Monroe County, FL Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Section 114-69 of the Land Development Code requires off-street loading for every nonresidential use over 100 square feet in floor area that involves the receipt and distribution of materials and merchandise by vehicle. The required count is tied to gross floor area: a use between 100 and 2,499 square feet needs one loading space sized 11 feet by 35 feet, uses from 2,500 up to 49,000 square feet need one larger space sized 11 feet by 55 feet, and uses of 50,000 square feet or more need two of the larger 11-by-55 spaces; outdoor uses and storage areas of any size need one 11-by-35 space regardless of building area.

Section 114-69(b) requires every loading space to sit entirely on the same parcel as the principal use it serves, bars it from any public right-of-way or from doubling as a parking space or parking aisle, and requires adequate room for a truck to enter, exit, and turn without backing across a road; the space must also be placed as close to the served building as practical. The Planning Director can grant a reduction in the number or dimensions of required loading spaces, but only on the strength of a loading-need study prepared and signed by a qualified traffic engineer and reviewed by the county's traffic planner or consultant under Section 114-69(c).

Section 114-70 closes a related gap: it separately bans using any required parking or loading space, or the aisles serving them, for outdoor retail sales, outside storage, or vehicle repair, unless the county issues a temporary public assembly permit for that specific purpose.