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Port St. Lucie, FL Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
§ 92.05(a), Prohibited animals
Required permit
FWC captive wildlife permit
Definition source
§ 92.01, "Captive wildlife"
Enforcing agency
Animal Control Division
First offense fine
$50.00

Summary

Port St. Lucie Code § 92.05(a) bars permanently housing any "captive wildlife" animal in the city unless the owner holds a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Section 92.01 defines captive wildlife as any animal whose possession itself requires FWC special permitting, so venomous snakes, big cats, and similar wildlife fall under the ban without that state permit.

It shall be unlawful to permit permanent housing of captive wildlife animals as defined in section 92.01 in the city limits except pursuant to a permit issued therefore by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. ... Captive wildlife. Any animal, the possession of which requires special permitting by the Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission.

View official code

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

05(a) of the Port St. Lucie Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful to permanently house any captive wildlife animal inside city limits except under a permit issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 01, ties the term to state law rather than listing species itself: "Captive wildlife" means any animal whose possession requires special permitting by the FWC. That cross-reference pulls in the state's own licensing tiers, so a resident who wants to keep a venomous reptile, a large constrictor, a big cat, a primate, or another animal the state classifies as requiring a captive wildlife license must first satisfy the FWC's caging, experience, and inspection requirements before the animal can lawfully stay on Port St.

Lucie property. 05(b)'s ban on knowingly keeping a diseased animal. 13 must also provide a veterinarian on duty for the run of the show. 99 as non-criminal infractions handled in county court, with the same escalating fine schedule used for other Chapter 92 offenses.

Violations & Fines

Keeping a captive wildlife animal without the required FWC permit is a Chapter 92 civil infraction under § 92.99: $50.00 for a first offense, $100.00 for a second, and $200.00 plus a mandatory county court appearance for a third or later offense, each with a $5.00 training surcharge. Animal Control may also refer the animal to the FWC, whose own licensing enforcement runs independently of the city's citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep a venomous snake or big cat in Port St. Lucie?
Only if the state issues you a captive wildlife permit first. Section 92.05(a) prohibits permanently housing any animal that Section 92.01 defines as captive wildlife, meaning any animal whose possession itself requires special permitting by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, unless you hold that FWC permit. Without it, keeping the animal in city limits is a citable violation regardless of how it is caged.
Does the city issue its own exotic-animal permit?
No. Section 92.05(a) defers entirely to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's permitting system rather than creating a separate city license. Port St. Lucie's Animal Control Division checks for that state permit during enforcement, but the FWC, not the city, decides who qualifies to keep a given captive wildlife species and under what caging and inspection conditions.
What happens if Animal Control finds an unpermitted wild animal?
The owner is cited under § 92.99 as a non-criminal infraction, starting at a $50.00 fine for a first offense and rising to $200.00 plus a mandatory court appearance for a third violation. Because the underlying problem is a missing state permit, the FWC can pursue its own separate enforcement action against the animal's possession at the same time.

Sources & Official References

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