Sarasota County, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Every cat, dog and ferret in Sarasota County that is four months of age or older must be vaccinated against rabies under Sec. 30. The default schedule is annual revaccination, but a cat vaccinated by a veterinarian with a USDA-approved triennial vaccine is treated as current for a full three years, except that any cat vaccinated before its first birthday must still receive a one-year booster. Only a veterinarian actively licensed to practice in Florida may give the rabies vaccination (subsection (a)(1)); if the vaccinating veterinarian practices outside Florida, the owner must supply other verifiable evidence of a current vaccination that Animal Services will accept, and no one may misrepresent who is legally allowed to vaccinate a cat.

Proof of vaccination consists of a current Sarasota County License Tag together with a certificate of vaccination executed in triplicate, one copy each for the owner, the veterinarian, and the Animal Services Section, listing the vaccine type, administration date, and the cat's breed, age, sex, color and markings (subsection (a)(2)-(3)). A medical exemption is available under subsection (b): a Florida-licensed veterinarian must examine the cat and certify in writing that vaccination would endanger its health because of age, infirmity, debility or illness, stating the anticipated duration of the condition; the owner then has 30 days to register that certification with Animal Services and pay the applicable fee, and the cat must be kept securely and humanely confined until vaccinated once its health permits.

All vaccines used must be a type approved by the Florida Division of Health, and the cost of vaccination is always borne by the cat's owner (subsection (a)(4)-(5)).