St. Petersburg, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

City Code § 4-9(b) prohibits any pet store from offering for retail sale any dog, cat, or rabbit in the City, and separately bans anyone from making or offering for retail sale a dog, cat, or rabbit on or in any street, public property, or commercial parking lot. 'Pet store' is defined broadly in § 4-9(a) to include any retail establishment open to the public engaged in retail sale of pet supplies or services, dogs, cats, or rabbits: pet shops, dog beauty parlors, pet hospitals and flea markets are named examples.

'Retail sale' covers display, offer for sale, offer for adoption, barter, auction, or any other compensated transfer. Section 4-9(c) exempts hobby or home breeders selling from their own residence, rescue or humane organizations, and pet stores that only display animals on behalf of a rescue or humane organization under a display agreement. Any exempt display, though, must comply with subsection (d): a placard listing breed, approximate age, source and known health issues; source and buyer records kept 365 days; dogs and cats at least eight weeks old and rabbits at least two months old; fresh water access; clean display areas; a veterinary health certificate dated within 45 days of sale; and disclosure that Florida law requires dogs and cats four months or older to be vaccinated against rabies. The ordinance was strengthened by Ord. No. 555-H in 2023, raising it beyond the original 2016 version (Ord. No. 235-H).