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Port St. Lucie, FL Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
City Code § 44.09, General exemptions
State law referenced
Florida Right to Farm Act, F.S. § 823.14
Also exempt
Grazing pastureland and bona fide research land
Ordinance adopted
Ordinance No. 14-10, March 24, 2014
Enforcement
Chapter 37 penalties per § 44.17

Summary

Port St. Lucie's Florida-Friendly Fertilizer ordinance exempts bona fide farm operations from its fertilizer timing, content, and application rules under City Code § 44.09, deferring to the Florida Right to Farm Act, F.S. § 823.14. Pastureland used to graze livestock, even outside the Right to Farm Act's coverage, gets the same exemption, as does land used for bona fide agricultural or water-quality research.

Sec. 44.09. - General exemptions. The provisions set forth above in this Section shall not apply to: A.Bona fide farm operations as defined in the Florida Right to Farm Act, Section 823.14, Florida Statutes;B.Other properties not subject to or covered under the Florida Right to Farm Act that have Pastures used for grazing livestock.C.Any lands used for bona fide scientific research, including, but not limited to, research on the effects of fertilizer use on urban stormwater, water quality, agronomics, or horticulture.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 103).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 44, adopted by Ordinance No. 02 makes it applicable to every fertilizer applicator and every area of application in the city unless a specific exemption applies. , and the spreader-deflector and cleanup requirements in the application-practices section. The exemption reaches further than the state statute: subsection (B) extends the same carve-out to pastureland used for grazing livestock even when the property does not otherwise qualify as a Right to Farm Act operation, and subsection (C) exempts land used for bona fide scientific research into fertilizer's effects on stormwater, water quality, agronomics, or horticulture.

02, so land the state classifies as agricultural falls outside the ordinance's reach from the start. Zoning separately allows agricultural uses such as crop raising, livestock, and dairy farming within the city's General Use zoning district, which is where most working farmland in Port St. Lucie sits.

Violations & Fines

A property that does not meet the bona fide farm, pasture, or research exemption in section 44.09 remains subject to the full fertilizer ordinance, and violations of sections 44.03 through 44.08 are enforced under Chapter 37, Article III's schedule of penalties per section 44.17(A). Fine revenue collected under Chapter 44 is earmarked for administering F.S. § 403.9337 and for water-conservation and nonpoint-pollution-prevention work, not general city funds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Port St. Lucie's fertilizer ordinance apply to farms?
No. Section 44.09 exempts bona fide farm operations, as defined by the Florida Right to Farm Act at F.S. § 823.14, from the ordinance's timing, content, and application rules in sections 44.03 through 44.08. The exemption also covers pastureland used for grazing livestock even when it doesn't independently qualify under the state Right to Farm Act.
Is agricultural land treated differently under Port St. Lucie's zoning code?
Yes. The city's General Use zoning district is where crop raising, livestock production, dairy farming, and similar agricultural uses are permitted, subject to that district's own lot and setback standards. That is separate from the fertilizer exemption in section 44.09, which applies to qualifying farmland no matter which zoning district it sits in.
Does research land get an exemption too?
Yes. Section 44.09(C) exempts any land used for bona fide scientific research, including research into how fertilizer affects urban stormwater, water quality, agronomics, or horticulture, from the same timing and application rules that apply to ordinary residential and commercial landscaping.

Sources & Official References

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