Volusia County, FL Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 72-286(7)-(9)
- Retail/restaurant 3,000-10,000 sf
- 1 loading space
- Retail/restaurant 10,001-20,000 sf
- 2 loading spaces
- Each additional 20,000 sf
- +1 loading space
- Parking substitution
- Not allowed for loading
- Plan approval
- Required at site plan review
Summary
Volusia County's Sec. 72-286 requires dedicated off-street loading spaces sized to a use's floor area -- one space for 3,000 to 10,000 square feet of retail, restaurant or service space, two for up to 20,000, and an added space for each further 20,000 square feet. Off-street parking can't substitute for it.
(7) Required off-street loading. Off-street loading areas are required in order to provide adequate space for the loading and unloading of goods, without interfering with the public use of streets, or off-street parking spaces. Off-street parking spaces may not be used to meet off-street loading requirements. (8) Off-street loading space dimensional requirements. The dimensions, design, and location of all off-street loading spaces shall meet the requirements of division 4 of the Land Development Code [article III]. (9) Minimum off-street loading spaces... Retail sales and services, restaurants (Types A and B) or similar uses: 3,000-10,000 sq ft: 1; 10,001-20,000 sq ft: 2; each additional 20,000 square feet or fraction: 1.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 108 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 72-286(7) through (9) of the Land Development Code requires off-street loading areas 'in order to provide adequate space for the loading and unloading of goods, without interfering with the public use of streets, or off-street parking spaces,' and explicitly bars using required parking spaces to satisfy the loading requirement. Subsection (8) sends the dimensions, design and location of every loading space to Division 4 of the Land Development Code (article III). Subsection (9)'s table sets the minimum count by use and floor area: retail sales and services, restaurants (Types A and B) and similar uses need one loading space at 3,000 to 10,000 square feet, two spaces from 10,001 to 20,000 square feet, and one additional space for each further 20,000 square feet or fraction.
Offices, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, adult congregate living facilities and multifamily buildings are scaled on a larger 100,000-square-foot increment, and larger-format uses such as arenas and auditoriums are keyed to their own floor-area bands in the same table. Loading-space compliance is confirmed as part of Volusia's site plan review process -- for uses other than single-family and duplex dwellings, a parking and loading plan meeting Sec. 72-620 of the Land Development Code must be submitted and approved during site plan review before construction.
Violations & Fines
Substituting off-street parking spaces for required loading spaces, or building without the loading capacity the Sec. 72-286(9) table requires for the proposed floor area, fails site plan review and can be cited by code enforcement once a business is operating. Loading spaces that don't meet the Division 4 dimensional standards referenced in subsection (8) are rejected at the same review stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just add extra parking spaces instead of a loading zone?
How many loading spaces does a 15,000-square-foot retail store need in Volusia County?
Where do the loading space size standards come from?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Volusia County
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