Santa Cruz County, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SCCC § 6.12.150(C)
- Covers
- All wild birds and mammals countywide
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100
- Repeat fines
- Up to $200, then $500
- Enforcing agency
- County Director of Animal Services
- Adopted
- Ordinance 5388, 2022
Summary
Santa Cruz County bans injuring, killing, capturing, or taking any wild bird in the unincorporated area under SCCC § 6.12.150(C). The law covers every wild bird species, not just game or protected ones, with narrow exceptions for licensed hunting, public-safety staff, and livestock defense. Violators face County-issued fines that climb with repeat offenses.
(C) Injuring Wildlife Prohibited. No person shall willfully injure, kill, capture, or take any wildlife within the unincorporated area of Santa Cruz County. "Wildlife" includes mammals and birds of any kind which live in the wild, except for rodent pests. This section does not apply to any County employees or Animal Shelter employees acting within the scope of their employment for the protection of public health and safety. This does not include legal hunting or fishing with a valid license from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This section does not prevent owners of livestock or domesticated animals from shooting a wild animal that is caught in the act of attacking their domestic animal or livestock.
Full Breakdown
150, adopted by Ordinance 5388 in 2022, protects wild birds and other wildlife across the unincorporated county, from Aptos and Soquel to Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond. Subsection (C) makes it unlawful to willfully injure, kill, capture, or take any wildlife, defined to include mammals and birds of any kind living in the wild, excluding rodent pests. The prohibition applies broadly: a hawk in a Live Oak backyard, a heron along a Soquel Creek riparian corridor, or songbirds nesting on a Bonny Doon parcel are all covered.
Subsection (A) separately bars possessing or keeping any animal belonging to a "wild species" as defined in California Fish and Game Code Section 2118, unless the person holds a valid state permit issued under Fish and Game Code Section 2150 et seq. Three narrow carve-outs apply: County or Animal Shelter employees acting within their duties for public health and safety, legal hunting or fishing under a valid California Department of Fish and Wildlife license, and livestock owners who shoot a wild animal caught in the act of attacking their domestic animal or livestock. 060. Each day a violation continues is treated as a separate offense. 150 addresses direct harm to wildlife, not feeding.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of SCCC § 6.12.150 is an infraction carrying a fine up to $100 under § 6.24.080(A). A second violation of the same provision within one year rises to $200, and each further repeat within that year climbs to $500. The Director of Animal Services can also pursue administrative citations under § 6.24.070 or civil abatement, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this law protect all wild birds or just endangered species?
Can I shoot a bird attacking my chickens?
Does this apply in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Capitola or Scotts Valley?
What is the penalty for injuring a wild bird?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Cruz County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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