Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
Base residential uses density-encoded suffixes (RS-1/RS-3/RS-4.4/RS-8 = du/ac buckets; RM-10/RM-15 = MF du/ac; RMM-25 = mid-rise du/ac; RD-15/RDS-15 = duplex du/ac). Commercial uses B-1..B-5 intensity scale. RAC/NWRAC/SRAC are named overlay districts; RAC-CC is the downtown CBD overlay code.
Districts
com 5res_sf 4res_mf 3res_th 2ind 2cbd 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS-1 | Single-Family Low Density | res_sf | 40,000 sf[1] | 35 ft[2] | — | — | 1.5[3] | — | — / — / — |
| RS-3 | Single-Family Medium Density | res_sf | 10,000 sf[4] | 35 ft[5] | — | — | 4[6] | — | — / — / — |
| RS-4.4 | Single-Family Medium-High Density | res_sf | 8,000 sf[7] | 35 ft[8] | — | — | 4.4[9] | — | — / — / — |
| RS-8 | Single-Family High Density | res_sf | 5,000 sf[10] | 40 ft[11] | — | — | 8[12] | — | — / — / — |
| RM-10 | Multifamily Low Rise | res_mf | — | 45 ft[13] | — | — | 10[14] | — | — / — / — |
| RM-15 | Multifamily Low Rise Moderate | res_mf | — | 55 ft[15] | — | — | 15[16] | — | — / — / — |
| RMM-25 | Multifamily Mid-Rise | res_mf | — | 110 ft[18] | — | — | 25[19] | — | — / —[17] / — |
| RD-15 | Residential Duplex | res_th | — | 47 ft[20] | — | — | 15[21] | — | — / — / — |
| RDS-15 | Residential Duplex Single-Family Mixed | res_th | — | 47 ft[22] | — | — | 15[23] | — | — / — / — |
| B-1 | Boulevard / Neighborhood Business | com | — | 37 ft[24] | — | 1.25[25] | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-2 | Community Business | com | — | 52 ft[26] | — | 1.75[27] | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-3 | Central Business District | cbd | — | 90 ft[28] | — | 3[29] | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-4 | General Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-5 | Heavy Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| PCC | Planned Commerce Center | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-1 | Light Industrial | ind | — | 55 ft[30] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-2 | General Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
CHHA
Coastal High Hazard Area
FP| zone_ve | Velocity zone (wave hazard); coastal high hazard — elevation + wave-loading construction required |
|---|---|
| zone_ae | Base Flood Elevation zone; city requires elevation ≥1 ft above FEMA BFE (city freeboard) |
| zone_ao | Shallow flood hazard; 1–3 ft depth; sheet-flow standards apply |
| zone_a | Approximate flood hazard; flood elevation data unavailable; city-determined BFE |
| 100_year_floodplain | Short-term focus area for density/intensity restrictions |
| 500_year_floodplain | Long-term planning considerations; critical facilities siting restricted |
| critical_facilities | Prohibited in high-velocity (VE) zones |
| fill_compensation | Compensatory storage required for fill |
CCCL
Coastal Construction Control Line
ENV| state_permit | FDEP CCCL permit required for any structural activity seaward of CCCL (in addition to city building permit) |
|---|---|
| armoring | Seawalls / rigid armoring restricted; subject to state review |
| dune_protection | Native dune vegetation preservation; mechanical dune reconstruction restricted |
| turtle_lighting | Sea-turtle-safe lighting mandates during nesting season |
HD-SB
Sailboat Bend Historic District
HP| review | Architectural review (Certificate of Appropriateness) required for exterior alterations |
|---|---|
| demolition | Demolition restrictions + delay / denial authority |
| board | Historic Preservation Board oversight |
| design_guidelines | Adopted district-specific design guidelines govern fenestration, massing, materials |
HD-HM
Himmarshee Historic District
HP| review | Architectural review / COA for exterior alterations |
|---|---|
| demolition | Demolition restrictions — major conflict point with RAC-CC redevelopment pressure |
| facade_retention | Façade retention standards for contributing structures |
| height_limit_conflict | HP façade / massing standards may effectively limit the height bonuses that RAC-CC would otherwise permit |
HD-SH
Stranahan House Historic District
HP| local_designation | Local historic designation |
|---|---|
| national_register | National Register of Historic Places listing |
| review | COA + NR review for any changes affecting historic fabric |
RAC-CC
Downtown Regional Activity Center
DT| baseline_density_du_ac | Up to ~200+ du/ac with bonuses (context-dependent) |
|---|---|
| baseline_height_ft | 150 |
| bonus_height | Additional height available through Downtown Master Plan review; effectively unlimited for flagship projects subject to design review |
| far_range | ~3.0–4.0+ (inferred from mixed-use RAC standards) |
| form_based_elements | Street-level activation, pedestrian connections, parking screened from street |
| affordable_housing_bonuses | Density + parking bonuses available for affordable set-asides |
