Who actually needs the permit?
Not you, in almost every case. This is the most misunderstood part of Florida portable restroom law and it works in your favour.
The obligation sits with the service company
Under 64E-6.0101, anyone servicing portable restrooms, portable hand washing facilities or holding tanks must obtain an annual permit on Form DH 4013 from the county health department where the company keeps an office or storage yard. The permit information must be displayed prominently and permanently on the service vehicles.
Which gives you one thing you can verify
Ask any Florida vendor which county health department issued their DH 4013, then look at the truck when it arrives. A company that cannot answer is a company to walk away from. This single check is worth more than any star rating, because it is a matter of public record rather than opinion.
Your event may still need a municipal permit
Street closure, park use and right-of-way occupation are city or county processes, and those applications often ask for a sanitation plan. That requirement lands on you as the organiser and is separate from the state's requirement on the service company.
What counts as a portable restroom under the rule?
The rule defines one as a transportable, self-contained static or flush-type toilet constructed to promote a sanitary environment at remote locations, building sites or special events. That definition covers the basic non-flushing unit, the deluxe flushing unit and the toilet compartments of a restroom trailer alike.
It matters because the definition is what pulls the ratios, the servicing frequency and the permit obligation over any unit you place.
Is weekly servicing actually enough?
Weekly is the legal floor at construction and remote sites, and daily is the floor at special events. Both exist to prevent insanitary conditions, not to define good service.
A standard unit holds roughly 250 to 300 uses between visits. A 40-person crew working five days will pass that on a single unit inside a week, which is why the ratio and the frequency have to be read together. Florida heat compounds it: a sealed waste tank in a Central Florida summer behaves nothing like the same tank in a temperate climate, and service frequency is the only lever that addresses it.
How close to a boundary can a unit sit?
Florida allows portable restrooms to meet 50 percent of the setback requirements otherwise applicable, where the department determines that no health hazard will result.
On a tight infill lot, which describes most of Pinellas County, much of Broward and the older Tampa and Miami neighbourhoods, this allowance is frequently the difference between a legal placement and no placement at all. It is a determination rather than an automatic entitlement. Where the site sits near a well, a water body or an occupied structure, the county health department's view governs.
What are the holding tank limits?
Three specific numbers, all measurable by an inspector. Total effective capacity may not exceed 300 gallons. No portion of the tank may sit more than 12 inches below the surface of the ground. The tank must sit inside a secondary containment structure with a capacity of at least 110 percent of the total waste capacity.
The 110 percent containment figure is the one most often skipped on Florida sites. If you are renting a holding tank for a restroom trailer, an office trailer or a wash-down point, confirm the containment is being supplied with it rather than assumed.
The rules this page relies on, as published
Every claim above traces to one of these. Each block reproduces the requirement and links the primary source, so you can verify it rather than take our word for it.
What Florida rule governs portable restrooms
Portable restrooms in Florida are governed by Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101, which defines a portable restroom as a transportable, self-contained static or flush-type toilet constructed to promote a sanitary environment at remote locations, building sites or special events.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Who actually needs the permit
In Florida the renter does not need a permit for the portable restroom itself. The service company must obtain an annual permit on Form DH 4013 from the county health department in the county where it maintains an office or storage yard, and must display permit information prominently and permanently on its service vehicles.
A city or county may impose event or right-of-way requirements that are stricter than the state rule, and those apply to the event organiser rather than to the restroom.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Florida unit counts for construction and remote sites
Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101 Table PR II requires 1 portable restroom for 1–10 people, 2 for 11–20, and 3 for 21–30, plus one additional unit for every 10 additional people or fraction thereof.
| People on site | Portable restrooms required |
|---|---|
| 1–10 | 1 |
| 11–20 | 2 |
| 21–30 | 3 |
| Each additional 10 people or fraction thereof | +1 |
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Florida unit counts for special events
Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101 Table PR I scales required portable restrooms by expected attendance and event duration. As published examples, a 1,000-person event running 8 hours requires 4 units, and a 10,000-person event running 10 hours requires 30 units.
