Orange County, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Hunt, trap, catch, injure, kill any bird or animal
- Where
- John Wayne Airport property only
- Exception
- Written authorization from the Airport Director
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Governing section
- Sec. 2-1-53(h), Article 5 Airport Operations
Summary
At John Wayne Airport, Orange County's Rules of Conduct bar anyone from hunting, pursuing, trapping, catching, injuring or killing any bird or animal on Airport property without the Airport Director's authorization. The ban sits inside the same conduct section that bars gambling, littering and unauthorized excavation on Airport grounds, and it covers the entire facility, not just runway-adjacent areas.
No person shall hunt, pursue, trap, catch, injure or kill any bird or animal on the Airport without authorization of the Airport Director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 157).
Full Breakdown
Section 2-1-53, part of Article 5's Airport Operations rules, governs conduct on the grounds of John Wayne Airport. 2(a) as "the John Wayne Airport, Orange County, California," so this bird-hunting ban does not extend to county parks, other county-owned land, or any of Orange County's 34 incorporated cities, each of which runs its own municipal code. 2(c) as the chief officer who manages Airport operations, is the only official who can grant an exception, which in practice covers wildlife-hazard management near runways and similar operational needs.
The prohibition is one of eighteen conduct rules packed into Section 2-1-53, alongside bans on gambling, dumping refuse outside receptacles, defacing Airport structures, riding horseback without permission, and carrying weapons, all enforced by Airport Security staff and Orange County Sheriff's deputies who patrol the property.
Violations & Fines
Section 2-1-53 is not among the sections the Code singles out for infraction treatment in Section 1-1-39's list, which runs from sanitary facilities to construction noise and grading but stops short of Article 5's Airport conduct rules. A violation therefore defaults to Section 1-1-34's general penalty: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in County Jail, or both. Section 1-1-35 makes each day a violation continues a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the bird-hunting ban apply anywhere in unincorporated Orange County?
Can someone ever legally trap or remove a bird at John Wayne Airport?
What happens if someone is caught violating the bird-hunting ban?
Who enforces this rule at the Airport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orange County
California rules heatmap·Compare Orange County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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