West Palm Beach, FL

West Palm Beach does not impose a minimum or maximum night cap on short-term rental stays. FL §509.032 preempts cities from setting minimum stay requirements that effectively ban or…

West Palm Beach STR registrations require one off-street parking space per bedroom, with no overnight street parking for guests in single-family neighborhoods. Parking plans must be…

West Palm Beach STR operators must collect 13% in combined transient taxes: 6% Florida Sales Tax, 1% Palm Beach County discretionary surtax, and 6% Palm Beach County Tourist…

West Palm Beach requires registration of all short-term rentals under City Code Ch 90. FL §509.032 preempts outright bans, but the city requires annual registration, life-safety…

Airbnb, Vrbo and other hosting platforms operating in unincorporated Palm Beach County must verify each host holds an active Tourist Development Tax account and Business Tax Receipt…

Palm Beach County can revoke a Home Sharing or Vacation Rental registration for any violation of the short-term rental ordinance, and the host must wait a full year before reapplying.

Palm Beach County splits short-term rentals into Home Sharing, where the host lives on-site during the stay, and Vacation Rentals, where the host is absent: both require separate…

Modified exhaust, loud stereos, and engine revving are prohibited under WPB Chapter 50 and FL §316.272. Vehicle audio plainly audible at 25 feet is a primary citation.

West Palm Beach's noise ordinance doesn't reach aircraft. City Code § 34-43 exempts 'locomotives and other railroad equipment and aircraft, to the extent that city regulation is…

West Palm Beach bars leaf blowers and chain saws citywide, including on golf courses, from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Other outdoor power tools, lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers and chippers…

Construction work that produces noise, vibration or dust in West Palm Beach can run only from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends. City…

West Palm Beach bans amplified sound equipment, loudspeakers, boom boxes, bullhorns and similar devices, on any public right-of-way or public space under City Code § 34-36(b)(9)b, and…

West Palm Beach declares it unlawful under City Code § 34-36(b)(1) to own or keep a dog, other animal or bird whose frequent, habitual or long-continued noise is plainly audible across…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps residential noise at 60 dB by day, 55 dB in the evening, and 50 dB overnight, with a flat 70 dB limit for commercial and non-residential receiving…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County bans noisy construction, demolition, and lawn or garden equipment at residential property lines from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with construction work barred…

Beekeeping is allowed in West Palm Beach under FL §586.10 state preemption. Cities cannot ban beekeeping. Annual registration with Florida Department of Agriculture (FDACS) is…

West Palm Beach has declared the entire city a bird sanctuary. City Code § 14-3 makes it unlawful to shoot, trap, kill, wound or maim any bird, throw a missile or slingshot at one, or…

West Palm Beach only regulates cats through a narrow rule: an owner who knows a cat has a contagious disease or is in an unhealthy condition may not let it run at large. City Code §…

West Palm Beach allows veterinary clinics and animal shelters as permitted or special uses depending on zoning district, but Sec. 94-273 of the Zoning and Land Development Regulations…

West Palm Beach requires dogs to be on a leash in every public park and public right-of-way. City Code § 14-31 lets police impound any dog found running loose there, and § 14-32…

Feeding wildlife is illegal under FL §379.412 and PBC Code. Particularly enforced for alligators, raccoons, and sandhill cranes. Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Mangonia residents are…

No breed-specific bans in West Palm Beach. FL §767.14 preempts all local breed-specific legislation statewide. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other breeds are legal subject to general…

West Palm Beach outright prohibits keeping horses, cattle, mules, goats, sheep, swine, poultry or other livestock anywhere within city limits. There is no backyard chicken or fowl…

Grooming parlors and mobile grooming units in unincorporated Palm Beach County must hold an annual operational permit from Animal Care and Control, renewed yearly and subject to…

Palm Beach County requires every cat four months or older to be implanted with an electronic animal ID (EAID) microchip, and owners must keep their contact information tied to that…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires every dog six months or older and every cat four months or older to be spayed or neutered unless the owner qualifies for one of seven specific…

Palm Beach County caps how many dogs and cats a household may keep before extra acreage or a special permit is required - up to 10 are allowed on any lot, 11 to 30 need 1.5 to 2.5+…

