Florida
Protection Dogs
Florida holds a dog’s owner liable for a bite in a public place or to anyone lawfully on private property, whether or not the dog had ever shown a vicious streak, and beyond the bitten person’s own share of fault, the bite statute’s one written defense is a sign reading “Bad Dog,” which the statute itself switches off for children under six and for bites the owner’s own carelessness caused. If you are weighing protection dogs in Florida, for a house in Miami, an estate in Palm Beach or a canal lot in Naples, that rule, a dangerous-dog law rewritten in 2025 and your county’s code all bear on the purchase. We are based in North Texas and deliver in person, and before a dog leaves Texas for Florida, these are the statutes and county codes we would want a family to have read, with the wording we relied on set out in the Sources notes.
Protection Dogs For Sale In Florida:
A Bad Dog Sign, A Sidewalk Chase And Hurricane Season
Bites. Under section 767.04 the owner pays for a bite in a public place, or on private property where the person was lawfully, including your own yard, with the award cut by whatever share of fault belongs to the person bitten. A prominent, easily readable sign with the words “Bad Dog” on your premises can defeat a claim under this section for a bite on your property, but never for a child under six, never where your own negligence caused the injury, and not if you tell a visitor to ignore it; do not count on it anywhere else. Whether the sign also answers any other claim against you is a question for a Florida lawyer (our reading, not a court’s).
Dangerous-dog findings. A dog can be classified as dangerous without biting anyone, if it chased or approached a person on a street, sidewalk or other public ground in a menacing way when unprovoked, a sworn statement says so, the authority dutifully investigates, and the incident is on its records. A dog that was protecting a person nearby from an unjustified attack cannot be classified, but that does not keep it at home in the meantime: a dog under investigation for a bite scoring 5 or higher on the Dunbar scale must be confiscated at once and held, with the owner paying the boarding, until the investigation and any hearing or appeal are over, and any other dog under investigation may be confiscated too. After a finding, the 2025 law requires $100,000 of liability cover, and a later attack causing severe injury to a person, which includes multiple bites, can be a felony.
Local dangerous-dog rules cannot target breed, weight or size. The state’s dangerous-dog law bars local rules under it that single out breed, weight or size, and since October 2023 the old exemption for pre-1990 local bans is gone. What still varies is the local code: Miami-Dade licenses guard dogs by where they work, Palm Beach sets beach hours, and Naples keeps dogs off its city beaches.
Hazards that matter in Florida. State and university sources warn that cane toads can poison a dog that attacks one and that alligators live in every county, and Palm Beach County’s pet shelter may refuse a dog its staff cannot safely handle. A high-drive protection dog fits UF/IFAS’s description of a dog that may go after a toad, so drill a reliable “leave it”, and follow its advice not to leave a dog outdoors unattended at dawn, dusk or after dark.
Our two programs start from different places. A Build Your Own Pup is raised by your family with our involvement throughout, so its first Florida summer is also part of its upbringing. A dog from the fully trained program has its obedience, temperament testing and protection work complete before delivery day.
A Family Protection Dog And The Bad Dog Sign
What Section 767.04 Gives And Takes Away
The core sentence reads: the owner of any dog that bites a person “on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners’ knowledge of such viciousness.” The next sentence reduces that liability “by the percentage that the bitten person’s negligence contributed to the biting incident.” Texas works differently, as our Texas bite-law guide explains, so a family moving from Dallas to Boca should not assume the rules came with them.
How far the liability reaches. In Arellano v. Broward K-9 (Third District, 2016), two guard dogs that a K-9 company had supplied to a Miami business got loose after, as the court put it, the business had apparently been burglarized and the fence cut. A neighbor took them in for about five days and was bitten breaking up a fight between one of them and her own dog. The trial court ruled her actions cut off the company’s liability; the appeals court reversed, saying the owner is “strictly liable” and that its liability “is reduced only by the percentage of the injured party’s comparative negligence,” a question for a jury, which “might very well” reduce or even eliminate it. Our reading, not the court’s: an escape you did not cause can still leave the question of how much you owe with a jury.
Who is lawfully on your property. The statute names two groups: people there “in the performance of any duty imposed upon him or her by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States,” and people there “upon invitation, expressed or implied, of the owner.” The mail carrier is the plainest example of the first. Our reading, not a court’s, is that the pool technician, the landscaping crew and a courier walking up your front path may well fall within the second, which makes them the people the dog’s training has to account for.
What the sign does. If, when someone is hurt, you have “displayed in a prominent place on his or her premises a sign easily readable including the words ‘Bad Dog,’” you are not liable under the section, with two exceptions written into it: a person “under the age of 6,” and damages “proximately caused by a negligent act or omission of the owner.” Arellano described it as an exception that applies “when the dog bite occurs on the owner’s private property” and refused to apply it to the escaped guard dogs. Three practical points follow. On the statute’s own words, it does nothing for a visiting five-year-old. Our reading, not a court’s, drawing on Arellano’s footnote 3 (a passing remark, not its holding), is that you should not count on the sign for a bite at the park, on the sidewalk or at the beach. And, again our reading only, a gate left unlatched is the kind of omission that could take the sign out of the case.
What the sign does not survive. In Noble v. Yorke (1986) a homeowner with a “Beware of Bad Dog” sign told a customer on the phone to ignore it “because the dog was secured,” then left a gate unsecured, and the dog bit the customer’s wife. The Florida Supreme Court held that “the tort immunity of 767.04 does not extend to a dog owner who affirmatively directs a business invitee to ignore the ‘Bad Dog’ sign,” and repeated its earlier view that the notice “must be genuine, effective and bona fide.” For a family protection dog the rule writes itself: never tell a contractor “ignore the sign, he’s friendly.” And since the statute asks for a sign “including the words ‘Bad Dog,’” make sure yours does.
