Pop. 7,305 · St. Johns County
We currently have 1 ordinance verified for St. Augustine Beach, FL. Our research team is actively working to add more categories including noise rules, parking restrictions, fence regulations, building permits, and other local ordinances that affect daily life.
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St. Augustine Beach falls within St. Johns County. St. Johns County permits backyard hens (roosters prohibited) subject to a county permit fee, with coops required to be fenced and ventilated, and all hens secured in the enclosure during non-daylight hours. Inside St. Augustine Beach city limits, the City's Land Development Code may impose additional rules.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulates exotic and captive wildlife statewide. Possession of Class I, II, and III wildlife requires FWC permits, and state law preempts most local exotic animal regulations.
Florida law prohibits intentional feeding of black bears, alligators, crocodiles, sandhill cranes, foxes, raccoons, and pelicans. These FWC rules apply statewide regardless of local ordinances.
Florida regulates outdoor recreational fires through the Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1), which applies uniformly statewide and preempts inconsistent local fire-code provisions.
Florida permits consumer fireworks use statewide on July 4, December 31, and January 1, preempting local bans on those holidays under Section 791.08, Florida Statutes.
Open burning of yard waste and land-clearing debris in Florida requires authorization from the Florida Forest Service under Section 590.125, applying universally outside municipal limits.
Florida regulates propane (LP-gas) storage, transport, and installation uniformly under Chapter 527 and the Florida Fire Prevention Code, preempting inconsistent local rules.
The Florida Forest Service has statewide jurisdiction over wildfire prevention and suppression on non-municipal land under Chapter 590, Florida Statutes.
Florida's Cottage Food Operations Act preempts local regulation, allowing home production of non-potentially hazardous foods up to a statewide gross sales limit.
Florida regulates family and large family child care homes uniformly under Chapter 402, setting capacity limits, training, and inspection requirements applicable statewide.
Florida Statute 373.185 declares Florida-friendly landscaping a matter of state policy and prohibits any deed restriction, covenant, or local ordinance from preventing property owners from installing native, drought-tolerant plant landscapes.
Florida Statute 163.045 prohibits cities and counties from requiring permits, fees, or replanting when a residential homeowner removes a tree documented by a certified arborist or licensed landscape architect as posing a danger.
Florida Statutes Chapter 373 grants water management districts authority to impose mandatory landscape irrigation restrictions that apply uniformly across all counties and municipalities, overriding any conflicting local schedules during declared water shortages.
Florida Statutes Chapters 705 and 715 establish uniform procedures for declaring vehicles abandoned, providing notice, and disposing of them through licensed wreckers.
Florida law protects condo unit owners' rights to install EV charging stations and incorporates statewide accessibility requirements through the Florida Building Code.
Florida law preempts the regulation of vacation rental licensing and inspections to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), though local zoning and registration are permitted.
Florida imposes a 6% state sales tax plus a 1% discretionary surtax on rentals of living accommodations for six months or less, applying universally to short-term rentals.
The Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Chapter 515) sets minimum barrier, cover, or alarm requirements for every new residential pool in Florida. Local rules may be stricter but cannot weaken these standards.
Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act sets statewide drowning prevention standards including barriers, covers, and alarms. The Act applies to every new pool, spa, and hot tub installed in residential settings.
Florida preempts local regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries: cities must either treat them like pharmacies or ban them outright.
Florida prohibits home cultivation of cannabis for both recreational and medical use; only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may grow cannabis.
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 direct local government employees.
Florida Statute 218.077 and 448.110 framework, combined with FS 125.01045 and 166.04151 limits, preempt local mandates requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave or other employment benefits beyond state law.
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 state and federal law.
Florida regulates construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line through state permits, with uniform standards administered by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Florida adopts a single statewide building code that incorporates flood-resistant construction standards from FEMA and ASCE, applying uniformly to all jurisdictions.
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 preempting local concealed-carry restrictions.
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 local officials who knowingly enact or enforce conflicting rules.
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 September 15, 2025 instructing law enforcement that the ban is no longer enforceable. Eligible adults may now openly carry firearms statewide.
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 not readily accessible for immediate use, regardless of any concealed-carry license.
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 send a 45-day written notice by certified and first-class mail, and a second 45-day notice is required before foreclosure can begin.
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, § 720.303(4)-(5) gives members the right to inspect official records within 10 business days, and HB 1203 added website transparency rules for larger associations.
