Brevard County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Groomer Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- Grooming establishments = animal care facility
- Requirement
- Registration with Animal Control before opening
- Inspection
- Site inspection within 30 days of application
- Max penalty
- $500 civil penalty per violation
- Escalation
- 3rd standards violation can be a misdemeanor
Summary
Brevard County treats every animal grooming establishment as an 'animal care facility' that must register with Animal Control and pass a site inspection before it can open, county-wide including inside Space Coast cities.
Animal care facility means any place of business where dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, and other animals, except livestock and rodents, regardless of number, are kept for sale, breeding, boarding or treatment purposes including animal grooming establishments or pet shops, except such facilities which are licensed, permitted, and subject to regular inspections by other regulatory agencies.
Animal control authority means the entity tasked with animal control and animal services for the county. The animal control authority shall be designated by the board of county commissioners and authorized to enforce this article and the animal control laws of the state.
Animal enforcement officer shall have the meaning ascribed to "animal enforcement officer" in F.S. § 828.27 as may be amended from time to time. the terms animal enforcement officer and animal control officer may be used interchangeably herein.
County means Brevard County, Florida.
Registry means a current record, either ledger or card, indicating, at a minimum, animal's name, description, owner's name, owner's address, owner's phone number, animal's veterinarian's name and phone number, vaccination history, description of current medication and date of entry to establishment.
(Code 1979, § 7-60.1; Ord. No. 2023-29, § 1, 10-24-23)
Cross reference— Definitions generally, § 1-2.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Brevard County Code § 14-86 defines 'animal care facility' to include animal grooming establishments alongside pet shops, boarders and breeders. Operating one without registering with the Animal Control Authority is unlawful (§ 14-116(a)). Before approval, Animal Control inspects the site within 30 days of the application and can deny registration if the facility fails the care standards in § 14-91 or isn't a permitted zoning use, whether inside the unincorporated county or a municipality (§ 14-90). Registered facilities must keep animals fed, watered, in properly sized enclosures, sanitary, and maintain an animal registry (§ 14-91).
Violations & Fines
Operating unregistered is a civil infraction. Standards violations escalate: written warning, then $100, $200, $300 with license revocation on a fourth offense; a third violation can become a misdemeanor (§ 14-87(f), § 14-119).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the rules apply if I groom animals out of my home?
What happens if a groomer skips county registration entirely?
Does this cover groomers in Melbourne, Palm Bay or other Brevard cities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brevard County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Brevard County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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