Margate, FL Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Margate's Code does not restrict dog breeds. Section 6-80(a) defines a dangerous dog by conduct, according to the records of the appropriate authority: a dog that has aggressively bitten, attacked, endangered or severely injured a human being, has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal while off the owner's property, has chased or approached a person unprovoked in a menacing fashion attested in a sworn statement, or has been classified as dangerous in another jurisdiction.

Section 6-81 sets the process. An animal control officer or law enforcement officer investigates a reported incident for probable cause and takes a sworn affidavit from whoever wants the dog classified. During the investigation the owner must keep the dog in a secure enclosure or have it impounded, cannot relocate or transfer the dog without city police department approval, and must give the police department the address where the dog lives, on pain of a $500 fine. After a probable cause finding, the police department sends written notice, and the owner has seven days from receipt to request a hearing before a hearing officer, who can be the code enforcement special master. Missing the seven-day window makes the classification final. An owner can appeal a classification to county court within ten days of receiving the written determination.

Once a dog is classified, the owner has fourteen days to obtain an annual certificate of registration from the police department. The owner must be at least eighteen and present a current rabies certificate, a secure enclosure with warning signs at every entry point including a picture of a fierce, snarling dog, a microchip, and $100,000 in liability insurance or a surety bond naming the City of Margate. The fee is $200.00 a year, reduced by half after five years without violations, and the dog must be sterilized within sixty days of the declaration. Outside an enclosed building or pen the dog needs a muzzle and a lead of at least 300 pounds tensile strength and no more than three feet, held by a designated handler. Section 6-84 bars a dangerous dog from serving as a guard dog.