only if the fire starts after 9:00 a.m., is out one hour before sunset…

Florida law makes it unlawful to use or explode true fireworks except sparklers and approved novelties, and since 2020 allows consumer fireworks on New Year's Eve/Day and July 4. In…

Unincorporated Marion County allows sheds, storage buildings, and detached carports not exceeding 12 by 12 feet to be exempted from side or rear setbacks with a signed, notarized…

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…

Marion County's Land Development Code does not set a numeric maximum fence height for residential property in unincorporated areas; fences are exempt from setbacks under Section 4.1.4…

Marion County's Land Development Code imposes no general material restriction on residential fences in unincorporated areas (no barbed-wire ban for typical residential use); wall-like…

In unincorporated Marion County a building permit is generally not required for a residential fence 6 feet or less, but a permit is required for fences over 6 feet, for wall-like…

Marion County caps industrial and commercial-manufacturing noise at 75 dB(A) at the property line at any time, measured under the county's land use acoustic category system.

Marion County's noise ordinance does not regulate aircraft. Section 13-11(3) exempts aircraft and airport activity conducted in accordance with federal laws and regulations, consistent…

Unincorporated Marion County sets time-averaged decibel limits that drop at night: residential areas fall from 65 dB(A) (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) to 55 dB(A) (10 p.m.-7 a.m.), and commercial…

Marion County prohibits playing any radio, stereo, sound amplifier, or musical instrument so that it is plainly audible past the source property line at distances set in Table 3 (e.g…

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…

Construction work under a county development permit is exempt from the noise limits only when it occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Outside that window, construction noise must…

Marion County's noise ordinance exempts motor vehicles on public roads, sending stereo, muffler, and engine noise complaints to Florida Statute 316.293 instead of a county decibel or…

Marion County has no countywide numeric grass-height ordinance for unincorporated property. Overgrown lots are addressed mainly through Florida's sanitary-nuisance law (Fla. Stat…

A tree removal permit from the County's Landscape Architect is required to remove any Regulated Tree in unincorporated Marion County, except for exempt activities. Individual…

Most of unincorporated Marion County is governed by the St. Johns River Water Management District's year-round landscape irrigation schedule, which limits watering days by address…

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…

In unincorporated Marion County it is unlawful to let any animal run at large on public streets, sidewalks, parks, school grounds, or another person's property without consent. Off the…

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…

Marion County's Land Development Code lets residents in residential zoning keep up to six chickens (hens only); roosters and all other fowl are prohibited. Hens must be coop-confined…

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.

Marion County does not impose countywide hourly on-street parking limits in unincorporated areas; parking on roadways and rights-of-way is governed by Florida's state traffic code…

No person may park a commercial vehicle in excess of 10,000 pounds GVW for more than three hours on private property, in any prohibited zoning classification, or in the right-of-way in…

Marion County has no general ordinance banning overnight parking of passenger vehicles on residential lots; occupancy of a travel trailer or RV as living quarters is capped at 21 days…

In Marion County's residential zoning classifications, a travel trailer or recreational vehicle that is not occupied must be parked in the side or rear yard and kept in a stored state…

Marion County bans storing an unserviceable vehicle within 300 feet of any property line unless it's inside a fully enclosed building or at a licensed junkyard or repair shop.

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…

Marion County LDC Sec. 4.3.1 allows home occupations in residential zoning (within a single-family dwelling, incidental to the residential use) and in agricultural zoning (within the…

Residential home occupations are limited to one non-illuminated wall sign of two square feet or less; agricultural home occupations may have one sign up to six square feet and four…

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.

In unincorporated Marion County, residential pool barriers are governed by the Florida Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act: Florida Statutes Section 515.29 requires a barrier at least…

Marion County Building Safety requires a permit for any swimming pool, above or in-ground, that is 24 inches or more in depth, and under Florida Statutes Section 515.27 a new…

Marion County caps how early and how long garbage carts can sit at the curb, and sets minimum container standards, under the county's solid waste ordinance.

Dumping litter or junk on roads, waterways, or private property in Marion County starts at a $150 civil fine and escalates to criminal charges and jail time for repeat offenders.

Franchise haulers must pick up bulk waste like furniture and appliances separately from regular household garbage and yard trash.

Marion County runs no municipal trash truck: every residential owner must independently haul waste, hire a franchise hauler, or otherwise lawfully dispose of it.

Residents may drop off two cubic yards of yard trash per day at a county recycling center, but bagged yard trash and oversized brush are turned away.

Commercial properties in Marion County must use a dumpster or mechanical container sized to hold all their waste, placed where the franchise hauler's truck can reach it.

Marion County runs no curbside recycling pickup. Residents may voluntarily drop recyclables at county recycling centers if the property's solid waste assessment is paid.

Marion County parks have set opening and closing times posted at each park, and staying past closing is a trespass violation enforced by park rangers.

Marion County declares unsafe, unsanitary, or fire-hazard buildings illegal and orders repair, vacation, or demolition under the Florida Building Code as locally amended.

New structures and additions need an individual stormwater drainage plan approved by the County Engineer before a building permit issues.

Marion County requires erosion control on every construction site to stop uncontrolled stormwater runoff, with drainage plans approved by the County Engineer's office.

Marion County's code enforcement board only hears county ordinance violations, not private HOA deed restrictions or CC&Rs.

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 bans possessing alcoholic beverages in any county park unless the Board of County Commissioners passes a resolution allowing it for a specific event.

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.

Owner-done work under $5,000 skips a permit, but pools, demolition, gas lines, and big electrical jobs always need one.