Jacksonville Beach, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Colony location
- Caregiver's private property, or another owner's with permission
- Required status of each cat
- Sterilized, rabies vaccinated and ear-tipped
- Colony food
- No less than once per day, removed after each feeding
- Other outdoor feeding
- Primarily daylight; after-dark food out no longer than 30 minutes
- Feeding ban
- Public property, parks, rights-of-way, or without owner consent
- First-offense fine
- $50.00 under § 5-24
Summary
Jacksonville Beach regulates free-roaming cats through the community cat provision in § 5-35(2). A managed colony must sit on the caregiver's private property or on another landowner's property with permission, and each cat must be sterilized, vaccinated against rabies and ear-tipped. Cats that meet those terms are exempt from licensing, stray and at-large rules, and caregivers owe regular food and medical care.
(2) Community cat management initiatives. ... a. All managed community cat colonies/groups must be maintained on private property of the caregiver or with permission on the private property of another landowner (including city, state, and federal public property). b. All cats that are part of community cat management programs or considered feral must be sterilized, vaccinated against the threat of rabies, and ear-tipped (preferable on the left ear) for easy identification; if these requirements are met, the community cat is exempted from licensing, stray, at-large, and possibly other provisions of this chapter that apply to owned animals. c. If a person is providing care for community cats, he or she is required to provide certain necessities on a regular/ongoing basis, including, but not limited to, proper nutrition and medical care as needed.
Official source re-checked November 3, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-35 is titled Feeding of cats and dogs outdoors, and subsection (2) carries the city's community cat management initiative. The text recognizes the need for innovation in addressing the issues presented by feral, free-roaming, and other community cats, and treats properly managed community cats as part of the answer to the continuing euthanasia of cats. The conditions that follow are specific.
Colonies must be kept on the caregiver's private property or, with permission, on the private property of another landowner, a category the text says includes city, state, and federal public property. Every cat in a management program or considered feral must be sterilized, vaccinated against the threat of rabies, and ear-tipped, preferably on the left ear. A cat that meets those requirements is exempted from licensing, stray, at-large, and possibly other provisions of Chapter 5 that apply to owned animals. Section 5-2 repeats the exemption in its definition of community cat.
Caregivers also owe care. Food must be provided in the proper quantity for the number of cats being managed and supplied no less than once per day, kept in proper feeding containers and removed after each feeding. Water, if supplied, must be clean, potable, and free from debris and algae. Shelter, if provided, must be unobtrusive, safe, and of the proper size.
Subsection (1) sets different terms for all other cats and dogs fed outdoors. Feeding takes place primarily during daylight hours, and food provided after daylight hours can stay out no longer than 30 minutes. Dumping excess food on the ground and leaving open food packages are prohibited, and feeding on public property, road rights-of-way, parks, common land of a multi-family housing unit, or any property without consent of the owner is prohibited.
Owned cats fall under other sections. Section 5-37 makes it unlawful to let a dog or cat wander at large or stray upon the property of another and damage it, and § 5-51 requires the owner to carry proof that a dog, cat or ferret was vaccinated against rabies within the last 12 months.
Violations & Fines
Under § 5-35(3), violations are subject to a fine of not less than the amount designated in § 5-24: $50.00 for a first offense within 36 months, $150.00 for a second, $250.00 for a third, and $500.00 with a mandatory court appearance for a fourth or later offense, plus a $5.00 surcharge on each civil penalty. Section 5-24(2)f adds a $100.00 fine for any violation involving a dog or cat in heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a cat a community cat in Jacksonville Beach?
Are community cats exempt from licensing?
What must a community cat caregiver provide?
Can I feed stray cats in a public park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville Beach
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle cat rules.