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 governing documents, and standards must be applied reasonably and equitably to all owners. HB 1203 added new limits and written-denial transparency rules effective July 1, 2024.
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 days' written notice and a hearing before a committee of at least three members, who must approve the fine by majority vote.
Florida law overrides HOA covenants on several fronts: Fla. Stat. § 163.04 voids any deed restriction prohibiting solar collectors, § 720.304(2) protects display of the U.S. flag, and HB 1203 protects vegetable gardens and other items not visible from the frontage. Section 604.71 separately bars cities and counties from regulating residential vegetable gardens.
Florida Statute 448.095 requires every private employer with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm work authorization for new hires beginning July 1, 2023, with public agencies and contractors subject to broader requirements.
Senate Bill 168 (2019), codified at FS 908.103 and 908.104, prohibits sanctuary policies in Florida and requires every state and local law enforcement agency to use best efforts to support federal immigration enforcement and honor ICE detainer requests.
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 serves a 7-day notice to cure (or a 7-day unconditional notice for repeat or non-curable violations). Only a court may order eviction through Florida's summary procedure.
Fla. Stat. § 83.51 requires landlords to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes or keep the structure, plumbing, and (for most multi-unit buildings) heat, running water, hot water, and pest control in working order. Tenants enforce these duties through the § 83.56 seven-day written notice to cure before withholding rent or terminating.
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 requirements that restrict when a landlord may terminate a tenancy.
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. No notice is required in an emergency or to preserve the premises, and access may not be used to harass the tenant.
Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ch. 83, Part II) has no late-fee statute and no cap on late-rent charges. Late fees are governed entirely by the written lease; if the lease is silent, the landlord cannot charge one. Courts will not enforce fees that are punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of damages.
For a month-to-month tenancy, Fla. Stat. § 83.57 now requires at least 30 days' written notice (raised from 15 days by 2023's SB 102). Breaking a fixed-term lease triggers landlord remedies under § 83.595, including a pre-agreed early-termination fee capped at two months' rent. Servicemembers may terminate early under § 83.682.
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 allowed a one-year emergency referendum riddled with exemptions. There is no statewide rent cap, so landlords set increases freely by lease terms.
Florida has no rent control and no statute that sets a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period for raising rent. On a month-to-month tenancy, a new rent takes effect only through the termination/change notice in Fla. Stat. § 83.57, which 2023's SB 102 (ch. 2023-314) lengthened from 15 to 30 days.
Florida Statute 509.032(7) preempts local regulation of vacation rental duration and frequency, and FS 166.0445 (2023) prohibits cities from imposing inspection-based rental registration programs unless tied to specific code complaints.
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 move-out. If the landlord intends to keep any part, written certified-mail notice is due within 30 days, and the tenant then has 15 days to object.
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. Stat. § 95.18). Separately, the 2024 anti-squatter law HB 621 (Fla. Stat. § 82.036) lets owners have a sheriff remove unauthorized occupants within hours, without a lawsuit.
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.
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 practices conducted in good faith.
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 legislative review that has not occurred.
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, and similar items.
Florida Statute 403.7033 and related law impose a moratorium on enforcement of municipal plastic straw bans, requiring DEP study before any local prohibition can take effect, effectively preempting current ordinances.
Florida law renders unenforceable any HOA covenant or rule prohibiting solar collectors. HOAs may dictate where on a roof panels go only if the alternate location does not impair system performance.
Florida statute 163.04 prohibits any ordinance, deed restriction, or covenant from preventing installation of solar collectors. Local building permits are required but cannot effectively ban rooftop solar.
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 with local preemption under FS 386.2125.
Florida Statute 386.2125 preempts local regulation of nicotine products and dispensing devices, blocking cities and counties from banning flavored e-cigarettes, menthol, or other flavored tobacco at the retail level.
Florida Statute 386.2125 expressly preempts the regulation of nicotine products, nicotine dispensing devices, and vape retailing to the state, voiding most municipal ordinances on electronic cigarettes and vape shops.
Section 163.045 expressly applies regardless of any local heritage, specimen, or champion tree designation, preempting protective ordinances when an arborist documents danger.
Florida law prohibits local governments from requiring permits or replacement trees for the removal of dangerous trees on residential property when supported by a qualified arborist's documentation.
Florida law prohibits local governments from requiring replacement plantings or mitigation when a residential tree is removed under documented danger conditions.