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Palm Coast does not publish a single overnight 'quiet-hour clock' but enforces a citywide 'loud and raucous noise' standard under Code of Ordinances Chapter 35 (Nuisances, Offenses and…
Amplified music in Palm Coast is regulated under Chapter 35, Sec. 35-51 'Loud and raucous noise prohibited - General.' The City's Top Code Violations brochure expressly lists 'the use…
Outdoor music in Palm Coast is governed by Chapter 35, Sec. 35-51's 'loud and raucous noise' standard. There is no citywide outdoor-music curfew; instead, music that annoys or disturbs…
Construction noise in Palm Coast is prohibited between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. - one of the four enumerated 'loud and raucous noise' violations under Chapter 35, Article II, Division…
Palm Coast does not - and legally cannot - regulate aircraft noise. The FAA preempts local aircraft-noise regulation under 49 U.S.C. § 40103 and the Airport Noise and Capacity Act…
Palm Coast has an explicit, numeric barking-dog rule: under Chapter 8 (Animals), Sec. 8-30, any animal that 'repeatedly or excessively (in excess of 20 minutes) barks, cries, howls…
Palm Coast is a planned residential community with very limited industrial zoning. Industrial noise is governed by the general Chapter 35, Sec. 35-51 'loud and raucous noise' standard…
Palm Coast has no dedicated leaf-blower ordinance and does not ban gas-powered blowers. Lawn-equipment noise is regulated under the general 'loud and raucous noise' rule (Chapter 35…
Palm Coast does not publish numeric decibel (dB) limits in its noise code. Chapter 35, Article II, Division 2 uses a qualitative 'loud and raucous noise' standard with a 50-foot…
Outdoor burning in Palm Coast is governed by Section 25-52 of Chapter 25 of the City Code, the Florida Fire Prevention Code (8th Edition, NFPA 1, 2021), and Florida Administrative Code…
Palm Coast operates one of the most aggressive municipal brush-clearance programs in Florida. The Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Ordinance (Chapter 25, Article IV of the Palm Coast Code)…
Florida law (FS § 791.08, enacted by Chapter 2020-11, Laws of Florida / SB 140) preempts local bans on consumer fireworks on three designated holidays: New Year's Day (January 1)…
Backyard fires in Palm Coast are limited to recreational fires (3 feet diameter, 2 feet height of natural firewood, 25 feet from structures, attended) and portable outdoor fireplaces…
Palm Coast regulates backyard fire pits through Chapter 25 (Fire Prevention and Protection) of the Code of Ordinances and the Florida Fire Prevention Code (FFPC), 8th Edition (2023)…
Palm Coast lies in northeast Florida pine flatwoods and is one of the most wildfire-prone incorporated cities in Florida. The 1998 Florida Wildfires devastated Flagler County and large…
Smoke alarms in Palm Coast are required under the Florida Building Code as administered by the Palm Coast Building Division and the Palm Coast Fire Department, and under Florida…
Propane / LP-gas storage in Palm Coast is regulated by the Florida Fire Prevention Code (8th Edition) Chapter 69 incorporating NFPA 58 (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code), and by Florida…
The City of Palm Coast does NOT and CANNOT enact a breed-specific dog ban or breed-specific permit/insurance/muzzle requirement. Florida Statute 767.14 (originally adopted 1990 and…
On December 16, 2025 the Palm Coast City Council unanimously adopted Chapter 8, Article III, Section 8-100 of the City Code, formally allowing residents to keep up to four (4) hens on…
Florida bans the intentional feeding of multiple wildlife species statewide, and Palm Coast - sitting on the Atlantic coast adjacent to the Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve, Princess…
Section 8-31 of the Palm Coast City Code (Chapter 8, Article II - City of Palm Coast Animal Control Regulations) imposes one of the stricter leash regimes on Florida's First Coast…
The City of Palm Coast does NOT permit traditional livestock - cattle, horses, goats, sheep, swine, pigs - on residential lots inside the City limits. Chapter 8 of the Palm Coast City…
Florida regulates exotic and captive wildlife on a STATEWIDE basis through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under Florida Statute Chapter 379 and FWC rule…
Backyard beekeeping is permissive in Palm Coast. Florida Statute 586.10 (effective July 1, 2012, as amended) preempts most local regulation of honey bee colonies that comply with FDACS…
Short-term rentals in Palm Coast collect a combined 12% in state and county taxes on stays of 6 months or less: 6.0% Florida state transient rental sales tax (FS § 212.03), 1.0%…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 (Section 17-68) imposes specific parking rules on short-term rental properties: all vehicles associated with the STR must be parked within the property's…
Effective March 3, 2025, Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 (Section 17-68) requires every short-term rental in the city to register annually with the City of Palm Coast through…
Palm Coast adopted Ordinance 2025-01 on January 7, 2025 (effective March 3, 2025), creating an annual short-term rental registration program codified at City Code Chapter 17, Section…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 (Section 17-68) imposes specific quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on short-term rental properties - one of the operational standards expressly…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 (Section 17-68) does not impose a minimum liability insurance requirement on short-term rental operators. The 2023 amendments to FS § 509.032 do not…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 does NOT require a short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence - the 2023 amendments to FS § 509.032 that authorized the city's registration…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 (Section 17-68) imposes a HARD CAP of 10 occupants per short-term rental property, calculated as two transient occupants per sleeping room or habitable…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 (Section 17-68) requires every registered short-term rental to designate a Responsible Party (up to three individuals may be named on the registration) who…
