Tennis Court Permits in Florida: Who Issues Them and What They Check

This guide covers the statewide rules first, then the issuing office in seven of Florida's busiest counties. If you're still in the planning stage, our tennis court construction page walks through how a court gets built from survey to final lines.

The court itself is a flat slab, so many departments review it mainly for placement: setbacks, lot coverage, easements and drainage. Some counties have setback rules written specifically for tennis courts. Palm Beach County's Unified Land Development Code, Article 5, for example, carries a setback table for recreation amenities and lets fences around tennis courts go above six feet, as long as they meet those setbacks.

The fence is usually the piece that triggers structural review. Florida sits in hurricane country, and a fence wrapped in windscreen catches a lot of wind. Orange County's Division of Building Safety says new structures must be designed by a Florida-licensed architect or engineer and show they meet the wind loading rules in Section 1609 of the Florida Building Code.

Court lighting means poles, footings, wiring and a panel connection. That's a separate electrical permit almost everywhere. Orange County, for one, requires an electrical permit for any new wiring under its Code of Ordinances Section 9-86(a).

Courts are impervious, so water runs off instead of soaking in. Under the statewide rule, Rule 62-330.020, F.A.C., an Environmental Resource Permit is required once a project reaches more than 9,000 square feet of impervious and semi-impervious surface, among other triggers like work in wetlands or a project area over five acres. A multi-court complex can cross that line quickly. Your water management district reviews it.

The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) is in effect today. It took effect December 31, 2023, according to the Florida Building Commission's annual report. The 9th Edition (2026) takes effect December 31, 2026. Miami-Dade's Permitting and Inspection Center notice says applications submitted on or after that date must meet the new edition. If your board is close to filing, ask your contractor which edition the plans are drawn to.

For an HOA, club or school, the licensed contractor pulls the permit and is responsible for inspections. Hillsborough County's homeowner permit page puts it simply: if you hire a contractor, they get the permits.

Two state laws matter here. The owner-builder exemption in Section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes lets an individual owner act as their own contractor on their own home, but the owner has to supervise the work personally and sign a disclosure statement. It's not built for associations. And under Section 489.128, a contract signed by an unlicensed contractor can't be enforced by that contractor, which tells you how seriously the state takes licensing. Verify the license before you sign.

If the job is worth more than $5,000, a Notice of Commencement must be recorded and filed with the building department before the first inspection, per Section 713.135.

HB 803 took effect July 1, 2026 and exempts some single-family work under $7,500 from building permits. Per Miami-Dade's exemption page, it only covers certain homes and excludes electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and structural work, including wind-resistant fences. A new court for an HOA won't qualify. Palm Beach County's Building Division has posted that its current permit requirements remain in effect.

The Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) runs the Permitting and Inspection Center. Its exemption list says chain-link fences (other than pool barriers) don't need a building permit but do need a Zoning Improvement Permit. Wind-resistant fences need a building permit. Fence permits that use the county's pre-approved standard fence detail go through zoning and public works review only.

The Broward County Building Code Division permits the Broward Municipal Services District (the unincorporated pockets such as Broadview Park and Washington Park) and the airport. Almost every Broward property is inside a city, so in practice your city's building department is usually the issuer.

The Building Division Permit Center, part of the Planning, Zoning and Building Department, processes permits for unincorporated Palm Beach County through the ePZB portal. Zoning setbacks for tennis courts and tennis court fence heights are in ULDC Article 5. The Building Division also announced a new flood legend requirement on new construction submittals starting October 1, 2026.

Development Services handles zoning, site review and building permits for unincorporated Hillsborough through the HillsGovHub portal. Its exempt work list says wood, PVC and chain-link fences don't need a building permit, but electrical or concrete fences do, and it tells owners to call zoning about every fence. It does not issue permits inside Tampa, Plant City or Temple Terrace.

The Division of Building Safety issues building and electrical permits through Fast Track Online. Residential fence permits are reviewed by the Zoning Division for placement and height. Commercial fences go through Plans Coordination and need a licensed contractor to accept the permit.

The Growth Management Community Development Department's Building Plan Review and Inspection Division issues permits. The Wall/Fence (PRFW) permit needs a site plan with height, materials and gate locations, and it points to Land Development Code Section 5.03.02. Fences in a drainage easement need an Easement Use Agreement, which includes an HOA letter of no objection.

Rules change, so confirm the details with the permitting office for your parcel before you design. Our guide to preparing for athletic court construction covers the planning side, and if you're adding pickleball court construction to the project, the same permit path applies.

Mor-Sports Group has built courts across Florida since 1986, and our own crews do the work. Request a free estimate and we'll help you map out the permits for your site.