Pasco County, FL Right to Farm: Farm Nuisance Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt category
- Bona fide Right to Farm Act farms
- Also exempt
- Grazing pastures outside the Act's coverage
- Also exempt
- Land used for bona fide scientific research
- Non-exempt buffer
- 10 ft from water (3 ft with deflector)
- Applicator training
- 6-hour BMP course for commercial/institutional use
- Enforcement
- Each day of violation is a separate offense
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 14-16, July 22, 2014
Summary
Pasco County's urban fertilizer ordinance, which restricts nitrogen and phosphorus application near water and during storm watches, does not apply to bona fide farm operations covered by the Florida Right to Farm Act. Grazing pastures outside that Act's coverage and land used for bona fide scientific research on fertilizer effects are exempt too, under County Code § 42-86.
The provisions set forth above in this article shall not apply to: Bona fide farm operations as defined in the Florida Right to Farm Act, F.S. § 823.14; Other properties not subject to or covered under the Florida Right to Farm Act that have pastures used for grazing livestock; 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.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 42, Article IV of the Pasco County Code regulates who may apply lawn and landscape fertilizer in the unincorporated county and how. Sections 42-80 through 42-85 bar nitrogen or phosphorus application during a declared 'prohibited application period' (a hurricane, tropical storm or flood watch/warning, a three-day cone of uncertainty, or expected heavy rain), require a ten-foot fertilizer-free buffer around ponds, streams, lakes, canals, wetlands and seawalls (three feet if a deflector shield or drop spreader is used), and mandate spreader deflector shields plus immediate cleanup of any granules that land on pavement.
Commercial and institutional applicators must complete a six-hour 'Florida-Friendly Best Management Practices' training course, and commercial applicators need a state certification card before the county will issue a local business tax certificate. Section 42-86, 'Exemptions,' carves three categories out of all of that: bona fide farm operations as defined in the Florida Right to Farm Act, Fla. 14; other properties with pastures used for grazing livestock that fall outside the Right to Farm Act's coverage; and land used for bona fide scientific research, including research into fertilizer's effects on stormwater and water quality.
A property that qualifies keeps its normal agricultural fertilizing practices free of this ordinance, and none of the training, licensing, buffer or timing rules in §§ 42-80 through 42-85 attach to it.
Violations & Fines
A property that does not meet one of the three § 42-86 exemptions is subject to the full fertilizer ordinance, and violations of §§ 42-79 through 42-88 are enforced under § 42-89: each day of noncompliance is a separate offense, the county may pursue any legal remedy including court action, and penalty funds are dedicated to water-conservation and nonpoint-pollution-prevention work. Farm operations that lose their bona fide status revert to full coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasco County's fertilizer ordinance apply to my farm?
What if my land has grazing pasture but isn't covered by the Right to Farm Act?
Can scientific researchers apply fertilizer without following the county's rules?
What happens if a property loses its farm exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida right to farm overview
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