State code must be enforced in local jurisdictions. 

By action of the legislature prior to 2012, Florida-specific amendments were “sunset” by legislative mandate. Each new edition of the I-codes became the base code going forward.
Florida House Bill 1021 became law in 2017 and it once again changed the process by which Florida codes are updated, removing the International Codes from being the base code in the updating process. The current Florida codes, which are based on the 2015 I-codes, will remain the base code going forward indefinitely. The Florida Building Commission has adopted a two-stage code update process to 1) bring forward updates from the most recent editions of the International Codes as desired, and 2) consider proposed state modifications submitted by any interested party. 

The 7th Edition of Florida codes, which are based on the 2015 editions of the International Codes, but include 2018 International Code updates, went into effect at the beginning of 2018. The code update process for the 8th Edition of the Florida codes is underway, and will modify the 7th edition of the Florida Building Code(s). The process will continue through 2023 with an anticipated effective date of Dec. 31, 2023 for the 8th edition of the Florida Building Code. 

The important work gets done at the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) hearings during the code development cycle. The public is invited to give input then. 

The FBC also determines the funding of research projects for code development each year, usually by Florida universities. 

Page last updated: December 2023