Zoning is a designation assigned to your property that regulates how that property is allowed to be developed and used. Zoning districts specify the areas in which residential, commercial, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place.

Rezoning requests are processed through the County’s Planning Division and are reviewed for consistency and compatibility with the surrounding area as it relates to the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Contact the Planning Division at 407-836-5600 if you wish to discuss a potential rezoning of your property.

These applications are processed once per month and require a public hearing with the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) and acceptance of the PZC recommendation by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners . Planned Development (PD) rezoning requests are processed through the county’s Development Review Committee (DRC) and require public hearings with both the PZC and the Board of County Commissioners.

Visit Orange County Code Chapter 38 Zoning.

Find information about setbacks and height under Sec. 38-1501.

Find parking information under Sec. 38-1476.

Find allowable uses under Sec. 38-77 (land use table).

Find the conditions for permitted uses, special exceptions, etc. under Sec. 38-79.

For any other zoning-related questions, contact 3-1-1 or visit www.ocfl.net/311.

Visit our website and download the application at the Board of Zoning Adjustment webpage.

Business Tax Receipts (BTR) are issued by the Orange County Tax Collector. However, for properties within unincorporated Orange County’s jurisdiction, the process for obtaining a BTR begins with a review by the Orange County Zoning Division to ensure the proposed use is allowed in a particular location. To get started, download and complete BTR application. Next, create a Fast Track account with Orange County Fast Track Online Services or log into an existing account if you already have one. When creating your account, the user category you will need to choose is Zoning/BZA. Please refer to the Orange County BTR webpage for guidance on application submittal. You may also refer to the Business Tax Receipt Submittal Guidelines to walk you through the submittal process.

A use permit may also be required. This permit is to confirm that the building you want to occupy is consistent with the building code requirements for that use. If you are changing the use of the space or the ownership of the business, a new use permit is required. If a use permit is required, it will be linked to your BTR application in Fast Track and you will need to complete the information on the permit so that it can be processed. Your BTR will not be approved until this permit has been completed.

If you are building a new structure or making changes to the interior or exterior of an existing structure a building permit will be required and can be applied for on Fast Track.

After you have received approval from the Zoning Division, paid all your fees, and receive a “C. of O.” from the Division of Building Safety, if applicable, you will then need to contact the Business Tax Department for further instruction. The Business Tax Office may be reached at 407-434-0312 option 2 for the business & property tax department.

Yes. You are limited to one garage sale every six (6) months. For more information, visit the garage sale permit webpage.

Yes. Visit the boat and RV permit webpage for more information.

Yes. Visit the tent permits webpage.

It varies by permit type, but you typically need an owner’s signature or owner’s authorization, a to-scale survey and/or site plan of the property, and if you are building a structure, engineered drawings are required.

Short-term rental (length of stay of 179 days or less) is permitted only in Commercial C-1, C-2, C-3, and Industrial I-1A, I-1 / I-5, I-2 / I-3, and I-4 zoning districts, or in Planned Developments (PD) where short-term rental is expressly permitted.

Single-family transient rental is defined as the renting or leasing of a single-family dwelling for a period of less than thirty (30) days and is permitted only in the R-3 district.

In all other zoning districts, short-term rental and single-family transient rental shall be prohibited.

Yes, a fence permit is required for the installation of a new fence and for fence repair/restoration. A survey is required showing the location of the proposed fence. Visit the residential fence permit webpage for more information.

Typically, residential fences are limited to a maximum height of 8 ft. in the side and rear yards, and a maximum height of 4 ft. in the required front yard. However, a fence is limited to a maximum 4 ft. in height within the lake setback area (50 ft. from the Normal High-Water Elevation (NHWE) line), and this must be shown on the survey submitted with the permit application. A fence must be located on or within the property lines of any parcel of land. There are additional restrictions depending on the specific parcel and location.

Reference Municode.com (Ch. 38, Section 1408) or visit the residential fence permit webpage.

Zoning does not regulate which side the fence faces. However, a fence must be uniform in construction, design, material, color and pattern.

To determine the fence ownership, research your property at Orange County Fast Track to determine who installed the fence. However, this is a private matter between the property owners.

