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Why Miami-Dade and Broward Have a Higher Bar Than the Rest of Florida
Not all Florida counties are equal when it comes to window requirements.
Miami-Dade and Broward are the only two counties in the entire country designated as a High Velocity Hurricane Zone, or HVHZ.
That means windows installed here must pass strict tests than anywhere else in Florida. Standard Florida Product Approval is not enough for these two counties.
Palm Beach is not HVHZ but still requires Florida Product Approval.
If your home is in Miami-Dade or Broward and your windows only carry a generic approval, they may not qualify for your insurance wind mitigation credit.
How to Check Your Windows Right Now
Walk to any window in your home and check for these 4 things.
1. The sticker on the frame
Look at the inside of the window frame, usually in a corner. It should show either a Miami-Dade NOA number or a Florida Product Approval (FL#) number.
If you see neither, the window is not verified as hurricane rated.
2. The etching on the glass
Impact-rated glass has a permanent etching in one of the corners. It is small but visible when you look closely.
No etching means the glass itself is not confirmed impact rated.
3. The test codes on the sticker
Look for TAS 201, TAS 202, and TAS 203 all three together on the sticker.
That combination means the window was tested for impact, pressure, and pressure cycling. It is fully impact rated.
If you only see PA-202 or TAS 202 alone, the window was pressure tested only. It is not impact rated. In Miami-Dade and Broward, this means it still needs shutters to be code compliant.
4. A permit on record
Windows installed after 2002 with a pulled permit and a passed inspection are likely to be code compliant.
You can check permit history for your address through Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach County’s online permit search.
“Wind Rated” vs “Impact Rated”: Not the Same Thing
This is a common confusion.
A window can be wind rated, meaning it holds up against air pressure, and still shatter completely when hit by a piece of debris.
In Miami-Dade and Broward, wind rated alone does not meet HVHZ requirements. It does not qualify for the opening protection credit on your wind mitigation form. And it will not stop a two-by-four traveling at hurricane speed.
Impact rating means the glass was physically struck during testing. It is laminated, so even when it cracks, the interlayer holds the pieces in place. The opening stays sealed.
Why One Unrated Window Fails the Whole Home
When a licensed inspector fills out your wind mitigation form, they check every single opening. Every window, every exterior door, every sliding glass door, every garage door.
These 5 questions help you extract maximum value during an inspection.
If even one opening is not impact rated or covered by a code-approved shutter, your home does not qualify for the opening protection discount on that inspection.
That discount is one of the largest available on a Florida wind mitigation form. Losing it because of one old window or an unrated garage door is a significant and entirely avoidable cost.
This is also why replacing windows in phases can backfire. If you upgrade nine out of ten windows and leave one standard, you are still getting no credit for any of them.
Quick Answers
My home was built in 2005. Are my windows automatically hurricane rated?
Not automatically. The 2002 Florida Building Code required impact protection, but only if permits were pulled correctly and inspections passed. Some older work slipped through. Verify using the sticker and etching method above.
Do I need impact windows or can I use shutters instead?
Shutters are a compliant alternative if they carry the right Miami-Dade or Florida Product Approval for your county. The trade-off is that shutters require action before every storm. Impact windows work passively year-round.
My windows passed a wind mitigation inspection years ago. Are they still compliant?
The physical rating does not expire, but if your windows have cracked seals, damaged frames, or missing hardware, a current inspector may flag them. It is worth a check before your next renewal.
Not Sure If Your Windows Pass?
USA Home Improvement serves Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. We can assess what you have and tell you exactly what qualifies and what does not.