A newer duty in section 767.01. Since July 2025, section 767.01(2) says that “If a dog owner has knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensities, the owner must securely confine the dog in a proper enclosure,” which section 767.11 defines, on the owner’s property, as indoors or, among other things, in a locked pen with secure sides and a secure top that keeps young children out, keeps the dog from getting over, under or through it, and gives protection from the elements. We did not research, and do not know of, a Florida ruling on whether training a dog to bite on command gives its owner “knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensities”; our reading, not a court’s, is that someone could argue it does. A protection dog that lives indoors and goes out under your control is the arrangement least exposed to that argument; ask a Florida lawyer how the subsection applies to time in a fenced yard.
Dangerous Dog Classification
Can Begin With A Chase On The Sidewalk
Section 767.11(3) defines a dangerous dog as one that, according to the records of the appropriate authority, “(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 property; or (c) Has, when unprovoked, chased or approached a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public grounds in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack, provided that such actions are attested to in a sworn statement by one or more persons and dutifully investigated by the appropriate authority.” The third limb is the one to train against: a leashed protection dog that lunges at a jogger on Ocean Boulevard has touched no one, and on our reading a sworn statement about it could still start an investigation.
Three situations where the label cannot attach. Section 767.12(2) says a dog “may not be declared dangerous” where the person hurt or threatened was “unlawfully on the property,” or, while lawfully there, “was tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the dog or its owner or a family member,” or where “The dog was protecting or defending a human being within the immediate vicinity of the dog from an unjustified attack or assault.” That last clause describes the job a personal protection dog is bought to do, and it is limited to a person close by and an attack that is unjustified. On our reading, a dog that charges the fence line at the pool technician is outside all three.
How the process runs. Animal control investigates on a sworn affidavit, decides whether there is sufficient cause, and gives you written notice; you have seven calendar days to ask for a hearing, which must be held between 5 and 21 days after your request, and the final order can be appealed to the circuit court. While the case is open, a dog that is not impounded stays in a proper enclosure at an address you give the county, and it cannot be moved or sold. A dog that has killed someone, or left a bite scoring 5 or higher on the Dunbar scale, is confiscated at once.
A Yearly Registration Certificate
Issued by your local animal control authority only to an owner aged 18 or older who shows a current rabies certificate, a proper enclosure, a clearly visible warning sign at every entry point, a microchip and proof the dog is spayed or neutered. It is renewed every year, and the local government may charge for it.
$100,000 Of Liability Cover
Added by the 2025 Pam Rock Act: at least $100,000 of coverage for bodily injury from an attack by the dog, with proof filed with animal control. Ask your broker early whether your carrier would write that cover for a protection dog.
Muzzle, Leash, Competent Handler
Outside its enclosure the dog must be muzzled and on a substantial chain or leash, under a competent person’s control. Inside the enclosure on your property it may run loose only within your sight, with only your household or adults in there with it. In a car it must be securely restrained.
Notices You Owe Animal Control
Animal control must hear from you immediately if the dog gets loose, bites someone or attacks another animal, is sold or given away, dies, or moves house, and before any sale you hand over the new owner’s name, address and phone number. Breaking these rules is a noncriminal infraction with a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation.
When a bite becomes a crime. Once a dog has been declared dangerous, an unprovoked bite or attack on a person or a domestic animal is a crime for the owner under section 767.13. The dog is then confiscated and held for 10 business days after the owner is told in writing, during which the owner may ask for a hearing, and after that it is destroyed; if the owner files a written appeal, it is held and not destroyed while the appeal is pending. If that dog attacks and causes severe injury to a person, which section 767.11(6) defines as “broken bones, multiple bites, or disfiguring lacerations requiring sutures or reconstructive surgery”, or a person’s death, the owner commits a second-degree felony. Even a dog never classified can lead to a charge under section 767.136 when it severely injures or kills a person and the owner knew of its dangerous propensities and recklessly disregarded them. Neither section makes it a crime when the dog bites someone who is committing, or attempting, a crime at the time; the civil rules on paying for a bite are separate. The plain takeaway: a finding raises the stakes of every later incident, and the sentencing detail is in the Sources notes below.
No exemption we read covers a family guard dog. Section 767.16 takes dogs owned or employed by a law enforcement agency out of the dangerous-dog part altogether, and spares a service dog for blind, hearing impaired or disabled people a quarantine after a bite, provided the dog has a current rabies vaccination given as section 828.30 provides. Section 767.12(6) exempts hunting dogs during a legal hunt or training, and dogs “engaged in training or exhibiting in legal sports such as obedience trials, conformation shows, field trials, hunting/retrieving trials, and herding trials” when engaged in any legal procedures, and makes them subject to the law “at all other times in all other respects.” Protection sports are not on that list; the statute does not say whether “such as” stretches to a PSA or IGP trial, and we would not assume it does. The trials our owners have decoyed are listed on the about page, and our guide to sport titles explains what they do and do not prove. Nothing in those exemptions, as we read them, reaches a privately owned dog guarding a family at home in Coral Gables.
Breed and size. Section 767.14 lets local governments and public housing authorities add rules about dogs that have bitten or attacked, “provided that no such regulation is specific to breed, weight, or size,” and a 2023 act removed the exemption that had kept older local breed bans alive. Put simply, a county can act on what a dog has done, not on its breed or its weight, whether that dog is a Belgian Malinois, a Dutch Shepherd or a large German Shepherd. The statute speaks to local governments and public housing authorities; our reading, not a court’s, is that a homeowners association or condominium declaration is neither, so read your community’s documents before the dog arrives.
