Within the City of Milton, the Land Development Code (Part III of the Code of Ordinances) governs accessory animal-keeping uses; Milton does not have a city-specific backyard-hen ordinance. Surrounding unincorporated Santa Rosa County is more permissive: Santa Rosa County Code Chapter 4 (Animals) allows up to 8 chickens on lots of 0.25 acres or less, with roosters required to be at least 100 yards from any neighboring residence and coops set back 10 ft from rear/side property lines.
The City of Milton (Santa Rosa County seat) regulates accessory uses through the Land Development Code (Part III of the Milton Code of Ordinances), Articles 8 (Use Standards) and 9 (Tree and Development Standards). The city has not adopted a backyard-chicken permit ordinance similar to Deltona or Pensacola — chicken-keeping in city residential zones depends on the underlying zoning designation, with most R-1 and R-2 parcels not listing fowl as a permitted accessory use. Outside city limits in unincorporated Santa Rosa County, Chapter 4 of the Santa Rosa County Code applies and is more permissive: up to 8 chickens may be kept on lots of 0.25 acres or less, with the cap rising for larger parcels; roosters must be at least 100 yards (300 ft) from any neighboring residence; pens, coops, and enclosures must be at least 10 ft from rear and side property lines and at least 20 ft from any residence on an adjacent lot; chickens may roam in a fenced rear yard from sunrise to sunset but must otherwise be in predator-proof enclosures. The Estate Residential District zoning category in the county expressly forbids livestock or fowl. Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Island are excluded from the chicken allowance. Milton residents should confirm whether their parcel is inside city limits and which zoning district applies before adding chickens.
Within Milton city limits, zoning violations are enforced by the City of Milton Planning Department. In unincorporated Santa Rosa County, code enforcement is handled by the County Development Services Department; violations of Chapter 4 may result in a notice of violation, animal removal, and fines under the county's Code Enforcement Board ordinance.
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