Sarasota, FL

The City of Sarasota, Florida caps fences, walls, and front-yard hedges at six and one-half feet in every zone district's setbacks, with a lower 4-foot cap in the DTN zone's first…

City of Sarasota bans razor wire, barbed wire, and coiled barbed wire on fences citywide except in designated industrial zones, and requires DTN downtown fences to be wrought iron…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, chain-link, wood, or vinyl residential fences meeting the Zoning Regulations may be built without a building permit. All other fences and walls, plus…

A retaining wall taller than four feet built alongside a Sarasota County swimming pool needs engineered drawings, not just a homeowner's sketch. Swimming Pool Code § 105.3.4(8)(e)…

Florida's one statewide fence statute, §588.011, defines a legal fence as at least 3 feet high with three strands of wire on posts no more than 20 feet apart. Residential height…

The City of Sarasota's noise ordinance does not reach airplanes. Section 20-7(10) exempts any aircraft operating within federal air regulations and air traffic control instructions…

Outdoor amplified sound in the City of Sarasota cannot top 65 dBA or 70 dBC between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., measured at the property line. City Code § 20-5(b)(1)a sets the cap; a temporary…

The City of Sarasota caps steady, non-amplified noise at 75 dBA/80 dBC by day (7 a.m.-11 p.m.) and 75 dBA/75 dBC overnight (11 p.m.-7 a.m.), measured at the property line, under its…

The City of Sarasota bans keeping any animal that frequently or continuously barks, howls, or otherwise makes noise disturbing a reasonable neighbor's peace: enforced citywide as…

City of Sarasota noise rules bar lawn mowers, saws, drills, grinders, and similar power tools between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekends and holidays…

The City of Sarasota bars construction, demolition, and land-clearing noise between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays, unless the work is…

A car, truck, or boat in unincorporated Sarasota County is exempt from Sec. 54-118's decibel limits only while its manufacturer muffler and sound-reduction equipment are installed and…

The City of Sarasota's city engineer can post all-night parking bans on any street or portion of a street needed for public safety, under City Code Sec. 33-45. The ban is only…

The City of Sarasota's city engineer designates curb loading zones for passengers and freight and posts the hours each is in effect, under City Code Sec. 33-51. Passenger loading zones…

City of Sarasota bans parking trucks and trailers on residential streets under Sec. 33-109(a), exempting vehicles under three-fourths ton and trucks temporarily parked for work in that…

Parking, storing or leaving an inoperable or unlicensed motor vehicle anywhere in the City of Sarasota, public or private property, is illegal unless it's fully enclosed, tied to a…

In City of Sarasota's downtown neighborhood (DTN) zone district, an RV or boat trailer may sit in the front yard only inside a marked driveway, and only up to 24 hours while loading or…

The City of Sarasota fixes its own non-consent tow rates instead of deferring to Sarasota County, and Sec. 33-287 sets four of them by weight: $50 for a vehicle up to 9,999 pounds…

The City of Sarasota requires parked vehicles to leave at least ten feet of roadway open for traffic and to park facing with the flow, wheels within a foot of the curb. City Code Sec…

In City of Sarasota's downtown neighborhood (DTN) zone district, homeowners may pave or delineate no more than half their front yard as a driveway, and parking anywhere else in the…

Sarasota County lets developers install electric-vehicle charging stations and reserve dedicated EV parking spaces without those spaces counting against a site's minimum or maximum…

City of Sarasota development landscape plans must use at least 75 percent Florida-friendly vegetation overall, and at least 50 percent of required canopy and understory trees must be…

City of Sarasota law bars trees from hanging over a public sidewalk or right-of-way: owners must keep them trimmed to at least 10 feet of clearance over a sidewalk and 14 1/2 feet over…

City of Sarasota lets residents mulch and compost their own yard waste in place of curbside collection, as long as it stays entirely on their own property.

The City of Sarasota adopts the Southwest Florida Water Management District's irrigation-day and irrigation-hour rules by reference, so ignoring the district's watering schedule is…

City of Sarasota bans removing a grand (heritage) tree, a large live oak, pine, or cedar, unless the director of development services grants a specific exemption.