Three Florida Hazards
To Train Around From The First Week
Cane toads. UF/IFAS describes the cane or “Bufo” toad as established, as of 2017, “in much of the southern peninsula as far north as Tampa,” and the same publication carries a distribution map to check against your address. Its warning could have been written about the breeds we place: “Dogs with a strong prey drive may attack a toad.” Signs of poisoning include unusually pink or red gums, drooling or frothing, pawing at the mouth, seizures and sometimes cardiac arrest. The first aid it gives is to wipe the mouth with a damp rag, then hose the mouth for 15 minutes with the water running out, not down the throat, and to call your veterinarian immediately. Its prevention advice: no food bowls left out at night, no dog unattended outdoors at dawn, dusk or after dark, and a short leash on evening walks. For a protection dog, add a hard “leave it” that holds when something small moves in the grass.
Alligators. The state wildlife agency says alligators “are found in all 67 counties,” says “Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida,” and tells owners to keep pets on a leash and away from the water. Its brochure explains why: “Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey,” and alligators are “most active between dusk and dawn.” A dog that will charge a threat is a dog that may charge into a retention pond after something moving in it. Recall off the water’s edge deserves the same drilling as the bite work, and the FWC nuisance line is 866-392-4286.
Hurricanes. Section 252.3568 requires every county that maintains designated shelters to designate one “that can accommodate persons with pets.” What that means in practice varies. In Palm Beach County the pet-friendly shelter is limited to residents of a mandatory evacuation zone, a mobile home or substandard housing; owners drop the animal off and shelter separately, and “Aggressive dogs may be refused if it is determined that it is unsafe for staff to care for and handle the pet.” Our reading, not the county’s, is that a protection dog that will not let a stranger lead it into a crate could be that dog. Plan the evacuation before June: a pet-friendly hotel or a boarding kennel inland, a dog comfortable in a crate, and a dog that tolerates a vet tech’s hands. The county page says its online pre-registration form opens every 1 May and that registering does not guarantee a place, but when we read it the page still carried a notice dated October 2024 and gave the shelter’s street number two different ways, so confirm the dates and the address with the county.
Protection Dogs In Miami
Where The Code Separates Home From Work
Miami-Dade’s animal chapter regulates guard dogs in a section of their own, § 5-13.1, Guard dogs. Its definition covers a dog “used for the purpose of defending, patrolling, or protecting property or life at any nonresidential establishment or which resides on the nonresidential property.” On our reading, a family dog living in a Coconut Grove house falls outside those words. Keep the same dog at your Doral warehouse or your car lot and, on our reading, it falls inside them, and then the owner needs an annual guard dog license and an annual registration for the dog, a Florida veterinarian’s fitness check every six months, a marked vehicle to move it, and “Guard Dog” signs at each entry and every fifty feet of fence on commercial premises, with county officers entitled to inspect unannounced. Registration also asks for “A notarized affidavit signed by the previous owner acknowledging that the dog will be used as a guard dog,” so if a business is in the plan, tell the seller before the sale, not after.
Parks, beaches and common areas. Section 5-20 makes it unlawful to let a dog into “any public park or beach in the county” except areas where dogs are specifically authorized, or to let it be unrestrained on public property, “a common area of a private building or development,” or someone else’s land without consent. The same section deems “Chasing vehicles or persons and trespassing upon public or private property in such a manner as to damage property” a public nuisance; on our reading, a dog that chases people may be treated as one, but that is not a court’s ruling. On our reading, the lobby, elevator and pool deck of a Brickell tower are common areas of a private building, so the leash goes on before the apartment door opens.
A label for dog-on-dog damage. Under § 5-23.1 the county designates a dog “aggressive” if, “when unprovoked and while off of the owner’s property,” it “severely injures or kills a domestic animal.” A designation means registration within 14 days, a registered microchip, yearly renewal and a ban on breeding the dog, and a dog designated aggressive elsewhere must be registered as soon as it arrives. A protection dog that is steady with people but not with the neighbor’s small dog is the dog this section would catch, so ask to see the dog work around other dogs.
The county’s pit bull article, §§ 5-17 to 5-17.7, still appears in the Municode text we read on 12 October 2026. The 2023 act removed the pre-1990 exemption that had shielded local breed ordinances from section 767.14; what the county now enforces is a question for Miami-Dade Animal Services, not for us.
Protection Dogs In Palm Beach And Naples
Leash Rules, Beach Hours And The County Tag
Town of Palm Beach. The island’s animal chapter treats a dog off your premises as “at large” unless an attendant has it “firmly held by a collar and leash.” Every dog over four months needs a county tag on a collar it wears at all times. The beach rule is narrow: under section 74-191 no animal may go on the Phipps Park beach, the beach from Royal Palm Way south to Gulfstream Road or the Clarke Avenue beach, and between Sunset Avenue and Wells Road dogs may run unleashed “under the command of their owner or handler” from dawn to 9:00 a.m. and on a leash after that. Off-leash on a public beach among strangers and other dogs is a real test of control, and a dog that cannot ignore a jogger at the waterline should stay on the leash all day. Section 10-6 also makes it a nuisance for a dog to habitually snap, growl or otherwise threaten people using the sidewalks, and two sworn complaints from town residents in separate households are enough to start an investigation. The county’s own animal code, the Town’s dangerous-dog process and the rules in Boca Raton, Gulf Stream and Wellington are on our Palm Beach County page.
Naples. The city code’s section 28-35(c) allows dogs in city parks on a leash “and under owner control at all times,” states that “the owner is responsible for all actions of the animal,” and says flatly that “Animals are not allowed on any city beach or in any playground,” with fines of at least $50 for each day of a violation. For a family in Old Naples that means the dog’s exercise happens in the yard and on leashed walks, never on the sand in front of the house if that sand is a city beach.
