What is a Miami-Dade NOA for HVHZ products?

A Notice of Acceptance (NOA) is an approval issued by Miami-Dade County Product Control after a product passes TAS testing. It carries a designation in the form NOA xx-xxxx.xx and is the gold standard for High Velocity Hurricane Zone use, confirming a window, door, shutter, or roof assembly is legal in the HVHZ.

Where is the HVHZ in Florida?

The High Velocity Hurricane Zone covers only Miami-Dade and Broward counties in South Florida. The designation traces to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Products used there must carry an approval recognized for HVHZ use, either a Miami-Dade NOA or a statewide Florida Product Approval, and meet the applicable TAS protocols.

What are the TAS 201, 202, and 203 protocols?

They are Miami-Dade Test Application Standards for HVHZ approval. TAS 201 is large missile impact, firing a 9 lb 2x4 at the assembly at about 50 fps. TAS 202 applies uniform static air pressure to confirm the rated design pressure. TAS 203 cycles thousands of alternating positive and negative pressures with water spray to simulate a sustained hurricane.

Is a national certification enough for an HVHZ project?

No. Standard national certifications alone do not satisfy an HVHZ project. The product must carry an approval recognized for High Velocity Hurricane Zone use, either a Miami-Dade County NOA or a Florida Product Approval, and it must pass the applicable TAS impact and pressure protocols before it can legally be installed.

How do I verify an HVHZ product approval is valid?

Find the approval number, an NOA (NOA xx-xxxx.xx) or Florida Product Approval (FL-xxxx). Search the issuing authority's product database to pull the official record. Confirm the issue and expiration dates and that the status is current. Then match the size, configuration, design pressure, and installation, since oversizing or field modification voids the approval.

What design pressure do I need for an HVHZ product?

The required design pressure depends on building height, exposure, wind speed, and zone location, so it varies by site. South Florida HVHZ basic wind speeds run roughly 170 to 180 mph for Risk Category II. Calculate the design pressures for your specific Miami-Dade address, then select an approved product whose rated pressure meets or exceeds them.

HVHZ · FLORIDA BUILDING CODE · PRODUCT CONTROL

HVHZ Product Approvals

In a High Velocity Hurricane Zone, a product is legal only if it carries a recognized approval and has passed the TAS impact and pressure protocols. Here is how those approvals work.

2APPROVAL PATHS

3TAS PROTOCOLS

HVHZSINCE HURRICANE ANDREW, 1992

HOW A PRODUCT GETS APPROVED

Two routes to a legal HVHZ product

A window, door, shutter, or roof assembly reaches an HVHZ project through one of two approval systems. They differ in who issues them and how far the acceptance reaches.

Miami-Dade County NOA

The Notice of Acceptance, issued by Miami-Dade County Product Control after the product passes TAS testing. Carries the designation NOA xx-xxxx.xx and is the gold standard for HVHZ.

ISSUED BY MIAMI-DADE

Florida Product Approval

The statewide approval administered under the Florida Building Code, carrying an FL-xxxx number. It establishes a baseline of code acceptance across Florida for approved building products.

STATEWIDE · FL-XXXX

Standard national certifications alone are not sufficient for an HVHZ project. The product must carry an approval recognized for High Velocity Hurricane Zone use and meet the applicable TAS protocols.

TEST APPLICATION STANDARDS · MIAMI-DADE PRODUCT CONTROL

The three TAS protocols

HVHZ approval turns on a sequence that pairs missile impact with sustained pressure cycling, far more demanding than a single static test.

TAS 201 — Large Missile Impact

A 9 lb 2×4 lumber section, 8 ft long, is fired at the assembly at 50 fps (about 34 mph). The product must show no penetration and the glazing must remain in the frame.

9 LB 2×4 · 50 FPS

TAS 202 — Uniform Static Air Pressure

The structural test. The assembly is loaded with uniform positive and negative air pressure to confirm it carries its rated design pressure (DP) without structural failure.

STRUCTURAL · ±DP

TAS 203 — Cyclic Wind Pressure

After impact, the assembly endures thousands of alternating positive and negative pressure cycles with water spray, simulating a sustained hurricane rather than one gust. No water infiltration and no structural failure are allowed.

CYCLIC + WATER

FIELD CHECK

How to verify a product is actually approved

Before specifying or installing, confirm the approval is real, current, and matches what you are putting in the wall.

1 · Find the number

Locate the approval reference on the submittal — a Miami-Dade NOA (NOA xx-xxxx.xx) or a Florida Product Approval (FL-xxxx).

2 · Look it up

Search the issuing authority's product database by NOA number, manufacturer, or product type to pull the official record.

3 · Confirm it is current

Check the issue and expiration dates and the approval status. An expired or revoked approval does not satisfy the code.

4 · Match the details

Verify the size, configuration, design pressure, and installation match the approval. Oversizing or field modification voids it.

DETERMINE THE REQUIRED RATING

Know the design pressure before you pick the product

The required design pressure depends on building height, exposure, wind speed, and zone location. Calculate the NOA-aware pressures for any Miami-Dade address, then match them to an approved product.

Miami-Dade Wind Load Calculator All Wind Load Calculators

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