Daly City, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Roosters
- Prohibited citywide (Sec. 6.08.080)
- Pigs, hogs, swine
- Prohibited citywide (Sec. 6.08.040)
- Hens and other fowl
- Allowed but may not run at large or enter other property
- Baby chick sales
- Banned as pets or novelties; food-raising dealers excepted
- Horses
- Annual permit; 1/2-acre minimum for 2 horses
Summary
Daly City bans roosters (Section 6.08.080) and all pigs, hogs, and swine (Section 6.08.040) anywhere in the city. Chickens and other fowl are not prohibited outright but may not run at large or enter neighboring property, and horses require an annual permit with half-acre minimum lot size.
No person shall keep in any place in the city any roosters. No person shall keep in any place in the city any pigs, hogs or swine.
Full Breakdown
08 (Prohibitions and Nuisances, recodified by Ordinance No. 1470 in 2024) sets the city's livestock rules. 040 prohibits keeping any pigs, hogs, or swine. 020(G) makes it unlawful to allow chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, doves, pigeons, squabs, or similar fowl to run or fly at large or go upon the premises of any other person, so hens and other fowl must be confined to the owner's property. 020(H) bans displaying, selling, bartering, or giving away baby chicks, ducklings, or other fowl as pets or novelties (dyed or not), except by dealers, hatcheries, or stores selling them to be raised for food. 070 bans horses from public sidewalks. Daly City is an urbanized city; there are no agricultural zones offering broader livestock allowances.
Violations & Fines
Keeping roosters or swine, or letting fowl run at large, is an infraction under Section 6.10.010 with fines up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year. Keeping a horse without a permit triggers a penalty equal to the regular permit fee plus an additional charge under Section 6.12.040, and offensive or unsanitary horsekeeping is a declared nuisance under Section 6.12.230.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Daly City?
Can I keep a goat or pig in Daly City?
What does it take to keep a horse in Daly City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daly City
How Daly City compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Daly City to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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