Miami, FL Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Where it applies
- City mooring facilities and marinas
- Who it covers
- Vessel owners and their guests
- Prohibited act
- Feeding or leaving food for wildlife
- Enforced by
- The harbormaster
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Miami prohibits vessel owners and guests from feeding or leaving food for wildlife, including birds and manatees, at the city's mooring facilities and marinas.
Harassment of protected species is illegal and will not be tolerated. It is prohibited for any vessel owner or guest to feed or leave food for wildlife, particularly birds or endangered species.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 | Ordinance 11000 (Previous Zoning Code): Supplement 22 | Miami 21 (Zoning Code): ?).
Full Breakdown
Miami's mooring-facility code bars any vessel owner or guest from feeding or leaving food for wildlife, particularly birds or endangered species, at city mooring facilities and marinas. The same section requires vessel owners and guests to learn safe-boating rules around manatees from the harbormaster's office and declares harassment of protected species illegal. The rule sits in Chapter 50, Article VI's mooring regulations, enforced by the harbormaster under Sec. 50-406, and applies specifically to the marina and mooring-field environment rather than city parks or open water generally.
Violations & Fines
Violations fall under Miami's general penalty clause (Sec. 1-13): up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense; the harbormaster enforces mooring-facility rules under Sec. 50-406.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Miami ban feeding wildlife everywhere in the city?
What happens if I feed birds at a Miami marina?
Does the rule also cover manatees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle wildlife feeding.