Fauquier County, VA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Local headcount cap
- none; conduct is regulated, not counts
- At-large ban
- fowl, poultry and livestock (§4-3)
- Maintenance duty
- safe, sanitary stable/pen/coop (§4-4)
- Lawful fence rule
- county boundary lines are lawful fences (§4-2)
- First trespass penalty
- punitive damages capped at $20
- Repeat trespass penalty
- double actual and punitive damages
- Violation class
- Class 4 misdemeanor
Summary
Unincorporated Fauquier County bars fowl, poultry and livestock from running at large and requires every stable, pen or coop to be kept safe and sanitary. County Code §§ 4-3 and 4-4 make roaming animals and unsanitary waste accumulation each a Class 4 misdemeanor, enforced by the Sheriff's animal warden.
Sec. 4-3. - Fowl, poultry and livestock not permitted to run at large. It shall be unlawful for any fowl, poultry, or livestock to run at large in the county. For purposes of this section, running at large shall mean that the animal is roaming off the property of its owner or custodian and not under the owner or custodian's immediate control. Any owner or custodian of an animal running at large shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. ... Each stable, pen, coop or other place where any animal or fowl is kept shall be maintained at all times in a safe and sanitary condition and so as not to constitute a nuisance. Solid and liquid waste matter shall be removed as frequently as may be necessary to prevent offensive odors or to prevent accumulations constituting a hazard to the health or safety of any person or animal. Any owner or custodian who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 4 does not set a numeric cap on how many chickens or livestock a property may keep; that question falls to the separate zoning ordinance. What the animal chapter regulates is conduct: § 4-3 defines running at large as roaming off the owner's or custodian's property while not under that person's immediate control, and makes any fowl, poultry or livestock doing so a Class 4 misdemeanor for the owner. Section 4-4 separately requires every stable, pen, coop or similar enclosure to be kept safe and sanitary at all times, with solid and liquid waste removed often enough to prevent offensive odors or a health or safety hazard, again a Class 4 misdemeanor if violated. A related provision, § 4-2, declares county boundary lines to be lawful fences as to horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep and goats, so an owner whose animal strays beyond a lawful fence line is separately liable in a civil action for actual damages.
Violations & Fines
Letting fowl, poultry or livestock run at large, or failing to keep their enclosure safe and sanitary, is a Class 4 misdemeanor under §§ 4-3 and 4-4. Separately, an owner whose horse, mule, cattle, hog, sheep or goat strays beyond a lawful fence line under § 4-2 is liable for actual civil damages, with punitive damages capped at $20 for a first trespass and doubled, both actual and punitive, for each later trespass by the same animal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens or livestock in unincorporated Fauquier County?
What counts as fowl or livestock running at large in Fauquier County?
Do I have to clean up after my chickens or livestock?
What if my horse or cow gets loose and damages a neighbor's property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fauquier County
How Fauquier County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Fauquier County to another location·View the Virginia animal ordinances overview
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