Palm Beach County barred new pet-shop and pet-dealer permits for stores selling dogs or cats since October 1, 2016; existing licensed stores keep operating and can transfer ownership…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, keeping a dangerous or FWC Class 1 or 2 animal requires Board of County Commissioners approval as a Class A Conditional Use and a five-acre minimum…

All swimming pools and spas in West Palm Beach require a building permit per Florida Building Code Chapter 4 and WPB Code Ch 14. Permits include structural, electrical, and plumbing…

West Palm Beach pools must comply with FL §515 Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act requiring at least one approved safety feature beyond the barrier: pool alarm, safety cover, exit…

West Palm Beach doesn't set bin standards or require a permit for home composting. City Code § 74-4(a)(1) exempts 'private, backyard, nuisance-free composting practices for home…

West Palm Beach caps weeds and grass on every lot, improved or vacant, at six inches under City Code § 74-4(c)(3). Owners and occupants must also keep the yard, adjoining swale, and…

West Palm Beach requires all landscape irrigation to comply with South Florida Water Management District conservation rules under City Code § 90-95, enforced by the public utilities…

West Palm Beach's zoning code, Sec. 94-451, confines artificial turf on single-family and duplex lots to the rear and side setbacks: never front yards or required landscape buffers…

City Code § 74-4(c)(4) requires every lot in West Palm Beach to be kept free of vegetation and trees that overhang a sidewalk, street, or public place enough to impede travel or block…

West Palm Beach's landscape code requires at least 60 percent of added plant material on a development site to be Florida native or drought-tolerant species drawn from the city's…

West Palm Beach requires a tree removal permit for any tree 4-inch DBH or greater under City Code §94 Article XIII. FL §163.045 only exempts removal where a certified arborist or…

Palm Beach County exempts rain barrels, cisterns, and similar rain-harvesting devices from the county's landscape irrigation watering-day and time restrictions, letting residents water…

West Palm Beach declares any abandoned or inoperative vehicle visible from the street or a neighboring lot a public nuisance under City Code § 34-102. Vehicle owners and property…

West Palm Beach caps how long any vehicle can sit in a curb loading zone: five minutes for a noncommercial vehicle loading passengers, 30 minutes for a commercial vehicle loading…

West Palm Beach's zoning code flatly bans certain commercial vehicles from residential districts. Section 94-487 defines a 'prohibited vehicle' to include any commercial truck, truck…

West Palm Beach does not require EV charging citywide, but in the Okeechobee Business District a developer can install two to four electric vehicle charging stations to earn additional…

West Palm Beach's stopping-standing-and-parking article applies wherever signs or the code itself set a limit. Section 86-223 requires drivers to leave at least ten feet of roadway…

West Palm Beach's zoning code bans "prohibited vehicles" like mobile homes, box trucks and buses from any residential yard, and lets "restricted vehicles" such as boats, trailers under…

West Palm Beach allows overnight parking in its city-owned parking garages, but not as long-term storage. Code § 86-225 lets a vehicle sit overnight, yet bars any privately owned…

West Palm Beach lets a neighborhood petition to become a "residential parking permit zone" under City Code § 86-248 once 75 percent of fronting property owners sign on and on-street…

West Palm Beach requires every driveway and front-yard parking space serving one or two residential units to be paved: Sec. 94-482(a) states it is a violation of the chapter to park on…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, any electric vehicle charging parking space must be painted green or marked with green painted lines or curbs under the county's land development…

Florida caps the drop fee a tower can charge at half the posted rate if the owner shows up mid-tow, requires a signed itemized receipt, and forces storage lots within 10 to 15 highway…

West Palm Beach restricts where bulk liquefied petroleum gas can be stored. City Code § 38-48 confines bulk LP-gas storage to Zones W, R-1 through R-5, C-1, C-2, C-3 and the city's…

West Palm Beach bans open bonfires and rubbish fires anywhere in the city, public or private, without a permit. City Code § 38-44 requires anyone wanting to kindle or maintain a…

Smoke alarms are required in every West Palm Beach dwelling under the Florida Building Code and FL §553.883, with one alarm in each sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on…

Consumer fireworks are prohibited in West Palm Beach year-round except on the three FL §791.08 designated holidays: July 4, December 31, and January 1. Sparklers and novelties remain…

Recreational campfires and bonfires are allowed without a county burn permit under the Open Burning Ordinance, but they can't produce excessive visible smoke: the standard used to…

The Florida Forest Service has statewide jurisdiction over wildfire prevention and suppression on non-municipal land under Chapter 590, Florida Statutes.