Yes. A permit is required for temporary signs (e.g. special events, banners, real estate, construction and home subdivision signs). A site plan and sketch/photograph of the sign with dimensions is required to issue the permit. A special event sign may be erected for a maximum of 30 days and no more than two (2) permits for such signs may be issued on any parcel within a calendar year.

For more information about a sign permit, visit the sign permit webpage .

You will need two (2) sets of engineered drawings for the sign, two (2) fully dimensioned site plans, elevation drawings of the sign, and a notarized letter from the property owner.

For more information about a sign permit, visit the sign permit webpage .

The maximum copy area for allowable wall signage is based on the length of the portion of the building where the primary entrance is located. The maximum copy area for pole/ground signs is dependent upon the length of the property line along the public right-of-way on which the property borders. Generally, a total of one and one-half (1½) square feet of copy area for building signage may be allowed for each one (1) linear foot of building frontage per establishment. For detailed information on signage, visit Chapter 31.5 of the County Code.

• Single or Two-Family (Duplex) Residential Property: A permit is required in the following circumstances:
  • Properties over two (2) acres in size that are developed with an occupied single-family residence; or
  • Any vacant/undeveloped property, regardless of size.

*Note: A property with an approved building permit for a single- or two-family (duplex) residence is permitted tree removal with the building permit for the building pad, the driveway, on-site disposal system and fifteen (15) feet around the principal building pad.

• Multi-family or Non-Residential Property: No regulated tree shall be removed until approval is obtained:
  • A separate tree removal permit is typically not required for new development or redevelopment, as tree removal requests are submitted with the building permit or development approval (Preliminary Subdivision Plan or Development Plan).
  • For tree removal on existing developed sites, a tree removal permit is required. To confirm if a tree removal permit is required, contact the Zoning Division Arbor Office at 407-836-5807 or at Arborist@ocfl.net.
• Trees within Wetlands or Conservation Areas: For any tree or trees located within a wetland, approval from the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) must first be obtained prior to conducting any removal activity. For more information pertaining to wetland permitting, visit www.ocfl.net/Environment/Wetlands. or contact EPD at 407-836-1402 or at wetlandpermitting@ocfl.net.
• Trees within Public Right of Way: Please note that trees located in a county right-of-way are managed by the Roads and Drainage Division within Public Works. For general inquiries pertaining to these trees, please contact 407-836-7900. If the tree presents a life, health, or safety issue (e.g. sight line/tree elevation, threat of falling, etc.) or there are other maintenance issues, residents should report this by calling 3-1-1 or by utilizing the OCFL 311 App.

Trees that are 8 inches or greater in diameter at breast height (DBH). DBH is the width of the tree measured at 4 1/2 feet above ground, that are on the recommended stock list below:

If you are concerned about a neighbor’s tree, (leaning over your property, or you believe it is in danger of falling), this is a private civil matter between the two private land owners. The County has no authorization to compel a property owner to remove such a tree.

You may be able to seek legal advice through the free legal aid society at 407-841-8310 or https://www.legalaidocba.org/.

If you believe a property owner is cutting down trees or clearing property without authorization, contact the Zoning Arbor Office at 407-836-5807 or at Arborist@ocfl.net.

Cleaning is allowed, including the removal of underbrush, such as palmetto and shrubs, if such removal does not adversely affect regulated trees. Cleaning must be performed with mowing equipment instead of heavy earth moving machinery to retain vegetative cover for the purpose of wind and water erosion.

The storage of equipment/vehicles or merchandise on private property is dependent on how your property is zoned. Outdoor storage is not allowed on residentially zoned property, Professional Office (P-O) or Commercial-1 (C-1) zoned properties.

This depends on the zoning of your property and the species of the animal. Visit the Municode Sec. 38-77 webpage, where you can see a variety of allowable animal groups that are permitted and any conditions associated with their use. The conditions for permitted uses, special exceptions, etc. are found under Sec. 38-79.

Orange County adopted an ordinance allowing chickens to be kept on properties zoned for and developed with detached single-family residences in 2021. The Residential Backyard Chicken ordinance only applies to single-family residential zoned and developed properties. The raising and keeping of poultry is permitted separately on agriculturally zoned properties subject to the regulations in Section 38-79(36) of the Orange County Code. Please visit the Residential Backyard Chicken webpage for detailed information on this program.