| downtown_master_plan | Downtown Master Plan standards apply as design overlay |
NWRAC-MU
Northwest Regional Activity Center — Mixed-Use Overlay
DT| base_density_du_ac | Standard density per underlying base zone |
|---|---|
| bonus_density_du_ac | 100+ du/ac with affordable set-aside |
| affordability_tier | 10% set-aside: 5% at ≤80% AMI + 5% at ≤100% AMI |
| height_bonuses | Expedited review; increased height allowances through NWRAC Master Plan |
| form_based | Form-based code elements on Sistrunk and connecting corridors |
| transit_connectivity | Transit connectivity requirements as part of site design review |
SRAC
South Regional Activity Center
DT| base_density_du_ac | 50 |
|---|---|
| bonus_density_du_ac | 100 |
| bonus_condition | +100% density bonus requires 10% affordable set-aside (5% ≤80% AMI + 5% ≤100% AMI) |
| uptown_urban_village_max_du_ac | 200 |
| uptown_affordability_ladder | Each additional 50 du/ac above baseline requires additional 5% affordability (5% ≤100% AMI per 50-unit step) |
| primary_uses | Professional office + residential continuation + mixed-use |
TOD
Transit-Oriented Development Overlay
TOD| required_mixed_use | Residential component must be principal land use |
|---|---|
| design_standards | Pedestrian connectivity to transit; walkability focus |
| density_bonuses | Subject to corridor-specific availability; partial documentation |
| parking_reduction | Transit-proximity parking reductions |
MUDC
Mixed-Use Development Corridor Overlay
COR| ground_floor_activation | Ground-floor activation requirement (retail / active use) |
|---|---|
| mixed_uses | Mix of residential, retail, office, services required |
| parking | Parking requirements reduced or shared across MUDC sites |
| multimodal | Multi-modal connectivity standards |
| form_based_elements | Form-based code elements layered on Euclidean base |
APO
Airport Proximity Overlay (FAA Part 77)
AP| height_restrictions | FAA Part 77 surface restrictions; some sites limited to 40–50 ft regardless of base zoning |
|---|---|
| noise_contours | DNL 65+, 70+, 75+ contour designations drive land-use compatibility |
| land_use_compatibility | Noise-sensitive uses (residential, schools, hospitals) discouraged / conditional in DNL 65+ zones |
| faa_form_7460 | FAA Form 7460-1 filing required for structures penetrating imaginary surfaces |
| spillover | Discharge / spillover restrictions from airport operations |
State preemptions
Qualifying condition
Per-parcel: site zoned commercial, industrial, or mixed-use (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, PCC, RAC-CC, NWRAC-MU, SRAC, Uptown Urban Village, MUDC-classified corridors, or any ULDR MU sub-district) AND ≥40% units affordable at or ≤120% AMI. Applies to all FL municipalities regardless of population.
Effect
By-right multifamily permitted on qualifying C/I/MU parcels. Density floor = highest residential density allowed anywhere in Fort Lauderdale; Uptown Urban Village sub-zone of SRAC = 200 du/ac is the jurisdiction-wide density ceiling and therefore the Live Local density floor. Height floor = tallest of (a) highest zoning height within 1 mile (RAC-CC baseline 150 ft + bonuses in downtown; effectively unlimited with bonuses in Downtown Master Plan subareas) or (b) tallest adjacent building. ≥20% mandatory parking reduction (SB 328 2024). Hotel/motel conversion pathway to affordable housing authorized (SB 328 2024). City cannot deny qualifying projects or impose non-building-code conditions. City has unsuccessfully litigated (Galleria mall redevelopment, ~3,000 units) — state law prevails.
FL-STR-Preemptionapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide; cities lacking a pre-June-2011 STR-specific ordinance cannot ban STRs or impose frequency caps. Fort Lauderdale has a long-standing vacation rental registration program (Ord. No. C-17-13 and subsequent amendments); grandfather status partially protects the registration and inspection framework but not outright duration-of-rental restrictions.
Effect
City may require registration, life-safety inspection, local-contact designation, and parking/noise standards applied uniformly to residential uses. Cannot prohibit STRs in R-series, RM, RMM, or RD districts or impose minimum-night-stay bans beyond what applies to all rentals. Ongoing FL legislative activity (SB 280 / HB 1537 family) may further constrain city latitude.
FL-Impact-Fee-Caps-HB7103-HB337applies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Material to Fort Lauderdale given active downtown RAC-CC and SRAC intensification plus resilience-driven infrastructure investment (sea wall raising, stormwater master plan).
Effect
Impact fee increases capped at 12.5%/4-year phased schedule; exceeding the cap requires extraordinary-circumstance finding with fee study. Constrains the city's ability to fund CHHA/floodplain infrastructure via impact-fee escalation alone.
