Pitbulls are legal to own in Broward County, Florida. There is no county pitbull ban, and there cannot be one: Florida law prohibits every local government in the state from regulating dogs based on breed. You can bring a pitbull into Broward, register it, and keep it like any other dog. The real obstacles most owners run into are not from the county at all. They come from insurance companies, homeowners associations, and private landlords.
The State Law That Settles It
Florida Statutes Section 767.14 is the reason no city or county in Florida can single out pitbulls. Local governments are free to regulate dangerous dog behavior and to impose requirements on owners whose dogs have bitten or attacked, but the statute draws a firm line: no local regulation may be specific to breed.1Florida Statutes. Florida Code 767.14 – Additional Local Restrictions Authorized Broward County could not pass a pitbull ordinance even if its commissioners wanted one.
Senate Bill 942, which took effect October 1, 2023, strengthened that protection. The law added “weight” and “size” to the list of characteristics local governments cannot target, closing a loophole that would have let cities regulate large breeds indirectly. It also extended the same ban to public housing authorities, which had previously been free to set their own pet rules.2Florida Senate. SB 942 Enrolled Text If you live in public housing anywhere in Broward County, your housing authority cannot refuse your dog based on breed.
Why This Question Keeps Coming Up
Most of the confusion traces to Miami-Dade County, next door, which maintained a well-known pitbull ban for more than 30 years. Miami-Dade operated under a historical exemption to Florida’s breed-neutral preemption law. SB 942 eliminated that exemption, and Miami-Dade’s ban automatically ended on October 1, 2023.3Florida Senate. SB 942 – Authorization of Restrictions Concerning Dogs Broward never had that exemption and never had a ban. The proximity to Miami-Dade and years of coverage of the old ordinance are why the question still gets asked.
What Broward Does Regulate
County animal rules apply to your dog the same way they apply to any other. Nothing in them targets pitbulls.
Rabies, Registration, and Leashes
Every dog in Broward County must be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian by four months of age. You then have 30 days to obtain a Broward County rabies registration tag, which must be renewed each year. The county also enforces a strict leash law: your dog must be under direct physical control by a leash, cord, or chain, or confined to your property by a fence, at all times. Dogs found loose can be impounded at Broward County Animal Care.4Broward County. Animal Laws
Dangerous Dog Rules Apply to Behavior, Not Breed
Florida’s dangerous dog statute is what Broward uses when a dog actually causes a problem, and it looks at conduct rather than appearance. A dog can be classified as dangerous if it has aggressively bitten, attacked, or inflicted severe injury on a person; if it has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal while off its owner’s property; or if, unprovoked, it has chased or approached someone in a menacing manner on public grounds, confirmed by sworn statement and investigation.5Florida Statutes. Florida Code 767.11 – Definitions A pitbull with no incident history is treated the same as any other dog with no incident history.
If a dog is classified as dangerous, Florida law then imposes ongoing requirements on the owner: annual registration, secure confinement with warning signs, microchip, spay or neuter, $100,000 in liability insurance, and muzzling and substantial restraint any time the dog leaves its enclosure. Owners must also report immediately if the dog gets loose, bites, is transferred, dies, or moves.6Florida Statutes. Florida Code 767.12 – Classification of Dogs as Dangerous These rules kick in only after a classification; they are not something a pitbull owner starts out subject to.
Where You Can Still Be Told No
Even though Broward County itself cannot restrict pitbulls, three private channels still can, and these are the ones most likely to affect you.
Homeowners Insurance
Many homeowners and renters insurance companies maintain breed exclusion lists, and pitbull-type dogs appear on nearly all of them. If your insurer excludes your breed, your policy’s liability coverage will not pay a bite claim, and Florida imposes strict liability on dog owners for bites in public or lawful private settings regardless of the dog’s history.7Florida Statutes. Florida Code 767.04 – Dog Owner’s Liability for Damages to Persons Bitten The financial exposure is real.
Some carriers evaluate dogs individually rather than by breed, looking at whether your specific dog has a bite history. State Farm, Allstate, and several others are widely known for not maintaining breed exclusion lists. If your current insurer will not cover your dog, shopping around is worth the effort. Ask prospective carriers directly about breed restrictions before you bind a policy, and get the answer in writing. Not disclosing your dog’s breed on an application can give the insurer grounds to deny a claim later or cancel coverage outright.
HOAs and Condo Associations
Homeowners and condominium associations frequently include breed restrictions in their governing documents, and those restrictions are enforceable as voluntary contracts you agreed to when you bought in. The state law that prohibits government breed bans does not reach private associations. These rules are often buried deep in the declaration rather than highlighted upfront, so read the documents carefully before you close on a home.
Private Landlords
Private landlords can also exclude specific breeds through the lease. If your lease says no pitbulls and your dog is not a qualifying assistance animal, the landlord can enforce that term through eviction. “The county allows pitbulls” is not a defense to a breach of your own lease.
The Assistance Animal Exception
If your pitbull is a service animal or an emotional support animal, federal law overrides private breed restrictions. Under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers must make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities who need assistance animals, and pet rules including breed and size limits do not apply. A provider may deny the specific animal only if that individual dog poses a direct threat to health or safety that cannot be reduced through other means, based on the dog’s actual conduct rather than its breed.8U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FHEO Notice 2020-01 – Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation
When your disability is not readily apparent, you can be asked for documentation from a healthcare professional confirming your disability-related need for the animal. The housing provider cannot require medical records, a specific diagnosis, a notarized statement, or a particular form.8U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FHEO Notice 2020-01 – Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation
So the full picture is this. The county cannot stop you from owning a pitbull in Broward. Your insurance company, your HOA, and your landlord often can, unless the dog is a qualifying assistance animal. Line up coverage and check the lease or declaration before you bring the dog home.