Mission Statement
The mission of Hardee County Code Enforcement is to provide outstanding code enforcement services to the citizens of and visitors to Hardee County. We are committed to doing our part to ensure Hardee County is a safe and attractive community and seek to encourage property owners and tenants to take pride in their property. Our purpose is to promote, protect, and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Hardee County through an effective code enforcement program by working with them to achieve code compliance. We are also committed to professional code enforcement that is responsive to our citizens and will provide them with guidance for the resolution of problems and assistance through a process that, at times, may appear complicated and confusing.
Code Enforcement is responsible for addressing codes that violate public health and safety issues, including but not limited to regulations related to the Hardee County Land Development Code, rubbish, garbage, vegetation, zoning, dangerous buildings, Minimum Housing Code, inoperable vehicles, and various county ordinances. Below are a few of the most common code violations.
Hardee County Land Development Codes
| Land Development Codes | |
| 2.09.00: Farm Animals | Unauthorized farm animals in the zoning district (chickens allowed in Ag and Farm Districts ) |
| 2.13.00: Yard Trash | In all districts, the accumulation of litter and yard trash shall be prohibited, including but not limited to, old furniture, tires, appliances, and debris of any kind. |
| 2.13.00: Vegetation Height | In all districts except A-1 & FR zoned, properties greater than 4 ac in size, yards and vacant lots shall be mowed and maintained for vegetation height no greater than 12 inches, except agricultural products. |
| Inoperable Vehicle | |
| 2.27.00: | Inoperable/Unlicensed Vehicle; more than 3 in AG/A1, 1 in Res. |
| 2.27.02: | Storage, parking or leaving junked motor vehicles prohibited: No person shall park, store, leave more than one junked motor vehicle of any kind which is in an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, unlicensed, or partially dismantled condition, whether attended or not, upon private property within the County for a period of time in excess of 48 hours. |
| Accessory Structures | |
| 2.30.00: | |
| 2.30.00 (F): | No accessory structure shall be used for residential purposes. |
| 2.30.00 (H): | No mobile home, Manufactured home, RV, trailer, semi-trailer or vehicle of any shall be allowed as an accessory structure. |
| 2.30.00 (I): | A cargo container may be utilized as an accessory structure within the A-1 and C-2 Zoning. |
| Swimming Pools | |
| 2.30.01: | Swimming pools are permitted in all residential districts as an accessory use. |
| 2.30.01(A) : | Swimming pools shall be permitted in accordance with the Florida Building code. |
| General Codes | |
| 8.01.06.05: | Unsafe Buildings or Systems: All buildings, structures, electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems which are unsafe, unsanitary or do not provide adequate egress or which constitute a fire hazard or otherwise dangerous to human life, or which in relation to existing use constitute a hazard to safety or health, are considered unsafe buildings or service systems. Declared illegal shall be abated by repair, rehabilitation or by demolition. |
| StatuteFlorida Building Code | |
| 105.5 | Construction without Permits |
| 101.6 | Failure to Maintain (paint, windows, screens, roof) |
The following items are some examples of junk, trash, and debris that ARE NOT permitted:
- Old furniture (chairs, couches, etc. )
- Old tires
- Debris of any kind (tree limbs, trash, etc. )
- Yard trash or litter (any untidy accumulation of objects, such as buckets, coolers, aluminum cans, tarps, mattress, bed frames, old lumber, old metal, any thing old and not in use. )
- Lumber/wood must be stacked neatly on the property.
Contact Information
Ricky Simmons – Sr Code Enforcement Officer
Ricky.Simmons@hardeecountyfl.gov
William Bryant – Code Enforcement Officer
william.bryant@hardeecountyfl.gov
If you wish to file a code enforcement complaint, please click here.
Hardee County Planning and Zoning Office
110 S. 9th Ave
Wauchula, FL 33873
Office Phone (863 ) 473-4772
Fax (863 ) 767-0360
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri: 8 AM – 5 PM