on September 10, 2026

Florida Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: Florida has no statewide pooper scooper law. Picking up after your dog is regulated city by city, and all three of the largest cities we checked have an ordinance requiring it. The highest set ticket among them is $150, in Tampa.

Why Florida leaves it to cities

No Florida statute requires people to pick up after their dogs, and no statewide dog leash or running-at-large statute was found; pickup, leash and at-large rules are set by counties and cities. The state's role is to set the ground rules for local animal control ordinances: F.S. 828.27 authorizes counties and cities to enforce them by civil citation, requires a reduced penalty when a citation is not contested, and caps the civil penalty. That cap is $500 in the 2025 statutes and rises to $2,500 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second and $7,500 for a third or later violation on October 1, 2026 under ch. 2026-78, Laws of Florida (CS/HB 559). Sec. 828.27(8) says the civil citation route is supplemental, so cities may also enforce by other means. The livestock at-large law (F.S. 588.12 to 588.25) does not reach dogs because F.S. 588.13 defines livestock as equine, bovine and swine class animals, goats, sheep, ostriches and other grazing animals. The Florida Litter Law (F.S. 403.413) and the sanitary nuisance statute (F.S. 386.041) do not mention pet or dog waste. The only statewide pickup rule found is administrative and limited to Florida state parks: F.A.C. 62D-2.014(13)(b)3 (pet owners shall pick up after their pets), enforced as a Level One civil violation under F.A.C. 62D-2.015(2) ($75, $150 for the same violation within 36 months, $500 for a third within 60 months).

  • Local animal control ordinances; civil citation process and penalty cap (2025 text: $500): F.S. 828.27(2)(b) (2025) (read it)
  • Same section as amended: cap of $2,500 first, $5,000 second, $7,500 third or later violation: F.S. 828.27(2)(b) (2026), amended by s. 4, ch. 2026-78, Laws of Fla. (CS/HB 559), effective October 1, 2026 (read it)
  • Session law raising the local animal control civil penalty cap (approved by the Governor May 12, 2026): Ch. 2026-78, Laws of Fla., s. 4 and s. 6 (read it)
  • State parks: pet owners shall pick up after their pets (administrative rule, state parks only): F.A.C. 62D-2.014(13)(b)3 (read it)
  • State parks civil penalties: pets are a Level One violation ($75; $150 repeat within 36 months; $500 third within 60 months): F.A.C. 62D-2.015(2) (read it)
  • Livestock at large law; definition of livestock does not include dogs: F.S. 588.13(1) (read it)
  • Service animals: public accommodations need not help remove animal excrement (not a pickup exemption): F.S. 413.08(3)(e) (read it)
  • Florida Litter Law definition of litter (no mention of animal or pet waste): F.S. 403.413(2)(f) (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in Florida's largest cities

Each row comes from the city's own municipal code. "Up to" is the most a court can impose, not a standard ticket. Where a city publishes no amount, we say so rather than estimate one.

City Ordinance Fine Must carry a bag
Jacksonville Jacksonville Ordinance Code Sec. 462.301(b) (Chapter 462, Part 3, Nuisances), fines in Sec. 462.1801 and 462.1802; parks, beaches, docks and marinas are also covered by Sec. 28.716(b) $250 to $500 No
Miami City of Miami Code Sec. 6-45 (penalties in Sec. 6-71); Miami-Dade County Code Sec. 5-20(c) also applies inside the city $100 No
Tampa Tampa City Code Sec. 19-79 (Class II violation under the civil citation schedule, Sec. 23.5-5(b)); Sec. 16-38(f) covers parks and other department managed land $150 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in Florida spell out a separate duty to carry a bag, but the pickup duty applies the moment your dog goes, and "I did not have a bag" is not a defense in any of them.

A bag holder on the leash solves that for good. Ours is the Walk Dispenser, which clips on and holds a full roll.

Worth knowing about Florida

  • State cap on local animal control fines is about to jump: ch. 2026-78, Laws of Florida (CS/HB 559, approved May 12, 2026) amends F.S. 828.27 so that civil penalties for local animal control ordinance violations may reach $2,500 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second and $7,500 for a third or later, up from a flat $500 cap, effective October 1, 2026. City fine amounts do not change automatically: Jacksonville's own code still caps each animal civil infraction at $500 unless otherwise provided by law (Sec. 462.108(a)), and Miami's schedule tops out at $500 (Sec. 6-71).
  • Two-tier fines: because F.S. 828.27(2)(c) requires a lower penalty when a citation is not contested, Jacksonville (Sec. 462.1802: $200, not $250, for a first offense) and Miami (Sec. 6-71: $50 uncontested versus $100 contested) both publish cheaper pay-now amounts.
  • Miami has two overlapping rules: Miami-Dade County Code Chapter 5 applies inside cities (Sec. 5-2(a)), and County Sec. 5-20(c) makes it unlawful to let a dog defecate or urinate on a public sidewalk, on the floor of a common hall in an apartment house, hotel or other multifamily building, on an entranceway, stairway or wall abutting a public sidewalk, or on the floor of a theatre, shop, store or office building, on top of the pickup duty. County Sec. 5-20(b) also bars dogs from public parks and beaches except in areas where dogs are specifically authorized.
  • Jacksonville's parks and beaches rule (Sec. 28.716) is unusual: the first-offense fine cap is only $25, but the alternative sentence is at least 50 hours of community service, and a second offense allows a $500 fine, 15 to 90 days in jail, or at least 500 hours of community service.
  • Yard rules: Jacksonville Sec. 462.301(c) also requires owners to remove and dispose of feces on their own property so as to avoid offensive odors.
  • Tampa gives officers a notice-and-cure step (up to 21 days) before most citations unless the violation is a repeat, a serious threat, or irreparable (Sec. 23.5-4(c) and (d)), and requires a court appearance on a third violation (Sec. 23.5-4(j)). Its exemption for utility or assistance animals is defined far more broadly than the ADA service animal definition.
  • Florida state parks (F.A.C. 62D-2.014(13)(b)3 and 62D-2.015) require pet owners to pick up after pets, with a $75 civil penalty that rises to $150 and then $500 for repeats.
  • No DNA-testing provisions: a Municode full-text search for DNA returned no hits in the Jacksonville, Miami, Miami-Dade County or Tampa codes.
  • Recent local changes: Jacksonville amended its Part 3 nuisance sections, including Sec. 462.301, by Ord. 2025-811-E and its fine schedules (Sec. 462.1801 and 462.1802) by Ord. 2025-794-E.

Common questions

Is it illegal to not pick up dog poop in Florida?

There is no statewide law, but every one of the largest cities we checked has a pickup rule, and most smaller towns have similar ordinances. Check your own city or county code.

How much is the fine for not picking up dog poop in Florida?

It depends on the city. Jacksonville: $250 to $500. Miami: $100. Tampa: $150.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in Florida?

Not as a separate rule in the cities we checked. You still have to pick up, so in practice you need one.

Are service dog handlers exempt?

In Miami and Tampa, the ordinance exempts handlers who have a disability and cannot physically pick up. The exemption covers the handler, not the dog.

Other states in the South

Texas · Georgia · North Carolina · Virginia · Tennessee · Maryland · South Carolina · Alabama

See all 50 states · How scoop laws work in general

Sources

Checked 2026-09-10. Ordinances change, so if you are dealing with an actual citation, read the current code at the link rather than relying on this page.

This page is general information, not legal advice.