Port St. Lucie, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 92.03, Animals running at large
- Leash length required
- No longer than six feet
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Control Division
- First offense fine
- $50.00
- Third offense fine
- $200.00 plus court appearance
- Invisible fence rule
- Must sit 5 feet from sidewalks/property lines
Summary
Port St. Lucie makes it unlawful under Code § 92.03 to let any animal run at large or sit outside your home without proper restraint. Section 92.01 defines restraint precisely: a leash no longer than six feet, a tether, confinement in a vehicle, or full containment on the owner's own property. Animal Control Division officers cite violators under § 92.99, with fines climbing on repeat offenses.
It shall be unlawful for any person to permit his/her animal to run at large in the city. Animals shall not be allowed outside the confines of their owners' homes without proper restraint. ... Restraint. A domestic pet is under restraint if it is physically: (a) on a leash no longer than six (6) feet in length and controlled by a competent person, (b) tethered on a lead or chord, (c) within a vehicle in accordance with section 92.21, or (d) within an enclosed area or otherwise secured within the property limits of its owner or keeper not to include verbal command.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
03 of the Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances, titled "Animals running at large," bars any person from permitting an animal to run loose in the city and requires that animals stay confined to the owner's home unless under proper restraint. 01 spells out four ways a domestic pet satisfies the standard. 21, or contained within an enclosed area on the owner's own property without relying on a verbal command alone. Electronic or invisible fences count as restraint only when the collar is functioning, the dog is wearing it, and the buried wire sits at least five feet back from any sidewalk, roadway, or property line; the code specifically treats sidewalks and swales as outside the owner's property, so a dog that can reach the swale on an invisible fence is not legally restrained.
99, which treats a first violation as a non-criminal infraction handled in county court. 27(5). 00 surcharge earmarked for animal control officer training. 22, which separately makes every owner responsible for injuries or property damage their animal causes while unrestrained.
Violations & Fines
A first at-large or unrestrained-dog citation costs $50.00, a second costs $100.00, and a third or later offense costs $200.00 plus a mandatory county court appearance, under § 92.99(f). Every citation adds a $5.00 training surcharge. Civil penalties run independent of any impoundment fee charged if Animal Control takes the dog into custody under § 92.10. Refusing to sign a citation is a separate misdemeanor under F.S. § 828.27(5).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my dog be off-leash in my own fenced yard in Port St. Lucie?
Does an invisible fence satisfy Port St. Lucie's restraint requirement?
What happens if I refuse to sign an animal-control citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port St. Lucie
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