Short answer: hurricane shutters are required only if your Florida home doesn't already have impact-rated glass. Florida Building Code requires opening protection — either impact glass or approved hurricane shutters — on every glazed opening of homes built or remodeled after 2002 in the wind-borne debris region. Here's the full picture.
The Wind-Borne Debris Region
Florida's "wind-borne debris region" is the geographic zone where hurricane-driven flying debris is statistically likely to cause window failure. It covers virtually all of Florida's coastal counties — including all of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach Counties — plus parts of every other Florida coastal county.
Inland counties (Orange, Seminole, Osceola, parts of Polk and Lake) are partially in the wind-borne debris region depending on specific location. Florida Building Code Section 1609 defines the boundaries.
What the Code Actually Requires
Florida Building Code (Section R301) requires "opening protection" on every exterior glazed opening of a home in the wind-borne debris region. The opening protection requirement is satisfied by either:
- Impact-rated glass passing the Large Missile Test (TAS 201/202/203)
- Approved hurricane shutters (accordion, roll-down, Bahama, colonial, or panels)
- A combination of impact glass and shutters across different openings
You don't need both shutters AND impact windows on the same opening. Either satisfies Florida code.
Are Hurricane Shutters Required If I Already Have Impact Windows?
No. Impact windows themselves are "approved opening protection" under Florida Building Code. If every exterior glazed opening (windows, sliding glass doors, French doors, skylights, etc.) on your home is impact-rated, you do not need hurricane shutters anywhere.
If only some openings are impact-rated and others are non-impact, you need shutters covering the non-impact openings.
Are Hurricane Shutters Required for Older Florida Homes?
Florida's opening protection requirement applies to homes built or substantially remodeled after the 2002 Florida Building Code went into effect. Older homes are technically grandfathered — meaning Florida code does not require you to add shutters to a 1980s home that doesn't already have them.
However: insurance carriers strongly prefer (and often require) opening protection for older Florida homes too. Most carriers either deny coverage, charge premium surcharges, or require shutters within 1–2 years on older Florida homes without protection.
Are Hurricane Shutters Required by My Insurance?
Florida insurance carriers don't mandate shutters by name, but they reward homes that have them — and increasingly penalize homes that don't. The OIR-B1-1802 Wind Mitigation Inspection Form awards points for opening protection that translate directly into premium discounts (typically 15–30% off the wind portion of the policy for shutters; 30–45% for full impact-glass coverage).
Without opening protection, many Florida carriers either decline new applications, non-renew at renewal, or apply substantial surcharges. The market has tightened dramatically since 2022.
New Construction Requirements
Every new home built in Florida's wind-borne debris region after 2002 is required to have opening protection at the time of certificate of occupancy. Most new construction defaults to impact-rated glass throughout (it's now within 5–10% of non-impact pricing on new builds). Shutters are typically used on remodels and retrofits where retrofitting impact glass is more disruptive.
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