Leon County, FL Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Backyard poultry in unincorporated Leon County is governed by the Code of Laws of Leon County, Chapter 4, Sec. 4-37(i) (Chickens and other fowl), together with the Land Development Code. Sec. 4-37(i)(1) requires compliance with the urban-agriculture requirements of Sec. 10-6.816 of the Leon County Land Development Code. Sec. 4-37(i)(2) requires that chickens be kept within a coop at all times, that the coop be ventilated, and that it be of sufficient size to afford the free movement of chickens. Sec. 4-37(i)(3) requires the coop to be kept clean and sanitary and free of rodents, offensive odors, excessive noise, or any other condition that could cause a nuisance. Sec. 4-37(i)(4) applies Fla. Stat. 823.041 to disposal of a carcass. Chickens and similar fowl are treated as 'livestock' under the Sec. 4-26 definition, which lists poultry among equine, bovine, Camillidae, Bovidae, Phasianidae, and swine families. The Code of Laws sets the animal-care framework, but the specific numeric limits on flock size, lot size, and setbacks come from the urban-agriculture rules in Land Development Code Sec. 10-6.816, which this animal-control PDF does not reproduce - check that section for exact counts and distances. A 'coop' is defined in Sec. 4-26 as a covered house, structure, or room giving chickens shelter and a roosting area protected from predators, typically with an outside exercise area.