Fort Myers, FL Animal Ordinances: Livestock (2026)

The City of Fort Myers Land Development Code (Chapter 118) does not list cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine, or commercial poultry as authorized uses in any residential zoning district. Chapter 14 (Animals) provides residual enforcement authority over the keeping of animals in a manner that creates a nuisance or threatens public health, and Lee County Ordinance 14-22 (administered by LCDAS within city limits) supplies animal-control enforcement. The only farm-style animal expressly authorized on a Fort Myers residential lot is the backyard hen - and only on parcels with a Florida Homestead Exemption, only with an approved City Backyard Hen Application, only hens (no roosters), and only with the coop located at least 20 feet from the nearest neighboring residence. Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs and other unconventional 'pets' must comply with FWC captive wildlife rules (most pot-bellied pigs are not regulated as wildlife but are subject to Fort Myers Chapter 14 nuisance/sanitation standards). Owners interested in larger livestock should pursue Lee County agricultural (AG-2) or rural-zoned property outside city limits; even there, Lee County unincorporated zoning often requires a minimum of 5 acres for hoofstock and prohibits commercial confinement operations near residential subdivisions. Properties annexed into Fort Myers with grandfathered agricultural rights are rare but may have limited legal-nonconforming livestock status.