Fort Lauderdale, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Retail sale of dogs/cats
- Banned at pet stores
- Allowed source
- Shelters, humane societies, rescue groups only
- Certificate posting
- Within 3 feet of animal's enclosure
- Violation type
- Civil infraction under chapter 11
- Effective
- Ord. No. C-17-12, June 20, 2017
Summary
Fort Lauderdale bans pet stores from selling dogs or cats at retail. Code section 6-36 allows stores to offer only animals sourced from a shelter, humane society or rescue organization, and requires a posted certificate of source for every adopted animal. Falsifying that certificate, or selling a dog or cat outright, is a civil infraction enforced under chapter 11.
Sec. 6-36. - Retail sale of dogs and cats. (a) No pet store shall offer for retail sale as defined herein, or otherwise dispose of dogs or cats in the city on or after the effective date of this section. ... (e) Violations. A violation of this section for which a citation is issued is a civil infraction subject to the enforcement procedures set forth in chapter 11 of this Code. (Ord. No. C-17-12, § 3, 6-20-17)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-36(a) bars any pet store from offering dogs or cats for retail sale, or otherwise disposing of them, in the city. The exemptions in subsection (b) cover only public animal control facilities, animal shelters, and private nonprofit humane societies or rescue organizations, including one operating out of a pet store. Under subsection (c), a store hosting shelter or rescue animals for adoption must post a certificate of source within three feet of each animal's enclosure, naming the source organization and its contact information, signed by both the store and the adopter; the operator must be able to prove every dog or cat offered came from a shelter, rescue, or non-breeding facility, and must produce certificates on demand to any law enforcement officer or code compliance inspector.
Falsifying a certificate of source is itself a violation. Subsection (d) makes clear the ordinance does not stop a pet store from housing and caring for shelter or rescue animals being offered for adoption on-site. The ordinance took effect under Ordinance No. C-17-12 on June 20, 2017, and enforcement runs through the civil citation procedure in chapter 11 of the Code rather than the criminal penalty used elsewhere in chapter 6.
Violations & Fines
A violation of section 6-36 for which a citation is issued is a civil infraction, enforced through the citation procedures in chapter 11 of the Code rather than criminal court. Falsifying a certificate of source is treated as its own violation. Code compliance inspectors and law enforcement officers can demand certificates on the spot and cite a store that cannot produce them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Fort Lauderdale pet store sell puppies?
What is a certificate of source at a Fort Lauderdale pet store?
What happens if a pet store violates the retail sale ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Lauderdale 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.