Sacramento County, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- At-large exemption
- Domestic cats exempt, § 8.08.050(1)
- Licensing exemption
- Unowned and farm cats exempt, § 8.08.030(a)(4)-(5)
- License required
- Dogs/cats over 4 months, § 8.24.010
- Sterilization rule
- Unaltered license needed after 4 months, § 8.24.030(b)
- First violation penalty
- Infraction, fine up to $50
- Repeat violation
- Misdemeanor, up to $500 or 6 months jail
Summary
Sacramento County exempts the domestic cat from the countywide at-large ban: Code § 8.08.050(1) prohibits every other owned animal from roaming loose but carves cats out by name. A companion licensing exemption, § 8.08.030(a)(4)-(5), excuses unowned cats and any properly defined "farm cat" from the annual license Animal Control otherwise requires for dogs and cats over four months old.
§ 8.08.050. Prohibited Conduct. No owner of any animal, wild or domestic, shall permit or suffer the animal to do any of the following: 1. Be at large (excepting the domestic cat); ... § 8.08.030. Exemptions. a. The licensing regulations in this title are not applicable to the following: ... 4. Unowned cats; 5. Farm cats as defined in Section 8.04.147; and any person or organization that is providing care for feral or farm cats and is making a reasonable effort to trap and sterilize the animals.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4941150; v18 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
056's eight-foot leash rule. Licensing works the same way. 030(b) bars possessing an unsterilized dog or cat over four months without an unaltered license, cutting the fee in half once a veterinarian certifies sterilization. 147 as a cat living on land zoned AR10, AG20, AG40, AG80, or AG160 for the purpose of rodent control whose ownership cannot be determined. The same exemption reaches any person or organization caring for feral or farm cats who makes a reasonable effort to trap and sterilize them, covering established colony caretakers.
153 is one living wild without an owner's benefit or that has escaped domestication for a substantial period. 090, letting the Board of Supervisors set impoundment, licensing, kenneling, adoption, and boarding fees by resolution.
Violations & Fines
Title 8 sets its own penalty scale in § 8.08.100, separate from the code's general misdemeanor default: a first violation is an infraction fined up to $50, a second within 30 days up to $100, and a third or later up to $250, while a second violation within 30 days of the first becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 or six months in county jail, or both. The Director may instead assess an administrative penalty under Government Code § 53069.4, and any violation can also support license or permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my cat roam the neighborhood legally in Sacramento County?
Do I need to license a stray or feral cat I feed?
What is a "farm cat" under county law?
What's the penalty for an unlicensed pet cat that isn't exempt?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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