Melbourne, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 42-17 governs domestic animals specifically within the parks and recreational facilities the city operates: animals are permitted in parks unless a park is otherwise posted, but they must be restrained with a leash no longer than 15 feet, and the person controlling the animal is responsible for picking up its waste. The same section bars domestic animals, other than service animals, from entering recreational facilities or the golf courses at all, regardless of leash length. This 15-foot rule sits inside Chapter 42, Parks and Recreation, and its general penalty clause, Section 42-39(d), makes any violation of a chapter 42 section punishable under Section 1-14, the Code's citywide default: a fine up to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with repeat days counted separately.

Outside of city parks, Melbourne does not write its own general at-large or leash statute into the municipal code; instead, Section 10-1 of Chapter 10, Animals, adopts the Brevard County animal control ordinance by reference, as amended from time to time, and designates it the 'City of Melbourne Animal Control Code,' so citywide restraint and at-large enforcement for dogs runs through the county's animal control rules rather than a Melbourne-specific leash length. The park-specific 15-foot standard in Section 42-17 is therefore the only numeric leash requirement written directly into Melbourne's own Code.