A Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) is a product approval issued by Miami-Dade County. A Florida Product Approval is issued through the state’s Florida Building Commission system. Both prove a window, door or shutter meets the Florida Building Code. In Broward and Miami-Dade, which make up the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, the product must be approved for that zone. In Palm Beach County, either approval can work if the product meets the home’s wind pressure.
Every impact window or door sold in Florida should have one of these approval numbers. Here is what that number means and how you can check it yourself.
What is a Miami-Dade NOA?
A Miami-Dade NOA is the approval that Miami-Dade County’s Product Control Section issues after it reviews a product’s tests and engineering.
The Product Control Section reviews and approves or denies products used to protect the building envelope. It mainly covers windows, exterior glazing, wall cladding, roofing, exterior doors, skylights, glass block, siding and shutters. Testing labs used for these approvals must also be certified by Miami-Dade County (Miami-Dade Product Approval).
According to the county, the section reviews about 1,250 product approval applications a year and runs more than 850 quality assurance audits of manufacturers, fabricators and labs each year (same source).
What is a Florida Product Approval?
A Florida Product Approval is the statewide approval for building products, run by the Florida Building Commission under state law.
Florida law tells the commission to run a statewide product approval system. Windows, exterior doors, shutters, impact protective systems, panel walls, roofing, skylights and structural components must be approved through one of the methods in the law (Florida Statutes 553.842). The approvals are listed on floridabuilding.org.
The two systems are connected. The same law names the Miami-Dade County Product Control Division as one of the approved evaluation entities for state approvals (553.842, paragraph 8(a)).
Can a product be called “impact” without an approval?
No. Under Florida law, a product cannot be advertised, sold or marketed as hurricane, windstorm or impact protection from wind-borne debris unless it is approved under the state system (Florida Statutes 553.842). A seller who does so can face action under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
So if someone sells you an “impact window” and cannot give you an NOA or Florida Product Approval number, walk away.
What is the HVHZ, and does it apply to my home?
The High Velocity Hurricane Zone, or HVHZ, is the part of Florida with the strictest wind rules. The Florida Building Code defines it as Broward and Miami-Dade counties (Florida Building Code, Section 202).
| County | In the HVHZ? | What city checklists ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | Yes | Product approved for HVHZ use, either an NOA or a Florida Product Approval that covers the HVHZ |
| Broward | Yes | Same as Miami-Dade |
| Palm Beach | No | Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA that meets the design wind pressure |
Here is how some cities word it. Cutler Bay’s shutter checklist asks for a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida Building Commission HVHZ approval (Cutler Bay). Doral asks for a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida DBPR Product Approval for each product type, marked with the site’s buck and anchoring conditions (Doral). Miami Lakes accepts either one for each window, glass door or mullion (Miami Lakes).
What about Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach County is outside the HVHZ, so the HVHZ-only rules do not apply. You still need an approved product that meets the wind pressure for your home.
Wind speeds still matter there. Palm Beach County publishes a wind speed map so you can see the design wind speed for your parcel. Your permit reviewer checks that the product’s rated pressure meets what your home needs. If you live in Boca Raton or West Palm Beach, our city pages cover local permit details.
How do I look up a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval?
You can look up any approval for free online in a few minutes.
For a Miami-Dade NOA:
- Go to the Miami-Dade Product Control Search.
- Enter the NOA number from your quote or the sticker on the window. NOA numbers look like “25-0114.03.”
- Open the PDF. Check the manufacturer, product name, expiration date, and the design pressures and sizes it allows.
For a Florida Product Approval:
- Go to floridabuilding.org and choose “Find a Product or Application.”
- Search by FL number, manufacturer or product name.
- Check whether the approval says it is approved for use in the HVHZ, if you live in Broward or Miami-Dade.
When you compare quotes, ask each company for the approval number of every product they propose. A good quote names it.
Does an NOA expire?
Yes. Miami-Dade says a first-time product approval is valid for five years, and a renewal is valid for another five years (Miami-Dade Product Approval). A revision to an active approval does not extend the expiration date.
State approvals work a bit differently. Florida law says state and local approvals stay valid until the code they are based on changes, the product changes in a way that affects performance, or the approval is revoked (Florida Statutes 553.842).
Make sure the approval is current when the permit is submitted. An expired approval can hold up your permit.
Is an NOA “better” than a Florida Product Approval?
Not by itself. What matters is whether the specific product is approved for your location and rated for your home’s design pressure.
A Florida Product Approval that covers the HVHZ can be accepted in Broward and Miami-Dade, as the city checklists above show. A product with a high rating that is not approved for your zone, or that is installed outside the conditions in its approval, will not pass. The approval also lists how the product must be anchored, which the inspector checks in the field. Doral, for example, wants the approval marked with site-specific buck and anchoring conditions (Doral).
How can we help with your project?
Ask us for the approval number of any window or door we propose, and we will walk you through it before you sign. Since 2020 we have completed more than 1,440 projects across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, so we work with these approvals and city checklists regularly.
See our impact windows, impact doors and sliding glass doors, check pricing in our impact windows cost guide, or find your city on our areas page, including Miami, Doral and Fort Lauderdale. Contact us for a free measurement.