Grant County, WA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Fowl/rabbits/guinea pigs
- 15 per 5,000 sq ft, 20 ft from dwellings
- Horses/mules/cows
- 1 plus 3 goats per 20,000 sq ft, 100 ft from dwellings
- Excluded from fowl count
- Roosters, quacking ducks, geese, guinea fowl, peafowl
- Hogs or above-limit numbers
- Reclassified as Livestock Maintenance
- Governing section
- GCC UDO § 23.08.020(h)
Summary
Unincorporated Grant County caps backyard fowl and small livestock by lot size under GCC UDO Section 23.08.020(h). You can keep up to fifteen fowl or rabbits per 5,000 square feet, and one horse, mule or cow plus three goats per 20,000 square feet, each with a minimum distance from any dwelling. Exceeding those numbers, or keeping hogs, requires a zoning district that permits Livestock Maintenance.
(h)Domestic Animal Maintenance: In addition to livestock maintenance allowed in certain zoning districts, as specified in Tables 3, 4 and 5 of GCC § 23.04, the following animals may be maintained:(1)Not more than fifteen (15) fowl, other than roosters, quacking ducks, geese, guinea fowl, or pea fowl and not more than fifteen (15) rabbits or guinea pigs for each five thousand (5,000) square feet of area of the parcel of land upon which such fowl, rabbits or guinea pigs are kept; provided that no such animals shall be maintained closer than twenty (20) feet of any dwelling now existing or hereafter erected.(2)Not more than one (1) horse, mule or cow and not more than three (3) goats for each twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of area of the parcel of land upon which such horse, mule, cow or goats are kept; provided that no such animals shall be maintained in a building or corral closer than one hundred (100) feet of any dwelling now existing or hereafter erected.
Full Breakdown
04. Subsection (h)(1) allows up to fifteen fowl, not counting roosters, quacking ducks, geese, guinea fowl or peafowl, plus up to fifteen rabbits or guinea pigs, for every 5,000 square feet of parcel area, and none of those animals can be kept within twenty feet of any dwelling, existing or future. Subsection (h)(2) allows one horse, mule or cow and up to three goats for every 20,000 square feet of parcel area, with a 100-foot buffer required between any building or corral housing them and a dwelling.
Subsection (h)(4) reclassifies anything not covered by those two allowances, explicitly including hogs, or any numbers above the stated caps, as Livestock Maintenance. 240. Development Services administers these limits alongside the county's zoning permit process.
Violations & Fines
Violations of GCC UDO Section 23.08.020(h) are enforced under GCC Section 1.32. Each violation carries a $500 fine under Section 1.32.140, and repeat violations on the same property within 24 months escalate to $500 for a second offense, $1,000 for a third and $2,000 for a fourth or later offense under Section 1.32.220. The Sheriff's Office or Development Services, as the authorized official, can also issue a stop work or emergency order and record a certificate of noncompliance against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep on my property in unincorporated Grant County?
Can I keep a rooster on my lot?
What about horses or cows?
What happens if I keep more animals than the limit allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
How Grant County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.