We read three local codes for this page: the Town of Palm Beach, the City of Naples and Miami-Dade County. Coconut Grove, Doral, Brickell, Coral Gables, Boca and Old Naples appear only as examples of places where one of those codes, or a state rule, would apply; we did not read a separate code for any of them, and naming them says nothing about our having sold or delivered a dog there.
What We Checked In Florida’s Insurance Code
And A Citizens Form That Changed Its Name
Disclosure, exclusions and umbrella policies are covered in our guide to protection dogs and homeowners insurance. What we found in Florida is an absence. We searched the 2026 text of chapter 627, the chapter on insurance rates and contracts, and found no provision that stops a homeowners or renters insurer from declining, surcharging or excluding a household because of a dog’s breed; the word “dog” does not appear in it. The 2026 dog bills we read, SB 1004 and HB 1521, both titled Domestic Animals, deal with cruelty records and pet sales, and neither bill page mentions insurance. Nothing we read stops a Florida carrier from asking about a dog’s breed and training and pricing or excluding cover on the answers; a broker can tell you how your own carrier uses them.
Citizens. A November 2022 Citizens bulletin on its 2023 application changes announced that its Personal Residential Multiperil application for Animal Liability Exclusion would be renamed “Acknowledgement of Policy Exclusions and Limitations”; we did not read a Citizens policy form, so ask your agent, in writing, whether your Citizens policy pays anything for a dog bite. If it does not, the gap is yours until you fill it.
The cover the dangerous-dog law demands. Section 767.12 now requires at least $100,000 of liability coverage the moment a classification becomes final. A household whose homeowners policy already excludes animal liability would be looking for that cover at the worst possible time, which is a reason to have the conversation with a broker before the dog comes home.
Roughly 1,240 To 1,310 Road Miles
And A Health Certificate Timed To The Trip
By car, downtown Dallas to the Town of Palm Beach comes to about 1,244 miles, by our own query of the public OSRM router. Naples came out at 1,261 and downtown Miami at 1,309, each roughly 23 to 24 hours of driving, or two full days on the road. Treat them as rough guides; the start and end coordinates sit in the OSRM note at the foot of the page. Delivering in person means the handover would happen inside the house where the dog is to live, with the family learning its commands on their own floors. The same distance applies to any visit afterwards, so put the follow-up arrangements in writing before any money moves.
A health certificate is the document to ask about first. The Department of Agriculture’s importation rule requires an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for imported dogs, with exceptions that include “privately owned pets traveling with their owners,” service animals and “Working Dogs,” a term the department’s definitions rule limits to dogs held by a government agency or private organization and trained for work such as search and rescue, detection, criminal apprehension or police assistance. On our reading, a family’s protection dog is not a “Working Dog” as defined, and a dog the seller drives to you is not a pet traveling with its owner, so expect the certificate to be needed. The rule also requires any dog imported for sale to meet the vaccination, testing and deworming standards of section 828.29. That section says that for a dog “transported into the state for sale,” the vaccines and dewormers must be given by or under a USDA-accredited veterinarian licensed in the state of origin, “no more than 30 days and no less than 14 days before the dog’s entry into the state,” with the certificate travelling with the dog. Our reading, not a court’s, is that a dog a seller drives to your door after you have bought it fits that description; whoever you buy from, ask to see the certificate and check the dates against the travel day. Every dog three months or older entering Florida also needs proof of a current rabies vaccination. Deposits, contracts and what happens if the dog is not right after the trip are separate problems from the paperwork, and our out-of-state buying guide takes them one at a time.
Six Things To Ask
Drawn From The Florida Rules Above
Each item below comes from a rule on this page. A seller with good dogs should be able to answer or demonstrate all six before you pay a deposit, and we expect Florida buyers to ask them of us.
- Section 767.11(3)(c). Picture a narrow canal-side path or a public sidewalk where a stranger walks toward you: does the dog stay at your side, calm and quiet, with no rush forward? Ask to see a scene like that on video or in person.
- Section 767.12(2)(b). Can the seller show the dog switching off the moment a threat stops, so that what it does stays within protecting a person nearby from an unjustified attack?
- UF/IFAS on cane toads. Does the dog hold a “leave it” on small moving animals, and come off the water’s edge on one call?
- Palm Beach County’s shelter rule. Will the dog let a stranger handle it and walk it into a crate? If not, what is the plan when a storm comes?
- Section 828.29(1)(a). Who issues the certificate of veterinary inspection, and will the vaccines and dewormers fall 14 to 30 days before the dog enters Florida?
- Miami-Dade § 5-13.1. If the dog will spend days at a business in the county, will the seller sign the notarized previous-owner affidavit the registration asks for?
A Florida address tells you where a company is, not how its dogs were trained. Two of our guides help at the viewing itself: how to read a protection dog demo and the warning signs of a protection dog scam. If the condo board, the insurer or a houseful of visiting grandchildren under six makes the answer no for now, our piece on whether you should actually buy a protection dog covers the alternatives honestly.
Buying From Us
And Other States
Buying From Us
Inside Florida
Statutes, Codes And Guidance We Read For This Page
Florida statutes are quoted from the Legislature’s Online Sunshine site, session laws from the Department of State’s published copies, the two court decisions from full-text copies on CourtListener and the Animal Legal & Historical Center, local ordinances from Municode, and wildlife guidance from the state wildlife agency and the University of Florida. This page is a reading list with our notes, not legal or insurance advice; before acting on any of it for your own home, have a lawyer licensed in Florida, and your insurance broker, look at the facts.
