Florida building code

Codes in force in Florida

Each code family with the edition and the date it took effect, as the adopting agency or statute states them.

Scope, amendments and transition rules

International Residential Code (IRC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Applies to

All public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, enforced locally¹⁴

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Residential¹⁶

International Building Code (IBC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Applies to

All public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, enforced locally¹⁴

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Building¹⁷

International Existing Building Code (IEBC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Applies to

All public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, enforced locally¹⁴

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Existing Building¹⁸

International Mechanical Code (IMC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Applies to

All public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, enforced locally¹⁴

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Mechanical¹⁹

International Plumbing Code (IPC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Applies to

All public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, enforced locally¹⁴

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Plumbing²⁰

International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Applies to

All public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, enforced locally¹⁴

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Fuel Gas²¹

Energy code, residential

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation²²

Energy code, commercial

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation²²

National Electrical Code (NEC)

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further³

Local amendments allowed?

Yes³

Amendments

Fla. Stat. § 553.73(4)¹⁵

Transition period

Permit application date controls the code edition³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code (NEC-based electrical provisions)¹⁶

State code

Scope

Statewide minimum; local governments may go further¹³

Local amendments allowed?

Yes¹³

Next edition (not yet in force)

9th Edition Florida Fire Prevention Code¹¹

How Florida adopts building codes

Fla. Stat. §§ 553.73, 553.79(3)-(4); Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G20-1.001

• Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), as updated by the Florida Building Commission on June 20, 2023, April 16, 2024, August 13, 2024, December 10, 2024, December 20, 2024, April 15, 2025, and December 9, 2025, and incorporated herein by reference is hereby adopted as the building code for the State of Florida.¹²
• Effective December 31, 2023. The Effective Date for the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), is December 31, 2023.²
• Florida Building Commission. (1)(a) The commission shall adopt, by rule pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, the Florida Building Code which shall contain or incorporate by reference all laws and rules which pertain to and govern the design, construction, erection, alteration, modification, repair, and demolition of public and private buildings, structures, and facilities and enforcement of such laws and rules, except as otherwise provided in this section.³
• Statewide minimum; local governments may go further. (6) The initial adoption of, and any subsequent update or amendment to, the Florida Building Code by the commission is deemed adopted for use statewide without adoptions by local government.³
• Local governments may adopt amendments to the administrative provisions of the Florida Building Code, subject to the limitations in this subsection.³
• (b) Local governments may, subject to the limitations in this section and not more than once every 6 months, adopt amendments to the technical provisions of the Florida Building Code that apply solely within the jurisdiction of such government and that provide for more stringent requirements than those specified in the Florida Building Code.³
• Local amendments lapse at each new edition unless carried forward. (e) An amendment to the Florida Building Code adopted by a local government under this subsection is effective only until the adoption of the new edition of the Florida Building Code by the commission every third year.³
• 3 years. (7)(a) The commission shall adopt an updated Florida Building Code every 3 years through review of the most current updates of the International Building Code, the International Fuel Gas Code, the International Existing Building Code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Plumbing Code, and the International Residential Code, all of which are copyrighted and published by the International Code Council, and the National Electrical Code, which is copyrighted and published by the National Fire Protection Association.³
• 6 months. (e) A rule updating the Florida Building Code in accordance with this subsection shall take effect no sooner than 6 months after publication of the updated code.³
• Zoning and land use are outside the code. (13) The Florida Building Code does not apply to, and no code enforcement action shall be brought with respect to, zoning requirements, land use requirements, and owner specifications or programmatic requirements which do not pertain to and govern the design, construction, erection, alteration, modification, repair, or demolition of public or private buildings, structures, or facilities or to programmatic requirements that do not pertain to enforcement of the Florida Building Code.³
• No mandated IRC residential sprinklers. (17) A provision of the International Residential Code relating to mandated fire sprinklers may not be incorporated into the Florida Building Code as adopted by the Florida Building Commission and may not be adopted as a local amendment to the Florida Building Code.³
• Local enforcement. (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)-(g), each local government and each legally constituted enforcement district with statutory authority shall regulate building construction and, where authorized in the state agency’s enabling legislation, each state agency shall enforce the Florida Building Code required by this part on all public or private buildings, structures, and facilities, unless such responsibility has been delegated to another unit of government under s. 553.79(11).¹⁴
• Effective December 31, 2026. 2026 FBC (9th edition) effective date (6 – months after publication) 12/31/2026…²³
• Effective December 31, 2026. The Florida Building Code NINTH (2026) Edition becomes effective on December 31, 2026.²⁴
• Florida Fire Prevention Code updated every 3 years. (4) The State Fire Marshal shall update, by rule adopted pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, the Florida Fire Prevention Code every 3 years.¹³

Applies to

Statewide; supersedes other building codes¹⁵

Can local rules be stricter?

Yes¹⁵

Residential code in Florida cities

The edition each city enforces, from the city’s own adoption page or ordinance.

For permits, exemptions and owner-builder rules, see Florida building permits. To compare editions across states, see the code adoption map.