West Palm Beach only allows a detached garage to be converted into a dwelling unit if the resulting unit is a permitted use and satisfies every applicable code requirement, and any…

Residential accessory buildings in West Palm Beach, including sheds, are capped at 1,000 square feet or 75 percent of the primary home's floor area, whichever is smaller, with a…

West Palm Beach allows accessory dwelling units in most single-family zoning districts under City Code §94 (Land Development Regulations) with a maximum 800 square feet or 40 percent…

Palm Beach County allows tiny houses as small as 400 square feet under Florida Building Code Appendix Q, formally adopted into the county's own building code with reduced…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets homeowners build one Accessory Quarters unit by right, but the code defines it as located on the owner-occupied principal dwelling's lot, so…

Residential fences and walls in West Palm Beach are capped at six feet in side and rear setbacks and 48 inches in the front setback, while hedges can reach ten feet in any required…

Every fence, wall or hedge in West Palm Beach must go through zoning clearance and a building permit before it goes up, and the city will not issue an occupancy permit until required…

West Palm Beach prohibits barbed wire, electrical elements or other hazardous materials on any fence or wall in a residential district. Chain-link and cyclone fencing is still allowed…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, a fence or wall built along a retaining wall on a Single Family lot can gain extra height matching the grade change next door: up to six feet in a…

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…

West Palm Beach allows a home occupation to post signage only where the sign code explicitly permits it, and the sole allowance that fits a residential lot is the one-square-foot…

Family day care homes in West Palm Beach are licensed by the FL Department of Children and Families under FL §402.313, allowing up to 10 children including the operator's own. City…

West Palm Beach requires a Business Tax Receipt (BTR) for all home-based businesses under City Code Ch 70. Home occupations are regulated by the Zoning Code with restrictions on…

West Palm Beach lets a home occupation operate only if it never raises traffic above what an ordinary residence generates. Sec. 94-273(a)(32) caps non-resident staff at two, requires…

Cottage food operations in unincorporated Palm Beach County are governed by FL FS §500.80, which preempts local regulation. Producers may sell up to 250,000 dollars annually of…

Florida HOAs in West Palm Beach typically require Architectural Review Committee (ARC) approval for exterior modifications. FL §720.3035 limits HOA architectural authority to standards…

HOAs in West Palm Beach enforce CC&Rs under FL §720.305, which authorizes fines up to $100 per violation, with aggregate caps of $1,000 unless covenants specify otherwise. Fines…

Florida HOA disputes in West Palm Beach are subject to mandatory pre-suit mediation under FL §720.311 before lawsuits can be filed. Condo disputes go through DBPR arbitration under FL…

HOA boards in West Palm Beach must follow FL Chapter 720 (HOAs) or Chapter 718 (condominiums) requirements for elections, meetings, notice, and record-keeping. Annual member meetings…

HOA assessments in West Palm Beach are governed by FL §720.3085, which establishes assessment liens, payment priority, and collection procedures. Special assessments require notice and…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires every POA declaration to grant automatic membership, voting rights, and assessment authority, and forces the developer to set a fixed date for…

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…

Posted No Soliciting or No Trespassing signs are legally binding in West Palm Beach. Solicitors who ignore them face citation and trespass charges under FL §810.09.

West Palm Beach makes it unlawful for any peddler, door-to-door seller, hawker, or itinerant merchant to solicit sales in the city without first obtaining an identification card from…

West Palm Beach bars minors under 18 from downtown streets and businesses between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under City Code Chapter 54, Article VII. The curfew applies only inside the…

City parks and recreational areas are open from dawn to dusk and closed dusk to dawn under Sec. 58-81(b), unless posted signage says otherwise. Entering a park during closed hours is…

West Palm Beach Sanitation provides twice-weekly garbage collection and once-weekly recycling and yard waste pickup. Set out after 6 PM the night before or by 6 AM collection day.