City of Sarasota bans overgrown weeds and grass on any lot, 10 inches on developed property, 12 inches on vacant land, with liens for uncorrected violations.

Cats aren't allowed on any City of Sarasota public beach or on Lido Key park property, and must otherwise be kept under restraint or in a fenced enclosure to avoid running at large.

City of Sarasota zoning code caps animal boarding at veterinary clinics at 25% of leasable floor area and requires opaque fencing next to residential property.

The City of Sarasota has designated its entire corporate limits a bird sanctuary under City Code § 8-5. Inside that citywide sanctuary, City Code § 8-6 makes it unlawful to kill…

City of Sarasota park rules require every dog to stay on a leash no longer than twenty-six feet at all times, with off-leash access allowed only inside a designated dog park.

Single-family homes in the City of Sarasota can keep up to four hens, no roosters, no egg sales, in a secure coop set back from the front yard and neighboring homes.

Sarasota County declares a dog or other animal Vicious based on its conduct, not its breed: aggressive bites, repeated attacks on other animals, dog-fighting use, menacing behavior, or…

Sarasota County has banned the retail sale of dogs and cats from pet stores, flea markets and public thoroughfares since January 27, 2016. Sec. 14-53 exempts animal shelters, nonprofit…

Sarasota County has banned possessing any wild animal, for sale or otherwise, unless it was born and raised in captivity, under Sec. 14-81, on the books since a 1973 ordinance. Zoos…

Florida law requires every beekeeper to register their honeybee colonies with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, obtain inspection certificates, and renew annually…

Florida has no standalone hoarding statute; hoarders are prosecuted under Fla. Stat. 828.13 for confining animals without enough good, wholesome food and water, and under 828.12…

Florida law prohibits intentional feeding of black bears, alligators, crocodiles, sandhill cranes, foxes, raccoons, and pelicans. These FWC rules apply statewide regardless of local…

Sarasota's building code expressly names swimming pools: constructing, altering, repairing, or demolishing a pool that doesn't comply with the state building code and city amendments…

The City of Sarasota, Florida requires a 5-foot property-line setback for every pool and bars unscreened front-yard pools unless hidden by a 6-foot solid wall or fence; front-yard…

Building a new accessory dwelling unit in Sarasota's RSF-E, RSF-1, RSF-2, RSF-3 or RSF-4 zones requires a sworn affidavit before the city issues the building permit: either the main…

The City of Sarasota, Florida permits garden sheds and tool houses as accessory structures by right in every residential district, subject to a 5-foot setback from rear and side…

Converting a garage into living space in Sarasota is allowed as one of four ways to create an accessory dwelling unit, but the converted space is capped at 650 square feet, can't have…

The City of Sarasota, Florida caps accessory dwelling units at one per zoning lot, 650 square feet of floor area, and 24 feet in height when detached, with owner-occupancy required in…

If a City of Sarasota accessory dwelling unit in an RSF-E, RSF-1, RSF-2, RSF-3 or RSF-4 zone will be rented, the building-permit applicant must first file an affidavit committing to…

Florida Statute 553.73 makes the Florida Building Code the single, uniform construction standard for all permanent dwellings statewide, including tiny homes, preempting cities from…

Every registered vacation rental in the City of Sarasota must post a quiet-hours notice inside the unit and tell guests that noise carrying past the property line is enforced under the…

City of Sarasota vacation rental certificates are non-transferable, tied to one owner and one property, and a sale or ownership change voids the old certificate within 15 days.

Vacation rentals in the City of Sarasota are exempt from the Ch. 34.5 registration and occupancy rules entirely when the owner lives on-site and is present throughout each guest's stay.

City of Sarasota charges $500 for an initial vacation rental certificate, $350 to renew each year, and $200 late or amendment fees, on top of state and county lodging taxes.

