Flagler County, FL Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- First violation
- Written warning plus correction period
- Second and later violations
- Civil citation, amount set by BOCC resolution
- Legal basis
- Florida Statutes Chapter 162, Parts 1 or 2
- Continuing violations
- Each day counts as a separate violation
- Additional remedies
- Injunctive relief, liens, civil or criminal penalties
Summary
Flagler County runs short-term vacation rental enforcement as a graduated strike program: a first violation of Sec. 3.06.14 draws only a written warning, and each further offense escalates to a civil citation, with fines set separately by the Board of County Commissioners for first, second, third and later repeat violations. The program applies only in unincorporated Flagler County, outside Palm Coast and the other cities.
K.Remedies/enforcement. Violations of this section shall be subject to penalties as part of a progressive enforcement program with the primary focus on compliance and compatibility with adjoining properties, versus penalties and legal actions. ... 1.Warnings. Warnings shall be issued for first-time violations and have a correction/compliance period associated with it. ... Non-compliance with a correction compliance period shall result in the issuance of a citation.2.The County may utilize Part 1 of Florida Chapter 162 to prosecute a code violation and in such case a special magistrate shall be authorized to hold hearings, assess fines in accordance with the statute and order other relief in lieu of using a county code enforcement board. Alternatively, the County may utilize Part 2 of Florida Chapter 162 and pursue violations by way of a civil citation system as provided in its Code of Ordinances. The civil citation fines per violation shall be set by Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners for first (1st), second (2nd), third (3rd) and further repeat violations.
Full Breakdown
Subsection K of Sec. 1 requires a warning, with an attached correction and compliance period, for every first-time violation; the warning can also trigger a referral to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Department of Revenue, the Flagler County Tax Collector or the Property Appraiser. Only after the owner fails to correct the problem within that compliance window does the county issue a citation. 2 lets the county proceed under either Part 1 of Florida Statutes Chapter 162 (a special magistrate hearing) or Part 2 (a civil citation system), and states that 'the civil citation fines per violation shall be set by Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners for first (1st), second (2nd), third (3rd) and further repeat violations,' so the dollar amounts live in a separate BOCC resolution rather than the code text itself.
3 preserves the county's right to pursue injunctive relief, liens, and other civil or criminal penalties in addition to the citation ladder. 2, which can multiply the citations owed on an uncorrected problem.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the Short-Term Vacation Rental Standards draws a warning and a correction period rather than a fine. Missing that correction window, or committing a second, third or further violation, escalates to a civil citation under Florida Statutes Chapter 162, with the dollar amount for each step set by a separate Board of County Commissioners resolution. Every day a violation continues counts as a new, separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens on a first short-term rental violation in Flagler County?
How are the citation fines set?
Can the county do more than fine a repeat violator?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flagler County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Flagler County to another location·View the Florida short-term rentals overview
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