West Palm Beach limits residential bulk-item and white-goods placement to two or three pieces per scheduled pickup under City Code § 74-35(c); anything beyond that needs a paid special…

West Palm Beach requires commercial dumpsters to sit on a pad at a city-approved location on private property and, where visible to the public, inside a city-approved enclosure. Lids…

West Palm Beach requires residential recyclables to go out in city-issued containers set five feet from the garbage cart under City Code § 74-35(d), collected at least once a week per…

It is unlawful to deposit garbage, litter, refuse or "any other filth or contaminating substance" on any street, alley, right-of-way, storm sewer, vacant lot, lake, canal or…

Every owner or occupant of improved residential property in West Palm Beach must subscribe to city trash service under City Code § 74-31(a). Garbage and refuse go out twice a week…

West Palm Beach collects residential yard and garden waste at least once a week under City Code § 74-33(a)(2), separate from garbage. Section 74-35(b) caps a pile at four feet wide…

West Palm Beach collects residential recyclable material at least once a week under City Code § 74-33(a)(4). Material has to be source-separated and set out in the special containers…

West Palm Beach limits when and where trash containers can sit at the curb. City Code § 74-35(a)(1) bars putting a can out before 6:00 p.m. the evening before collection and requires…

West Palm Beach only caps building footprint as a percentage of lot area within its historic residential overlay districts. Sec. 94-80 limits the SF7-C4 historic district to 25 to 35…

West Palm Beach caps single-family homes at 30 feet in the SF3, SF5, SF7, SF11 and SF14 districts, per Sec. 94-72(a)(4). Multifamily MF20 and MF32 districts get a formula instead: the…

West Palm Beach's SF3, SF5 and SF7 single-family districts require a 25-foot front setback, a 12.5-foot corner setback, a rear setback of 15 feet or ten percent of lot depth (whichever…

West Palm Beach requires anyone selling food or goods on public streets and sidewalks, including from a cart, wagon or vehicle, to hold a police-issued peddler identification card…

West Palm Beach requires every mobile food vendor, including food truck operators, to hold a peddler's identification card from the police department before operating, under City Code…

West Palm Beach limits where food trucks may park under Sec. 94-109 of the zoning code: they may access designated "temporary public open spaces" in the Downtown Master Plan area, but…

West Palm Beach bans drinking or carrying an open container of alcohol on public rights-of-way, streets and other public places unless the city has authorized it. City Code § 6-6 also…

City Code Sec. 54-147(a) makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate in any public place not designated as a urinal, toilet or washroom. The prohibition is folded into the city's public…

West Palm Beach lets police issue a civil citation, not a criminal charge, for possessing 20 grams or less of cannabis or drug paraphernalia in public. The violator pays a $100 fine…

West Palm Beach bans skateboards, scooters, coasters and similar devices outright on sidewalks, parking lots, garages, docks and public building grounds within a defined downtown and…

Palm Beach County bans e-cigarettes and other vapor-generating devices inside County public park playgrounds, not traditional cigarette smoking, and not the rest of the park, enforced…

Palm Beach County bans loitering in park restrooms, dressing rooms, picnic shelters, and wooded areas countywide under Sec. 21-35, with violators facing citation, ejection, and fines…

West Palm Beach's fertilizer ordinance in Chapter 34 does not reach bona fide farm operations. City Code § 34-121(a) exempts farms and pastures used for grazing livestock that are…

West Palm Beach's Permitted Use Table lists "Agricultural production, livestock" as a prohibited use citywide, covering every Standard Industrial Classification major group 0-2…

Sec. 58-81(a)(20) prohibits bringing or using a personal grill or other personal cooking apparatus not provided by the city in West Palm Beach parks and recreational areas unless a…

Anyone who will obstruct a West Palm Beach street, sidewalk or right-of-way, from a dumpster to a construction fence, needs a right-of-way permit under City Code § 78-431 and must…

West Palm Beach makes it unlawful to obstruct or hinder pedestrian or vehicular traffic on any street, sidewalk or bicycle path under City Code § 78-1. Code enforcement classifies a…

