Flagler County, FL Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Litter exemption
- Farms/timberland per Fla. Stat. § 823.14
- Zoning district
- AC Agriculture, LDC § 3.03.02
- District purpose
- Protect ag/forestry land from incompatible uses
- AC minimum lot
- 5 acres
- Scope
- Unincorporated county only, not Palm Coast
Summary
Unincorporated Flagler County exempts farms and timberland from its litter ordinance under the Florida Right to Farm Act, and zones an AC Agriculture district specifically to protect agricultural and forestry land from encroaching incompatible uses. Neither protection reaches Palm Coast or the county's other incorporated cities, which set their own codes.
(1)Farms and timberland as provided for by the Florida Right to Farm Act, Section 823.14, Florida Statutes. ... A.Purpose and intent. The purpose and intent of the ... AC—Agriculture district is to preserve valuable agricultural/forestry land for those uses, and to protect land best suited for agricultural/forestry uses from the encroachment of incompatible land uses.
Full Breakdown
14, Florida Statutes, from the article's litter-control requirements under Section 27-31(1), meaning the county's own enforcement of its solid-waste and litter rules yields to the state Right to Farm Act's protection of bona fide agricultural operations. A, is to preserve valuable agricultural and forestry land for those uses, and to protect land best suited for agricultural and forestry uses from the encroachment of incompatible land uses. 2, backed by a five-acre minimum lot size and a 100-foot structure setback for any barn, coop or pen.
Together, the litter-ordinance exemption and the AC district's protective purpose clause are the county's two concrete mechanisms for shielding agricultural operations from nuisance-style enforcement and incompatible development, short of adopting a freestanding countywide right-to-farm ordinance. Both provisions apply only to unincorporated Flagler County land; Palm Coast, which holds the large majority of the county's population, administers its own Unified Land Development Code and does not fall under either the Chapter 27 exemption or the AC district.
Violations & Fines
The Chapter 27 farm exemption is not itself a penalty provision; violating the underlying litter article outside that exemption carries a fine of up to five hundred dollars per day and up to sixty days in the county jail under Section 27-32. Violating the AC district's zoning standards is enforced separately under LDC section 1.10.00, through the code enforcement board or the courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Flagler County have a right-to-farm ordinance?
What is exempt from the county's litter rules?
Does the AC Agriculture district cover my Palm Coast property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flagler County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Flagler County to another location·View the Florida right to farm overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.