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.