- Fla. Stat. § 767.04 — Dog owner’s liability for damages to persons bitten (2026 Florida Statutes) — “The owner of any dog that bites any person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners’ knowledge of such viciousness. However, any negligence on the part of the person bitten that is a proximate cause of the biting incident reduces the liability of the owner of the dog by the percentage that the bitten person’s negligence contributed to the biting incident. A person is lawfully upon private property of such owner within the meaning of this act when the person is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him or her by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when the person is on such property upon invitation, expressed or implied, of the owner. However, the owner is not liable, except as to a person under the age of 6, or unless the damages are proximately caused by a negligent act or omission of the owner, if at the time of any such injury the owner had displayed in a prominent place on his or her premises a sign easily readable including the words “Bad Dog.” The remedy provided by this section is in addition to and cumulative with any other remedy provided by statute or common law.” History line: s. 1, ch. 25109, 1949; s. 1, ch. 93-13; s. 1155, ch. 97-102.
- Noble v. Yorke, 490 So. 2d 29 (Fla. 1 May 1986) — Supreme Court of Florida — certified question, “Is the doctrine of equitable estoppel available to avoid the exemption from liability created by F.S. 767.04?”, answered in the affirmative; the owner had told the visitor there was a “Beware of Bad Dog” sign on the front door “but to ignore it because the dog was secured”; suit under “section 767.04, Florida Statutes (1981)”; “Section 767.04 imposes absolute liability upon the owner of a dog for any injury caused by the dog regardless of scienter and provides absolute defenses by which a dog owner may escape liability”; holding, “the tort immunity of 767.04 does not extend to a dog owner who affirmatively directs a business invitee to ignore the ‘Bad Dog’ sign displayed on the premises”; quoting Carroll v. Moxley, 241 So. 2d 681 (Fla. 1970), the attempt to give notice “must be genuine, effective and bona fide”; a jury may have to decide “if the ‘Bad Dog’ sign was displayed prominently on the premises or easily readable or if in fact the sign existed at all”; “We will not allow a party who disavows the tenor of the ‘Bad Dog’ sign to take advantage of its wording”; on Belcher Yacht, Inc. v. Stickney, 450 So. 2d 1111 (Fla. 1984), “the strict liability of section 767.04 is limited to dog owners and a dog-bite victim may sue the non-owner of the dog upon a theory of common law liability.” Overton and McDonald, JJ., concurred in result only. Noble applied the 1981 text; the history line of today’s section 767.04 lists a later amendment, s. 1, ch. 93-13, so rely on the current wording.
- Arellano v. Broward K-9/Miami K-9 Services, Inc., 207 So. 3d 351 (Fla. 3d DCA 30 November 2016) — K-9 “supplied two guard dogs to a commercial business located in Miami”; the business “had been burglarized the night before and the chain-link fence cut, allowing the dogs to escape”; the plaintiff fed and sheltered them “for about five days” and was bitten when she intervened in a fight with her own dog; “As is clear from the statute, a dog owner is strictly liable for the injuries caused by the dog’s biting of someone; and that owner’s liability is reduced only by the percentage of the injured party’s comparative negligence that contributed to the incident”; “A jury might very well decide that Arellano’s actions, in whole or in part, were a proximate cause of the incident, thereby reducing or even eliminating K–9’s liability”; summary judgment for K-9 reversed and remanded; footnote 3, “The statute provides another limited exception when the dog bite occurs on the owner’s private property and the owner has posted a ‘Bad Dog’ sign. … We reject K–9’s suggestion that this exception is somehow applicable to this case.” Panel: Emas, Fernandez and Scales, JJ.
- Fla. Stat. § 767.01 — Dog owner’s liability for damages to persons, domestic animals, or livestock — “(1) A dog owner is liable for any damage done by the owner’s dog to a person or to any animal included in the definitions of ‘domestic animal’ and ‘livestock’ as provided by s. 585.01. (2) If a dog owner has knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensities, the owner must securely confine the dog in a proper enclosure as defined in s. 767.11.” History line ends “s. 2, ch. 2025-61.”
- Fla. Stat. § 767.11 — Definitions (Part II, dangerous dogs) — “(3) ‘Dangerous dog’ means a dog that according to the records of the appropriate authority: (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 property; or (c) Has, when unprovoked, chased or approached a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public grounds in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack, provided that such actions are attested to in a sworn statement by one or more persons and dutifully investigated by the appropriate authority”; “(5) ‘Proper enclosure’ means, while on the owner’s property, a dog is securely confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen or structure, suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed to prevent the dog from escaping. The pen or structure must have secure sides and a secure top …”; “(6) ‘Severe injury’ means any physical injury that results in broken bones, multiple bites, or disfiguring lacerations requiring sutures or reconstructive surgery”; “(7) ‘Unprovoked’ means that the victim who has been conducting himself or herself peacefully and lawfully has been bitten or chased in a menacing fashion or attacked by a dog.”
