Clay County, FL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Section 4-34 of the Clay County Animal Services Ordinance sets a behavior-based test, not a breed list. A dog 'may be declared aggressive' if it causes severe injury to a person or domestic animal without provocation, or causes minor injury twice within a one-year period. A 'dangerous' classification under subsection (b) applies to a dog that has aggressively bitten, attacked, or endangered a person, has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal off its owner's property, or has chased or menacingly approached a person on public grounds when unprovoked.

The division of animal services investigates every reported incident, interviews the owner, and can require a sworn affidavit before the department head makes an initial determination; section 4-35 sets the notice-and-hearing procedure and the owner's right to appeal. Once a dog is finally classified as aggressive or dangerous, section 4-34 requires the owner to obtain a certificate of registration within fourteen days, renew it annually, carry liability insurance, post warning signage, and provide proof of a secure enclosure (for dangerous dogs) or permanent identification such as a tattoo or microchip.

Section 4-24 layers on confinement authority during the investigation, including immediate confiscation for severe injuries, and section 4-24(b) forces sterilization within thirty days of a final classification. Nothing in Chapter 4 singles out any breed by name; any dog faces the identical process based solely on documented conduct.