Palm Coast Ordinance 2025-01 does NOT impose an annual cap on the number of nights a short-term rental may host, and the city cannot do so even under the 2023 amendments to FS §…
Palm Coast prohibits parking private passenger or recreational vehicles in the paved rights-of-way of City roads at all times except in defined emergencies, under Chapter 44, Section…
Palm Coast does not allow recreational vehicles, boats, boat trailers, utility trailers, or other oversized rigs to be parked or stored on residential home property under the…
Palm Coast is a curb-light city: most residential streets have grass swales rather than vertical curbs, and the city, not residents, is the sole authority to install or alter any…
Palm Coast residents may park passenger vehicles - automobiles, motorcycles, mopeds, passenger vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks under one ton without commercial modifications - on the…
Palm Coast Code Section 44-34 prohibits storing inoperable, unregistered, or junked motor vehicles on residential property; vehicles must be roadworthy, currently registered, and…
Palm Coast historically prohibited storage of any commercial vehicle on residential property under Chapter 44, Section 44-34(c) of the City Code, allowing only residential service…
Palm Coast effectively bans overnight street parking: paved-right-of-way parking is prohibited at all times under Chapter 44, Section 44-33, and unpaved swale and median parking is…
Palm Coast does not operate a metered downtown loading-zone program; on-street loading and unloading falls under Chapter 44 (Traffic and Vehicles) of the City Code and the Florida…
Residential Level 2 (240V) EV charger installations in Palm Coast require an electrical permit through the City of Palm Coast (or Flagler County for unincorporated addresses) and must…
Palm Coast Code Section 44-34 prohibits oversized vehicles - any vehicle more than 9 feet high or more than 20 feet long - from being parked or stored on residential property, along…
Under Palm Coast Land Development Code Section 4.01.02.A.2, the maximum height of any fence or wall in interior side or rear yards behind the nearest front building facade is 6 feet…
Effective June 10, 2021, the City of Palm Coast does NOT require a building permit for the installation of a fence; however, a signed acknowledgement of the City Land Development Code…
Palm Coast Land Development Code Section 4.01.02.A.3 requires fences to be constructed of rot-resistant material where they contact the ground, of customary fencing materials and…
Palm Coast does not maintain a municipal good-neighbor cost-sharing ordinance. Section 4.01.02.A.1.a of the Land Development Code requires fences to be installed with the finished side…
Section 4.01.02.A.3.f of the Palm Coast Land Development Code states: 'No barbed wire, razor wire, or electrically charged fence shall be erected, unless otherwise specified in this…
Palm Coast Land Development Code Section 4.01.02 regulates walls together with fences. Walls must be constructed of approved materials (brick, jumbo brick, stone, split-faced block or…
Palm Coast Land Development Code 14.02 defines a Fence as 'an artificially constructed vertical barrier constructed of wood, vinyl, or metal erected to enclose, restrict access to…
Pool barriers in Palm Coast must comply with Florida Statute 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act) and FBC Residential 8th Edition (2023) Section R4501.17. The barrier must be at…
Removing a tree of 6-inch caliper or greater (or 4-inch caliper if surveyed for credit) in Palm Coast requires a permit under Land Development Code Chapter 11. Applications go to…
Palm Coast Code Compliance enforces a 10-inch maximum height for grass and weeds on all developed and undeveloped property within the City. Tree limbs and hedges must also be…
Palm Coast Code of Ordinances Sections 24-181 through 24-185 (Water Conservation, adopted by Ordinance 2009-15) enforce a year-round landscape irrigation schedule that aligns with St…
Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11 (Tree Protection, Landscaping, Buffering & Irrigation) requires a permit before a tree of 6-inch caliper or greater (or 4-inch caliper if…
Florida Statute 373.185 establishes Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) as a protected statewide policy. A local government ordinance or HOA covenant may not prohibit any property owner…
Palm Coast Code Compliance enforces a 10-inch maximum height for grass and weeds on all property (improved and vacant) citywide. The Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Ordinance (Chapter 25…
The City of Palm Coast Code of Ordinances does not prohibit artificial turf on residential property. Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FS 373.185) protects water-conserving alternatives to…
Pool barriers in Palm Coast must comply with Florida Statute 515.29 and FBC Residential 8th Edition (2023) Section R4501.17. Required minimums: 48-inch barrier height on the outside…
Palm Coast requires a building permit for any swimming pool, hot tub, or spa containing water more than 24 inches deep - this includes inground, aboveground, and onground pools, hot…
Florida Statute 515.27 (the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act) lets Palm Coast pool owners satisfy pool safety through any ONE of five options: (1) a barrier meeting FS 515.29; (2)…
Palm Coast treats hot tubs and nonportable spas as 'swimming pools' once the water depth exceeds 24 inches - a building permit from Building Services (160 Lake Avenue, (386) 986-3780)…
Florida Statute 559.955 (the Home-Based Business Act, expanded by HB 1011 of 2024) preempts most Palm Coast regulation of home-based businesses. The city may not prohibit a home…
