Animal Ordinances in Citrus County, FL (2026)
9 rules for unincorporated Citrus County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
In unincorporated Citrus County, up to four hens (no roosters) may be kept as pets on any residential lot under LDC Sec. 3730(B). Raising larger poultry or livestock flocks requires at least one acre in the Rural Residential District, or two acres in most other residential districts, under Sec. 3730(A).
Citrus County Backyard Chicken and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Land Development Code § 3730(A)
The following animals shall be permitted subject to the limitations established. The raising of those animals described herein shall be permitted in Low Intensity Coastal and Lakes, Coastal and Lakes Residential, Central Ridge Residential, Low Density Residential, and Port Districts on parcels of land containing not less than two acres and developed with a single family residence. In the Rural ...
Dog Leash Laws
Citrus County bans letting any animal run at large on public streets, sidewalks, parks or someone else's private property, and specifically requires a dog on public property to be on a leash held by someone strong enough to control it. Citrus County Code Section 14-40 applies countywide, including inside Crystal River and Inverness where no conflicting city ordinance exists, unlike most county chapters that stop at the city line.
Citrus County Dog Leash Requirement
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Code § 14-40
(a)No person owning, keeping or having possession, charge, custody or control of any animal shall cause or permit the animal to stray, run, or in any other manner be at large in or upon any public street, sidewalk, park or on private property of another without the express consent of the owner of such private property within the county. A violation of this section shall be punishable as provide...
Breed Restrictions
Citrus County has no breed-specific dog ban; instead, Sec. 14-45 lets Animal Services and the Sheriff's Office classify any dog as dangerous based on its individual bite, attack or fighting history, then requires the owner to register it annually and keep it in a secure enclosure.
Citrus County Dangerous Dog Classification Rules
Significant RestrictionsCitrus County Code § 14-45
(a)Definitions. When used in this section, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated:(1)Dangerous dog means any dog that according to the records of animal services:a.Has aggressively bitten, attacked, or endangered or has inflicted severe injury on a human being on public or private property;b.Has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal while off the owner's prop...
Cat Rules
Citrus County bans letting an unsterilized cat three months or older remain outdoors, and separately requires a cat or dog in heat to be confined indoors or in a locked enclosure a male can't enter. Citrus County Code Sections 14-58 and 14-41 both come from the county's 2004 Animal Services Ordinance and apply countywide, including inside Crystal River and Inverness, unless those cities have a conflicting rule of their own.
Citrus County Cat Confinement Rules
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Code § 14-58 (see also § 14-41)
Sec. 14-58. It shall be a violation of this article for any person who owns, harbors, or keeps any unsterilized cat three months of age or older to allow or permit such unsterilized cat to be or remain outdoors. Sec. 14-41(a) It shall be a violation of this section for the owner, harborer or caretaker of a cat or dog in heat (estrus) to fail to humanely and securely confine the cat or dog indoo...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Sec. 14-65 makes spaying or neutering mandatory for every cat four months or older in unincorporated Citrus County, unless the owner holds a competition registration, a veterinarian's medical exemption, a paid unsterilized license with a microchip, a licensed breeder's pedigree registration, or the cat is bound for shelter adoption.
Citrus County Mandatory Cat Spay and Neuter Law
Significant RestrictionsCitrus County Code § 14-65
(a)Purpose. The board has determined that the unintended or uncontrolled breeding of cats within the county leads to many cats and kittens being unwanted, becoming strays, suffering privation and death, being impounded and euthanized at great expense to the community, and constituting a public nuisance and public health hazard. It is, therefore, declared to be the public policy of the county to...
Microchipping
Citrus County requires every animal to be implanted with a microchip before it can be redeemed by its owner or adopted out of the county shelter, at the owner's expense. Citrus County Code Section 14-37 puts the cost on the owner and requires a licensed veterinarian, or someone directly supervised by one, to do the implant before the animal leaves animal services, whether the animal is being claimed by its original owner or newly adopted.
Citrus County Pet Microchip Requirement
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Code § 14-37
e.All animals shall be implanted with a microchip prior to being redeemed. The owner shall be responsible for the cost of implanting the microchip and shall pay the fee prior to redeeming the animal. The procedure shall be done by, or under the direct supervision of, a veterinarian currently licensed by the state. ... c.All animals being adopted from animal services shall be implanted with a mi...
Pet Store Rules
Citrus County does not ban retail pet sales, but Sec. 14-57 bars selling any dog or cat under eight weeks old, requires a USDA-accredited veterinarian's health certificate with specific vaccines before sale, and gives buyers a 14-day illness refund and one-year congenital-defect warranty.
Citrus County Pet Sale and Consumer Guarantee Law
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Code § 14-57
(i)A person may not transport into the county for sale or offer for sale within the county any dog or cat that is less than eight weeks of age.(j)If, within 14 days following the sale by a pet dealer of an animal subject to this section, a licensed veterinarian of the consumer's choosing certifies that, at the time of the sale, the animal was unfit for purchase due to illness or disease, the pr...
Pet Groomer Rules
Citrus County's Land Development Code does not treat pet grooming as its own business category. A grooming operation that keeps four or more dogs or cats for income counts as a 'Kennel,' triggering commercial-use and setback rules, and the zoning tables list 'Veterinary Office/Animal Hospital/Pet Groom' as Permitted only when it has no outside kennels. This applies in unincorporated Citrus County, not Crystal River or Inverness.
Citrus County Pet Groomer Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Land Development Code § 1500 (Definitions, 'Kennel'); see also § 2410 (Coastal and Lakes Commercial District Use Table) and § 3210 (Animal Pens in Residential Districts)
Kennel: Any lot or premises on which four or more dogs or cats, or both, at least four months of age are kept, for an income producing business, whether in special structures or runways or not, shall be considered a commercial use. Such income producing business may include, but shall not be limited to, breeding, boarding, grooming, and training.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In unincorporated Citrus County, the Land Development Code sorts veterinary offices and animal hospitals into two different commercial use groups on one fact alone: whether the facility keeps outside kennels. No outdoor kennels means a Neighborhood Commercial use; add them and the clinic becomes a General Commercial use instead.
Citrus County Zoning Rules for Veterinary Clinics
Some RestrictionsCitrus County Land Development Code § 2500(E)(11), (F)(8)
E. Neighborhood Commercial Uses. ... 11. Veterinary offices and animal hospitals, provided the facility has no outside kennels. ... F. General Commercial. The uses in this group include those activities that require outdoor storage, have higher trip generations than neighborhood commercial listed above, or have potential for greater nuisance effect on adjacent properties due to noise, light and...
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