- Fla. Stat. § 767.12 — Classification of dogs as dangerous; owner requirements; penalty — (1) investigation and “a sworn affidavit from any person … desiring to have a dog classified as dangerous”; (1)(a) a dog that “has killed a human being or has bitten a human being and left a bite mark that scores 5 or higher on the Dunbar bite scale must be immediately confiscated …; impounded; and held,” “pending the outcome of the investigation and any hearings or appeals related to the dangerous dog classification or any penalty imposed under this section,” and “The owner is responsible for payment of all boarding costs and other fees as may be required to humanely and safely keep the animal pending any hearing or appeal”; (1)(b) “An animal that is the subject of any other dangerous dog investigation may be immediately confiscated by an animal control authority; placed in quarantine, if necessary, for the proper length of time; impounded; and held,” and a dog not impounded “must be confined by the owner in a proper enclosure” pending the outcome, the owner “shall provide the address,” and the dog “may not be relocated or have its ownership transferred”; (2) “A dog may not be declared dangerous if any of the following apply: (a) The threat, injury, or damage was sustained by a person who, at the time, was unlawfully on the property or who, while lawfully on the property, was tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the dog or its owner or a family member. (b) The dog was protecting or defending a human being within the immediate vicinity of the dog from an unjustified attack or assault”; (3) written notice, a hearing request “within 7 calendar days,” the hearing “not later than 21 calendar days and not sooner than 5 days” after the request; (4) appeal “to the circuit court”; (5)(a)1. a certificate of registration renewed annually, issued only to persons “at least 18 years of age” with a rabies certificate, a proper enclosure and “a clearly visible warning sign at all entry points,” a microchip, spaying or neutering, and insurance; (5)(a)2. “liability insurance coverage in an amount of at least $100,000”; (5)(a)3. notice when the dog “Is loose or unconfined,” “Has bitten a human being or attacked another animal,” “Is sold, given away, or dies,” or “Is moved to another address”; (5)(a)5. outside a proper enclosure the dog must be “muzzled and restrained by a substantial chain or leash and under control of a competent person”; (5)(b) a dog classified for an incident causing severe injury “may be destroyed”; (6) “Hunting dogs are exempt from this section when engaged in any legal hunt or training procedure. Dogs engaged in training or exhibiting in legal sports such as obedience trials, conformation shows, field trials, hunting/retrieving trials, and herding trials are exempt from this section when engaged in any legal procedures,” but “at all other times in all other respects are subject to this and local laws”; (7) “a noncriminal infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 per violation,” and resisting or obstructing an animal control authority is “a misdemeanor of the first degree.”
- Fla. Stat. § 767.13 — Attack or bite by dangerous dog; penalties; confiscation; destruction — “(1) If a dog that has previously been declared dangerous attacks or bites a person or a domestic animal without provocation, the owner commits a misdemeanor of the first degree,” and the dog is confiscated, held “for 10 business days after the owner is given written notification,” “and thereafter destroyed”; “(2) If a dog that has previously been declared dangerous attacks and causes severe injury to or death of any human, the owner commits a felony of the second degree”; “(4) If a dog attacks or bites a person who is engaged in or attempting to engage in a criminal activity at the time of the attack, the owner is not guilty of any crime specified under this section.”
- Fla. Stat. § 767.136 — Attack or bite by unclassified dog that causes severe injury or death — “(1) If a dog that has not been declared dangerous attacks and causes severe injury to, or the death of, a human, and the owner of the dog had knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensities, yet demonstrated a reckless disregard for such propensities under the circumstances, the owner of the dog commits a misdemeanor of the first degree”; “(2) If the dog attacks or bites a person who is engaged in or attempting to engage in a criminal activity at the time of the attack, the owner of the dog is not guilty of any crime under this section.”
- Fla. Stat. § 767.135 — Attack or bite by unclassified dog that causes death — “If a dog that has not been declared dangerous attacks and causes the death of a human, the dog must be immediately confiscated,” held “for 10 business days,” “and thereafter destroyed in an expeditious and humane manner,” with a hearing available and no destruction while an appeal is pending.
- Laws of Florida ch. 2025-61 (CS/HB 593, the “Pam Rock Act”) — “This act may be cited as the ‘Pam Rock Act’”; added the confinement duty to 767.01; required dangerous-dog liability insurance; raised the 767.13(2) offense from “a felony of the third degree” to “a felony of the second degree” and the 767.136(1) offense from “a misdemeanor of the second degree” to “a misdemeanor of the first degree”; “This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. Approved by the Governor May 21, 2025.”
- Fla. Stat. § 775.082 — Penalties; applicability of sentencing structures — “(d) For a felony of the second degree, by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 15 years”; “(a) For a misdemeanor of the first degree, by a definite term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year.”
- Fla. Stat. § 775.083 — Fines — fines “shall not exceed: … (b) $10,000, when the conviction is of a felony of the first or second degree. … (d) $1,000, when the conviction is of a misdemeanor of the first degree.”
- Fla. Stat. § 767.16 — Police canine or service dog; exemption — “(1) Any canine that is owned, or the service of which is employed, by a law enforcement agency, is exempt from this part. (2) Any dog used as a service dog for blind, hearing impaired, or disabled persons that bites another animal or a human is exempt from any quarantine requirement following such bite if the dog has a current rabies vaccination that was administered as provided in s. 828.30.”
- Fla. Stat. § 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 animals; or developing procedures and criteria for the implementation of this act, provided that no such regulation is specific to breed, weight, or size and that the provisions of this act are not lessened by such additional regulations or requirements.” History line ends “s. 1, ch. 2023-253.”
- Laws of Florida ch. 2023-253 (Senate Bill No. 942) — title: “removing an exemption for local breed-specific ordinances adopted before a specified date”; the amended section, with the closing sentence “This section does not apply to any local ordinance adopted prior to October 1, 1990” shown as struck through; “This act shall take effect October 1, 2023. Approved by the Governor June 16, 2023.”
- Miami-Dade County Code § 5-13.1 — Guard dogs — “Guard dog shall mean any type of dog used for the purpose of defending, patrolling, or protecting property or life at any nonresidential establishment or which resides on the nonresidential property”; “Any person seeking to operate a guard dog service or who owns a guard dog shall obtain a guard dog license,” renewed annually; registration of each guard dog including “Proof of ownership” and “A notarized affidavit signed by the previous owner acknowledging that the dog will be used as a guard dog,” waivable after one year’s registration; “At least every six (6) months, each guard dog shall be examined by a veterinarian who is licensed in Florida”; “No dog shall be used as a guard dog unless and until the dog has been registered with the Department”; unannounced inspections; vehicles “clearly marked”; enclosures of at least 100 square feet with a solid roof; signs reading “Guard Dog” “at each entry point and at fifty-foot intervals along the property’s fence perimeter” on commercial premises. (Ord. No. 13-49, 6-4-13.)
