Volusia County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Lots ≤ 1 acre
- 5 dogs/cats maximum
- Lots 1-5 acres
- 8 dogs/cats maximum
- Lots ≥ 5 acres
- 12 dogs/cats maximum
- Exceeding limit
- Special exception only, no variance
- Guest pet exemption
- ≤30 days/yr, max 4 combined
- Containment setback
- 50-100 ft from property lines
Summary
Unincorporated Volusia County caps how many dogs and cats over six months old a household can keep: five on a lot of one acre or less, eight on one to five acres, and twelve on five acres or more. Sec. 72-293(3) lets the county's approving body permit more only through special exception, never a variance.
(3) Animal shelters; kennels; dogs and cats boarded as personal pets exceeding the number permitted. For purposes of this subsection, the term "animals" shall mean "dog" or "cat." a. Number limit. The boarding of dogs and cats over six months of age shall be allowed on a premises within the FR, RC, A-1 through A-4, RR, RA, RE, R-1 through R-9, MH-1 through MH-8, Osteen, SWC, SWR, and PUD zoning classifications but shall not exceed the following total combined number: Lots of one acre or less in size: 5. Lots greater than one acre but less than five acres in size: 8. Lots five acres or greater in size: 12.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 108 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 72-293(3) of the Land Development Code governs 'animal shelters; kennels; dogs and cats boarded as personal pets exceeding the number permitted' across the FR, RC, A-1 through A-4, RR, RA, RE, R-1 through R-9, MH-1 through MH-8, Osteen, SWC, SWR, and PUD zoning classifications -- essentially every unincorporated residential and agricultural district. The combined number of dogs and cats over six months of age is capped at five on lots of one acre or less, eight on lots larger than one acre but under five acres, and twelve on lots of five acres or more.
An owner who wants to keep more must obtain special-exception approval from the county's approving body; subsection (e) is explicit that 'no variance or waiver of the terms of this subsection shall be allowed,' so the board of adjustment cannot substitute for that process. Two carve-outs apply: dogs or cats belonging to a guest staying 30 or fewer days in a calendar year don't count toward the cap as long as they total four or fewer, and a hobby breeder holding a valid county license may exceed the limits by special exception for a kennel or animal shelter.
Any application to exceed the base numbers must include a conceptual site plan showing every structure meant to house the animals. Containment structures also carry their own setback: 50 feet from front, rear and side lines on lots of five acres or less, rising to 100 feet on larger lots, whichever is greater than the base zoning setback.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more animals than the applicable lot-size limit without special-exception approval is a code violation, and Sec. 72-293(3)(e) forecloses any variance as a workaround -- special-exception approval before the county's approving body is the only path to more pets. Containment structures that miss the 50- or 100-foot setback are likewise subject to zoning enforcement and correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs and cats can I legally keep at my Volusia County home?
Can visiting family or friends' pets push me over the limit?
What setback applies to a dog run or cattery structure?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Volusia County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Volusia County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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