City of Sarasota caps overnight vacation rental occupancy at two guests per bedroom plus two, topping out at 10 in single-family zones and 12 in multi-family zones; children under six…

City of Sarasota vacation rental ordinance Sarasota City Code § 34.5-14 requires every vehicle tied to a vacation rental's occupants to park inside a driveway or parking area on the…

The City of Sarasota escalates vacation-rental suspensions for repeat offenders: no suspension on a first violation, then 30, 60, and 90 days for the second through fourth, capped at…

The City of Sarasota's vacation-rental chapter does not apply to homes rented only in stretches of thirty days or more, exempting longer-term home shares from registration, occupancy…

Sarasota County does not cap the number of rental nights or bookings per year. Florida law bars local governments from regulating the frequency or duration of vacation rentals, except…

A City of Sarasota home occupation can post no sign at all beyond the resident's name and address: no business name, logo, hours, or product sign is allowed anywhere on the property…

City of Sarasota allows a home occupation inside any dwelling, but caps it at 25% of combined floor area or 500 square feet, whichever is smaller, and every worker must live on site.

The City of Sarasota permits family day care homes by right in every single-family zoning district, capped at the state's per-age headcount formula under the zoning code's definitions.

A City of Sarasota home occupation can't generate more vehicle traffic than the house would produce without the business, and can't require any extra on-site parking beyond what the…

Florida's cottage food law (FS 500.80) lets residents make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from their home kitchen without a permit or inspection, as long as annual gross sales…

Burning or burying solid waste anywhere in the City of Sarasota is flatly illegal: trash goes out for city collection, not into a backyard burn pile, under the recycling and solid…

Backyard recreational and cooking fires are allowed in unincorporated Sarasota County without a permit, using only approved fuel, kept at least 25 feet from any structure, attended by…

Sarasota County's Burn Ban Ordinance automatically prohibits all open fires whenever the Florida Forest Service's Keetch-Byram Drought Index for the county meets or exceeds 500. Fire…

Sarasota County bans selling, exposing for sale, or exploding fireworks outside narrow state-law exceptions, and requires anyone selling fireworks to hold a permit from the Sarasota…

Florida Statutes § 553.883, applied in Sarasota County through the Florida Building Code adopted at County Code § 22-33, lets owners of one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes…

Within the 220-foot Myakka River Protection Zone along the Myakka's main stem (river miles 7.5 to 41.5), Sarasota County Code carves out a defensible fire protection zone around…

City of Sarasota Code § 21-93 makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate anywhere but a toilet while in a public place, and separately bans doing so anyplace conduct might reasonably be…

Drinking or carrying an open alcohol container on any Sarasota street, sidewalk, parking lot, or public property is illegal, with a narrow exception for non-glass drinks on Lido Key's…

The City of Sarasota bans skateboarding downtown, in every city park, and at the civic center complex, plus wherever private property is posted against it, with escalating civil fines…

City of Sarasota law makes it unlawful to touch, block, persist after refusal, or use threatening language while soliciting money or support in public parks, streets or sidewalks.

City of Sarasota's civil-citation diversion for cannabis possession doesn't apply if you're consuming it in public.

The City of Sarasota, Florida bans smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and other burning tobacco products in city-owned public parks, allowing it only in areas the city commission has…

City of Sarasota bans loitering in public for prostitution, gambling or drug dealing, with mandatory jail on repeat offenses.

The City of Sarasota's noise code bans any 'unreasonable sound' that disturbs a reasonable person's peace, and Sec. 20-9 makes both the person controlling the noise and the property…

A sexually oriented business (an adult use establishment under Sarasota Zoning Code Article IV, Division 4) cannot open in the City of Sarasota without a $972 adult use permit from the…

A City of Sarasota business offering massage or body rubs outside licensed massage therapy needs a $972 adult-use permit and must sit 600 feet from homes, schools, and churches.

