Fla. Stat. 163.3171
Areas of authority under this act
(1)
A municipality shall exercise authority under this act for the total area under its jurisdiction. Unincorporated areas adjacent to incorporated municipalities may be included in the area of municipal jurisdiction for the purposes of this act if the governing bodies of the municipality and the county in which the area is located agree on the boundaries of such additional areas, on procedures for joint action in the preparation and adoption of the comprehensive plan, on procedures for the administration of land development regulations or the land development code applicable thereto, and on the manner of representation on any joint body or instrument that may be created under the joint agreement. Such joint agreement shall be formally stated and approved in appropriate official action by the governing bodies involved.(2)
A county shall exercise authority under this act for the total unincorporated area under its jurisdiction or in such unincorporated areas as are not included in any joint agreement with municipalities established under the provisions of subsection (1). In the case of chartered counties, the county may exercise such authority over municipalities or districts within its boundaries as is provided for in its charter.(3)
Combinations of municipalities within a county, or counties, or an incorporated municipality or municipalities and a county or counties, or an incorporated municipality or municipalities and portions of a county or counties may jointly exercise the powers granted under the provisions of this act upon formal adoption of an official agreement by the governing bodies involved pursuant to law. No such official agreement shall be adopted by the governing bodies involved until a public hearing on the subject with public notice has been held by each governing body involved. The general administration of any joint agreement shall be governed by the provisions of s. 163.01 except that when there is conflict with this act the provisions of this act shall govern.(4)
Local governments may enter into agreements with each other and with a landowner, developer, or governmental agency as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate the provisions and purposes of ss. 163.3177(6)(h), 163.3245, and 163.3248. It is the Legislature’s intent that joint agreements entered into under the authority of this section be liberally, broadly, and flexibly construed to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation between cities and counties and to encourage planning in advance of jurisdictional changes. Joint agreements, executed before or after June 2, 2011, include, but are not limited to, agreements that contemplate municipal adoption of plans or plan amendments for lands in advance of annexation of such lands into the municipality, and may permit municipalities and counties to exercise nonexclusive extrajurisdictional authority within incorporated and unincorporated areas. The state land planning agency may not interpret, invalidate, or declare inoperative such joint agreements, and the validity of joint agreements may not be a basis for finding plans or plan amendments not in compliance pursuant to chapter law.
Source:
Section 163.3171 — Areas of authority under this act, https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0163.3171 (accessed Aug. 7, 2025).