ENROLLED
       2025 Legislature                     CS for CS for CS for SB 784
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                                              2025784er
    1  
    2         An act relating to platting; amending s. 177.071,
    3         F.S.; requiring that certain plat or replat submittals
    4         be administratively approved with no further action by
    5         certain entities under certain circumstances;
    6         requiring the governing body of such county or
    7         municipality to designate an administrative authority
    8         to receive, review, and process plat or replat
    9         submittals; providing requirements for such
   10         designation; defining the term “administrative
   11         authority”; requiring the administrative authority to
   12         submit a certain notice to an applicant; providing
   13         requirements for such notice; requiring the
   14         administrative authority to approve, approve with
   15         conditions, or deny a plat or replat submittal in
   16         accordance with the timeframe in the initial written
   17         notice to the applicant; requiring the administrative
   18         authority to notify the applicant in writing if it
   19         declines to approve a plat or replat submittal;
   20         requiring that the written notification contain the
   21         reasons for denial and other information; prohibiting
   22         the administrative authority or other official,
   23         employee, agent, or designee from requesting or
   24         requiring that the applicant request an extension of
   25         time; amending s. 177.111, F.S.; conforming provisions
   26         to changes made by the act; providing an effective
   27         date.
   28          
   29  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   30  
   31         Section 1. Section 177.071, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   32  read:
   33         177.071 Administrative approval of plats plat by designated
   34  county or municipal official governing bodies.—
   35         (1)(a)A plat or replat submitted under this part must be
   36  administratively approved and no further action or approval by
   37  the governing body of a county or municipality is required if
   38  the plat or replat complies with the requirements of s. 177.091.
   39  The governing body of the county or municipality shall
   40  designate, by ordinance or resolution, an administrative
   41  authority to receive, review, and process the plat or replat
   42  submittal, including designating an administrative official
   43  responsible for approving, approving with conditions, or denying
   44  the proposed plat or replat.
   45         (b)As used in this section, the term “administrative
   46  authority” means a department, division, or other agency of the
   47  county or municipality. For purposes of issuing a final
   48  administrative approval of a plat or replat submittal, the term
   49  also includes an administrative officer or employee designated
   50  by the governing body of a county or municipality, including but
   51  not limited to, a county administrator or manager, a city
   52  manager, a deputy county administrator or manager, a deputy city
   53  manager, an assistant county administrator or manager, an
   54  assistant city manager, or other high-ranking county or city
   55  department or division director with direct or indirect
   56  oversight responsibility for the county’s or municipality’s land
   57  development, housing, utilities, or public works programs.
   58         (2)Within 7 business days after receipt of a plat or
   59  replat submittal, the administrative authority shall provide
   60  written notice to the applicant acknowledging receipt of the
   61  plat or replat submittal and identifying any missing documents
   62  or information necessary to process the plat or replat submittal
   63  for compliance with s. 177.091. The written notice must also
   64  provide information regarding the plat or replat approval
   65  process, including requirements regarding the completeness of
   66  the process and applicable timeframes for reviewing, approving,
   67  and otherwise processing the plat or replat submittal.
   68         (3)Unless the applicant requests an extension of time, the
   69  administrative authority shall approve, approve with conditions,
   70  or deny the plat or replat submittal within the timeframe
   71  identified in the written notice provided to the applicant under
   72  subsection (2). If the administrative authority does not approve
   73  the plat or replat, it must notify the applicant in writing of
   74  the reasons for declining to approve the submittal. The written
   75  notice must identify all areas of noncompliance and include
   76  specific citations to each requirement the plat or replat
   77  submittal fails to meet. The administrative authority, or an
   78  official, an employee, an agent, or a designee of the governing
   79  body, may not request or require the applicant to file a written
   80  extension of time.
   81         (4)(1) Before a plat or replat is offered for recording, it
   82  must be administratively approved as required by this section by
   83  the appropriate governing body, and evidence of such approval
   84  must be placed on the plat or replat. If not approved, the
   85  governing body must return the plat or replat to the
   86  professional surveyor and mapper or the legal entity offering
   87  the plat or replat for recordation. For the purposes of this
   88  part:
   89         (a) When the plat or replat to be submitted for approval is
   90  located wholly within the boundaries of a municipality, the
   91  governing body of the municipality has exclusive jurisdiction to
   92  approve the plat or replat.
   93         (b) When a plat or replat lies wholly within the
   94  unincorporated areas of a county, the governing body of the
   95  county has exclusive jurisdiction to approve the plat or replat.
   96         (c) When a plat or replat lies within the boundaries of
   97  more than one county, municipality, or both governing body, two
   98  plats or replats must be prepared and each county or
   99  municipality governing body has exclusive jurisdiction to
  100  approve the plat or replat within its boundaries, unless each
  101  county or municipality with jurisdiction over the plat or replat
  102  agrees the governing bodies having said jurisdiction agree that
  103  one plat is mutually acceptable.
  104         (5)(2) Any provision in a county charter, or in an
  105  ordinance of any charter county or consolidated government
  106  chartered under s. 6(e), Art. VIII of the State Constitution,
  107  which provision is inconsistent with anything contained in this
  108  section shall prevail in such charter county or consolidated
  109  government to the extent of any such inconsistency.
  110         Section 2. Section 177.111, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  111  read:
  112         177.111 Instructions for filing plats plat.—After the
  113  approval by the appropriate administrative authority governing
  114  body required by s. 177.071, the plat or replat must shall be
  115  recorded by the circuit court clerk or other recording officer
  116  upon submission thereto of such approved plat or replat. The
  117  circuit court clerk or other recording officer shall maintain in
  118  his or her office a book of the proper size for such papers so
  119  that they will shall not be folded, to be kept in the vault. A
  120  print or photographic copy must be filed in a similar book and
  121  kept in his or her office for the use of the public. The clerk
  122  shall make available to the public a full size copy of the
  123  record plat or replat at a reasonable fee.
  124         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.