Zephyrhills, FL

The City of Zephyrhills has not adopted a vacation-rental-specific occupancy ordinance. Florida Statutes 509.032(7)(b) preempts city STR-specific regulation enacted after June 1, 2011…

Short-term rentals in Zephyrhills are subject to Pasco County's 5% Tourist Development Tax, Florida's 6% sales tax, and 1% county surtax. Total tax rate is approximately 12%. Tax is…

Both the owner and the management company of a Pasco County short-term rental are held jointly and severally responsible for violations, and under F.S. 125.69 each violation is…

No Pasco County-specific ordinance directly addresses short-term rental insurance requirements; FL state default applies. Florida regulates vacation rentals as public lodging…

Under Pasco County Ordinance 99-21 (Land Development Code Section 530.21), a dwelling in unincorporated Pasco may not be used as a short-term rental unless the county has specifically…

Pasco County Ordinance 99-21 requires every short-term rental to post a 'Notice to Occupant' on the back of the main entrance door warning guests that creating noise at a level or…

Pasco County's Conditional Use permit for vacation rentals requires designated parking for renters and prohibits RV parking on-site or in the right-of-way. The expanded county RV…

Fireworks in Zephyrhills are governed by Florida Statute Chapter 791. FL HB 1059 (2020) legalized consumer fireworks on July 4th, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. Cities cannot ban…

Backyard recreational fires (campfires and warming fires) are allowed in unincorporated Pasco County under Florida Forest Service rule 5I-2.006(11) without a burn authorization, but…

Pasco County's minimum housing standards require every dwelling unit to have an approved, listed smoke detector installed to the manufacturer's instructions and tested to UL 217…

Pasco County Fire Rescue states there is no burning in unincorporated Pasco County except yard waste meeting strict requirements, or agricultural/silvicultural/land-clearing/pile…

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

Beekeeping is permitted in Zephyrhills under Florida state preemption (FL §586). Beekeepers must register with FDACS and follow Best Management Practices. Up to 3 colonies allowed on…

Zephyrhills requires pets to be leashed and under complete control in public areas (City Ordinance #649). Pets are not allowed in playground areas or on athletic fields. Pasco County…

Zephyrhills cannot enforce breed-specific legislation. Florida Statute §767.14 preempts all local breed-specific dog regulations. Dangerous dog designations are behavior-based under FL…

Pasco County requires every cat over four months old to wear a current county license tag proving rabies vaccination. Ear-tipped community cats in the county's Trap-Neuter-Return…

Florida law prohibits feeding alligators, bears, sandhill cranes, and foxes under FL §379.412 and FWC rules. Pasco County enforces state wildlife feeding bans; intentional feeding of…

Pasco County Ordinance 25-44 created Land Development Code Section 530.25, effective November 12, 2025, allowing residents to keep backyard chickens (hens only, for egg production) in…

Every dog and cat adopted from Pasco County Animal Services must be sterilized before leaving the shelter, or the adopter posts a deposit and has 30 days (180 for puppies and kittens)…

Pasco County Code Sec. 14-108 bans retail pet stores from selling, delivering, or giving away dogs, cats, or rabbits, and prohibits sales of these animals on public streets…

On a typical Pasco County single-family residential lot (5,000 sq ft up to 22,000 sq ft), the Land Development Code allows the keeping of no more than three dogs and/or three cats…

Pasco County Code Sec. 14-100 requires that all dogs and cats over four months of age that are sold, adopted, transferred, or returned to an owner after stray impound be microchipped…

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…

Zephyrhills regulates fences under LDC Section 7.06.00 and Ordinance 1393-19. Front yard fences cannot exceed 4 feet within the 20-foot front setback. Side yard fences up to 6 feet are…

Zephyrhills requires permits for all new and replaced fences. Applications require a plot plan showing water meters, easements, and property lines. Permit fees are $45 for 0-100 feet…

In residential areas of unincorporated Pasco County, gates, fences, and walls that are electrified or built of corrugated metal, sheet aluminum, barbed wire, or similar materials are…

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…

Swimming pool barriers in Zephyrhills must comply with Florida Building Code and the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (FL §515). Barriers must be at least 48 inches high. Building…

