St. Lucie County, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Section 38-28(f) of the St. Lucie County Code, part of the county's lot-cleanup nuisance article, requires every owner, agent, custodian, lessee or occupant to "reasonably regulate and effectively control the property so as to prevent the keeping of fill on it" in a way that creates a habitat for rodents, vermin, reptiles or other wild animals, a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies or arthropods, or a place that threatens public health or depresses neighboring property values. The rule sits inside Chapter 38's nuisance provisions, the same article that separately regulates excessive weed growth and trash accumulation on lots.

Enforcement runs through the county code enforcement division. When an inspector determines a fill pile has created a rodent or vermin habitat, the county administrator or designee serves a notice of violation by certified mail, giving the responsible party 20 calendar days from receipt to correct the condition; if delivery fails, posting the notice on the property counts as receipt. An owner who disputes the notice must file a written appeal with the county administrator, plus a filing fee, within 15 days; the administrator then schedules a public hearing before the board of county commissioners, and an unsuccessful appellant gets 15 more days to clean up or 30 days to appeal to circuit court.

If the violation isn't remedied, the county can remove the fill itself and bill the cost as a non-ad valorem special assessment on the annual property tax bill; unpaid assessments accrue interest at the statutory judgment rate and can lead to a tax certificate. Costs above $1,000.00 may be spread over two annual billing cycles at the county administrator's discretion.