A pawnbroker doing business inside the City of Sarasota must hold a local business tax receipt in the "Pawn brokers" classification, which carries an annual tax of $419.03 under City…

City of Sarasota wreckers must comply with Chapter 33's towing ordinance and state law before hooking a vehicle, file rate schedules with police, and are barred from immobilizing cars…

Secondhand dealers in unincorporated Sarasota County must register each location with the Florida Department of Revenue and obtain a local occupational license before transacting in…

Florida Statute 569.315 expressly preempts the regulation of the marketing, sale, and delivery of nicotine products and dispensing devices to the state, voiding most municipal…

The City of Sarasota requires cyclists to use an adjacent bike path instead of the roadway whenever one has been provided, under City Code Sec. 33-192. Riders without an available path…

City of Sarasota runs red-light traffic infraction detectors under its own code, issuing a $158 notice of violation with a 60-day window to pay, contest, or face a citation.

Florida flips the usual assumption: a golf cart is barred from public roads unless a county, a municipality, or a water control district has affirmatively designated that road for cart…

City of Sarasota requires yard waste to be bundled, boxed or bagged with strict size and weight caps, and bans plastic bags as containers.

City of Sarasota collects bulk items like furniture and appliances free for prepared single-family homes; co-mingled or improperly prepared loads are billed per cubic yard.

Dumping junk, trash, rubbish or inoperable vehicles on any public or private property in the City of Sarasota is illegal unless it's part of a lawfully zoned business, and the city can…

The City of Sarasota requires every residential and commercial user to recycle by source separation under City Code Sec. 16-17. Residents must sort recyclables into city-approved…

All solid waste generated in the City of Sarasota must be collected through the city's solid waste division, and letting trash pile up on your property for more than eight days without…

City of Sarasota requires multifamily and nonresidential refuse and recycling storage areas to be screened on three sides by an opaque wall or fence as tall as the dumpster, with a…

City of Sarasota sets a strict curbside window for trash and recycling bins: out by 7 a.m., never before 5 p.m. the prior evening, and back in storage by 8 a.m. the next day.

City of Sarasota trash and recycling carts can't hit the curb before 5 p.m. the day prior, must be out by 7 a.m. on collection day, and have to be back in storage by 8 a.m. the next…

Sarasota County's franchised waste hauler is not required to run curbside collection on New Year's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday the Solid…

Once you set your recycling bin out at the curb, Sarasota County Code Sec. 106-51 makes the contents the sole property of the county or its Franchisee, not yours anymore. Sec. 106-52…

City of Sarasota rules require outdoor amplified sound at bars and clubs to stay under 65 dBA/70 dBC after 10 p.m., with even tighter late-night curfews for the city's Lemon Avenue…

Loud loading, unloading, or handling of crates, containers, and garbage cans within 50 yards of a home or noise-sensitive area is banned in the City of Sarasota between 7 p.m. and 7…

City of Sarasota building regulations set minimum design and operating standards for air-conditioning systems, including a hard noise cap tied to the Zoning Code's performance…

In the City of Sarasota, a motor vehicle burglar alarm that keeps sounding past 15 minutes after activation is illegal noise. City Code § 20-4(a)(2)f treats a non-terminating alarm as…

A generator or pump run during a power outage, flood, or other emergency in unincorporated Sarasota County is exempt from Sec. 54-118's decibel limits, but only while its manufacturer…

City of Sarasota rules limit outdoor patio heaters at licensed sidewalk cafés and parklets to open-air spots: no heater may sit under a roof, awning or umbrella cover.

The City of Sarasota requires a special event permit from its Office of Special Events before anyone stages a parade, festival, or other organized activity that uses city services or…

Events or assemblies of 75 or more people in a City of Sarasota park require a park permit from the office of special events; smaller gatherings can simply reserve space first-come…

City of Sarasota businesses must get a building permit and a two-year parklet license from the city engineer before building a platform over street parking.

Restaurants that want tables on a City of Sarasota public sidewalk need an annual sidewalk café permit from the city engineer under § 30-22, renewed every December 31.

Anyone closing a City of Sarasota street for a block party or special event of 72 hours or less must get a right-of-way usage permit from the office of special events under § 30-21.

Every vendor at a City of Sarasota street fair or festival needs a temporary commercial vending permit obtained by the event sponsor, not the vendor alone.