| Attendance | Event duration | Portable restrooms required |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 8 hours | 4 |
| 10,000 | 10 hours | 30 |
Table PR I is a graduated table across the full range of attendance and duration. The two rows above are published reference points; confirm the exact figure for your attendance and duration against the rule text or with the county health department.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Minimum servicing frequency at construction and remote sites
Florida requires portable restrooms at construction and remote sites to be serviced at least weekly to prevent insanitary conditions.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Minimum servicing frequency at special events
Florida requires portable restrooms at special events to be serviced at least daily. On a multi-day event this means service vehicle access has to be planned into the site layout before the units are ordered.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Hand wash station ratio in Florida
Florida requires one hand wash facility for every ten portable restrooms at special events and at remote locations where food is served.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Setback relief for portable restrooms
Florida allows portable restrooms to meet 50% of the setback requirements otherwise required, provided the department determines no health hazard will result.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Maximum portable holding tank size in Florida
Florida limits a portable holding tank to 300 gallons total effective capacity.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
How far a holding tank may sit below grade
Under Florida rule, no portion of a portable or stationary holding tank may be more than 12 inches below the surface of the ground.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Secondary containment requirement
Florida requires portable and stationary holding tanks to be placed within a secondary containment structure with a containment capacity of no less than 110% of the total waste capacity.
Source: Florida Administrative Code 64E-6.0101: Portable Restrooms and Portable or Stationary Holding Tanks. Verified 2026-08-21.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to put a porta potty on my property in Florida?
Not for the restroom itself. Florida places the permit obligation on the service company, which must hold an annual Form DH 4013 permit from its county health department. You may still need a city or county permit for the event or activity the restroom supports.
What is Form DH 4013?
The annual portable restroom service permit issued by a Florida county health department to a company that services portable restrooms, portable hand washing facilities or holding tanks. Permit information must be displayed prominently and permanently on the company's service vehicles.
How close to a property line can a porta potty be placed in Florida?
Florida allows portable restrooms to meet 50 percent of the setback otherwise applicable, where the department determines no health hazard will result. The exact distance depends on the underlying setback for the site and on the county health department's determination.
What is the largest holding tank allowed in Florida?
300 gallons total effective capacity for a portable holding tank, with no portion more than 12 inches below grade, placed inside secondary containment of at least 110 percent of the total waste capacity.
Does Florida rule apply to restroom trailers?
The toilet compartments of a restroom trailer fall inside the rule's definition of a self-contained flush-type toilet, so the servicing and permit obligations follow. A separate waste tank also brings the holding tank provisions into play.
Who enforces portable restroom rules in Florida?
The county health department, an office of the Florida Department of Health, administers the permits and enforces the rule locally. On construction sites, federal OSHA requirements are enforced separately by OSHA.
This guide is a plain-English summary of published regulations, not legal advice. Where your situation is unusual, confirm with your county health department or call (407) 537-0536 before you commit to an order.
Other Florida guides
- How Many Porta Potties Do I Need? Florida Requirements by Crew Size and Attendance
- OSHA Porta Potty Requirements for Construction Sites (1926.51 Explained)
- ADA Porta Potty Requirements: How Many Accessible Units You Actually Need
- How Often Should a Porta Potty Be Serviced? Florida Minimums and Real Capacity
- What Can and Cannot Go in a Porta Potty (and Why the Rule Is Not Negotiable)
- Porta Potty Sizes and Types: What Each One Is For and What It Needs
- Do I Need a Permit for a Porta Potty in Florida?
- Porta Potty vs Restroom Trailer: Which One Does Your Florida Event Need?
- Porta Potty Rental for a Wedding: How Many, Which Type, and What It Costs
- Hurricane Season Sanitation Planning for Florida Job Sites and Properties
Apply these rules automatically with the Florida unit calculator