FL-Bert-Harris-Actapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Fort Lauderdale-specific exposure: (1) coastal barrier island parcels (Birch/Galt Ocean Mile/Harbor Beach) with long-established entitlements where any CHHA/CCCL-driven downzoning or height reduction would be particularly vulnerable; (2) pre-existing Himmarshee/Sailboat Bend platted entitlements where historic district designation layered after platting; (3) RAC-CC legacy approvals where any bonus-stack rollback would trigger claims.
Effect
Any new overlay, downzoning, CHHA intensification, Airport Proximity Overlay height reduction, or historic district expansion should undergo Bert Harris inordinate-burden review before adoption. Strong disincentive against retroactive density or height reductions on barrier island or downtown sites.
FL-Building-Code-Preemptionapplies
Qualifying condition
Statewide. Material to Fort Lauderdale for VE-zone barrier island construction, AE-zone mainland construction near intracoastal, and the eastern-city resilience upgrade program. Wind-load and elevation standards are FBC-driven.
Effect
Local technical amendments to FBC limited to local-administrative items; V-zone construction, base flood elevation + freeboard, and hurricane-wind-load requirements track FBC + ASCE 7 directly. Fort Lauderdale's higher-of-two-feet freeboard requirement and the city's climate-resilience design standards layer on top of but do not replace FBC minimums.
Adopted building codes
Statewide — FL Building Code 7th ed
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Max building height in feet. Varies by base district and overlay. FAA Part 77 surfaces (Airport Proximity Overlay) may override downward near FLL. RAC-CC allows height bonuses through Downtown Master Plan review (§47-13.20). Live Local Act floor = tallest zoning height within 1 mile or tallest adjacent building.
- lot_coverage
- Referenced in ULDR Ch. 47 dimensional tables; specific values partial for most districts due to Municode SPA retrieval limits.
- far
- Referenced in ULDR Ch. 47 and RAC design standards; B-3/RAC-CC estimated 3.0–4.0+ baseline with bonuses; values partial for most base districts.
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per acre. Base residential districts use density-encoded naming (RS-4.4 ≈ 4.4 du/ac; RM-15 ≈ 15 du/ac; RMM-25 ≈ 25 du/ac; RD-15 ≈ 15 du/ac). Overlay bonuses stack on top — SRAC 50→100 with 10% affordable, Uptown Urban Village up to 200 du/ac. Live Local Act floor = 200 du/ac city-wide.
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- Varies by district; RS/RM dimensional tables in §47-5.30–47-5.34. Specific values partial.
- setback_side
- RMM-25: min = ½ building height or code minimum, whichever greater (c§47-5.36). Other MF districts follow similar height-tied logic.
- setback_rear
- Referenced in §47-5 tables; specific values not extracted.
- parking
- Standard on-site 1–6 spaces per 1,000 sf by use. RAC overlay + affordability achieves 20–25% reduction by design review. Live Local Act mandates ≥20% reduction for qualifying projects (SB 328 2024).
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560- parking_required
units * parking
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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Copy zoning profile
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
Municode SPA frequently blocks scripted WebFetch with 403/shell HTML; Gridics CodeHub mirrors ULDR Ch. 47 with navigable section text and is a productive fallback. Chapter 47 dimensional tables (§47-5.30–47-5.36 residential; §47-6 commercial) are the authoritative source. City Development Services zoning page is the canonical entry point and links to Municode as primary.