The City of Sarasota enforces plumbing installation through the Standard Plumbing Code, 1994 edition with seven appendices, adopted by reference along with city amendments filed with…

The City of Sarasota's director of neighborhood and development services appoints a state-certified building official who permits and inspects construction, alteration, repair…

Every City of Sarasota vacation rental must have a working carbon monoxide detection system, with CO alarms placed within ten feet of each bedroom that shares space with a fuel-burning…

City of Sarasota requires a minor conditional use permit for day care as a primary use in its multiple-family zones, plus a community workshop for any facility serving more than ten…

The City of Sarasota enforces electrical work through the National Electrical Code, 1990 edition, adopted by reference with city amendments filed with the city auditor and clerk…

Contractors and property owners doing permitted work in unincorporated Sarasota County must call for inspection within five business days of finishing the job. Building Code § 105.1…

Every business, profession, or occupation operating in the City of Sarasota must buy an annual local business tax receipt priced from a lengthy per-classification fee schedule set by…

Almost any tree 4.5 inches DBH or larger, plus listed palms and mangroves, counts as a City of Sarasota 'protected tree' requiring a permit before removal.

Planting a tree, shrub, or other plant besides grass in a City of Sarasota street or alley right-of-way within 50 feet of an intersection needs the city engineer's written permission…

City of Sarasota bans removing 'grand trees', large, healthy Live Oaks, Sand Live Oaks, Slash Pines, Longleaf Pines, and Southern Red Cedars, absent a narrow city-approved exemption.

New development in the City of Sarasota must meet the city's Engineering Design Criteria Manual (EDCM) for stormwater management under Sarasota City Code § 29.5-3. Multi-family…

City of Sarasota limits new docks on Sarasota Bay, Big Pass, and New Pass to 100 feet in overall length and 500 square feet in area, with a minimum 25-foot setback from side property…

City of Sarasota requires an erosion and siltation control permit from the city engineer before any land is cut, filled, or graded, to protect the storm sewer system and habitats.

City of Sarasota requires new buildings citywide to be built to a minimum finished floor elevation, tying the height to street grade or mean sea level, with a stricter numeric standard…

Unincorporated Sarasota County requires new construction and substantial improvements in Special Flood Hazard Areas to elevate the lowest floor at least one foot above the Base Flood…

Sarasota County's Unified Development Code requires every off-street loading area serving retail, warehouse, industrial or similar commercial uses to be posted with signs telling…

Florida regulates construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line through state permits, with uniform standards administered by the Department of Environmental Protection.

In the CT tourist-commercial district covering St. Armands Key, City of Sarasota zoning caps window signs at 20 percent of the total window and glass area, plus a permanent address…

City of Sarasota bans off-site signs, those advertising a business, service, or product located elsewhere, the classic freeway billboard, in every zoning district citywide under its…

City of Sarasota caps political campaign signs at 16 square feet in residential zones and 32 square feet in commercial or industrial zones, displayable 90 days before an election…

Electronic message boards in City of Sarasota office and commercial zones must auto-dim, capping brightness at 5,000 nits by day and 500 nits at night, and are banned entirely from the…

City of Sarasota allows medical marijuana dispensaries only in the same zone districts where pharmacies are a permitted principal or accessory use, rather than opting out.

City of Sarasota requires medical marijuana dispensaries to sit at least 500 feet from any elementary, middle, or secondary school, on top of state licensing rules.

Florida prohibits home cultivation of cannabis for both recreational and medical use; only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may grow cannabis.

The City of Sarasota's code compliance official opens a case after finding, or being told about, a suspected violation, then serves a written notice of violation with a correction…

City of Sarasota code compliance officials set the deadline to fix a violation case by case, weighing fairness, practicality, and how dangerous the problem is, not a fixed number of…

The City of Sarasota's code compliance magistrate hears alleged violations across two dozen code chapters: from animal control and noise to zoning, vacation rentals, and unlicensed…

City of Sarasota homeowners may hold no more than two garage sales per calendar year at the same residence, and each sale is capped at two consecutive days, under Sarasota City Code §…

Private structures or fixtures that intrude into a City of Sarasota public right-of-way are barred outright unless the owner obtains an encroachment agreement approved by the city…

Working in, closing or obstructing any City of Sarasota street, sidewalk, alley or median is unlawful unless the city engineer has issued a right-of-way permit and fees are paid, per §…

Owners and occupants of land abutting a Local Road in Sarasota County's Urban Service Area must keep the sidewalk area free of Excessive Growth and control weeds along both sides of…

Sarasota's zoning code requires security and site-lighting fixtures to be full cut-off and aimed downward so light stays on-site.

