Largo, FL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Hen limit
- Up to 12 hens per single-family home
- Roosters
- Never permitted (§ 5-4(b))
- Coop placement
- Not in the front yard (§ 5-4(c))
- Livestock setback
- 300 feet from any residence
- Livestock approval
- Requires city commission permission
- Multi-family properties
- Fowl prohibited entirely (§ 5-4(d))
Summary
Largo lets single-family residents keep up to twelve hens for personal eggs, with no roosters and no breeding or selling. Farm or livestock animals such as cattle, goats or horses need city commission permission and must stay at least 300 feet from any residence without the neighbor's consent.
Sec. 5-3(a): It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any farm or livestock animal as defined in any residential section of the city within 300 feet of any residence and without the consent of the owner or occupant of such residence and permission from the city commission. Sec. 5-4: (a)Any fowl running at large within the city are hereby declared to be nuisances.(b)An exception to (a) of this Code allows for the keeping of up to twelve (12) fowl per single-family residence. Such fowl must be owned by the household occupants where kept and raised for personal enjoyment and/or in-home egg or flesh consumption only and there shall be no breeding, selling and or commercial use. No male chicken (rooster) are permitted at any time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 18 | Comprehensive Development Code: Supplement 18).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 5-4(a) declares any fowl running at large in the city a nuisance, but subsection (b) carves out an exception: a single-family residence may keep up to twelve fowl, owned by the household occupants, raised only for personal enjoyment or in-home egg or meat consumption, with no breeding, selling or commercial use and no roosters permitted at any time. Subsection (c) requires any outdoor coop to sit outside the front yard of an interior lot and be kept clean and sanitary, and subsection (d) bars fowl entirely on duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, multi-family properties, apartment complexes and community gardens.
Separately, section 5-3(a) makes it unlawful to keep a farm or livestock animal in a residential section of the city within 300 feet of any residence without both the consent of that residence's owner or occupant and permission from the city commission. Section 5-3(c) requires manure to be picked up daily and stored in a fly- and odor-excluding bin placed as far as possible from neighboring dwellings and streets, though owners may still use their own manure to enrich their own ground. The chapter's definitions treat fowl, hoofed farm animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, swine and horses as "farm or livestock" animals distinct from ordinary household pets.
Violations & Fines
Fowl kept in violation, such as roosters or flocks exceeding twelve hens, and livestock kept without the required 300-foot setback and commission permission, are code enforcement matters. An uncorrected violation referred to the Largo Code Enforcement Board can draw a fine up to $250.00 per day for a first violation and up to $5,000.00 per day for a repeat violation under section 9-72.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep at my Largo home?
Can I keep a rooster in Largo?
Can I keep a goat or horse in my Largo backyard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Largo
How Largo compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Largo to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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