Animal Ordinances in Tampa, FL (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Tampa, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Tampa allows backyard chickens as an accessory residential use, hens only, no roosters, capped at one bird per 1,000 square feet of lot area, rounded down. Sec. 27-282.28 requires a fenced or walled enclosure at all times and a coop on-site, with the coop itself limited to six feet tall and 125 square feet.
Tampa Backyard Chicken Rules: 1 Hen/1,000 SF
Some RestrictionsTampa, FL Code of Ordinances § 27-282.28
Chickens as an accessory use shall adhere to the following requirements: Chickens • Hens only (no roosters allowed) • 1 chicken/1,000 SF land (rounded down) • Shall not count as part of total number of animals permitted for a "family" (as defined in section 27-43) • Must be kept in an enclosed area (fenced or walled) at all times • Coop must be present on property in order to keep chickens. Coo...
Dog Leash Laws
Tampa makes it unlawful for any owner to let an animal "run at large" on public property, unenclosed land, or someone else's premises under Sec. 19-75. That sentence is the city's core leash requirement, backed by Code Enforcement citations and the separate public-nuisance-animal provisions in Sec. 19-77.
Tampa Animals-at-Large Leash Law
Some RestrictionsTampa Code § 19-75
It is unlawful for an owner of an animal to permit the animal to run at large upon any public place or upon unenclosed lands or upon the premises of another person within the limits of the city.
Breed Restrictions
Tampa does not impose breed-specific dog bans. Under Florida Statute 767.14, as amended in 2023, local governments are preempted from enacting or enforcing breed-specific regulations. Any dog can be declared dangerous based on individual behavior under Florida Statute 767.12, which triggers registration, containment, and insurance requirements regardless of breed.
Tampa Dog Breed Restrictions and Florida State Preemption
Few RestrictionsFla. Stat. § 767.14
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 ani...
Beekeeping
Tampa beekeeping is governed primarily by Florida Statute 586.10, which preempts most local regulation of managed honey bee colonies. Beekeepers must register hives with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and follow best management practices. Tampa zoning cannot prohibit beekeeping but may enforce nuisance and setback rules consistent with state law.
Tampa Backyard Beekeeping and Florida State Preemption
Few RestrictionsFla. Stat. § 586.10
586.10 Powers and duties of department; preemption of local government ordinances. — (1) The authority to regulate, inspect, and permit managed honeybee colonies and to adopt rules on the placement and location of registered inspected managed honeybee colonies is preempted to the state through the department and supersedes any related ordinance adopted by a county, municipality, or political su...
Exotic Pets
Tampa does not ban wild or exotic animals as pets outright. Sec. 27-282.27(c) permits keeping them in the city "pursuant to Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission regulations", meaning FWC's state licensing and caging standards, not a separate city permit, decide whether a given species may be kept.
Tampa Wild/Exotic Pets Follow State FWC Rules
Few RestrictionsTampa, FL Code of Ordinances § 27-282.27(c)
Wild or exotic animals. Wild or exotic animals are permitted to be kept in the city pursuant to Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission regulations.
Wildlife Feeding
Florida Statute 379.412 and FWC rules prohibit the intentional feeding of wild alligators, crocodiles, bears, foxes, raccoons, sandhill cranes, and several other species. Tampa enforces these state rules and also discourages feeding of wildlife in city parks. Violations can result in fines or second-degree misdemeanor charges.
Tampa Wildlife Feeding Prohibitions
Heavy RestrictionsFla. Stat. § 379.412
379.412 Penalties for feeding wildlife and freshwater fish. — (1)(a) The penalties in this section apply to a violation of any rule or order of the commission that prohibits or restricts: 1. Feeding wildlife or freshwater fish with food or garbage; 2. Attracting or enticing wildlife or freshwater fish with food or garbage; or 3. Allowing the placement of food or garbage in a manner that attract...
Pet Limits
Tampa's zoning code sets no numeric cap on the dogs, cats or other domestic pets a household may keep. Sec. 27-282.27(b) simply permits domestic, pet, companion, utility and assistance animals to be kept in the city. A cap only appears once the use crosses into a licensed "kennel": breeding, boarding, grooming, training or selling animals.
No Pet Count Cap for Tampa Households
Few RestrictionsTampa, FL Code of Ordinances § 27-282.27(b)
Permitted animals. Domestic, pet, companion, utility and assistance animals are permitted to be kept in the city. Persons and entities licensed by the State of Florida to keep other animals must adhere to the requirements for small or large kennel as applicable.
Pet Groomer Rules
Tampa zoning treats a pet grooming business as a "small kennel" use, permitted only for keeping, grooming, breeding, boarding, training or selling animals older than six months, with setback and licensing conditions. Overnight boarding is barred in the small-kennel category and no more than ten domestic animals are allowed before extra setbacks apply.
Pet Grooming Business Zoning in Tampa
Some RestrictionsTampa, FL Code of Ordinances § 27-282.25
Small kennels are permitted to keep only those animals listed below, in the city with valid, applicable local and state licensure, subject to the following standards... Only grooming and/or keeping of animals is permitted. Overnight stays are prohibited. ... Kennel, small: Any lot or premises on which animals, more than six (6) months of age, are kept, groomed, bred, boarded, trained, and/or so...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Tampa's zoning code lists a veterinary office as a permitted principal use only in the OP-1, CG, CI, IG and IH districts under Table 4-1 of the Official Schedule of District Regulations (Sec. 27-156): every residential district, plus RO, OP, CN, PP and U-C, leaves the use column blank, which the schedule treats as an outright prohibition, not a conditional one.
Veterinary Office Zoning Rules in Tampa
Some RestrictionsTampa Code § 27-156, Table 4-1, Note 15
Proposed single-use developments, excluding those within and subject to the Westshore Overlay District, shall comply with the yard (setbacks and/or build-to lines) and height standards set forth for the CG zoning district, for the following uses: Catering Shop; Craft Distillery; Dry-cleaning Plant, small; Kennel, small; Printing, light; Restaurant, Drive-in; Retail Bakery; all Retail Sales type...
Bird Protection
City Code § 14-176 designates the entire City of Tampa a bird sanctuary, making it unlawful to hunt, kill, maim, trap, or otherwise molest any wild, song, or migratory bird, or rob a nest, anywhere within city limits, with a narrow exception for birds raised in captivity for food.
Tampa's Citywide Bird Sanctuary Law
Heavy RestrictionsTampa City Code § 14-176(a)-(b)
The entire area now embraced within the boundaries known as the corporate limits of the city is hereby designated as a bird sanctuary. ... It is unlawful for any person to hunt, kill, maim or trap or in any manner attempt to kill, maim or trap or otherwise molest any domestic bird, song bird, migratory bird, wildfowl or waterfowl, except birds or fowl raised in captivity for human consumption, ...
Looking for Hillsborough County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tampa city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Hillsborough County →