Animal Ordinances in Port St. Lucie, FL (2026)
11 verified animal ordinances for Port St. Lucie, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Port St. Lucie bans keeping livestock or fowl, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, anywhere in the city except areas zoned as agricultural districts. Only the animals listed in Sec. 92.04 may be kept elsewhere.
Chickens and Livestock Banned Outside Agricultural Districts
Heavy RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances Sec. 92.05(c) (Prohibited animals); Sec. 92.01 (definitions of 'Fowl' and 'Livestock'); Sec. 92.04 (Animals allowed to be kept in the city); Sec. 92.99(f)
Sec. 92.05. Prohibited animals. ... (c) Livestock and fowl. It is prohibited to keep within the corporate limits of the city or to run at large within the city limits, any livestock or fowl as defined in section 92.01, except in areas zoned as agricultural districts. ... Fowl. Any live chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, guineas, pea fowl, and pheasant. ... Livestock. All animals of the equine,...
Dog Leash Laws
Port St. Lucie makes it unlawful under Code § 92.03 to let any animal run at large or sit outside your home without proper restraint. Section 92.01 defines restraint precisely: a leash no longer than six feet, a tether, confinement in a vehicle, or full containment on the owner's own property. Animal Control Division officers cite violators under § 92.99, with fines climbing on repeat offenses.
Port St. Lucie's Leash and Restraint Law for Dogs
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 92.03; § 92.01 (definition of "Restraint"); § 92.99
It shall be unlawful for any person to permit his/her animal to run at large in the city. Animals shall not be allowed outside the confines of their owners' homes without proper restraint. ... Restraint. A domestic pet is under restraint if it is physically: (a) on a leash no longer than six (6) feet in length and controlled by a competent person, (b) tethered on a lead or chord, (c) within a v...
Breed Restrictions
Port St. Lucie's animal chapter classifies dangerous dogs by what a dog has done, not by breed. The Sec. 92.01 definition turns on bites, attacks and menacing behavior, and no breed is named anywhere in Chapter 92.
Port St. Lucie Dog Rules: Behavior-Based, No Breed Ban
Few RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances Sec. 92.01 (Dangerous dog), Sec. 92.02, Sec. 92.028, Sec. 92.44(b) and Sec. 92.99(f)(2)
767.14 Additional local restrictions authorized.-This act does not limit any local government or public housing authority from adopting an ordinance or a policy, respectively, to address the safety and welfare concerns caused by attacks on persons or domestic animals; placing further restrictions or additional requirements on owners of dogs that have bitten or attacked persons or domestic anima...
Beekeeping
Port St. Lucie's code treats bee keeping as a zoning use, not an animal-control matter. It is listed as a permitted use only in the General Use district, and Section 158.041 prohibits uses a district does not list.
Beekeeping Zoning Rules in Port St. Lucie
Few RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 158.041, 158.060(B)(1), 158.137(D)(1); § 96.68(b); §§ 158.999, 10.99
honeybees, honeybee products, or beekeeping equipment if it is determined that an unwanted race of honeybees exists, or honeybee pests exist on honeybees, honeybee products, or beekeeping equipment, or that the condition of the apiary inhibits a thorough and efficient inspection by the department. (n) Conduct, supervise, or cause the fumigation, destruction, or treatment of honeybees, including...
Exotic Pets
Port St. Lucie Code § 92.05(a) bars permanently housing any "captive wildlife" animal in the city unless the owner holds a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Section 92.01 defines captive wildlife as any animal whose possession itself requires FWC special permitting, so venomous snakes, big cats, and similar wildlife fall under the ban without that state permit.
Exotic and Wild Animal Restrictions in Port St. Lucie
Significant RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 92.05(a); § 92.01 (definition of "Captive wildlife"); § 92.99
It shall be unlawful to permit permanent housing of captive wildlife animals as defined in section 92.01 in the city limits except pursuant to a permit issued therefore by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. ... Captive wildlife. Any animal, the possession of which requires special permitting by the Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Wildlife Feeding
In city parks, Port St. Lucie bans giving food to any animal or bird, and bans hunting, trapping or disturbing wildlife, dens and nests. Outside parks the code prohibits hunting citywide but sets no general feeding ban.
