Fort Lauderdale, FL Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Wildlife-feeding code
- Fort Lauderdale Code Sec. 6-15
- Targeted species
- Raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks
- Regulated area
- Beachside zone, Intracoastal to Atlantic
Summary
Sec. 6-15 makes it unlawful to feed, or fail to prevent the unintentional feeding of, high-risk rabies-vector wildlife such as raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks within public rights-of-way and on city property in the defined beachside area.
It shall be unlawful for any person to feed or fail to take appropriate precautions to prevent the unintentional feeding of any wild animal known to be a high risk species for rabies, including but not limited to raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks within the public rights-of-way and on city property within the area bounded on the west by the eastern shoreline of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, on the south by the southern right-of-way line of East Sunrise Boulevard, on the east by the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, and on the north by the northern right-of-way line of NE 19 Street within the City of Fort Lauderdale.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 6-15 prohibits feeding or failing to take appropriate precautions to prevent the unintentional feeding of any wild animal known to be a high-risk species for rabies, including but not limited to raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks, within public rights-of-way and on city property in the beachside zone bounded by the Intracoastal Waterway on the west, East Sunrise Boulevard on the south, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and NE 19 Street on the north. Separately, Sec. 6-13 bars keeping any wild or vicious animal as a pet or for display, and Florida law assigns broader nuisance-wildlife and feeding authority to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Violations & Fines
Code-enforcement citation under Sec. 6-15 for feeding or failing to prevent feeding of rabies-risk wildlife in the regulated beachside area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to feed raccoons in Fort Lauderdale?
Where does the wildlife-feeding ban apply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Lauderdale to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle wildlife feeding.