West Palm Beach can order an owner to repave or repair a deteriorated driveway, curb or sidewalk under City Code § 78-37, bill the owner for the work, and record the unpaid cost as a…

West Palm Beach bans camping or sleeping on any public property, including buildings, grounds and rights-of-way, once a police officer has given notice that the conduct violates city…

West Palm Beach bans public camping or sleeping on any public property after police give notice, under City Code § 54-147(b), including erecting a tent or storing bedding on a sidewalk…

West Palm Beach requires a local business tax receipt before operating any business, profession or occupation in the city, under City Code § 82-144. Section 82-163 sets the exact…

Restaurants and retail establishments in West Palm Beach cannot place tables, chairs or umbrellas on a city sidewalk without a sidewalk café permit. City Code § 78-342(a) makes…

West Palm Beach requires a special event permit before any parade, race, walk/run or other organized public assembly that closes streets, draws crowds of 25 or more, or otherwise…

West Palm Beach requires a parklet permit under City Code § 78-492 before any business converts a curbside parking space into outdoor seating. Permits run up to two years, cap parklets…

West Palm Beach requires a permit from the parks and recreation director before you can erect a tent or temporary structure, run a commercial activity, or serve alcohol at a city park…

West Palm Beach requires a neighborhood block party permit before residents or businesses can close one block of a city-controlled street for a private celebration. City Code §…

Palm Beach County makes it unlawful to disrupt a permitted commercial film or TV shoot on public property, banning sound interference, lighting interference, blocking equipment access…

Bars, restaurants, cabarets and performance venues in West Palm Beach's three special entertainment districts, Clematis Waterfront, CityPlace and Northwood Village, must not exceed…

West Palm Beach's noise code specifically targets low-frequency bass: City Code § 34-35 lets a code enforcement officer confirm a plainly audible violation just from hearing rhythmic…

A car alarm that blares for more than 30 minutes, continuously or on and off, and can be heard 100 feet away is illegal in West Palm Beach. City Code § 34-41 lets police remove an…

West Palm Beach's noise ordinance names an HVAC unit as a textbook outdoor sound source when it defines real property line at City Code § 34-35: for a mixed-use building, the…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets homeowners test a permanent generator only once a week, never Sunday, for up to 30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., under the county's land…

West Palm Beach enforces its code through a four-class civil penalty schedule set by City Code § 26-65: Class I fines start at $50 plus court costs and Class IV fines run $250 plus…

West Palm Beach requires massage businesses to hold both a business tax receipt and a certificate of use before opening. City Code § 22-31 places NAICS 812193 (Masseur/Masseuse) on the…

West Palm Beach's zoning code keeps adult entertainment establishments at least 750 feet from any residentially zoned land, from another adult entertainment establishment, and from any…

West Palm Beach lets residents keep RVs, boats and oversized trucks at home, but Sec. 94-487 of the zoning code bars major repair work on those vehicles while they sit on residential…

West Palm Beach only allows non-consent tows through its own contracted wrecker operator system. Code § 86-9(a) creates a rotation of authorized wreckers selected by competitive…

Any tobacco shop, vape store or tobacco-products retailer operating in West Palm Beach must hold a city local business tax receipt before opening, issued by the business tax official…

West Palm Beach requires every secondhand goods dealer, consignment shop, or precious-metals buyer to hold a local business tax receipt and a certificate of use before buying, trading…

Temporary tattoo and body piercing establishments in Palm Beach County must pass a county Health Department plan review and pay a $200 fee before opening, per the Environmental Control…

Palm Beach County requires anyone operating a pawnshop or buying/pawning secondhand goods to get a $350 sheriff's office permit, hold goods 15 days before resale, and submit…

Buildings inside West Palm Beach's Downtown Master Plan (DMP) area, which spans 13 districts, must meet the site and building design requirements in Sec. 94-108 covering FAR, height…

West Palm Beach's Affordable and Workforce Housing Overlay lets qualifying multifamily, commercial and industrial-zoned sites build up to 64 dwelling units per acre under Sec. 94-552…

West Palm Beach requires owners of vacant or abandoned real property, including mortgagees holding defaulted loans, to register with the city within ten days of vacancy under Code of…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County caps grass and weeds on vacant lots at 18 inches under a half acre, with a 25-foot buffer strip on larger parcels, enforced by Code Enforcement.