- Miami-Dade County Code § 5-20 — Regulations on dogs in public areas — (b) unlawful “to allow, whether willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, a dog into or upon any public park or beach in the county; provided, however, this provision shall not apply to parkways, wayside parks, or other park areas in which dogs are specifically authorized”; (d) unlawful to allow a dog “to be unrestrained or to be at large in any manner in or upon: public property; a common area of a private building or development; or the private property of others without the express or implied consent of the property owner”; (e) “Chasing vehicles or persons and trespassing upon public or private property in such a manner as to damage property shall be deemed a public nuisance.”
- Miami-Dade County Code § 5-23.1 — Aggressive dogs (Chapter 5, Animals and Fowl) — “The Director or designee shall designate a dog as ‘aggressive’ if the dog, when unprovoked and while off of the owner’s property, severely injures or kills a domestic animal”; registration “Within 14 days,” renewed annually, only to “a competent person who is at least 18 years of age,” with vaccination, licence and a registered microchip; “If a dog that has been designated by another jurisdiction as aggressive or similar classification is brought into Miami-Dade County, the responsible party shall immediately register the dog”; “It shall be unlawful to breed, or to permit another to use for breeding, an aggressive dog.”
- Miami-Dade County Code §§ 5-17 to 5-17.7 — pit bull article — as displayed on Municode on 12 October 2026, the article still reads that it “is intended to be applicable to dogs which are commonly referred to as ‘pit bulls’” (Ord. No. 89-22, 4-4-89).
- Town of Palm Beach Code, Chapter 10 (Animals), §§ 10-1, 10-6, 10-41 to 10-43 — § 10-1, “At large means an animal off the premises of the owner, unless accompanied by an attendant who shall have such animal firmly held by a collar and leash”; § 10-6(2), a nuisance where an animal “habitually snaps, growls, snarls, jumps upon or otherwise threatens persons lawfully using the public sidewalks, streets, alleys or other public ways,” with § 10-6(5) providing for investigation on “two affidavits of complaint, signed by two residents of the town occupying a separate household”; § 10-41, a tag or license “from the county animal control department” for any dog over four months; § 10-42, a collar and tag “worn at all times”; § 10-43, “Unleashed dogs under the command of their owner or handler are permitted from dawn to 9:00 a.m. and leashed dogs are permitted after 9:00 a.m. on public beaches between Sunset and Wells Road only.” Municode version dated 5 October 2026.
- Town of Palm Beach Code § 74-191 — Animals prohibited — “No person shall take any animal upon those certain public beaches within the town identified herein or in the surf adjacent to any such public beach within the town. Said beaches shall include the Phipps Park beach, the public beach from Royal Palm Way south to Gulfstream Road, the Clarke Avenue beach from Barton to Seaspray, and the beach from Sunset Avenue to Wells Road. An exception shall apply to allow unleashed dogs from dawn to 9:00 a.m. and leashed dogs after 9:00 a.m. on public beaches between Sunset and Wells Road only.”
- City of Naples Code § 28-35(c) — Animals; glass containers — an animal may be in a city park “unless designated otherwise, providing that the animal must be on a leashed restraint and under owner control at all times, that the owner must remove and properly dispose of all animal waste and that the owner is responsible for all actions of the animal. Animals are not allowed on any city beach or in any playground. Any person violating this section shall be guilty of an infraction, which shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50.00 per violation with each day or partial day of violation counting as a separate offense.”
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Living with Alligators and Crocodiles — alligators “are found in all 67 counties”; “Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, but if you are concerned about an alligator, call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286”; “keep pets on a leash and away from the water.”
- FWC — A Guide to Living with Alligators (brochure, PDF) — “Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey”; “Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn”; “Generally, an alligator may be considered a nuisance if it’s at least 4 feet in length and believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property.”
- UF/IFAS EDIS WEC387/UW432 — The Cane or “Bufo” Toad (Rhinella marina) in Florida (Wilson and Johnson; revised April 2025) — “As of 2017, they were established in much of the southern peninsula as far north as Tampa”; “Dogs are considerably more likely than cats to attempt to eat them”; signs of poisoning “include unusually pink or red gums, drooling or frothing at the mouth, pawing at the mouth, seizures, and sometimes cardiac arrest”; “If you suspect your pet has eaten or attacked a cane toad, wipe its mouth out with a damp rag and use a hose to rinse its mouth for 15 minutes, making sure the water flows out of the mouth and not down the throat. And immediately contact your veterinarian!”; “do not leave bowls of pet food out at night”; “do not leave dogs unattended outdoors at dawn, dusk, or at night when cane toads are most active”; “keep your dog on a short leash”; “Dogs with a strong prey drive may attack a toad.”
- Fla. Stat. § 252.3568 — Emergency sheltering of persons with pets — “(2) If a county maintains designated shelters, it must also designate a shelter that can accommodate persons with pets. The shelter must be in compliance with applicable FEMA Disaster Assistance Policies and Procedures and with safety procedures regarding the sheltering of pets established in the shelter component of both local and state comprehensive emergency management plans.”
- Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control — Pet Friendly Shelter — the shelter “is only available to Palm Beach County residents who reside in a mandatory evacuation zone, in a mobile home, or in sub-standard housing. Proof of residency will be required”; “Owners may not shelter at the PFS with their pets”; “Aggressive dogs may be refused if it is determined that it is unsafe for staff to care for and handle the pet”; “should be used as a last resort option”; suggested items include a “Pet carrier with bedding,” “County license and rabies tag on pet’s collar” and “notes about your pet’s behavior”; “pre-registration does not guarantee your pet a spot”; “The Online Pre-Registration Form opens every May 1st.” The same page, read on 12 October 2026, still opened with “Pre-registration is no longer available … starting at 12:00 pm Wednesday 10/09/2024,” and gave the address as both “600 Northtree Bvd.” and “6000 Northtree Blvd., Lake Worth, FL 33463.”
