Administrative overview · FIPS 12055
Highlands County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Highlands County Building Division
For a project in or near Highlands County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
863-402-6643
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
501 South Commerce Avenue, Suite 1, Courthouse Annex, Sebring, FL 33870; mailing address: PO Box 1926, Sebring, FL 33871
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Review expectation
N/A; the County states that most applications require plan review and that review time varies by project type, but it publishes no dependable general building-permit review deadline. Applications and permits idle for at least 180 days expire.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Highlands County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Highlands County Building Division is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 863-402-6643.
How long might review take?
N/A; the County states that most applications require plan review and that review time varies by project type, but it publishes no dependable general building-permit review deadline. Applications and permits idle for at least 180 days expire.
How are inspections scheduled?
Schedule, view or cancel inspections through the current eTRAKiT portal; the portal also lists scheduled inspections. Before requesting an inspection, the building permit, approved plans, portable toilet and recorded Notice of Commencement must be at the job site. Call 863-402-6643 or email plans@highlandsfl.gov for inspection questions. An application or issued permit idle for 180 days expires, although an issued permit may receive a 180-day extension through an online request.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, effective December 31, 2023, including its Building, Residential, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing and Accessibility volumes, plus the 2020 National Electrical Code. The County states that the 9th Edition (2026) Florida Building Code becomes effective December 31, 2026; applicable County land-development, zoning and floodplain rules also apply. Interior cosmetic changes such as carpet, hardwood flooring, paint, paneling, crown molding, baseboard and casing usually do not require a permit; residential sidewalks on the owner's property generally are exempt when no more than three feet wide. Effective July 1, 2026, qualifying work valued below $7,500 at a single-family home may be exempt after the owner files the County's Permit Exemption Request and proves valuation. That exemption does not cover structural, plumbing, electrical, fuel-gas or mechanical alterations and is unavailable in a flood zone. Voluntary temporary flood panels outside a Special Flood Hazard Area have a separate exemption path. Exemptions do not authorize work that violates zoning or other applicable law.