Martin County, FL Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)

Sec. 1 treats wildlife rehabilitation as its own accessory use with dedicated siting standards. The facility must be conducted in accordance with all applicable state and federal requirements, meaning the operator needs the underlying Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wildlife rehabilitation permit and any federal migratory-bird or eagle permits before Martin County will approve the land use. Every animal has to be kept in an enclosure built to promote the animal's health and well-being and to protect the public; none may roam free on the property.

Animal enclosures must sit at least 500 feet from any residential building, though that setback only protects homes that were lawfully in place before the facility's site plan application was deemed sufficient for review, and it does not apply to a residence on the same lot as the facility or where the neighboring homeowner has signed a written statement accepting a shorter distance. Once a facility is approved, a new house built closer than 500 feet afterward is not a violation of the setback. Animal waste must be managed so odors do not carry past the property line, the same waste-management language the county uses for commercial stables.

All the facility's services, including veterinary care, education programs and promotional events, must relate primarily to the care and protection of the wildlife the facility typically handles; running it as a general-purpose petting zoo or event venue would fall outside the permitted use.