Boca Raton, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 5-39, in Chapter 5's dogs-and-cats article, bars any person from possessing and maintaining more than 4 cats or dogs, or any combination exceeding 4, on the same premises, and applies that 4-animal ceiling to the combined total kept by everyone residing in the same dwelling unit, not just one owner's pets. The limit rises to 6 dogs and cats combined if the dwelling's yard has an escapeproof wall or fence, defined in the text as a barrier a dog cannot reasonably be expected to escape underneath.

Kittens and puppies under 6 months of age are excluded from the count entirely, so a newborn litter does not immediately push a household over the cap. The section traces to the 1966 code (Code 1966, § 5-23) and sits alongside the article's other dog-and-cat rules: the at-large nuisance declaration (Sec. 5-32), impoundment and registry duties (Sec. 5-33), and mandatory rabies vaccination (Sec. 5-38). Because Section 5-39 is not one of the offenses Section 5-42 lists a fine schedule for, exceeding the household limit is enforced through the citywide general penalty rather than the $25/$50/$100 at-large fine ladder.