Agency directory in Hillsborough County

Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County

Provides local environmental protection and permitting, including wetlands and surface-water review. EPC review is distinct from city tree permits, county zoning, and state/federal permits.

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement and Regulatory Compliance

Enforces county land and property codes in unincorporated areas and administers specified regulated-business programs with countywide reach. Municipal code complaints must be routed to the city where applicable.

Hillsborough County Contractor Licensing

Provides county contractor license applications, license lookups, registrations, and construction-related complaint routes. State certification and county-local licensing are distinct tracks.

Hillsborough County Development Services

County development review, building permits, inspections, zoning, land development, and related property-development services for unincorporated Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough County Development Services Natural Resources Division

Administers county tree-removal, land-alteration, landscaping, and natural-resource review requirements; some applications are submitted through HillsGovHub.

Hillsborough County Economic Development

Promotes business development, relocation, expansion, tourism, workshops, and training, using targeted incentive programs and county-agency and strategic-partner resources to support employment and business growth.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue

Provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, prevention inspections, fire investigations, and public fire-safety programs in its county service area.

Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management

Coordinates preparedness, disaster response planning, the Emergency Operations Center, training, evacuation-zone information, and emergency alerts.

Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation

Operates county parks and recreation facilities and provides programs, events, and activities for residents.

Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center

Provides animal services and public information on pet resources and animal welfare.

Hillsborough County Public Works

Maintains county transportation infrastructure, roads, bridges, traffic controls, stormwater systems, and related public works services.

Hillsborough County Regulatory Compliance

Administers registration and oversight for specified regulated business activities and receives related complaints; ordinary consumer complaints may belong to another agency.

Hillsborough County Solid Waste

Provides county solid-waste, recycling, disposal, and facility information. Confirm municipal collection responsibility separately.

Hillsborough County Water Resources

Operates county water and wastewater treatment and infrastructure and provides customer utility services in the County's service areas.

Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller — Official Records

Records and provides access to county official records, including deeds, liens, easements, and Notices of Commencement. Recording a document does not establish permitting approval.

Hillsborough County Property Appraiser

Maintains parcel and property-appraisal information used for ownership, folio, legal-description, assessment, exemption, and property-record lookups. Appraisal data is not a permit or zoning determination.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Provides county law-enforcement, public-safety, and records services. For building, zoning, or civil code questions, use the responsible local government agency.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections

Administers voter registration and elections in Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough County Tax Collector

Provides county tax-collector services, including the county local business tax receipt process. County and city business-tax requirements must be checked separately.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority

Provides public transit services and regional transportation information in Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough County–City-County Planning Commission (Plan Hillsborough)

Provides comprehensive-planning and regional coordination resources through the Planning Commission and Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Tampa Bay Water

Tampa Bay Water is the regional wholesale drinking water supplier for the Tampa Bay area, supplying water to more than 2.6 million residents through its six member governments: Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties and the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa.

Southwest Florida Water Management District

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (nicknamed Swiftmud) manages water resources across west-central Florida, including Pinellas County. It issues Environmental Resource Permits, Water Use Permits and Well Construction Permits through its ePermitting system, and manages water supply, flood protection, water quality and natural systems. As of July 2026, new Environmental Resource Permit applications are submitted through the District's new Appian portal, while Water Use and Well Construction permitting continue in the legacy ePermitting system.

Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

Established in 1962 as the first of Florida's regional planning councils, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council is a forum for communication, coordination and collaboration among member governments in the six-county Tampa Bay region. Its programs cover economic development, emergency preparedness, environmental planning, resiliency planning, GIS, and planning and design visualization.

Hillsborough County Aviation Authority

Governs and operates Tampa International Airport and related aviation facilities. Airport and aviation property requirements may involve separate authority, FAA, and local permitting.

Hillsborough County Public Schools

Operates the Hillsborough County public school district and publishes district information, facilities, and public records.

Port Tampa Bay

Operates the port authority and maritime facilities in Tampa Bay. Port-owned or port-controlled parcels may require separate coordination from city or county permitting.

Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County

Provides county public-health services and official health guidance. Building, food, septic, pool, and environmental requirements should be routed to the agency identified for the specific activity.

Florida Department of Transportation District Seven

The FDOT district serving the Tampa Bay area, including Pinellas County, headquartered in Tampa. Property owners and developers connecting to or discharging toward a state road need FDOT permits such as driveway/access connection permits and drainage permits, which are applied for electronically through FDOT's One Stop Permitting portal.

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation

State agency that licenses and regulates more than one million Floridians across dozens of professions and businesses, including construction contractors, electricians, real estate professionals, cosmetologists, and alcoholic beverage licensees. Its Division of Hotels and Restaurants licenses and inspects public lodging and public food service establishments (restaurants). Licenses can be verified and managed through DBPR's online portals.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Florida's lead agency for environmental management, issuing environmental resource permits (ERP) for work in wetlands and surface waters and Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) permits for construction seaward of the control line on beaches. Pinellas County falls under FDEP's Southwest District office in Temple Terrace (813-470-5700), which serves Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. Applications are filed through the DEP Business Portal and agency records are searchable in the Oculus document system.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

State commission managing Florida's fish and wildlife resources. It regulates hunting, saltwater and freshwater fishing, and boating, and sells recreational licenses and permits through the official Go Outdoors Florida portal.

Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)

Division of the Florida Department of State that serves as the state's central repository for business entity filings: corporations, LLCs, partnerships, fictitious names, trademarks and liens. Businesses file formation documents and annual reports online at Sunbiz, and anyone can search entity records for free.

Florida Department of Revenue

State agency administering Florida's taxes, including the 6% state sales and use tax plus discretionary county surtaxes. Pinellas businesses register to collect sales tax and file and pay returns through the department's online e-Services. The department also administers reemployment tax and oversees property tax administration and child support.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

State agency regulating agriculture and consumer protection. It permits and inspects retail food establishments such as grocery and convenience stores, bakeries, markets and food processors (restaurants are regulated by DBPR instead), and licenses a range of consumer businesses. Food permits are applied for and renewed through the online Food Permit Center, and its consumer helpline is 1-800-HELP-FLA.

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

State agency for driver licenses and ID cards, vehicle and vessel titles and registrations, and the Florida Highway Patrol. In Pinellas County, most in-person driver license and motor vehicle services are provided by the Pinellas County Tax Collector acting as the state's local agent; many transactions can be completed online via the MyDMV Portal.