171.0413
Annexation procedures.
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171.0413 Annexation procedures.—Any municipality may annex contiguous, compact, unincorporated territory in the following manner:
(1) An ordinance proposing to annex an area of contiguous, compact, unincorporated territory must be adopted by the governing body of the annexing municipality pursuant to the procedure for the adoption of a nonemergency ordinance established by s. 166.041.
(a) Before the adoption of the ordinance of annexation, the local governing body shall hold at least two advertised public hearings. The first public hearing must be on a weekday at least 7 days after the day that the first advertisement is published. The second public hearing must be held on a weekday at least 5 days after the day that the second advertisement is published. Each such ordinance shall propose only one reasonably compact area to be annexed.
(b) A municipality seeking to annex state-owned lands must, in writing or by e-mail, notify each member of the legislative delegation of the county in which the land is located when the advertisement for the first public hearing is published.
(c) Before the ordinance of annexation becomes effective, a referendum on annexation must be held as set out below, and, if approved by the referendum, the ordinance shall become effective 10 days after the referendum or as otherwise provided in the ordinance, but not more than 1 year following the date of the referendum.
(2) Following the final adoption of the ordinance of annexation by the governing body of the annexing municipality, the ordinance shall be submitted to a vote of the registered electors of the area proposed to be annexed. The governing body of the annexing municipality may also choose to submit the ordinance of annexation to a separate vote of the registered electors of the annexing municipality. The referendum on annexation shall be called and conducted and the expense thereof paid by the governing body of the annexing municipality.
(a) The referendum on annexation shall be held at the next regularly scheduled election following the final adoption of the ordinance of annexation by the governing body of the annexing municipality or at a special election called for the purpose of holding the referendum. However, the referendum, whether held at a regularly scheduled election or at a special election, shall not be held sooner than 30 days following the final adoption of the ordinance by the governing body of the annexing municipality.
(b) The governing body of the annexing municipality shall publish notice of the referendum on annexation at least once each week for 2 consecutive weeks immediately preceding the date of the referendum in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the referendum is to be held. The notice shall give the ordinance number, the time and places for the referendum, and a brief, general description of the area proposed to be annexed. The description shall include a map clearly showing the area and a statement that the complete legal description by metes and bounds and the ordinance can be obtained from the office of the city clerk.
(c) On the day of the referendum on annexation there shall be prominently displayed at each polling place a copy of the ordinance of annexation and a description of the property proposed to be annexed. The description shall be by metes and bounds and shall include a map clearly showing such area.
(d) Ballots or mechanical voting devices used in the referendum on annexation shall offer the choice “For annexation of property described in ordinance number of the City of ” and “Against annexation of property described in ordinance number of the City of ” in that order.
(e) If the referendum is held only in the area proposed to be annexed and receives a majority vote, or if the ordinance is submitted to a separate vote of the registered electors of the annexing municipality and the area proposed to be annexed and there is a separate majority vote for annexation in the annexing municipality and in the area proposed to be annexed, the ordinance of annexation shall become effective on the effective date specified therein. If there is any majority vote against annexation, the ordinance shall not become effective, and the area proposed to be annexed shall not be the subject of an annexation ordinance by the annexing municipality for a period of 2 years from the date of the referendum on annexation.
(3) Any parcel of land which is owned by one individual, corporation, or legal entity, or owned collectively by one or more individuals, corporations, or legal entities, proposed to be annexed under the provisions of this act shall not be severed, separated, divided, or partitioned by the provisions of said ordinance, but shall, if intended to be annexed, or if annexed, under the provisions of this act, be annexed in its entirety and as a whole. However, nothing herein contained shall be construed as affecting the validity or enforceability of any ordinance declaring an intention to annex land under the existing law that has been enacted by a municipality prior to July 1, 1975. The owner of such property may waive the requirements of this subsection if such owner does not desire all of the tract or parcel included in said annexation.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this law, the annexation procedure as set forth in this section shall constitute a uniform method for the adoption of an ordinance of annexation by the governing body of any municipality in this state, and all existing provisions of special laws which establish municipal annexation procedures are repealed hereby; except that any provision or provisions of special law or laws which prohibit annexation of territory that is separated from the annexing municipality by a body of water or watercourse shall not be repealed.
(5) If more than 70 percent of the acres of land in an area proposed to be annexed is owned by individuals, corporations, or legal entities which are not registered electors of such area, such area may not be annexed unless the owners of more than 50 percent of the acres of land in such area consent to such annexation. Such consent must be obtained by the parties proposing the annexation before the referendum to be held on the annexation.