Above-ground pools in Zephyrhills must comply with Florida Building Code barrier requirements and FL §515. Pools with walls 48 inches or higher may serve as their own barrier if access…

Zephyrhills follows SWFWMD water restrictions enforced through Pasco County. Lawn irrigation is limited to one day per week under the current Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order…

Zephyrhills limits grass and weed height to 12 inches. Property owners must keep premises clean and remove dead trees, limbs, overgrown shrubs, and brush piles. A 10-day notice is…

Pasco County generally permits artificial turf on residential properties. FL §720.3075 and §373.185 limit HOA restrictions on water-conserving landscape, which may include synthetic…

Pasco County encourages Florida-Friendly Landscaping under FL §373.185, which prohibits HOAs and local governments from preventing property owners from using drought-tolerant native…

In unincorporated Pasco County a Tree Removal Permit is required to remove any tree five (5) inches diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater under Land Development Code Section 802…

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…

Accessory dwelling units in Zephyrhills are regulated under LDC Part 7.09.29 (Accessory Dwelling Units). The city has specific ADU provisions in its Land Development Code. Building…

In unincorporated Pasco County, accessory buildings and structures (including sheds) must be set back at least 5 feet from any rear or side lot line, may not sit in an easement, and…

A garage may be converted to living space in unincorporated Pasco County only as an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) under LDC Section 530.24. When a garage is converted to an ADU, the…

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…

Zephyrhills prohibits using recreational vehicles as residences unless the property is specifically zoned for such use. Non-operative vehicles including wrecked, dismantled, or…

Unincorporated Pasco County imposes no general overnight on-street parking ban for ordinary vehicles, but Land Development Code Section 530.5 makes it unlawful at any time to use a…

Pasco County permits residential and commercial EV charging installations via standard electrical permits. FL §163.04 prohibits HOAs from banning EV chargers. Florida Building Code…

Pasco County prohibits keeping, dumping, storing, or depositing any inoperative, unregistered, abandoned, junked, disabled, or wrecked motor vehicle on any property, street, or highway…

Pasco County Land Development Code Section 530.16 prohibits parking or storing commercial vehicles and commercial equipment in nearly all residential zoning districts (including R-1…

Pasco County has no general overnight on-street parking ban in unincorporated residential areas, but Florida Statute 316.1945 prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in specified…

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…

Pasco County Code § 66-97 prohibits sound from sound amplifiers, loudspeakers, juke boxes, radios, and similar devices received in a residential district between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00…

Pasco County's noise ordinance carves aircraft out entirely: Code § 66-95(3) lists 'ordinary noise created by the operation of railways, shipping lanes and aircraft' as a permitted…

Pasco County's noise code assigns a different decibel ceiling to every zone and time of day: industrial areas top out at 72 dBA and commercial at 66 dBA during the day under Table 1 in…

Pasco County enforces a nightly noise curfew under Code § 66-97(4)(a): ordinary residential noise can't top 55 dBA at the property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with a tighter 40…

Pasco County's noise ordinance flatly bans straight pipes and altered or gutted mufflers on any motor vehicle under section 66-97(1), a rule that applies county-wide, incorporated and…

Pasco County Code § 66-97 prohibits construction activities that produce noise exceeding 55 dBA at an adjacent residential property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday through…

Pasco County Code § 14-98 makes it a nuisance for a dog owner to allow frequent or continued barking or howling between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., or for ten minutes or more at any time.

No Pasco County-specific ordinance directly regulates cottage food operations; Florida Statute 500.80 preempts local regulation of cottage food, so the county may not prohibit or…

A minor home occupation in Pasco County may not generate new vehicle trips unless a Special Exception is granted, which caps total daily trips at 14 per dwelling and requires customer…

Home daycare in Pasco County is regulated by DCF under FL §402.313. Family day care homes serving up to 10 children must register or be licensed. Local zoning permits home daycare in…

Pasco County Land Development Code Section 530.21 allows minor home occupations as a permitted accessory use in residential, agricultural, and manufactured-home districts, with a minor…