Florida Statute 559.955(3)(c) prohibits Palm Coast from regulating home-business customer traffic at standards stricter than those for a residence without a business. The activity must…
Florida Statute 500.80 (the Cottage Food Law, expanded by HB 663 of 2021 to $250,000 in annual gross sales) preempts all local regulation of cottage food operations. Palm Coast cannot…
Florida Statute 559.955(4)(b) allows local governments to regulate home-business signage, but only at standards no stricter than those for a residence without a business. Palm Coast…
Palm Coast requires every home-based business to submit a Local Business Tax Receipt application with an affidavit certifying compliance with LDC Section 4.12 (Home Occupations). State…
Family day care homes in Palm Coast are licensed or registered by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) under FS 402.313 and FAC Chapter 65C-20. Capacity under FS…
Florida does not have a statewide ADU preemption — Palm Coast's Land Development Code controls. The Palm Coast LDC does not list 'accessory dwelling unit' as a permitted use in…
Tiny homes on a permanent foundation in Palm Coast must meet the Florida Building Code (including FBC Appendix Q for dwellings 400 sq ft or less) and the zone's lot and setback…
Palm Coast does not require a building permit for sheds 120 square feet or less (effective July 8, 2021), but a signed acknowledgement of LDC regulations is required. Sheds over 120 sq…
Palm Coast LDC Section 4.01 prohibits carports in all residential zoning districts except the Manufactured Home Development (MHD) district. Detached freestanding carports cannot be…
Converting a garage to habitable space in Palm Coast requires a Florida Building Permit and zoning review. Because the SFR-1 through SFR-5 districts allow only one dwelling unit per…
All new buildings, and any building substantially improved or substantially damaged (≥50% of pre-loss market value), in Palm Coast FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas must elevate the…
The Palm Coast Building Department mandates compliance with the 120 mph design wind speed standard for structures, and the city sits inside the Hurricane-Prone Region under the 8th…
After a Presidentially declared disaster, the City of Palm Coast activates emergency debris removal under FEMA Public Assistance Category A (Debris Removal). FCC Environmental Services…
Roof construction and reroofing in Palm Coast must comply with the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code Chapter 15 and the Florida Building Code Residential equivalent, with ASCE…
Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11 uses 'specimen tree' and 'historic tree' categories rather than 'heritage tree.' Removal of such a tree generally requires a Chapter 11…
Removal of a protected, specimen, or historic tree under Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11 generally triggers replacement/mitigation calibrated to the diameter of the removed…
Removal of a tree with a trunk caliper of 6 inches or greater at 4.5 feet above grade (or 4 inches if surveyed for credit) requires a permit under Palm Coast Land Development Code…
Palm Coast's tree and landscape code is consolidated in Land Development Code Chapter 11 — Tree Protection, Landscaping, Buffering and Irrigation. Permits and plan review run through…
Palm Coast operates under a Florida NPDES Phase II MS4 Generic Permit administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The City received its first NPDES MS4…
The Intracoastal Waterway forms the eastern boundary of the City of Palm Coast — the Atlantic-facing barrier island (the Hammock, Hammock Dunes, Marineland) lies east of the ICW in…
Shoreline work along the Intracoastal Waterway and the ITT-era saltwater canals in Palm Coast requires a layered set of approvals: a City of Palm Coast building permit under the Land…
Mangrove trimming and alteration in Palm Coast is governed by the state Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act (Florida Statutes 403.9321-9333), administered by FDEP. Neither Flagler…
Seawall construction, replacement, and substantial repair in Palm Coast requires a city building permit issued by the Building Division under the Land Development Code, reviewed…
Grading and drainage in Palm Coast is reviewed by the City Engineer under the Land Development Code and the City of Palm Coast Technical Manual Section 5 (Engineering Design Standards)…
Palm Coast carries a Class 4 rating in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) — earned May 1, 2017 — which delivers a 30% flood insurance premium discount for policyholders inside the…
Boat docks on the Intracoastal Waterway and the ITT-era saltwater canals in Palm Coast require a layered permit package: a Palm Coast building permit under the Land Development Code…
Palm Coast regulates signs in Chapter 12 (Signs and Advertising) of the Unified Land Development Code. All signs in any public right-of-way are prohibited — the only exception is…
Palm Coast Chapter 16, Article V (Garage Sales) prohibits all off-site or off-premise garage-sale signs — signs may only be posted on the property hosting the sale. Chapter 12 (Signs…
Palm Coast does not set a calendar-based take-down date for residential holiday lights or seasonal decorations. Non-commercial holiday displays are not treated as 'signs' under Unified…
Palm Coast building setbacks are set by zoning district under LDC Chapter 3, Section 3.02 (Residential Zoning Districts). The Single-Family Residential districts SFR-1 through SFR-5…
Florida Statutes 161.053 establishes the Coastal Construction Control Line, a state-administered seaward setback that applies to all coastal counties regardless of local zoning…
Florida has only medical marijuana — no adult-use recreational sales and no home cultivation (Amendment 3 failed at the 60% threshold in November 2024). Under Florida Statutes…
Florida prohibits home cultivation of cannabis for both recreational and medical use; only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may grow cannabis.
