Clay County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Section 4-36(a) makes it unlawful for any commercial establishment to engage in the retail sale of a dog or cat, and separately unlawful for anyone to sell a dog or cat from a public thoroughfare, public common area, or flea market. ' Those grandfathered sellers face detailed conditions under section 4-36(c): they cannot expand their sales floor space beyond what existed on March 31, 2022, cannot open branch locations, and lose their exemption if they let a required license lapse, abandon dog/cat sales for more than thirty days, or stop selling due to fire or other loss.

They may source animals only from USDA-licensed breeders with a clean recent compliance record, no direct or critical violations in two years, no more than four non-critical violations, and no state-law violations in two years. Every dog and cat sold must be RFID microchipped within five business days of receipt, unless already chipped, and registered to the store, and the seller must keep a health certificate, microchip information, and USDA sourcing records for two years, provided to each purchaser. Grandfathered stores must also post and publish adoption-promotion signage for shelters and rescues, accept rehoming or return of animals under specified conditions, and submit to at least two division of animal services inspections per year.