Migrant Labor

The Migrant Labor Camp program in Florida issues hundreds of permits that ensure thousands of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families live in housing that meets or exceeds standards set by law.

The purpose of this program is to reduce the risk of communicable disease transmission and injury among migrant farmworkers by establishing thorough and consistent procedures for permitting and inspecting migrant housing.

Chapter 64E-14 (PDF) of the Florida Administrative Code provides standards for construction, operation, and maintenance of migrant labor camps and residential migrant housing. This governing rule is applicable to mobile homes, private residential rentals, rooming houses, barracks, and housing authority projects for farmworkers when these facilities constitute a migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing.

Obtaining a migrant farmworker housing permit:

• An application with the Florida Department of Health in Highlands County, Division of Environmental Health, MUST be made prior to the establishment, operation, or occupancy of the farmworker housing.

• If, after a pre-licensing inspection, it is determined that the proposed housing meets the minimum standards required by the governing rules, and the applicant has paid the fee, the department shall issue a permit for operation.

• For basic knowledge of the rules and regulations, click on the following link for the guidelines.