Permits and Licenses in Sebastian, Florida

Building permits, contractor registration and Local Business Tax Receipts come from the Sebastian Building Department at City Hall, while garage sale and alarm permits come from the city cashier and the police (Building / Business Tax).

The list is wider than construction. The Sebastian Building Department's FAQ notes that the city code also requires permits for driveways and culverts, fences, right-of-way work, new or replaced signs, fill placement, land clearing and tree removal, on top of everything the Florida Building Code covers under section 105.1, such as additions, re-roofs, screen enclosures, sheds, pools and utility connections (Building Permits FAQ). Separate city pages and fee schedules cover fences, sheds and pools, tree removal, docks and seawalls, and special events in more detail.

Sebastian building permits are applied for online through the MGO Connect customer portal, which handles document uploads, fee payments, permit tracking and inspection scheduling (Online Permits).

Nearly every permit type can be filed in the portal, with no limit on upload size, and the city asks for all documents in PDF format. Applications can also be emailed to [email protected], with a 30 MB limit per file; the city then creates the permit in MGO and emails a payment request with the permit number. Owner/builder permits are the exception: the portal can be used later, but the first application must be made in person at the Building Department at 1225 Main Street under Florida law (Online Permits).

Owner/builder status has limits. The Sebastian FAQ explains that an owner may build or improve a one or two family dwelling, or a commercial building costing no more than $75,000, for the owner's own use, and must sign the Owner/Builder Disclosure Statement required by state law (Building Permits FAQ).

Inspections must be scheduled in MGO Connect at least one day ahead. Remote Video Inspections, a no cost option that needs only a smartphone, are accepted for some jobs such as air conditioning replacements and electrical panel changes (Online Permits). Fees climb with project value: a general building permit costs $90 for work valued at $3,000 or less and $630 for the first $50,000, plus $8.50 per added thousand up to $100,000 (General Building Permit).

Since the 2026 Florida legislative session, some Sebastian single-family work valued under $7,500 can skip a building permit if the owner or contractor first gets an exemption approved by the Building Department (Building Permit Exemption for Work under $7500).

The City of Sebastian explains that House Bill 803 amended section 553.79 of the Florida Statutes to create the exemption. The request is made on the Single-Family Dwelling Exemption Request Form, backed by a contractor's contract or other proof of the full scope and value of the work, and valuation counts reasonable labor even when the homeowner does the work. A $45 nonrefundable review fee applies (City of Sebastian).

The exemption does not cover structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing or gas work, property partly or fully in a flood hazard area, anything other than a single-family home, or fences on lots with swimming pools, and a job may not be split into smaller projects to stay under the limit. That flood zone exclusion matters along Indian River Drive and other low-lying parts of Sebastian. The city also warns that exempt work found to violate city codes can still draw stop work orders, correction notices and daily fines (City of Sebastian).

Anyone doing business inside the Sebastian city limits needs a City of Sebastian Local Business Tax Receipt, which runs from October 1 to September 30 and is renewed each year from July 1 (Local Business Tax Receipt Information).

Receipts not renewed by September 30 become delinquent, with a 10 percent penalty for October and 5 percent for each later month, capped at 25 percent of the tax. A new receipt bought between April 1 and September 30 costs half the annual tax. The tax amount depends on the business classification in Section 30-51 of the Sebastian Code of Ordinances, set by the City Council (Local Business Tax Receipt Information).

Home businesses in neighborhoods such as the Sebastian Highlands follow extra steps. The city lists a $50 application fee, separate from the tax, payable by cash, check or money order, along with a floor plan marking the business area, which may not exceed 20 percent of the home's living area, a photo of the front of the house and a letter of intent (City of Sebastian). Commercial application packets are available at the Building Department in Sebastian City Hall, and the city's Staff Directory lists a dedicated Local Business Tax Receipts staff member there.

Outside construction, the permits Sebastian residents most often need are for garage sales and alarm systems, and the city charges steep penalties for building work started without a permit (Other Administrative Fees).

A Sebastian garage sale needs a permit from the Administrative Services Cashier's Office in City Hall. It costs $2, covers no more than three consecutive days at one address, and each residence is limited to four sales a calendar year; for $5 more the city lists the sale on its website and on COStv (Garage Sale Permits). Alarm systems, monitored or not, must be registered with the Sebastian Police Department at 1201 Main Street under Chapter 39 of the city code, for a $10 fee, and false alarms escalate from a $10 renewal charge to fines of $50, $100 and then $250 each (Alarm Permits and Reduction).

Skipping a permit costs more than getting one. Work without a permit is charged the greater of $200 or double the permit fee for an owner and the greater of $300 or double the fee for a contractor, an expired permit costs $75, and failing to obtain a special event permit carries a $200 charge, $400 for a repeat (Other Administrative Fees). Contractors working in Sebastian also keep a city competency card, $30 a year, with surcharges for late renewal after September 30 (Contractor Licensing Fee Schedule).

Last verified: October 11, 2026, on the City of Sebastian website.