- Fla. Stat. Chapter 627 — Insurance Rates and Contracts (2026, entire chapter) — a text search of the whole chapter as published on Online Sunshine on 12 October 2026 found no occurrence of the word “dog”; the only uses of “breed” concern workers’ compensation classifications for horse farms “engaged in breeding or training.”
- The Florida Senate — CS/SB 1004 (2026), Domestic Animals — bill summary: “Requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to post on its website specified information relating to each individual convicted of specified animal cruelty offenses; extending the timeframe for which a consumer may pursue remedies for the sale of an animal certifiably unfit for purchase; requiring a pet dealer to provide copies of specified medical records to a consumer; requiring the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to develop a list of best management practices for adoption and implementation, etc.”; “Effective Date: 7/1/2026”; “Last Action: 5/13/2026 - Chapter No. 2026-76, companion bill(s) passed, see CS/HB 559 (Ch. 2026-78).” The word “insurance” does not appear on the bill page or in the enrolled session law.
- The Florida Senate — CS/CS/CS/HB 1521 (2026), Domestic Animals — bill summary begins “Requires FDLE to post on its website specified information relating to individuals convicted of specified animal cruelty offenses”; “Last Action: 3/9/2026 House - Laid on Table; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/SB 1004 (Ch. 2026-76), CS/HB 559 (Ch. 2026-78).” The word “insurance” does not appear on the bill page.
- Laws of Florida ch. 2026-76 (CS/SB 1004) — title includes “amending s. 828.29, F.S.; extending the timeframe for which a consumer may pursue remedies for the sale of an animal certifiably unfit for purchase” and “providing that violations constitute an unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or practice”; “This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. Approved by the Governor May 12, 2026.”
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation — 2023 Application and Rule Changes (bulletin) — “The Personal Residential Multiperil application for Animal Liability Exclusion will be changed to Acknowledgement of Policy Exclusions and Limitations to better inform policyholders of what may not be covered under both property and liability sections of their policy”; the changes were approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation “effective January 1, 2023” for “all Personal Lines new business.”
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 5C-3.009 — Dogs or Cats (importation; effective 19 August 2019) — (1) dogs imported into Florida must be accompanied by an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI), except for exhibition animals staying under six months, “any Service Animal, any Working Dog, and any privately owned pets traveling with their owners”; (2)(a) “Each dog or cat Imported into Florida must: 1. Be accompanied by an OCVI, and 2. Meet the minimum standards for vaccinations, tests, and anthelmintic treatments, and be eight (8) weeks of age or older as specified in section 828.29, F.S.” under the heading “Dogs or Cats for Sale or Adoption Requirements for Importation”; (3) “All dogs or cats, three (3) months of age and older, transported into Florida … must have proof of a current rabies vaccination.”
- Fla. Stat. § 828.29 — Dogs and cats transported or offered for sale; health requirements; consumer guarantee; disclosures — “(1)(a) For each dog transported into the state for sale, the tests, vaccines, and anthelmintics required by this section must be administered by or under the direction of a veterinarian, licensed by the state of origin and accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture, who issues the official certificate of veterinary inspection. The tests, vaccines, and anthelmintics must be administered no more than 30 days and no less than 14 days before the dog’s entry into the state. The official certificate of veterinary inspection certifying compliance with this section must accompany each dog transported into the state for sale”; the listed vaccines and anthelmintics run from “Canine distemper” and “Leptospirosis” to “Rabies, provided the dog is over 3 months of age and the inoculation is administered as provided in s. 828.30,” “Roundworms” and “Hookworms”; “(17) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a person who violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083”; “(19) A pet dealer who violates this section commits an unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of part II of chapter 501 and is subject to the penalties and remedies provided for such violations.” History line ends “s. 4, ch. 2024-258; s. 2, ch. 2026-76.”
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 5C-3.001 — Definitions (animal health chapter) — “Working Dogs. Any dog in the possession of a federal, military, state or local governmental agency or private organization that is trained for the purpose of human search and rescue, body recovery, arson detection, bomb detection, narcotics detection, food and agricultural product detection, criminal apprehension, police assistance or other related purposes, whether in the performance of such tasks or while traveling to and from such tasks”; “Service Animal. A dog or minature horse as defined and limited in Sections 413.08(2)-(4), F.S.” (spelling as published).
- Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM), OpenStreetMap data — Figures from our own query of the public OSRM demo server (12 October 2026), not an official distance; origin downtown Dallas (32.7767, -96.7970): the Town of Palm Beach (26.7056, -80.0364) 1,244 miles, 22.9 hours; Naples (26.1420, -81.7948) 1,261 miles, 23.2 hours; downtown Miami (25.7617, -80.1918) 1,309 miles, 24.1 hours.
On 12 October 2026 we set every quotation above beside the page it links to, and the mileage is our own figure. Florida has amended its dog laws several times recently, including in 2023, 2024 (ch. 2024-137 and ch. 2024-258), 2025 and, for the sale of dogs, 2026 (ch. 2026-76), so if a linked statute or ordinance now reads differently, trust the link over this page.
Every delivery we make begins in North Texas, where we are based, and we bring the dog in person; this page is a guide to Florida’s rules, not a description of work we have done in the state.
Which Florida County Will The Dog Call Home?
The county and the town decide the beach, leash and licensing rules a dog lives under, so tell us those first. Then describe the place (a waterfront lot on a canal, a high-rise with shared halls, a gated estate), who comes and goes (pool service, landscapers, the mail carrier, grandchildren under six), whether the dog might spend days at a business, and where you go when a hurricane is coming. If you would like to know who you would be dealing with first, read about us, or compare the dogs on our breed pages.