West Palm Beach designates individual trees as historic or specimen trees under Sec. 94-448(c), triggering extra protection: removal, relocation, or replacement of a designated tree…

West Palm Beach's streetscape rule sets fixed spacing and size standards for street trees along public rights-of-way. Sec. 94-113 requires trees adjacent to the curb at a maximum of 30…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County prohibits removing any specimen tree listed in Appendix 7 unless it can't be relocated, and ERM requires an arborist report and mitigation planting for…

Any company that wants to rent out shared scooters or e-bikes on West Palm Beach's rights-of-way needs a city-issued micromobility system permit under City Code § 86-433 before…

West Palm Beach's micromobility code splits electric two-wheelers into a "motorized bicycle," capped at 20 mph with a motor under 750 watts and working pedals, and a "motorized…

West Palm Beach's micromobility code gives e-bikes and bicycles, but not scooters, the right to use every bike lane, buffered lane and protected lane in the city, and separately makes…

West Palm Beach bars vehicles for hire, including personal vehicles used for rideshare-type service, from soliciting or picking up passengers at any Palm Tran bus stop or city trolley…

West Palm Beach uses red light traffic infraction detectors under City Code § 86-200, adopting the state's Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act at § 86-201, and in September 2025 added…

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…

West Palm Beach requires any water customer who suspects a leak on their side of the meter to hire a certified plumber and get it inspected and fixed within seven days, or lose the…

West Palm Beach's landscape-irrigation conservation rules, which restrict watering days and require efficient nozzles, don't apply to reclaimed water at all. City Code § 90-94(c)…

West Palm Beach's landscape code caps how much of a nonresidential or multifamily project's required open space can be plain grass: Sec. 94-442(c)(2)(b)(3) says grass areas shall not…

West Palm Beach lets residents put up temporary garage or yard sale signs under Zoning Code Sec. 94-407(11), capped at six square feet per face, one sign per lot and no more than three…

West Palm Beach prohibits any billboard or off-premises sign, digital or static, in every zoning district under Zoning Code Sec. 94-402(b)(1)(10). The city commission wrote in a…

West Palm Beach caps temporary political signs at 20 square feet of total aggregate area per lot under Zoning Code Sec. 94-407(10), with the freestanding maximum scaled to distance…

In West Palm Beach's Downtown Master Plan urban core, special districts, and North Railroad Avenue commercial frontage, permanent and temporary window signage cannot cover more than 25…

Palm Beach County exempts temporary holiday lighting from its outdoor lighting standards, no permit or photometric plan needed, unless the display creates a safety hazard or glare…

West Palm Beach requires LEED Gold certification for new projects that use the Okeechobee Business District (OBD) office height incentive under Chapter 94. The developer must register…

West Palm Beach requires a permit before anyone constructs, erects, alters, repairs, enlarges, moves or demolishes a building or structure, or installs, alters or replaces an…

In West Palm Beach's historic residential districts, new houses and additions are capped by a sliding-scale floor area ratio and lot coverage table set by lot size, so bigger lots do…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a staged inspection sequence, foundation, framing, sheathing, roofing, and final, and bars concealing any stage of work until the building…

Running a child care facility, large family child care home, or family day care home in Palm Beach County requires a permit from the county's own Child Care Facilities Board, on top of…

In unincorporated Palm Beach County, buildings with passenger elevators must keep at least one running whenever the building is occupied, under the county Housing Code.

