Seminole County, FL Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Sec. 7(1) makes the ban countywide, not just inside a designated bear management area: no person may feed or provide food to bears intentionally or unintentionally on any public or private property in Seminole County, and leaving or storing an attractant in a way that would reasonably lure a bear is itself a violation. Within the County's Urban Bear Management Areas (established under Sec. 13 covering areas around Interstate 4 and east Oviedo near the Big Econlockhatchee River), Sec. 7(2) layers on best-management practices: bird feeders must be suspended out of bear reach, ripe fruit and fallen fruit must be picked up promptly, odorous items cannot go into compost, barbecue grills must be cleaned after each use, pet food cannot be left out overnight unless in a roofed kennel, and items like groceries or coolers cannot stay in vehicles overnight.

Sec. 10 confirms the ordinance applies in both incorporated and unincorporated Seminole County, so it reaches unincorporated communities like Geneva and Chuluota directly. Enforcement runs through Code Enforcement Officers who must consult the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before acting on a Sec. 7 complaint, per Sec. 9(6), to confirm the conduct actually created a lure for bears based on prior FWC reports.