Martin County, FL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License required at
- 6 months of age
- Renewal period
- 1 year from issuance/vaccination
- School/park buffer
- 250 feet minimum
- Sensitive-land buffer
- 750 feet minimum
- Max citation penalty
- $500.00 per violation
Summary
Every owned cat over four months old in Martin County must be rabies-vaccinated and carry a County license tag, unless it qualifies as a community cat under the trap-neuter-vaccinate-return program. Colony caregivers face buffer-distance rules keeping cats away from schools, parks, and sensitive lands.
9.90.D.1. All community cats must be cared for on the private property owned by the caregiver or on property owned by another with written permission of the property owner... Properties with community cats shall maintain a minimum buffer distance of 250 feet from schools, public parks and playgrounds and a minimum buffer distance of 750 feet from environmentally sensitive lands, conservation lands, or property subject to a preserved area management plan.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 | Land Development Regulations: Supplement 62).
Full Breakdown
Section 9.61.A of the Martin County Code of Ordinances requires every cat that has reached four months of age to be currently vaccinated against rabies, licensed, and wearing a collar or harness with the license tag, unless the cat is a 'community cat' as defined in section 9.1. Section 9.62.A backs this with a licensing deadline: owners must get a Martin County license/identification tag within 30 calendar days of the cat turning six months old, being acquired at six months or older, or arriving with a new resident. Tags run one year from issuance or vaccination, whichever is earlier, and late renewal draws a fee set by board resolution under section 9.62.C.
Cats that qualify as community cats bypass ordinary licensing entirely. Section 9.90.D.3 requires each such cat to be treated for fleas and ticks, sterilized, vaccinated against rabies and feline distemper, implanted with a micro-chip, and ear-tipped before it is exempt from licensing, stray, and at-large provisions, including sections 9.34 and 9.62. Colony caregivers must keep community cats on property they own or have written permission to use, and section 9.90.D.1 sets a minimum 250-foot buffer from schools, public parks, and playgrounds, and a 750-foot buffer from environmentally sensitive or conservation lands, waivable only with the affected property owner's written consent. Caregivers must feed the colony at least once daily in proper containers, keep feeding areas sanitary, and provide clean water, per section 9.90.D.4. A caregiver who violates these conditions loses the licensing exemption and can be cited under sections 9.63.A, .C, .D, and .E.
Violations & Fines
Owning an unlicensed, unvaccinated cat past the deadlines in sections 9.61 and 9.62 exposes the owner to a citation from an Animal Services Officer; the maximum civil penalty for failing to pay or contest a citation is $500.00 per violation under section 9.63.C, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. A colony caregiver who breaks the buffer, feeding, or care rules forfeits the community-cat exemption and can be cited under the same enforcement sections that apply to ordinary licensing violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Martin County?
Can I feed a feral cat colony on my property?
What happens if I stop caring for a registered community cat colony properly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Martin County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Martin County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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