Broward County, FL Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Sec. 4-26 of the Broward County Code, part of the Dogs and Cats chapter administered by the county's Animal Care Division, makes it unlawful to own or harbor any wild animal as a pet without the state permit required under Section 379.3762, Florida Statutes. The county provision layers local enforcement onto the state permitting scheme rather than creating its own permit process. Zoological parks, performing animal exhibitions, and circuses that use wild animals in performances are specifically exempted. Chapter 4 applies countywide; under Sec. 4-28(j), a municipality that adopts its own additional dog-and-cat regulations is responsible for enforcing those instead, so incorporated cities like Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood may layer on their own rules.