San Mateo County, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- County Parks & SF Fish/Game Refuge only
- Enforcing agency
- Parks and Recreation Department
- Prohibited acts
- Feed, hunt, trap, disturb wildlife
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
In San Mateo County parks and the San Francisco Fish and Game Refuge, feeding, hunting, trapping or disturbing any wild bird or other wildlife is banned under the county's park rules.
All County Parks and Recreation Areas and the San Francisco Fish and Game Refuge are sanctuaries for wildlife. No person shall feed, approach, disturb, frighten, hunt, trap, capture, wound, kill, chase, pursue, or disturb the natural habitat of, any wild bird, mammal, reptile, fish, amphibian or invertebrate within a County Park or Recreation Area or within any San Francisco Fish and Game Refuge area located within the County, nor shall any person allow any dog to do so.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).
Full Breakdown
San Mateo County Ordinance Code § 3.68.080(n) designates every County Park, Recreation Area and the San Francisco Fish and Game Refuge as wildlife sanctuaries. No person may feed, approach, disturb, frighten, hunt, trap, capture, wound, kill, chase or pursue any wild bird, mammal, reptile, fish, amphibian or invertebrate there, and dog owners are equally liable. The Parks and Recreation Department enforces the rule; it applies only inside county park and refuge boundaries, not to birds on private property elsewhere in the unincorporated county.
Violations & Fines
Violating the wildlife protection rule is a misdemeanor under the code's general penalty section, punishable by up to a $500 fine, six months in county jail, or both (§ 1.08.010(a)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule protect birds on my private property?
Can I feed ducks or squirrels at a county park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Mateo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Mateo County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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