(6) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), if the area proposed to be annexed does not have any registered electors on the date the ordinance is finally adopted, a vote of electors of the area proposed to be annexed is not required. In addition to the requirements of subsection (5), the area may not be annexed unless the owners of more than 50 percent of the parcels of land in the area proposed to be annexed consent to the annexation. If the governing body does not choose to hold a referendum of the annexing municipality pursuant to subsection (2), then the property owner consents required pursuant to subsection (5) shall be obtained by the parties proposing the annexation prior to the final adoption of the ordinance, and the annexation ordinance shall be effective upon becoming a law or as otherwise provided in the ordinance.
History.—s. 2, ch. 75-297; s. 1, ch. 76-176; s. 44, ch. 77-104; s. 1, ch. 80-350; s. 76, ch. 81-259; s. 1, ch. 86-113; s. 15, ch. 90-279; s. 16, ch. 93-206; s. 1, ch. 93-243; s. 1, ch. 94-196; s. 1448, ch. 95-147; s. 12, ch. 99-378; s. 3, ch. 2023-305; s. 1, ch. 2025-31.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 13
cases, 1979–2018 · leading case: Capella v. City of Gainesville
Capella v. City of Gainesville (1979)
“Capella claims that the effect of the ordinance was to subject a portion of the area previously the object of the November 1976, annexation referendum to a second annexation referendum within a two-year period in violation of section 171.0413(2)(e), Florida Statutes (1977).”
ABA Industries, Inc. v. City of Pinellas Park (1979)
“The question presented is whether Section 171.0413(5), Florida Statutes (1977), which provides a procedure whereby municipalities annex contiguous unincorporated territory, is constitutional.”
Burton v. City of Belle Glade (1999)
“75-297, § 2 (codified as amended at Fla. Stat. Ann. § 171.0413 (West.1987 & Supp.”
NORTH RIDGE GEN. HOSPITAL, INC. v. City of Oakland Park (1979)
“When a municipality initiates annexation, subsections (1) and (2) of section 171.0413 provide for a referendum to enable the electors of the annexing municipality and of the area proposed to be annexed to vote on the annexation issue.”
Burton v. City of Belle Glade (1997)
“The Court will consider each of these contentions in turn.”
Pinellas County v. City of Largo (2007)
“See § 171.0413. The second methodvoluntary annexationallows all property owners in unincorporated, reasonably compact areas contiguous to a municipality to petition the municipality for annexation.”
Arthur D. Weiss v. City of Gaineville, Florida (2012)
“annexation pursuant to a referendum in compliance with Section 171.0413, Florida Statutes” and that “[t]his agreement shall become effective upon the annexation of the Property into the City.”
Bell v. Cox (1994)
“It might be appropriate to do so before the inevitable case arises where a municipality extends its boundaries through the process prescribed by section 171.0413, Florida Statutes (1993) and an owner who has a parcel without access cannot step foot on it.”
SCA Services of Florida, Inc. v. City of Tallahassee (1981)
“(1979); Section 171.0413(4), Fla.Stat. (1979). Section 171.”
THE CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS v. LOUIS F. OXENVAD, CARRIE GRUBER, MICHAEL GRUBER and ROBERT KLINE (2018)
“081 neatly interacts with Section 171.0413(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (1979), which prohibits a municipality from scheduling a referendum to approve an annexation ordinance until thirty days following passage of the ordinance by the municipality.”
St. Johns Committee v. St. Augustine (2005)
“Section 171.0413, Florida Statutes, sets forth the specific procedures for municipalities to annex areas of unincorporated territory.”
Metco Development Corp. v. City of Clearwater (1986)
“Under § 171.0413, Fla. Stat., a City may involuntarily annex an area into its municipality.”
— 171.0413(2)(a) — 1 case
THE CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS v. LOUIS F. OXENVAD, CARRIE GRUBER, MICHAEL GRUBER and ROBERT KLINE (2018)
“081 neatly interacts with Section 171.0413(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (1979), which prohibits a municipality from scheduling a referendum to approve an annexation ordinance until thirty days following passage of the ordinance by the municipality.”
— 171.0413(2)(e) — 1 case
Capella v. City of Gainesville (1979)
“Capella claims that the effect of the ordinance was to subject a portion of the area previously the object of the November 1976, annexation referendum to a second annexation referendum within a two-year period in violation of section 171.0413(2)(e), Florida Statutes (1977).”
— 171.0413(4) — 1 case
SCA Services of Florida, Inc. v. City of Tallahassee (1981)
“(1979); Section 171.0413(4), Fla.Stat. (1979). Section 171.”
— 171.0413(5) — 1 case
ABA Industries, Inc. v. City of Pinellas Park (1979)
“The question presented is whether Section 171.0413(5), Florida Statutes (1977), which provides a procedure whereby municipalities annex contiguous unincorporated territory, is constitutional.”
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