Pasco County Land Development Code Section 530.21.C.3 prohibits any exterior signs for a home occupation and any signs visible from the street or neighboring dwellings; only…

Florida Statute §163.04 preempts HOA solar bans. Pasco HOAs and deed restrictions cannot prohibit rooftop solar panels or impose conditions that significantly increase cost or reduce…

Pasco County requires a building and electrical permit for residential solar PV installations through Pasco Building Construction Services. Permits processed per Florida Building Code…

Pasco County requires a permit for virtually any erection, construction, alteration, or repair of a building or its electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems, plus sheds and…

Every plumbing installation in unincorporated Pasco County, from new fixtures to medical gas systems, must comply with the Florida Building Code, Plumbing. Section 18-36 requires a…

Every electrical installation, alteration, or repair in unincorporated Pasco County must comply with the National Electrical Code as adopted by the Florida Building Commissioner…

Before issuing a permit, Pasco County's building official can examine building, electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing plans, then must inspect the work during construction and…

Pasco County permits state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) in C-2 commercial zones with pharmacy-equivalent standards per FL §381.986(11). Local zoning cannot ban…

Home cannabis cultivation is illegal in Pasco County for all residents including medical patients. Florida §381.986 permits medical use only and prohibits patient cultivation…

Pasco County's code defines a garage, estate, or lawn sale as an occasional sale of used goods at the seller's own home, capped at no more than four sales on the same property in a…

Pasco County bills a Stormwater Utility Fee to every developed parcel in the unincorporated area to fund its stormwater management system. Single-family homes pay a flat one-ERU rate…

Building a new dock or seawall, or enlarging, altering, repairing, or demolishing an existing one, requires a Pasco County building permit, as do the electrical, gas, mechanical, or…

Pasco County amends the Florida Building Code to set its own design flood elevation rules: any repair, addition, or improvement costing 49 percent or more of a structure's market value…

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

Florida runs its own federally approved NPDES stormwater permit program under Fla. Stat. 403.0885, requiring construction sites that disturb one or more acres to obtain FDEP coverage…

Florida adopts a single statewide building code that incorporates flood-resistant construction standards from FEMA and ASCE, applying uniformly to all jurisdictions.

Pasco County requires a formal written petition to open a public nuisance case, not a phone tip. Under Code § 42-29, at least 51 percent of nearby property owners or residents within…

Pasco County lets the building official waive standard building code requirements for structures already designated as landmarks or historic structures, but only after conferring with…

Unincorporated Pasco County retailers cannot let customers grab tobacco products off open shelves. Under the county's Merchandising of Tobacco Products Ordinance, only vendor-assisted…

Pasco County regulates nonconsensual towing and vehicle booting through section 106-31.5 of its Code of Ordinances, capping what wreckers may charge for towing, storage and…

Pasco County pawnbrokers must hold a county occupational license and pay a $300 annual tax under section 102-97 of the Code of Ordinances, a far higher classification than most retail…

Pasco County has no general public loitering ordinance. Its only loitering rule, Code § 66-69, bans a person convicted of specified sexual offenses against minors from loitering or…

Pasco County requires generators, well pumps and similar equipment that must run around the clock near homes to be shielded with an acoustical barrier between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. under…

Pasco County bans operating any air conditioning, heating or ventilating unit that produces more than 60 dBA at the nearest adjacent property line, at any time of day, under Code §…

Pasco County's Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department (PRNR) runs picnic shelters, ballfields, and pavilions on a first-come, first-served basis unless the space is…

Pasco County requires a special entertainment permit before anyone can stage an outdoor musical or entertainment festival expected to draw more than 500 people with overnight camping…

Pasco County bans dumpsters on residential lots smaller than one acre, and no licensed hauler may place a specialized bulk container of any kind in or on a county right-of-way…

Pasco County requires licensed haulers to collect curbside recyclables at least once a week, and it is a crime to scavenge or remove anything from a recycling bin set out at the curb…

Licensed residential haulers in unincorporated Pasco County must offer, and provide on request, separate collection of containerized yard waste, white goods and bulky items at least…

Pasco County does not collect residential trash itself, residents sign up with a licensed private hauler. County standards call for twice-weekly garbage and weekly recycling; your…

