Jacksonville Beach, FL Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)

Rodent control in Jacksonville Beach runs through the public nuisance chapter rather than a stand-alone vector ordinance. Section 19-1(b)(3) declares a public nuisance any condition which provides harborage for rats, mice, snakes, and other vermin. The same subsection reaches the things that feed and shelter those animals: accumulation of trash, litter, debris, garbage, bottles, paper, cans, rags, dead or decayed animal matter, fruit, vegetables, bricks, concrete, scrap lumber or other building debris or other refuse of any nature; the carcasses of animals not properly disposed after death; and any accumulation of stagnant water permitted or maintained on any lot or piece of ground. Subsection (b)(13) adds storing or allowing waste, debris, materials or hazardous products in an open yard that is visible to the public.

Animal-related sources are handled in Chapter 5. Section 5-33 says animals shall not be kept on property in a manner that is a source of infestation by insects or rodents, and it bars anyone from maintaining or feeding any animal, domesticated or wild, in a way that is a source of infestation by insects or rodents. A violation carries a civil fine of no less than the amount designated in section 5-24, and each separate incident is a separate violation. The animal control officer can cite the owner or custodian after receiving a sworn affidavit from two or more unrelated adult witnesses residing at different residences, or from one adult witness with a recorded video or photograph, or after directly observing the nuisance. Backyard hen keepers must store all food for hens in rodent and predator-proof containers under section 5-81(2).

On the enforcement side, section 19-2 names the building official and code enforcement officers as the enforcement officials and gives them a right of entry on real property to inspect. Section 19-3 then requires a written notice to remove, suppress, or abate the nuisance within twenty (20) days after service, along with an estimate of the total cost of the work.