Animal Ordinances in Sarasota, FL (2026)
5 verified animal ordinances for Sarasota, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Single-family homes in the City of Sarasota can keep up to four hens, no roosters, no egg sales, in a secure coop set back from the front yard and neighboring homes.
Sarasota Backyard Chicken Rules
Some RestrictionsSarasota City Code § 8-2(a)(2)
(2)Any poultry, except chickens being kept, harbored, raised, or maintained as accessory to a residential single-family structure, subject to the following restrictions: a.No more than four (4) chickens may be kept, with roosters prohibited; b.No person shall slaughter any chickens; ... e. ...nor shall the henhouse/coop be closer than ten (10) feet to any property line of an adjacent property, ...
Dog Leash Laws
City of Sarasota park rules require every dog to stay on a leash no longer than twenty-six feet at all times, with off-leash access allowed only inside a designated dog park.
City of Sarasota Dog Leash Law
Some RestrictionsSarasota City Code § 8-27
A dog must be on leash at all times in a city park, and it shall be unlawful for any person owning a dog, or having care, custody, or control of a dog, to allow the dog to run without restraint within city parks. For purposes of this section "without restraint" shall mean either off leash or on a lead or leash that is longer than twenty-six (26) feet; i.e., a proper restraint shall be a lead or...
Cat Rules
Cats aren't allowed on any City of Sarasota public beach or on Lido Key park property, and must otherwise be kept under restraint or in a fenced enclosure to avoid running at large.
Sarasota Bans Cats on Public Beaches
Significant RestrictionsSarasota City Code § 10-11
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person owning a dog, cat or other pet or having the care, custody or control of any dog, cat or other pet to allow such animal to be upon any public beach. (b)... upon any public park property or public beach property, including the public easement below the mean high-water line, on Lido Key. It shall likewise be unlawful ... upon any other public park or beach p...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
City of Sarasota zoning code caps animal boarding at veterinary clinics at 25% of leasable floor area and requires opaque fencing next to residential property.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning in Sarasota
Some RestrictionsSarasota Zoning Code § II-201
Veterinary clinic: A facility where animals are given medical care and the boarding of animals is limited to dogs, cats and other small animals (excluding farm animals) which are kept in a facility designed and constructed to prevent the sound of such animals being heard from beyond the property boundaries when the boarded animals are within the facility. The boarding area within the veterinary...
Bird Protection
The City of Sarasota has designated its entire corporate limits a bird sanctuary under City Code § 8-5. Inside that citywide sanctuary, City Code § 8-6 makes it unlawful to kill, wound, molest, trap or capture any bird, or to molest or rob a bird nest of eggs, with no exemption written into either section.
City of Sarasota Bird Sanctuary Protection Law
Significant RestrictionsSarasota City Code §§ 8-5, 8-6
Sec. 8-5. - City to constitute bird sanctuary. The city shall constitute a bird sanctuary, the limits and boundaries of which shall correspond with the limits and boundaries of the city. Sec. 8-6. - Killing, trapping, molesting, etc., birds or nests. It shall be unlawful for any person to kill, wound, molest, trap or capture any bird, or molest or rob any bird nest of eggs within the bird sanct...
Looking for Sarasota County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sarasota city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Sarasota County →