In unincorporated Pasco County, if your regular trash or recycling pickup falls on a legal holiday, your licensed hauler must move the stop to the next scheduled collection day rather…

Pasco County outlaws dumping litter of any kind on public roads, in waterways, or on private property without the owner's consent. If litter is thrown from a moving vehicle, the driver…

Licensed haulers serving unincorporated Pasco County must offer separate collection of containerized yard waste, white goods and other bulky items to residential customers at least…

Pasco County requires licensed haulers to collect recyclables in county-approved curbside containers and to inspect every load; a container running more than 20 percent contaminated…

Pasco County requires household trash kept outside to sit in a county-approved, lidded container at all times until collection, and defines exactly what counts as one: heavy-duty hard…

Every property owner in unincorporated Pasco County must dispose of solid waste exclusively through the county's solid waste disposal and resource recovery system, and licensed…

Pasco County's urban fertilizer ordinance, which restricts nitrogen and phosphorus application near water and during storm watches, does not apply to bona fide farm operations covered…

Florida Statutes 823.14 and 163.3162 restrict local governments from adopting zoning rules that inhibit established farms on agriculturally classified land, preserving agricultural…

Every food service establishment in unincorporated Pasco County must have one high-level manager complete food service management training and hold a valid certificate, under County…

Food service establishments in unincorporated Pasco County must actively keep rodents, flies, cockroaches and other insects out under County Code § 50-172. Every opening to the outside…

Pasco County doesn't fix park hours in its code; Sec. 70-6 lets the county administrator or a designee set the opening and closing time for each PRNR park, trail, or preserve…

Pasco County's juvenile curfew covers anyone under 18 and applies county-wide, including inside cities. Hours are 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. on…

No owner may occupy or rent out a dwelling unit in unincorporated Pasco County that lacks working plumbing, hot water at 120°F, heating, a functioning kitchen, and other minimum…

Pasco County has no rent control. Florida Statute §166.043(2) flatly prohibits local rent control: the 2023 Live Local Act removed the old emergency-referendum exception. Landlords may…

Pasco follows Florida Chapter 83 Part II eviction procedures. No just-cause requirement: landlords may non-renew month-to-month with 15 days notice (F.S. §83.57). Non-payment requires…

Anyone who rents out residential property in unincorporated Pasco County must register it with the county before the first tenant moves in, under the Rental/Vacant Property…

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…

Anyone acting as a professional solicitor for a charitable purpose in unincorporated Pasco County must first get a charitable solicitation permit from the county's public information…

Pasco County enforces posted 'No Soliciting' and 'No Trespassing' signs. Permitted solicitors who ignore signs face citations under Pasco Code Chapter 58. Residents can also rely on…

Pasco County heavily restricts its purple-pipe reclaimed water system under section 110-78: irrigation only, no tampering with county facilities, no cross-connections to potable lines…

Pasco County Utilities will adjust a customer's water bill for a verified plumbing leak or a one-time pool fill under section 110-40(b), but only against documented proof: original…

Pasco County classifies every trade or profession separately for its occupational license tax, and contractors fall under section 102-83 of the Code of Ordinances. The tax scales with…

Pasco County bans open burning countywide, but § 46-75 carves out barbecue grill fires used to cook food (as long as a grate covers the fire) and residential outdoor cooking on…

Flying a drone or any other motorized object over a Pasco County park, preserve, or trail requires advance permission from PRNR personnel under Code § 70-18(e); without it, the flight…

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.

Structures in unincorporated Pasco County that meet the criteria for demolition as blighted, slum, or unsafe, or that sit open and unsecured to trespassers, violate the minimum…

Florida Statutes 161.053 establishes the Coastal Construction Control Line, a state-administered seaward setback that applies to all coastal counties regardless of local zoning…

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…

Since 2020, Florida statute 509.102 preempts municipal and county licensing, registration, and permitting of mobile food dispensing vehicles. Operators need only state DBPR licenses to…

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 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…

Florida has no statewide statute that fully preempts municipal regulation of political signs on private property, but F.S. 720.304(2) protects homeowners' rights to display one…

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…