Secondary sources
- https://codehub.gridics.com/us/fl/fld
- http://fortlauderdale.elaws.us/code/
- https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-a-h/development-services/urban-design-and-planning/property-zoning-and-land-use-information
- https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-a-h/development-services/urban-design-and-planning/historic-preservation/historic-districts
- https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-a-h/development-services/urban-design-and-planning/planning-initiatives/nwrac-master-plan
- https://gyr.fortlauderdale.gov/greener-government/climate-resiliency/floodplain-management/flood-zones-in-fort-lauderdale/flood-zone-designations-flood-maps
Citations
- [1] i
- [2] i
- [3] i
- [4] i
- [5] i
- [6] i
- [7] §47-5.30
- [8] §47-5.30
- [9] i
- [10] §47-5.31
- [11] §47-5.31
- [12] i
- [13] i
- [14] i
- [15] §47-5.34
- [16] §47-5.34
- [17] §47-5.36
- [18] §47-5.19
- [19] i
- [20] i
- [21] i
- [22] i
- [23] i
- [24] i
- [25] i
- [26] i
- [27] i
- [28] §47-6
- [29] i
- [30] i
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | source.primary_url = https://library.municode.com/fl/fort_lauderdale/codes/unified_land_development_code (city ULDR canonical Municode viewer); source_platform = municode; six secondary_urls anchor city-hosted Development Services / Historic Preservation / Floodplain Management pages plus Gridics CodeHub mirror and eLaws mirror. Code Chapter 47 dimensional tables (§47-5.30–§47-5.36, §47-6, §47-13.20, §47-24) cited throughout. |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | Zero Zoneomics / Steadily / SitePlanGuide / SitePlanCreator / Propwire / Zonara / Unzoned references. All citations resolve to primary sources: Fort Lauderdale ULDR Ch. 47 (Municode + Gridics mirror + eLaws mirror, all reproducing the city ordinance text), Florida Statutes (FS §166.04151, §509.032, §163.31801, §70.001, §553.73, §161.053, §163.3178), FEMA FIRM Broward, FDEP CCCL program, 14 CFR Part 77, National Register of Historic Places listing for Stranahan House, and city-adopted plans (Downtown Master Plan, NWRAC Master Plan, SRAC Master Plan, ADVANCE 2040 Comprehensive Plan). |
| confidence tags full form | passed | All confirmed claims carry c§<section> form: c§47-13.20 (RAC-CC), c§47-24 (Historic Preservation, applied to HD-SB / HD-HM / HD-SH), c§47-5.36 (RMM-25 height-tied side setback), c§166.04151(7) FS (Live Local Act), c§161.053 FS (CCCL), c§163.3178(9) FS (CHHA), c§14-CFR-Part-77 (APO), c§NWRAC-Master-Plan, c§SRAC-Master-Plan, c§ADVANCE-2040 (TOD), c§ULDR-MUDC, c§NRHP (Stranahan). Partial entries carry c§<section>+partial_reason (e.g. CCCL parameters, MUDC corridor map, APO parcel ceilings, TOD corridor tables — all with explicit retrieval-failure narrative). Inferred residential dimensional values use bare 'i' with derivation note (per density-encoded naming convention RS-1 → 1 du/ac, RM-15 → 15 du/ac, etc.) — schema-permitted inferred form. Zero bare [confirmed]/[HIGH]/[MEDIUM]/[LOW] shorthand. |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | 11 overlays (CHHA, CCCL, HD-SB, HD-HM, HD-SH, RAC-CC, NWRAC-MU, SRAC, TOD, MUDC, APO) each carry: name + code + type, ordinance reference, geographic_trigger prose (barrier-island corridor for CHHA; CCCL linework east of FDEP control line; downtown CBD core for RAC-CC; Sistrunk corridor for NWRAC-MU; Federal Hwy / Uptown for SRAC; Tri-Rail/BCT corridors for TOD; etc.), params object with ≥3 keys (CHHA has 8 zone/floodplain keys; SRAC has 5 density/affordability keys; APO has 5 height/noise/disclosure keys), base_interaction prose explaining stack behavior, confidence with c§ tag, status enum. Partial overlays (CCCL, TOD, MUDC, APO) each declare partial_reason naming the specific data not retrieved this pass. |
| preempt section city specific | passed | state_preemptions_applicable contains 5 entries (FL-Live-Local-Act-SB102-SB328, FL-STR-Preemption, FL-Impact-Fee-Caps-HB7103-HB337, FL-Bert-Harris-Act, FL-Building-Code-Preemption), each with citation_source (FS §166.04151(7), FS §509.032(7), FS §163.31801, FS §70.001, FS §553.73), status, qualifying_condition_checked with Fort Lauderdale-specific computed inputs, and effect prose. Live Local Act entry explicitly identifies city-wide density floor = 200 du/ac (derived from Uptown Urban Village SRAC sub-zone), height floor = tallest within 1 mi (RAC-CC 150 ft baseline + Downtown Master Plan bonuses), ≥20% mandatory parking reduction per SB 328 2024, hotel/motel conversion pathway, and references the documented Galleria mall litigation in which the city's challenge was unsuccessful. Bert Harris entry calls out three city-specific exposure clusters (barrier-island CHHA/CCCL parcels, Himmarshee/Sailboat Bend platted entitlements, RAC-CC bonus stack). |
Data quality
42%completeness22 confirmed16 partial24 inferred38 not found
Documented gaps
- Exact height/setback/FAR/lot coverage values for all base residential and commercial districts (§47-5.30–47-5.36, §47-6) — Municode SPA retrieval limit
- Industrial district (I-1, I-2) permitted uses and dimensional standards (§47-7) not accessed
- Parcel-level FAA Part 77 ceilings for FLL and FXE not extracted
- Parking Schedule (per-use minima table) not extracted from ULDR
- TOD overlay corridor-specific density / height / parking tables not fully retrieved
- MUDC final corridor map and amended parameter table not retrieved (ongoing amendment cycle)
- CCCL linework boundary not retrieved this pass
- Permitted / conditional use lists for B-1..B-5 not fully extracted
Known issues
freshness:volatiledata:gaps-present
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