Collier County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Collier County Code Sec. 14-81
- Minimum sale age
- 8 weeks
- Vet exam
- within 5 business days of acquisition
- OCVI valid
- 30 days from issuance
- Microchip
- required before sale or transfer
- Records kept
- 2 years
- Exempt
- shelters, humane societies, 501(c)(3) rescues
Summary
Collier County doesn't ban retail pet sales, but Code Sec. 14-81 makes every dog, cat, puppy or kitten sold or transferred within the county carry a licensed veterinarian's Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, a documented vaccination and deworming record, and a permanent microchip, with breeders and pet shops required to disclose Florida's pet lemon law to every buyer.
B.Requirements for Sale or Transfer of Ownership of Dogs and Cats.1.Dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens acquired for resale must be examined by a licensed veterinarian within five business days of physical acquisition.2.Dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens offered for sale or transfer of ownership must be at least eight weeks of age.3.Dogs, cats, puppies and kittens offered for sale or transfer of ownership must be accompanied by an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI)... 9.All dogs, cats, puppies and kittens offered for sale or transfer of ownership must be implanted with a microchip. ... D.Disclosures.1.At the time of sale or transfer of ownership, breeders and pet shops must provide the recipient with: ... c.A copy of F.S. § 828.29, Dogs and cats transported or offered for sale; health requirements; consumer guarantee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 126 | Land Development Code: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Every animal a breeder or pet shop offers for sale or transfer must be examined by a licensed veterinarian within five business days of acquisition, be at least eight weeks old, and travel with an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI) recording the exam date, the vet's license number and signature, the animal's breed, sex, color and health history, and a warranty that the animal shows no sign of contagious disease or internal or external parasites. The OCVI must also document specific vaccinations, distemper, leptospirosis, bordetella, parainfluenza, hepatitis and parvovirus for dogs, panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus for cats, rabies for any animal over three months, and diagnostic testing for intestinal parasites, plus a feline leukemia test for cats, unless a vet certifies in writing that treatment would harm the animal.
Every dog, cat, puppy and kitten offered for sale must also be implanted with a microchip. A sale must close within thirty days of the OCVI's issuance or a fresh certificate is required, and testing performed on an animal under four months old must be no more than twenty-one days old at the time of sale. S. 29, at the time of sale. Animal Services, humane societies and 501(c)(3) rescues are exempt from the whole section.
Violations & Fines
Selling or transferring a dog or cat without the required OCVI, vaccinations, age minimum or microchip is a Sec. 14-81 violation enforced through the Sec. 14-40 penalty schedule: a Notice to Comply first, then citations of $250 for a first offense, $350 for a second and up to $475 for a third or later offense, with each animal and each day counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can pet stores sell dogs and cats in Collier County?
What paperwork does a buyer get when purchasing a dog or cat?
Are animal shelters and rescues subject to these sale rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collier County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Collier County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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