Seminole County, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance condition
- Stagnant or foul water breeding pests
- Owner duty
- Control lot and adjoining right-of-way
- Notice to Remedy window
- 15 days to correct
- Repeat fine
- $100 second, $200 third+ in 12 months
- Unpaid costs
- Recorded as a lien on the land
- Appeal
- Written appeal within 15 days to Special Magistrate
Summary
Seminole County Code Section 95.3(f) declares stagnant or foul water a public nuisance on any lot in the unincorporated area. Section 95.2 defines the term to include water that is not moving, is dirty or obstructed with foreign matter, and "may provide a breeding area for mosquitoes, rodents, snakes, or other species of insect or animal." Owners must correct it or face escalating fines and County-ordered abatement.
Stagnant or foul water. Water having any of the following characteristics: not flowing or moving; dirty, grossly offensive, or obstructed water with foreign matter that may provide a breeding area for mosquitoes, rodents, snakes, or other species of insect or animal; constituting a habitat for disease bearing organisms; or serving as a host for algae or other growth indicative of water that is not disinfected. ... Sec. 95.3. - Nuisances declared. ... (f) Stagnant or foul water.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
3(f) lists "Stagnant or foul water" among the conditions the Board of County Commissioners has declared a nuisance. 11 places a duty on every property owner to "reasonably regulate and effectively control" that kind of condition, both on the lot itself and on the adjoining public right-of-way up to the roadway, whether or not the roadway is paved. 12 requires a Notice to Remedy be mailed or hand-delivered and posted on the property in a conspicuous spot visible from the street, describing the condition and warning that if it is not corrected within 15 days, the County may remedy it and bill the owner.
A second abatement on the same property within 12 months carries a $100 fine on top of the County's actual correction costs, and every abatement after that within the same 12 months carries a $200 fine. 13 lets the County correct it immediately at the owner's expense, with notice and a right to a hearing afterward.
Violations & Fines
Section 95.4 makes it unlawful for any person to "cause or allow to exist on any lands or premises any nuisance as defined in Section 95.3," which includes stagnant or foul water. An owner who misses the 15-day Notice to Remedy deadline and does not appeal is billed for the County's abatement costs plus administrative expenses, and Section 95.16 lets the County record those costs as a lien against the land, foreclosable like a mortgage lien if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of water counts as a nuisance under Seminole County's code?
How long do I have to fix stagnant water after a County notice?
What if the same problem happens again on my property?
Can I contest a stagnant water citation before the County acts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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