Deerfield Beach, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 10-19
- Adopted by
- Ord. No. 2015/031, 11-3-15
- Exempt sellers
- Shelters and rescue organizations
- Certificate posting distance
- Within 3 ft of kennel/cage
- Amortization for existing stores
- 6 months from adoption
- Violation type
- Civil infraction (Ch. 2, Art. VI)
Summary
Deerfield Beach bans pet stores from selling, trading or otherwise disposing of dogs and cats under Sec. 10-19, a puppy-mill-style ordinance that only allows stores to host adoption space for shelters and rescue organizations.
Sec. 10-19. - Retail sales of dogs and cats. (a) No pet store shall display, sell, trade, deliver, barter, lease, rent, auction, give away, transfer or offer for sale or transfer, or otherwise dispose of dogs or cats in the city on or after the effective date of this section. (b) Exemptions. This section does not to apply to: (1) An animal shelter. (2) An animal rescue organization. (3) An animal shelter or animal rescue organization that operates out of or in connection with a pet store. ... (e) Amortization. Pet stores that possess an active city local business tax receipt on the adoption date of the ordinance from which this section derives shall be permitted to continue its sale of dogs and cats even if it is not in compliance with this section for a period of time not to exceed six months from the date of adoption of the ordinance creating this section.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10-19(a) makes it unlawful for any pet store to display, sell, trade, deliver, barter, lease, rent, auction, give away, transfer or otherwise dispose of dogs or cats in the city. Subsection (b) exempts animal shelters, animal rescue organizations, and a shelter or rescue that operates out of or in connection with a pet store, and subsection (d) confirms a pet store may still provide space and care for shelter or rescue animals kept there specifically for public adoption. For any dog or cat lawfully offered (through an exempt shelter or rescue partnership), subsection (c) requires the store to post a certificate of source within three feet of the animal's kennel or cage, hand a copy to the buyer, and produce copies on demand to any law enforcement officer or county animal shelter employee; falsifying that certificate is itself a violation.
Subsection (e) built in a six-month amortization window from the ordinance's 2015 adoption date for any pet store that already held an active city business tax receipt, letting existing sellers wind down rather than close overnight. The ordinance derives from Ord. No. 2015/031, adopted November 3, 2015.
Violations & Fines
Under Sec. 10-19(f), a violation for which a citation is issued is treated as a civil infraction, enforced through the procedures in Chapter 2, Article VI of the City Code (the code enforcement/citation process), rather than through the criminal penalty in Sec. 1-15. Falsifying a certificate of source is a separate violation under subsection (c)(3).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Deerfield Beach pet store sell puppies?
What must a store post if it hosts rescue animals for adoption?
Did existing pet stores have to stop selling animals immediately in 2015?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Deerfield Beach
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Deerfield Beach to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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Pet Store Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle pet store rules.