Flagler County, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- At-large duty
- Sec. 5-26, applies to any animal
- Inoculation duty
- Sec. 5-70, per Florida law
- Cat licensing
- None under this chapter
- Maximum civil penalty
- $500 plus $5 surcharge
- Enforcing agency
- Flagler County Animal Services
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Flagler County only
Summary
Flagler County has no cat licensing program or feral-colony ordinance. Two rules cover cats in unincorporated Flagler County: the general animal at-large restraint duty in Sec. 5-26, and Sec. 5-70, which requires every cat owned or possessed in the unincorporated county to be inoculated in accordance with Florida law.
(c)The owner of an animal shall ensure that the animal does not run at large or stray onto public property or the private property of another without permission from the property owner. Any animal that is off the property of its owner shall be restrained in a manner suitable for the type of animal such that it is under the direct control of the owner. ... Sec. 5-70. - Inoculation of cats. Each cat possessed or owned within the unincorporated area of the county shall be inoculated in accordance with Florida law.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-26(c) applies to any animal, cats included: an owner must keep the animal from running at large or straying onto public property or a neighbor's land without permission, and any animal off its owner's property must be restrained in a manner suitable to the species so it stays under the owner's direct control. An officer can require an owner with three or more violations to install physical restraints to stop repeat incidents. Separately, Sec. 5-70 requires inoculation of every cat under Florida law, mirroring the parallel dog-inoculation duty in Sec.
5-69; the county does not issue its own cat license or tag and does not operate a registered feral-colony or trap-neuter-release program under this chapter. S. Ch. 162. Because these sections apply only to the unincorporated county, a cat owner inside Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell or Beverly Beach is instead governed by that city's own animal ordinance, not this article.
Violations & Fines
A violation of either section is a civil infraction under Sec. 5-27, carrying a civil penalty up to $500 plus a $5 surcharge that funds animal-control officer training. An alleged violator can pay within thirty days or contest the citation before a Flagler County Court judge; failing to pay or appear can bring an order to show cause and a contempt finding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in unincorporated Flagler County?
Is there a feral cat colony ordinance in Flagler County?
Can my cat be cited for wandering onto a neighbor's yard?
What is the penalty for an unvaccinated or at-large cat in Flagler County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flagler County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Flagler County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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