Monroe County, FL Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Feeding raccoons, opossums, other wild animals
- Governing law
- Monroe County Code § 12-119(b)
- Zone
- Sea-turtle nesting protection boundaries
- Nesting season
- April 15 through October 31
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine and/or 60 days jail
Summary
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), Section 12-119 of the County Code makes it unlawful to feed raccoons, opossums and other wild animals within the sea-turtle nesting protection zone, and bars predatory pets from roaming loose there during nesting season, to keep the Keys' turtle nests and hatchlings safe from wildlife predation.
(a)No predatory pets or pets likely to have a potential for being disruptive or damaging to nesting turtles, hatchlings, or nests shall be allowed to roam loose and unsupervised within the jurisdictional boundaries during the nesting season. Such pets include, but are not limited to, dogs, cats, snakes, lizards or iguanas, ferrets and pigs.(b)Feeding of raccoons, opossums and other wild animals within the jurisdictional boundaries is prohibited. ... Violations of this article may be prosecuted in the same manner as misdemeanors are prosecuted. In such cases, the violations shall be prosecuted in the name of the state in a court having jurisdiction over misdemeanors by the prosecuting attorney thereof and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days, or both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
Monroe County's sea-turtle protection article, Sections 12-113 through 12-120 of the County Code, was adopted to protect nesting loggerhead, green, leatherback and hawksbill turtles along the Florida Keys' beaches. Section 12-119, 'Protection from predation,' has two parts: subsection (a) bars predatory pets, including dogs, cats, snakes, lizards or iguanas, ferrets and pigs, from roaming loose and unsupervised within the article's defined jurisdictional boundaries during nesting season, and subsection (b) separately makes it unlawful to feed raccoons, opossums and other wild animals within those same boundaries.
The article defines jurisdictional boundaries, for sea turtle protection, as the land within a set distance of an identified or potential nesting area, so the feeding ban is tied to beachfront and near-beach property in the unincorporated Keys rather than applying countywide. Nesting season runs April 15 through October 31 each year. 00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both. Both the property owner and any designee, agent, tenant, lessee or assignee are each individually responsible for compliance.
Violations & Fines
Feeding raccoons, opossums or other wild animals, or letting a predatory pet roam loose, within the sea-turtle nesting protection zone is prosecuted like a misdemeanor under Section 12-120: a conviction carries a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, and the case can also go before the county's code enforcement special magistrate. Both the property owner and any tenant or agent can be held responsible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to feed raccoons anywhere in Monroe County?
Does this rule also restrict pets?
What is the penalty for violating the predation section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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