Palm Beach County, FL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lot size
- 1 acre in residential districts
- Covers
- Horses, poultry, livestock
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Zoning control
- Use matrix, Art. 4.B.6.A
Summary
In unincorporated Palm Beach County, keeping horses, poultry, or livestock in a residential zoning district requires a lot of at least one acre under the county's land development code.
f. Livestock Raising The breeding, raising, and caring for horses, poultry, and livestock. [Ord. 2023-009] 1) Residential Zoning Districts a) Lot Size A minimum of one acre. [Ord. 2023-009] g. Agritourism Refer to F.S. § 570.85-§ 87 for applicability. [Ord. 2019-034] h. Accessory Agricultural Uses These uses include “U-Pick-Em” operations; sale of on-site produced products; corrals; pens; training facilities; dipping vats; processing of raw material; storage sheds; repair, fabrication, body work, and welding of agricultural equipment; freestanding coolers; bulk storage of petroleum products; shipping containers used for temporary storage; washing, cutting, and packing of farm products; canning, dehydration, and basic preparation of raw food products prior to shipment; and, outdoor storage of equipment.
Unified Land Development Code Supplement No. 32 (Printed 10/25)
Full Breakdown
The Unified Land Development Code's Livestock Raising standard covers the breeding, raising, and caring for horses, poultry, and livestock. In Residential Zoning Districts it sets a minimum lot size of one acre before livestock can be kept at all. Livestock is also a listed Agricultural Use governed by the Article 4.B.6.A use matrix, which controls whether it's permitted by right, needs Zoning Commission or Board of County Commissioners approval, or is prohibited outright in a given zoning district (AR, AGR, RE, RT, RS, RM, and others carry different approval levels). This applies only to unincorporated county land. Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, and the county's other 34 municipalities set their own livestock rules.
Violations & Fines
Keeping livestock on an undersized residential lot, or in a district where the use matrix marks it prohibited or requiring conditional-use approval that wasn't obtained, is a zoning code violation subject to Planning, Zoning and Building Department enforcement and code compliance action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens or a horse on a normal residential lot in Palm Beach County?
Does this rule apply inside cities like West Palm Beach or Boca Raton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach County
How Palm Beach County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Beach County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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