HVHZ product approvals in Florida: NOAs, FL numbers and what reviewers check

If your project sits in Miami-Dade or Broward County, every exterior product that resists wind or debris has to be backed by a valid approval, and that approval has to show up on your drawings. Windows, doors, storefronts, shutters, skylights, roof coverings, garage doors and louvers all fall into this group. Plan reviewers in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) look for these approvals early, and a missing or expired one is one of the most common reasons a set comes back with comments.

This post covers how the two approval systems work, what reviewers typically look for on the sheets, and a checklist to run before you submit.

Where the HVHZ applies

The Florida Building Code defines the HVHZ as Miami-Dade and Broward counties (see the definitions in FBC Building 202). Inside that boundary, the code adds a separate set of structural and product provisions, mostly in the HVHZ sections of Chapter 16 (including FBC Building 1620 for wind loads and FBC Building 1626 for impact tests) and in the HVHZ-specific sections of the roofing and glazing chapters. The residential volume points HVHZ projects back to those same building provisions for wind design.

The current edition statewide is the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). The Florida Building Commission's August 2026 workplan sets the 9th Edition to take effect on December 31, 2026. Until your AHJ confirms how it handles applications submitted near the changeover, design and document to the 8th Edition and keep an eye on which edition your permit application will be reviewed under.

Two approval systems

Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA)

Miami-Dade County's Product Control Section issues Notices of Acceptance. An NOA is issued to the manufacturer for a specific product or system and spells out what was tested, the approved configurations, design pressure ratings, whether the product is impact rated, and the installation requirements, usually through attached drawings.

NOAs are issued for a fixed term, typically five years, and carry a printed expiration date. The manufacturer has to renew before that date. A renewal filed after expiration is treated as a new application, which can leave a product without a current NOA for months. Revisions to an NOA are valid only up to the original expiration date.

Florida Product Approval (FL number)

The statewide system is run by the Florida Building Commission under section 553.842, Florida Statutes, and Rule 61G20-3 of the Florida Administrative Code. Approvals are listed in the Building Codes Information System at floridabuilding.org and are identified by an FL number, often with a suffix for the specific product (for example, FL12345.1).

A state approval does not carry a fixed five-year term in the same way. It generally remains valid until the product changes in a way that reduces its performance, the code provisions that apply to the product change, or the approval is suspended, revoked or superseded. That last point matters at a code edition change: approvals tied to the old edition may need to be revised, so a number that was fine last year is worth rechecking.

Which one applies in the HVHZ

Outside the HVHZ, a Florida Product Approval (or local approval through the alternate methods in the rule) is the usual path. Inside the HVHZ, the product has to be approved for HVHZ use. In practice that means a current Miami-Dade NOA, or a Florida Product Approval that is specifically listed as approved for use in the HVHZ, which requires testing to the HVHZ protocols. The Florida database shows an "Approved for use in HVHZ" field for each approval, so check it rather than assuming. Many manufacturers list both an NOA and an FL number, and many HVHZ reviewers expect to see both on the product schedule.

What plan reviewers check

Requirements and habits vary between Miami-Dade, Broward and the individual municipalities inside them, so confirm with your AHJ. At a high level, reviewers usually look at the following.

The approval number is on the drawings. Product schedules for windows, doors, storefronts, skylights and shutters should list the NOA number, the FL number, or both for each product type. Roof plans or roofing notes should identify the approved roof system. A note that says "per manufacturer" or "NOA to be provided by contractor" is a common comment trigger.

The approval is current. Reviewers check expiration dates. An NOA that has expired, or that will expire before the product is installed, can stop a permit or an inspection.

The approval covers the product as drawn. An NOA approves specific sizes, configurations, glass types and anchoring methods. If the drawings show a unit larger than the largest tested size, or a mulled assembly the approval does not cover, reviewers will flag it.

Design pressure versus rated pressure. The engineer of record establishes the design wind pressures for the opening, and the product's approved rating has to meet or exceed them. Reviewers generally expect to see the required pressures on the drawings, often on the elevations or in the schedule, alongside the product's rating so the comparison is easy to follow.

Impact rating. In the HVHZ, glazed openings generally have to be impact resistant or protected by an approved shutter system. The HVHZ impact testing provisions are in FBC Building 1626, and they reference Florida's test protocols (TAS 201, 202 and 203). The schedule should make clear whether each opening relies on impact-rated glazing or on shutters, and which approval covers the shutter.

Installation per the approval. Anchor type, embedment, edge distance, spacing and the substrate (concrete, masonry, wood buck) need to match what the approval allows. Reviewers often ask for the anchoring detail to reference the NOA drawings directly, or for the approval documents to be included in the submittal.

Common plan review comments

These come up regularly on HVHZ submittals:

• Provide a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval number for each exterior opening product listed in the schedule.
• The NOA listed has expired; provide a current approval.
• The approval provided is not approved for use in the HVHZ.
• The unit size shown exceeds the maximum size in the approval.
• Provide design pressures for each opening and show that the product rating meets them.
• Indicate whether glazed openings are impact rated or protected by an approved shutter system.
• Anchoring shown does not match the approval for the substrate indicated.
• Provide the approval for the roof covering system and underlayment.
• Mulled units require an approval for the mullion.

Most of these are documentation issues rather than design problems. They are cheap to fix before submission and expensive to fix in a resubmittal cycle.

Pre-submission checklist

Run through this before the set goes to the consultant or the AHJ:

1. Every exterior opening product type on the schedule lists an NOA number, an FL number, or both.
2. Each NOA expiration date has been checked against the Miami-Dade product control database, and none expire before the expected installation date.
3. Each FL number has been checked at floridabuilding.org and shows approval for use in the HVHZ.
4. The approval matches the actual product: manufacturer, series, configuration and glass type.
5. Every opening on the drawings is within the approved size limits, including mulled assemblies.
6. Design pressures from the engineer of record are shown, and the product ratings meet or exceed them.
7. Impact protection for each glazed opening is clear: impact-rated product or an approved shutter, with its own approval.
8. Anchoring details match the approval for the substrate shown.
9. Roofing notes identify the approved roof system, and the approval covers the deck type and slope.
10. The set is documented to the code edition your application will be reviewed under, with attention to the 9th Edition changeover.

Where PermitPrep.AI fits

PermitPrep.AI is a supplement for code consultants. On a project in the HVHZ, it reads your drawing set against the codes your jurisdiction has adopted and flags exterior products scheduled without an NOA or FL approval number or impact rating as FAIL, with the sheet and code section cited. It does not look approvals up in Miami-Dade Product Control or the Florida Product Approval system, so approval currency is listed under "Not checked in this review" rather than treated as a REVIEW finding. A full drawing set takes about 20 minutes, which leaves time to fix things before the consultant or the plans examiner sees them. Free trial: 2 reports, no credit card required.