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a building permit before any plumbing installation, alteration, or repair, issued under the adopted Florida Building Code, Plumbing, and…

Palm Beach County adopts the National Electrical Code as its minimum electrical construction standard, and the Building Division requires a permit for wiring work in unincorporated…

Lead-based paint disclosure and abatement in Palm Beach County follow federal EPA RRP Rule and HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule. Pre-1978 housing requires EPA-certified renovators for any…

West Palm Beach caps yard and garage sales at six per property per calendar year, with each sale running no more than two days. The zoning code lists the activity as a permitted use…

West Palm Beach's Floodplain Management ordinance requires new and substantially improved manufactured homes to sit at least two feet above the base flood elevation, per City Code §…

West Palm Beach bans discharging anything but stormwater into its municipal separate storm sewer system under Code § 90-203, including retroactive illicit connections made decades ago…

West Palm Beach lets waterfront owners with riparian rights build one dock per lot under City Code § 94-313, capped at 100 feet long (40 feet on the West Palm Beach Canal's north bank)…

West Palm Beach requires a city-approved stormwater pollution prevention plan before breaking ground on any subdivision, new building, or land-disturbing project affecting 4,500 square…

West Palm Beach requires a floodplain development permit before any construction, filling, grading, subdivision or utility work begins wholly or partly within a mapped flood hazard…

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

West Palm Beach's technical amendment to the Florida Building Code, Residential sets the minimum elevation for buildings in a flood hazard area at the base flood elevation plus two…

West Palm Beach's Housing Code requires every roof to be reasonably watertight and weathertight and to adequately support the building at all times. City Code § 18-103(b) sets that…

After a mayoral disaster declaration, West Palm Beach may clear debris from private residential streets under City Code § 74-39 if it threatens health, safety or emergency access…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires impact-rated shutters or glazing on new site-built single-family homes worth $750,000+ in the wind-borne debris region under the county's…

West Palm Beach offers expedited solar permitting under FL 553.793 and SolSmart designation. Residential rooftop systems use the SolarAPP+ automated review. State law FL 163.04…

Florida Statute §163.04 strongly preempts HOA restrictions on solar panels in Palm Beach County. HOAs may regulate placement for aesthetics only if performance is not impaired…

West Palm Beach's landscape code, Sec. 94-445(4)i, names nine species, including Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, and Melaleuca, as prohibited trees that may not be planted anywhere…

Citywide, West Palm Beach requires all outdoor lighting to be shielded to reduce glare and aimed away from adjacent residential districts, residences, and public thoroughfares, under…

West Palm Beach requires all outdoor lighting to be shielded and aimed away from neighboring residential property. City Code Sec. 94-309(a) makes glare control a mandatory part of…

West Palm Beach bans new billboards citywide except a narrow relocation program along Interstate 95, and any relocated billboard's lighting plan must show illumination directed only…

Rent control is flatly prohibited in West Palm Beach under Florida Statute 125.0103(2): the 2023 Live Local Act deleted the old emergency-referendum exception. No rent control exists…

West Palm Beach's Housing Code bars landlords from renting any dwelling that fails the city's minimum habitability standards. Under City Code § 18-102, an owner must free the unit of…

West Palm Beach makes it unlawful to rent out a dwelling unit, as owner, lessee, agent, or manager, without first holding a business tax receipt and a rental license or temporary…

Palm Beach County follows Florida Statute Chapter 83 (Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) for evictions. No just-cause eviction requirement exists; landlords may decline to…

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…

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 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…

West Palm Beach has no separate "cultural monument" category; the closest local analog is landmark designation under City Code § 94-48. A property or district must have outstanding…

Before West Palm Beach issues a rental license, the building official must inspect the unit against the Housing Code standards in Chapter 18, Article IV, covering lighting…

Sec. 58-81(a)(26) of the West Palm Beach city code lists 'drones in parks and recreational areas' among 35 prohibited activities on city park property, unless a permit has been…

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.

West Palm Beach's Housing Code splits rodent and pest control duties between tenant and landlord. City Code § 18-106(e) requires every property owner, citywide, to keep the premises…

Palm Beach County authorizes a needle and syringe exchange program only through a BCC-contracted nonprofit or health provider; operating one without a county contract is a criminal…

West Palm Beach prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries citywide. Sec. 94-611 of the Zoning and Land Development Regulations defines the use and states outright that dispensaries are…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County keeps medical marijuana dispensing facilities at least 500 feet from any existing elementary or secondary school, with closer siting possible only…

Home cultivation of cannabis is prohibited in Florida. Only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may cultivate. Recreational cannabis remains illegal after Amendment 3…

Palm Beach County charges a 6% tourist development tax on stays of six months or less at hotels, motels, and vacation rentals countywide, including inside every municipality, collected…

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…

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 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…