Margate, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Section 6-88(a) bars any pet store in the City of Margate from displaying, selling, trading, delivering, bartering, leasing, renting, auctioning, giving away, transferring or offering for sale or transfer dogs or cats, from the effective date of Ordinance No. 1500.603, which the history note dates to October 2, 2013. Section 6-80 defines a pet store as a retail establishment open to the public that offers animals for sale at retail, and it defines retail sale of cats or dogs to include display, offer for sale, adoption, barter, auction, give away or other transfer.

The ban does not reach hobby breeders (up to two litters per household or premises in a consecutive twelve-month period), publicly operated animal control facilities and shelters, private nonprofit humane societies and animal rescue organizations, or public or nonprofit agencies that operate out of or in connection with a pet store. A fifth exemption protected existing stores: a pet store that held an active City of Margate local business tax receipt on or before the effective date and could show through receipts and customer identification that it had sold dogs or cats within the three months before that date.

Every lawful seller or transferor, including exempt entities, must meet the certificate of source rule in subsection (b). The certificate declares the source of the dog or cat by name and address, plus the breeding location when the source is not the breeder. It must be posted in a conspicuous place on or within three feet of each animal's cage or enclosure, and a copy goes to the buyer or transferee. A Margate animal control officer or a Broward County animal shelter employee can ask to review the certificates at any time, and the store must produce them without delay.

Section 6-89(f) adds care standards for any commercial animal enterprise, including pet stores. Unweaned animals and animals under eight weeks old cannot be sold or given away, sick or injured animals cannot be sold or displayed, animals cannot go more than twelve consecutive hours without attention or be on public view more than sixteen hours in twenty-four, and the store must keep a register of the names and addresses of sources and buyers.