Backyard chickens and animal permits in Melbourne

Yes, Melbourne allows backyard chickens and other outdoor animals with an animal permit from the City Clerk, which is required for any animal, reptile or fowl other than a domestic dog or cat kept outside a residence (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).

The permit system exists because Melbourne's zoning code does not expressly allow nondomestic animals in some zoning districts, while the City Council recognized that certain animals in those districts may be kept as family pets (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-23). The City Clerk, under the direction of the city manager, administers the process, and permits cover animals maintained outside a residence (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-24).

Roosters are the main limit. The Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page states that permits will not be issued for roosters unless there is something unique about the size or location of the property, and the City Code puts it as animal permits generally not being issued for roosters unless zoning, acreage and location make the property unique (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27). Chapter 10 sets no fixed number of hens: the number of animals allowed in Melbourne depends on the zoning district, lot size and usable lot area found at the city's physical inspection (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27).

Melbourne permits are for keeping animals, not running a business. The City Clerk's page states that animals may not be used for commercial purposes (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).

A Melbourne applicant requests the form from the City Clerk's Office at 321-608-7220 or [email protected], builds any coop first, and then waits for a Code Compliance inspection (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).

The steps on the Melbourne pages run in this order:

1. Confirm setbacks for any coop, cage or enclosure with the Community Development Department at 321-608-7500, and ask the Code Compliance Division at 321-608-7900 whether the structure needs a building permit (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).
2. Put the structure in place, because it must exist before the application is submitted and the inspector needs to see it (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).
3. Complete the City Clerk's form with a hand-drawn diagram showing the street name, the location of the house and the location of any structure used to house the animal (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27).
4. Code Compliance personnel inspect the area and recommend approval or denial to the City Clerk (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27); after all conditions are met and the inspection is satisfactory, the City Clerk's Office issues the permit (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).

Timing matters in Melbourne: an application automatically expires if the city has not conducted an inspection within 30 days of receiving it (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page). The applicant must be the property owner or have permission from the property owner (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page), and the applicant is responsible for complying with any homeowners' association rules on animals or animal enclosures (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27).

In Melbourne a coop larger than 100 square feet or taller than six feet needs a building permit for an accessory structure, and every animal structure must meet the city's setback requirements (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27).

The two city sources word the building permit trigger differently: Section 10-27 says a building permit for an accessory structure will be required for an animal structure larger than 100 square feet or higher than six feet, while the City Clerk's page says such a structure may require one and directs owners to the Code Compliance Division at 321-608-7900 to find out (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page). The accessory structure section of the Melbourne zoning code sets placement rules for accessory structures generally. Outside the AEU and REU districts, accessory structures other than detached garages must sit behind the principal structure or be screened by a solid or opaque fence or approved landscaping so they are not visible from the street (Melbourne zoning code, accessory structures). The side and rear setbacks are five feet or the zoning district's setback, whichever is less, and no accessory structure may be built or placed on an easement unless the easement expressly allows it (Melbourne zoning code, accessory structures).

Properties zoned AEU or REU in Melbourne have no limit on the number of accessory structures, which may sit anywhere on the lot that meets setbacks, though they must be smaller in size and scale than the principal structure (Melbourne zoning code, accessory structures). Where a building permit is needed, the Melbourne building permit fee schedule effective August 7, 2026 prices accessory structures with other construction-related permits, starting at $65.00 for work with an estimated cost of $1,000.00 or less.

Melbourne also sets care rules that shape how a coop is run. Animal feed stored outside must be in sealed containers to keep out rodents, insects and wildlife (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27), and the permit holder must keep the area where the animals live in a sanitary manner, judged in part by complaints from surrounding neighbors (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-29).

A Melbourne animal permit is effective for two years from issuance, and keeping it active means filing a new application with the City Clerk before it expires (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-27).

Once a Melbourne permit is issued, the location is subject to an annual inspection by Code Compliance personnel to confirm the area is safe and sanitary for the animal (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-28). The City Clerk may revoke a permit when any of its conditions is violated (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-30), and the Clerk's page lists the practical triggers: animals not being cared for properly, permit conditions not met, or complaints of odor, noise, feces or animals running at large (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page).

Decisions can be appealed in Melbourne. A person aggrieved by the City Clerk's issuance, denial or revocation of an animal permit may appeal in writing to the city manager within 20 days, and a decision of the city manager may in turn be appealed in writing to the City Council through the City Clerk within 20 days (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-31). Complaints about animals or coops can be reported to the Code Compliance Division, which takes calls 24 hours a day at 321-608-7900 (Melbourne Code Enforcement page).

Melbourne will not issue permits for animals regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and anyone keeping such an animal must hold the state license instead (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-25).

The City Clerk's page extends that to animals or reptiles regulated by any other permitting agency (Melbourne City Clerk Animal Permits page). Bees have their own Melbourne rule: operating an apiary or keeping bees is unlawful within the city limits except in the agricultural estate use (AEU) zoning district, or as the article otherwise allows (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-52). The exceptions allow one hive at an educational institution for student use, on premises needed for medical research or scientific purposes, or at a building or residence after a permit application in which the educational use is clearly established (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-53).

Two broader Melbourne rules sit at the top of the animals chapter. The Brevard County animal control ordinance, as amended, is adopted by reference as the City of Melbourne Animal Control Code (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-1), and all lands and waters within the city are designated a wildlife sanctuary, where it is unlawful to intentionally kill or injure any bird, waterfowl or wild animal (Melbourne City Code, Section 10-2). Fence rules for runs and enclosures are covered in the Melbourne fence permits guide.

Last verified: October 21, 2026, after a fresh read of the City Clerk's Animal Permits page, Chapter 10 of the Melbourne City Code, the accessory structure section of Appendix B, the Code Enforcement page and the August 7, 2026 building permit fee schedule.