The Florida Senate

The bill requires counties and cities of a certain size to create and implement a program by January 1, 2027, for the use of qualified, preapproved private professionals from a local government-maintained registry to perform a preapplication review of permit applications, plan reviews, and plat approvals before submission to the local government for final approval. The mechanics of this review as supplementing the local government’s staff resources are to be determined by the governing body.

If an applicant chooses to use this process, the county must, within 5 days of a preapplication certification, confirm receipt, verify completeness, and notify the applicant of completion or deficiencies. The county must then process the complete or deemed-complete application for final action and approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application within 45 days. Failure to take final action within 10 days following notice by the applicant results in the application’s automatic approval. Approvals are made through administrative review, without a public hearing or other review.

Each local government must establish and maintain a registry of at least four qualified contractors or two qualified contractor firms free of conflict of interest with the local government, either individually or through agreement with another local government.

With respect to platting approval and expedited platting review, the bill:

• Prohibits a local government from creating or establishing any additional regulations or requirements that a platting applicant must meet for the approval of a final plat;
• Expands the expedited building permit process from residential subdivisions or planned communities to include one or more phases of a community or subdivision;
• Requires the expedited application program to approve stabilized access roads that can support emergency vehicles in addition to preliminary platting;
• Provides that the utilities plans required prior to the issuance of building permits do not include completion of any infrastructure or improvements required under such plans except for access and roadway improvements required by the fire code for fire department access and operations; and
• Provides that an applicant has a vested right in a preliminary plat approved by a governing body so long as the applicant relies on such approved plat and incurs obligations and expenses or commences construction of the residential subdivision or community. Such vested rights exist for a minimum of 5 years from approval without such conditions.

If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor's signature, these provisions take effect on July 1, 2026.

Vote: Senate 33-0; House 110-0