Feeding Wildlife in Port St. Lucie Parks
Heavy RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances §§ 96.22(a), 96.22(b), 96.99(a), 92.12, 92.99(a), 10.99
Title XXVIII NATURAL RESOURCES; CONSERVATION, RECLAMATION, AND USE Chapter 379 FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION Entire Chapter SECTION 412 Penalties for feeding wildlife and freshwater fish. F.S. 379.412 379.000000000000 Fish and wildlife conservation 2024.00000000000 VIII 0379.412 412 379.412 Penalties for feeding wildlife and freshwater fish. — (1)(a) The penalties in this section apply to a vi...
Pet Limits
Two sections govern. Zoning Code Sec. 158.229 caps domestic animals at five in residential zoning districts, with Vietnamese potbellied pigs restricted to one. Sec. 92.18 separately limits unsterilized domestic pets over six months to three.
How Many Pets You Can Keep in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances Sec. 92.18 (Number of animals); Sec. 158.229 (Domestic Animal Restrictions); Sec. 92.99 (Penalty)
Sec. 92.18. Number of animals. It shall be unlawful to own, harbor, or keep more than three (3) unsterilized domestic pets over the age of 6 months or any combination thereof in a residential zoning district. Anyone found guilty of hoarding animals in violation of 92.24 is prohibited from owning, harboring, or keeping more than three (3) domestic pets and is required to sterilize all domestic p...
Cat Rules
Port St. Lucie authorizes trap-neuter-vaccinate-return colonies for community cats under Code Section 92.19, exempting properly cared-for community cats from licensing, running-at-large, and other Chapter 92 rules. Caregivers must return each cat to the exact spot it was trapped and follow feeding, water, and care standards the section spells out.
Community Cat and TNVR Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 92.19(a)-(c); § 92.01 ("Community cat")
(a)Trap, neuter, vaccinate and return (TNVR) activities and programs shall be authorized in the City of Port St. Lucie in accordance with the provisions of this section. All community cats must be returned to the location they were trapped and cannot be released elsewhere.(b)All community cats cared for in accordance with this section shall be exempt from Sections 92.03, 92.09, 92.14, 92.16, 92...
Microchipping
Port St. Lucie doesn't require every pet to be microchipped, but Code Section 92.41(b) ties a lifetime pet license to proof the animal carries a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and Section 92.19's community cat definition requires every protected feral cat to be microchipped before it can qualify for the TNVR exemption.
Pet Microchipping Rules in Port St. Lucie
Light RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 92.01 ("Community cat" and "Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) Tag"); § 92.41(b)
Community cat. Any feral or free-roaming cat that has been sterilized, vaccinated for rabies, distinguished from other cats by being ear-tipped and microchipped, returned to the field, and is cared for by one or more known or unknown individual caregivers....Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) Tag. A device implanted under the skin of an animal by a certified and practicing veterinaria...
Pet Store Rules
Port St. Lucie Code § 92.20 bans pet shops from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits sourced from breeders, brokers, or wholesalers. Every animal a pet shop offers for retail sale must come from an animal shelter or an animal rescue organization, and the shop must post a signed certificate of source on each animal's cage.
Port St. Lucie Requires Adoption-Only Pet Shops
Significant RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 92.20(a), (b), (d), (e)
An adoption-based business model shall be required for the retail sale of dogs, cats, or rabbits at a pet shop whereby all dogs, cats, or rabbits will be sourced from stray and unwanted pets that have been taken in by an animal shelter or animal rescue organization. Dogs cats, or rabbits purchased directly from a breeder, or indirectly through some other intermediary, such as a broker or wholes...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Port St. Lucie zones an animal hospital or veterinary clinic as an enclosed "kennel" use. The city allows it by right in the General Commercial (CG) and Service Commercial (CS) districts under Code Sec. 158.124 and Sec. 158.126, as long as the animals stay indoors. Add outdoor runs and City Council approval is required first.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules in Port St. Lucie
Some RestrictionsPort St. Lucie Code of Ordinances § 158.124(B)(13) and (C)(6); § 158.126(B)(18) and (D)(1); § 153.01 (KENNEL); § 158.221(C)(1)
(B)Permitted Principal Uses and Structures. The following principal uses and structures are permitted...(13)Kennel, enclosed...(C)Special Exception Uses. The following uses may be permitted only following the review and specific approval thereof by the City Council:...(6)Kennel, enclosed with outdoor runs. [Sec. 153.01: KENNEL. An establishment where six or more domesticated animals more than s...
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