City of Sarasota requires full cut-off, fully shielded fixtures on new nonresidential and multifamily site lighting, capping pole height at 30 feet in parking lots and 15 feet in…

City of Sarasota caps how much of a single-family zoning lot can be covered by buildings and by any hard surface. Under Zoning Code § VI-203(f)-(g) and Table VI-203, maximum building…

City of Sarasota sets minimum front, side and rear building setbacks for each single-family zone district under Zoning Code § VI-203(e) and Table VI-203. Front setbacks run from 5 feet…

City of Sarasota limits single-family structures to 30 or 35 feet depending on the zone district under Zoning Code § VI-203(d) and Table VI-203, with § VI-102(u) adding a 45-degree…

City of Sarasota zoning permits private barbecue pits as an accessory use in every residential district, provided they meet the same setback the district applies to accessory…

Backyard smokers are allowed in Sarasota County as cooking fires using approved fuel, but any outdoor smoke-producing process must avoid creating a nuisance. Officials weigh wind, air…

An outdoor kitchen built in a Sarasota County Special Flood Hazard Area is regulated as an accessory structure: it must be anchored against flotation and built of flood-resistant…

City of Sarasota caps high-water turfgrass and sod at 50% of a site's irrigated landscape area on covered development, pushing the rest toward low-water, Florida-friendly plantings…

City of Sarasota caps reclaimed water to irrigation, golf courses and cemeteries, bans it indoors and in pools, and requires hookup once a line reaches within 50 feet.

City of Sarasota requires owners of vacant land to clear debris, grade for drainage, and seed or sod the entire lot to prevent dust and erosion nuisances.

Sarasota adopted the Standard Unsafe Building Abatement Code by ordinance, and it's unlawful to maintain a building that violates the Standard Housing Code or the Unsafe Building…

The City of Sarasota requires every vacation rental to hold a current certificate of registration before it may be rented; operating or advertising one without a valid certificate is a…

Sarasota County's locally amended Building Code makes any unfit or unsafe structure a public nuisance. Section 22-34 (Fla. Building Code Sec. 103.5) lets the Building Official order…

Fla. Stat. § 83.56 requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or vacate for nonpayment, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays from the count. For lease violations, the landlord…

Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Chapter 83 Part II, exclusively defines lawful eviction grounds and procedures statewide, preempting cities from adding just-cause…

Under Fla. Stat. § 83.53, a Florida landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice to enter for repairs and may enter only at reasonable times, defined as between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m…

For a month-to-month tenancy, Fla. Stat. § 83.57 now requires 30 days' written notice (raised from 15 days by 2023's HB 1417). Breaking a fixed-term lease triggers landlord remedies…

Florida effectively bans local rent control. State law bars any city or county from imposing controls on rents, and the 2023 Live Local Act removed the old narrow exception that had…

Florida has no rent control and no statute setting a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period. On a month-to-month tenancy, a new rent takes effect only through the…

Florida places no dollar limit on residential security deposits, but it enforces tight deadlines. If the landlord makes no claim, the deposit must be returned within 15 days of…

Adverse possession in Florida requires 7 years of actual, continued, exclusive possession plus paying all taxes within a year and filing a return with the property appraiser (Fla…

City of Sarasota lets developers in its MU-1, MU-2, and MU-3 urban mixed-use zones build up to three times the base residential density if at least 15 percent of the bonus units are…

City of Sarasota's five Downtown Zone Districts run on a mandatory SmartCode transect model under Zoning Code Article VI, Division 10 -- binding building form, frontage and height…

City of Sarasota parks close nightly from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., the Payne Park playground closes earlier at 8:00 p.m., and Lido Key's public beach shuts down overnight during marine…

