Seminole County, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Seminole County Code § 20.17(b)
- Leash presumption
- Not restrained if over 8 feet near others
- Service animals
- Exempt from the 8-foot presumption
- First offense fine
- $50 civil penalty
- Third offense
- $200 fine, mandatory court appearance
- Impound hold
- 5 days at animal shelter, § 20.37
Summary
Seminole County requires every dog to be on a leash whenever it leaves the owner's property, and Section 20.17(b) presumes a dog is not under control if its leash runs longer than eight feet while near another animal or person. Dogs and other animals may not run at-large on public or private property without consent.
(a)It is unlawful for any animal owner to allow, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, the owner's animals to run at-large upon public property, unless the owner of such public property expressly authorizes such activity, or upon private property of others, including common areas of condominiums, cluster homes, planned unit developments, and community associations, without the consent of all affected owners, unless such private property owners authorize such activity by express consent.(b)All dogs must be under restraint by a leash when being walked off the dog owner's property. There is a rebuttable presumption that a dog is not under restraint or within the owner's direct control when the leash length exceeds eight (8) feet and in the presence of a domestic animal or person. Service animals are exempt from this Section 20.17(b).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
17(a) makes it unlawful for an owner, willfully or through failure to exercise due care, to let an animal run at-large on public property without the property owner's express authorization, or on private property, including condominium and community-association common areas, without the consent of all affected owners. Subsection (b) narrows this specifically to dogs: all dogs must be under restraint by a leash when walked off the owner's property, and there is a rebuttable presumption that a dog is not under restraint, or within the owner's direct control, whenever the leash exceeds eight feet in length while a domestic animal or person is present; service animals are exempt from this specific leash-length rule.
37's five-day hold procedure. Subsection (d) shields the county from liability for injury to an animal during a capture, but requires the Animal Control Official to file a written incident report with the Chief Administrator for the Office of Emergency Management within one working day if an animal is hurt during capture. 17 entirely, so the leash and at-large rules that apply to dogs do not reach cats cared for under those programs. 38.
Violations & Fines
An at-large or unleashed-dog citation is a noncriminal infraction listed in Section 20.136(a)(2) and priced under Section 20.137: $50 for a first infraction, $100 for a second violation of Section 20.17 within three years, and a mandatory county court appearance with a $200 fine for a third violation in that period. A person who contests a citation and is found guilty at a hearing can be fined up to $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can my dog's leash be in Seminole County?
Are service animals exempt from the leash rule?
What happens if animal control picks up my loose dog?
Can I let my dog off-leash in my condo's common area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seminole County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Seminole County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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