Palm Coast applies the same property-maintenance standards to vacant and occupied lots: grass, weeds, and underbrush may not exceed 10 inches in height under Chapter 15 (Property…
Under Chapter 16 (Businesses, Business Regulations), Article V (Garage Sales) of the Palm Coast Code of Ordinances, each property is limited to no more than 2 garage / yard / moving…
Palm Coast residential solid waste is collected by FCC Environmental Services under a seven-year contract effective June 1, 2023, governed by Chapter 39 (Solid Waste / Garbage Service)…
Palm Coast requires property owners to keep all lots free of accumulated trash, junk, debris, abandoned appliances, and inoperative vehicles. Grass and weeds may not exceed 10 inches…
Solar installations in Palm Coast require a building permit through the Palm Coast Building Division (386-986-3780) and must comply with the Florida Building Code (FBC) — Residential…
Florida law renders unenforceable any HOA covenant or rule prohibiting solar collectors. HOAs may dictate where on a roof panels go only if the alternate location does not impair…
U.S. airspace is federally regulated by the FAA (Part 107 for commercial; 49 U.S.C. § 44809 for recreational flyers). Florida Statute § 330.41 (the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act…
Commercial drone operations in Florida are regulated by federal FAA Part 107 and state law; local governments cannot impose additional commercial operation restrictions.
Florida Statute § 509.102 (enacted as HB 1193 in 2020) preempts local regulation of mobile food dispensing vehicle licenses, registrations, permits, and fees to the state. Palm Coast…
Florida Statute § 509.102 forbids Palm Coast from prohibiting food trucks 'within the entirety of the entity's jurisdiction,' which preempts citywide bans and proximity buffers from…
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 218.077 preempts local mandates requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave or other employment benefits beyond state law, a preemption the Legislature…
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…
Under Fla. Stat. § 720.3085, unpaid assessments become a lien on a parcel, and the homeowners' association may foreclose like a mortgage. Before recording the lien the association must…
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, §…
Under Fla. Stat. §§ 720.303 and 720.3035, a Florida HOA enforces its recorded covenants and architectural standards, but only where authority is stated or reasonably inferred in the…
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…
Florida law overrides HOA covenants on several fronts: Fla. Stat. § 163.04 voids deed restrictions prohibiting solar collectors, § 720.304(2) protects U.S. flag display, and § 720.3045…
Florida Statute 448.095 requires every private employer with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm work authorization for new hires beginning July 1, 2023…
Senate Bill 168 (2019), codified at FS 908.103 and 908.104, prohibits sanctuary policies in Florida and requires every state and local law enforcement agency to use best efforts to…
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…
Fla. Stat. § 83.51 requires landlords to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes or keep the structure, plumbing, and (for most multi-unit buildings) heat, running…
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…
Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ch. 83, Part II) has no late-fee statute and no cap on late-rent charges. Late fees are governed entirely by the written lease; if the…
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…
Florida Statutes 823.14 and 163.3162 restrict local governments from adopting zoning rules that inhibit established farms on agriculturally classified land, preserving agricultural…
Florida Statute 823.14, the Florida Right to Farm Act, protects established bona fide farm operations from nuisance suits and local ordinances that would inhibit standard agricultural…
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 has no statewide plastic straw ban and no straw preemption: Governor DeSantis vetoed the 2019 moratorium bill, so cities and counties may adopt and enforce their own single-use…
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 Statutes 569.0025 and 569.315 preempt regulation of the marketing, sale, and delivery of tobacco and nicotine products to the state, blocking cities and counties from banning…
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…