Florida Model Jail Standards 14.12: Insect and Rodent Control, Adopted by Every County Jail Under Fla. Stat. 951.23

Citation

Florida Model Jail Standards, Chapter 14 (Sanitation), Standard 14.12, as published by the Florida Sheriffs Association (cover: “Effective Date: January 1, 2025”). Read on September 26, 2026. The standards are approved by the Florida Model Jail Standards Working Group created by Fla. Stat. § 951.23(4)(a); the statute text was read on the Florida Legislature’s site (2026 Florida Statutes).

What It Says (Verbatim)

Standard 14.12 (in full):

“14.12 Insect and Rodent Control - Detention facilities shall be kept free of all insects and rodents. A program to control vermin (e.g., pest control) in all areas of the detention facility will be maintained on a scheduled basis. All outside openings shall be effectively sealed or screened to prevent entry of insects or rodents. All pesticides used to control insects or rodents shall be applied in accordance with instructions and cautions on the registered product label. Persons applying restricted use pesticides shall be certified by the State of Florida. Facilities not having certified pest control operators shall utilize commercial licensed pest control companies.”

Standard 8.9, poison storage (a serious-violation item):

“A locked storage area separate from food supplies shall be provided for soaps, detergents, waxes, cleaning compounds, insect and rodent spray, and other poisons.*”

Standard 14.16, weekly sanitation inspection:

“The Officer-in-Charge or designee will conduct a formal sanitation inspection of the facility at least once a week, and any substantial deficiencies will be recorded and corrected.*”

Fla. Stat. § 951.2302(3), twice-yearly inspection:

“The jail standards must require that each detention facility be inspected, at a minimum, twice annually for compliance with the jail standards as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b). Each inspection must occur at least 120 days apart.”

What It Means in Plain Language

1. Free of all insects and rodents. The outcome is absolute.
2. A scheduled program. Vermin control in all areas is maintained on a scheduled basis; the schedule is the facility’s.
3. Licensed service unless certified in house. Restricted use pesticides require Florida certification, and a jail without its own certified operators must use commercial licensed pest control companies.
4. Exclusion and label compliance. Outside openings sealed or screened; every pesticide applied by its label.
5. Inspected twice a year by certified FMJS inspectors, at least 120 days apart (Fla. Stat. § 951.2302(3)). 14.12 carries no serious-violation asterisk; 8.9, locked storage of insect and rodent spray away from food, does.

Who It Applies To

Every county and municipal detention facility in Florida, whose operator must adopt the model standards at a minimum under Fla. Stat. § 951.23(4)(b). The model standards cover the cleanliness and sanitation of those facilities among the subjects the statute lists.

Fla. Stat. § 951.23(4)(b):

“Each sheriff, county, city, or other entity that operates a municipal detention facility or a county detention facility shall adopt, at a minimum, the Florida Model Jail Standards approved by the working group with reference to all of the following:”

Documentation Evidence

• The scheduled vermin control program covering all areas
• The commercial licensed pest control contract and license, or the certification of in-house operators
• Pesticide application records showing label compliance
• Records of sealed or screened outside openings
• Weekly sanitation inspections and corrections (14.16)
• The twice-yearly FMJS inspection reports

Confidence Notes

HIGH confidence. Standard 14.12 was read from the Florida Sheriffs Association’s published 2025 PDF, which carries no copyright notice; the Association’s landing page could not be retrieved to confirm it is the edition currently linked. Fla. Stat. § 951.23 was compared in its 2026 and 2025 texts; the operative language is identical. FMJS 3.1 still describes an annual inspection while 3.6 and the statute require two; rely on the statute.