Farmington Hills, MI Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Farmington Hills Code Chapter 6 does NOT contain a breed-specific ban, breed-specific permit, breed-specific insurance requirement, or breed-specific muzzle rule. Pit bull-type dogs (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and mixes), Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Akitas, Mastiffs, Chow Chows, and wolf-hybrids are all legal to own in Farmington Hills subject only to the universal licensing, leash, vaccination, and dangerous-animal rules that apply to every dog. The City's enforcement framework is entirely conduct-based: Sec. 6-55 (Requirements for possession of a potentially dangerous animal) requires owners of any dog (regardless of breed) that has been classified as 'potentially dangerous' to begin attending and complete an animal obedience class within 75 days, with successful completion verified by a canine good citizenship certificate from a certified tester using American Kennel Club standards. Sec. 6-62 (Report of dangerous animal classification) sets the procedural framework for classification and reporting. Article III provides the City the authority to require enclosure, muzzle, and restraint conditions on individually-classified dangerous animals, but only after individual due process - it does not impose those requirements on any breed in the abstract. Michigan state context: Michigan does NOT have a statewide BSL preemption statute. The Michigan Legislature considered SB 741 (2017-2018) which would have preempted local breed-specific legislation but the bill did not become law. Subsequent bills (HB 5041 of 2023-2024) continued to address breed-based regulation, but as of the most recent publication date the Michigan Compiled Laws contain no general statewide preemption. (Note: a citation to 'MCL 287.302' as a 2024 BSL preemption statute appears to be incorrect - MCL 287.302 of the Dog Law of 1919 was actually repealed in 2016 by Act 253. Verify any current preemption claim directly against the Michigan Legislature's current MCL database before relying on it.) BSL therefore remains a local-option matter in Michigan; Farmington Hills, like most Oakland County communities, has chosen not to adopt breed-specific rules and instead relies on Article III's conduct-based dangerous-animal framework. The Michigan Insurance Department has taken the position that homeowners insurers should not deny coverage based on breed alone, but private homeowner / renter insurance policies and landlord lease covenants frequently restrict pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other 'aggressive breed' lists independently of City Code, and HOA / condo declarations in many Farmington Hills neighborhoods do the same. These private restrictions are enforceable as a matter of contract law regardless of the permissive municipal Code.