Florida Statutes 823.14 and 163.3162 restrict local governments from adopting zoning rules that inhibit established farms on agriculturally classified land, preserving agricultural uses against incompatible local regulation.
Section 163.3162, the Agricultural Lands and Practices Act, bars counties from exercising any authority to adopt zoning ordinances or regulations that prohibit or otherwise limit a bona fide farm operation on land classified as agricultural under Section 193.461. Section 823.14 reinforces this by limiting nuisance liability and ordinance reach against established farms. Counties retain authority to address public health and safety concerns and may regulate non-agricultural activities, but they cannot dictate accepted agricultural practices, prohibit specific crops or livestock, or impose setbacks designed to displace farms. Municipalities are likewise limited where land qualifies as bona fide agricultural.
County zoning rules conflicting with FS 163.3162 or FS 823.14 are void as applied to bona fide farms; affected farmers may seek declaratory and injunctive relief.
St. Petersburg, FL
Industrial and commercial operations in St. Petersburg must meet the Chapter 11 plainly-audible standards at zoning boundaries, with stricter limits where in...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg restricts leaf blower use to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays and holidays, and prohibits blowing yard debris in...
St. Petersburg, FL
Loud exhausts, modified mufflers, and car stereos audible at 25 feet or more are prohibited under FL 316.272 (state law) and St. Petersburg Code Chapter 11. ...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg restricts amplified music and vehicle stereos under Chapter 11, banning sound plainly audible 50 feet from a vehicle and tightening downtown e...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg enforces quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. under Chapter 11, with 'plainly audible' distance standards rather than decibel readings for resid...
St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg enforces Florida Building Code Section 424.2.17 and Florida Statute Chapter 515 requiring 4-foot pool barriers, self-latching gates, and appro...
See how St. Petersburg's agricultural zoning protection rules stack up against other locations.
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