Florida Statutes 877.20 through 877.25, the Juvenile Curfew Act, set a uniform statewide framework allowing counties to impose curfews on minors under 16 with specific hours…

Mobile food trucks may only operate in zone districts that list the use as permitted under Article VI of the City of Sarasota Zoning Code, and only with the property owner's written…

The City of Sarasota requires a city manager-issued commercial vending permit for stationary or mobile vending on public property and rights-of-way, with a $150 fee and mandatory…

City of Sarasota requires every mobile food truck to carry a business tax receipt, use a purpose-built and properly licensed vehicle, and hold minimum liability insurance.

City of Sarasota Code makes lodging out-of-doors on any public or private property unlawful without the owner's consent, though police must first offer shelter transport before citing…

City of Sarasota police can order anyone blocking a sidewalk, street or right-of-way by standing, sitting or lying there to move, and ignoring that warning is a code violation under…

City of Sarasota bans selling, buying, or planting seven listed invasive tree species, including Brazilian Pepper and Australian Pine, without a state DEP permit.

The City of Sarasota, Florida taxes and licenses door-to-door solicitors separately from telephone solicitors under its local business tax schedule, and operating without the paid…

After a disaster, the City of Sarasota will clear debris from private roads and roadways when the city manager finds it an immediate public-safety threat under a 13-factor standard…

New construction and substantial improvements in Sarasota County's Special Flood Hazard Areas must elevate the lowest floor at least 1.0 foot above the Base Flood Elevation, the…

Sarasota County doesn't publish a separate technical standard for hurricane shutters; it licenses who can install them. Code § 22-122(13)(k) creates a Hurricane Shutter Installer…

The City of Sarasota bans sale or use of listed toxic pesticides like DDT and arsenic citywide, but licensed pest control operators may still apply persistent pesticides in and under…

Sarasota County's Unified Development Code carves out a specific exception for agriculture: while every other accessory structure countywide needs an existing principal use on the lot…

Florida Statute 823.14, the Florida Right to Farm Act, protects established bona fide farm operations from nuisance suits and local ordinances that would inhibit standard agricultural…

Sarasota County levies a six percent Tourist Development Tax on hotels, motels, resort motels, apartments, roominghouses, mobile home parks, RV parks and condominiums rented for six…

Commercial drone operations in Florida are regulated by federal FAA Part 107 and state law; local governments cannot impose additional commercial operation restrictions.

Florida expressly preempts local regulation of drones, reserving authority to the state and federal government, with limited surveillance and trespass exceptions.

Florida Statute 218.077 prohibits local governments from establishing a minimum wage other than the state or federal rate, preempting city and county living-wage ordinances except for…

Florida Statute 509.032(7) and broader employment preemption framework prevent local governments from requiring private employers to follow predictive or fair-scheduling rules beyond…

Florida allows permitless concealed carry of firearms by law-abiding adults under FS 790.01 and continues to issue concealed weapon licenses through FS 790.06, with both regimes…

Florida Statute 790.33 expressly preempts the entire field of firearm and ammunition regulation to the state, voiding all local ordinances and imposing personal civil penalties on…

Florida's open carry ban (FS 790.053) was struck down by the First District Court of Appeal in McDaniels v. State on September 10, 2025. The Florida Attorney General issued guidance on…

Florida Statute 790.25(5) allows any law-abiding person 18 or older to possess a concealed firearm in a private vehicle for self-defense, provided the firearm is securely encased or…

Florida cardrooms operate only inside licensed pari-mutuel facilities, dog tracks, horse tracks, and jai alai frontons, under a license from the Florida Gaming Control Commission. Fla…

Florida lets charitable, nonprofit, and veterans' organizations run bingo without applying for any state gaming license: the statute itself sets the eligibility bar and the limits. A…

Florida law exempts small-stakes card and tile games from gambling crimes under Fla. Stat. § 849.085, but only under strict conditions: winnings per hand can't exceed $10, the game…

