St. Lucie County, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- retail dogs/cats must come from shelters or rescues
- Banned source
- breeders, hobby breeders, brokers, wholesalers
- Minimum age at sale
- 8 weeks (dogs and cats)
- Required paperwork
- vet inspection certificate + certificate of source
- Records retention
- 1 year (sale record); 3 years (breeder litter records)
Summary
St. Lucie County requires an adoption-based model for every retail sale of a dog or cat: sellers may only source animals from an animal shelter or rescue organization, never directly or indirectly from a breeder, broker or wholesaler, and each animal must carry a signed certificate of source and veterinary inspection.
(a)An adoption-based business model shall be required for the retail sale of dogs or cats by a pet seller whereby all dogs or cats will be sourced from stray and unwanted pets that have been taken in by an animal shelter or animal rescue organization. A pet seller shall not offer for retail sale dogs or cats purchased directly from a breeder or a hobby breeder as defined in section 6-19, or indirectly through some other intermediary such as a broker or wholesaler.(c)Any dog or cat offered for sale in the unincorporated areas of the County must have a current certificate of veterinary inspection as set forth in F.S. § 828.29.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Land Development Code: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-35 bans the traditional pet-store supply chain outright. Subsection (a) requires an adoption-based business model for every retail sale of a dog or cat: a pet seller, defined in Section 6-19 as anyone offering dogs or cats for sale or transfer for consideration, must source every animal from a shelter or rescue organization taking in strays and unwanted pets, and may not sell an animal purchased directly from a breeder or hobby breeder, or indirectly through a broker or wholesaler. Subsection (b) repeats the ban across every method of disposing of an animal, covering display, sale, trade, delivery, barter, lease, rent, auction, and transfer alike.
29, which the seller must hand to the buyer at the time of sale and keep on file for at least one year. Subsection (d) adds a second paper trail: a certificate of source posted on each cage naming where the animal came from, its breed, condition and age, and any veterinary care it received while in the seller's custody, signed by both the seller and the buyer. Before sale, a dog must be at least eight weeks old and have received a fecal exam and vaccinations against distemper, leptospirosis, Bordetella, parainfluenza, hepatitis, parvo, and internal parasites, with rabies required once the dog is over four months; cats face a parallel eight-week minimum, vaccination and parasite panel, plus feline leukemia and FIV testing before sale.
Breeders must keep litter and veterinary records for at least three years and produce them to the county on request. The board of county commissioners sets fines for violations by resolution.
Violations & Fines
The board of county commissioners sets the specific fine schedule for Section 6-35 violations by resolution rather than a fixed amount in the code itself; absent a specific resolution amount, the general animal-code civil-infraction cap of $500 under Section 6-29 applies to a pet seller's noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in St. Lucie County sell puppies from a breeder?
What paperwork must come with a shelter dog sold at retail?
How old must a puppy or kitten be before it can be sold?
Do hobby breeders face any recordkeeping duty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Lucie County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Lucie County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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