Miami Beach, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 10-11
- Restraint required
- Leash or carrier device
- South Pointe Park off-leash window
- Sunrise-10am daily; 6-9pm Mon-Fri
- North Shore Park off-leash window
- 3-7pm Fri-Sun, 80th-82nd St beach
- Third+ violation fine
- $1,000
- Enforcement
- Police, Park Rangers, code compliance
Summary
Miami Beach requires animals off their owner's property to be leashed or in a carrier, with a narrow off-leash exception for supervised dogs in designated park and beach areas during city-manager-set hours, backed by fines up to $1,000.
(a)It shall be prohibited for the owner or person in control of any animal to permit the animal to run at large. All animals, when not on the premises of their owner or of the person in control, must be on a leash or contained in a carrier device and under the control of a competent person, except that a dog may be unrestrained and shall not be deemed to be at large if it is supervised by a competent person and is in:(1)South Pointe Park, in the designated area south and west of the Washington Avenue entry plaza, from sunrise to 10:00 a.m. daily, or from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98 | Resiliency Code (Current Land Development Regulations): Publication | Ordinance 89-2665 (Previous Land Development Regulations): Publication).
Full Breakdown
Sec. m. m. Friday through Sunday; and any other park or beach area the city manager specifically designates, during hours the city manager sets. Outside those windows and locations, an unleashed dog is at large. The Miami Beach Police Department, Park Rangers and code compliance department all enforce the section. Fines escalate per violation: $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second within 12 months, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation within 12 months. Sec. 10-2(c) adds a distinct consequence unique to this section: an unpaid fine from a Sec.
10-11 order that remains outstanding two months after the special magistrate's order can trigger revocation of the violator's residential parking permits or decals, a penalty chapter 10 does not attach to any other animal-control violation.
Violations & Fines
First violation: $250 fine. Second violation within 12 months: $500 fine. Third or subsequent violation within 12 months: $1,000 fine. An unpaid fine outstanding two months after the special magistrate's order can also trigger revocation of the violator's residential parking permits or decals under Sec. 10-2(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dogs have to be leashed in Miami Beach?
Is there an off-leash dog beach in Miami Beach?
What is the fine for a leash law violation?
Can unpaid leash-law fines affect my parking permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami Beach
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami Beach to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle dog leash laws.