Sports wagering is legal in Florida only through the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bet platform, authorized under the state's gaming compact codified at Fla. Stat. § 285.710(13)(b)7…

Under Fla. Stat. § 720.3085, unpaid assessments become a lien on a parcel, and the homeowners' association may foreclose like a mortgage. Before recording the lien the association must…

Under Fla. Stat. § 720.303(2), Florida HOA board meetings must be open to members with notice posted at least 48 hours ahead. Section 720.306 governs member meetings and elections, §…

Under Fla. Stat. §§ 720.303 and 720.3035, a Florida HOA enforces its recorded covenants and architectural standards, but only where authority is stated or reasonably inferred in the…

Florida Statute 163.04 bars homeowner association deed restrictions and local ordinances from prohibiting clotheslines, solar collectors, or other renewable-resource energy devices in…

Florida law bars HOA declarations, articles, and bylaws from prohibiting Florida-friendly landscaping, defined by statute as drought-tolerant, water-conserving design. Section…

Florida law bars homeowners associations from stopping owners from flying up to two flags, each no larger than 4 1/2 by 6 feet, including the U.S. flag, Florida's state flag, military…

Under Fla. Stat. § 720.305, a Florida HOA may fine up to $100 per violation and $1,000 in the aggregate unless the governing documents allow more. The association must give at least 14…

A Florida association can foreclose an assessment lien in the same manner a mortgage is foreclosed, but only after two separate 45-day notices, and fines are largely off limits: a…

Florida limits how homeowners' associations can restrict renting out a home, but only in communities governed by Chapter 720, not condos or co-ops. Under Fla. Stat. § 720.306(1)(h), a…

Florida allows sobriety checkpoints, and the discretion of the individual trooper is what gets constrained. Fla. Stat. § 321.05(1) gives Florida Highway Patrol officers the power to…

Florida is an all-party consent state, but that rule reaches less far than it sounds. Fla. Stat. § 934.03(2)(d) makes interception lawful only when every party consents, while §…

Florida has no general stop-and-identify statute. The Florida Stop and Frisk Law, Fla. Stat. § 901.151(2), lets an officer temporarily detain you to ascertain your identity when…

Florida wrote the automobile exception into its statutes in 1927. Fla. Stat. § 933.19 adopts the United States Supreme Court's decision of March 2, 1925 in the Carroll case, reported…

Florida Statute 403.7033 preempts the regulation of disposable plastic bags by local governments, prohibiting cities and counties from enacting bans or fees on retailers pending a…

Florida Statute 500.90 preempts the regulation of polystyrene products by local governments, blocking cities and counties from banning expanded polystyrene foam food containers, cups…

Florida law voids any deed restriction, covenant, or HOA agreement that bans or effectively blocks solar collectors on homes or condo units, and boards cannot deny installation…

Florida statute 163.04 prohibits any ordinance, deed restriction, or covenant from preventing installation of solar collectors. Local building permits are required but cannot…

Florida Statute 569.101 prohibits the sale or delivery of tobacco and nicotine products to persons under 21, aligning with federal law and applying uniformly statewide under the…

Florida is one of the states that says yes to underbody lighting in so many words. Fla. Stat. § 316.235(3) provides that any motor vehicle may be equipped with one or more lamps or…

Florida does not give dash cameras a windshield carve-out. Fla. Stat. § 316.2952(2) is written as a closed list of exactly four things that may be attached to, or located in or upon, a…

Florida bans lane splitting in so many words. Fla. Stat. section 316.209(3) states that no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows…

Florida treats an obscured plate as a crime, not a ticket. Fla. Stat. section 320.061(1) makes it unlawful to apply or attach any substance, reflective matter, illuminated device…

A driver of a private passenger vehicle may use a radar detector in Florida. No section of the Florida Statutes prohibits owning, carrying or operating one, and chapter 316, which…

Florida does not ban studded tires and does not restrict them to a winter season. The one wheel-surface provision in the traffic code, Fla. Stat. section 316.299, prohibits driving on…

Florida sets a separate light transmittance floor for each piece of glass rather than one statewide number. Side wings and side windows forward of or next to the driver must pass at…