St. Tammany Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted use
- Household Agriculture (Sec. 100-5)
- Allowed districts
- All 11 residential zoning districts
- Housing rule
- No sight, smell or sound nuisance
- Banned animals
- Snakes, lions, tigers, bears
- Roving livestock
- Unlawful parish-wide (Sec. 10-22)
- Impound hold
- Up to 30 days (Sec. 10-23)
- Roving penalty
- Misdemeanor plus civil liability
Summary
Unincorporated St. Tammany Parish allows chickens, other poultry and livestock as a "Household Agriculture" accessory use in every residential zoning district under UDC Sec. 100-5 and Exhibit 400-1, as long as the animals are housed so they don't create a nuisance to neighbors by sight, smell or sound. Parish-wide, though, cattle, goats, hogs, horses and other stock can never be left to rove loose under Code of Ordinances Sec. 10-22.
Agriculture, Household. That growing of vegetables, poultry, and livestock for the use of the residents of the property whereon it is grown or kept. Permitted animals and insects include, but are not limited to, those raised for consumption or as food producers (cows, goats, bees, rabbits, chickens, etc.) or those used for pleasure (horses, birds, turtles, dogs, cats, etc.). Poisonous, wild, or dangerous animals are not permitted (snakes, lions, tigers, bears, etc.). All animals must be housed in such a manner as to not create a nuisance to the adjoining residents by way of sight, smell, or sound.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
UDC Sec. 100-5 defines "Agriculture, Household" as growing vegetables and keeping poultry and livestock for the residents' own use, and it names the animals covered: cows, goats, bees, rabbits and chickens raised for food, plus horses, birds, turtles, dogs and cats kept for pleasure. Poisonous, wild or dangerous species such as snakes, lions, tigers and bears are not permitted. Every animal must be housed so it doesn't create a nuisance to adjoining residents by sight, smell or sound. Exhibit 400-1, the residential permitted-use table referenced in Sec.
400-2, lists "Agriculture, Household Stables and Kennels" as a "P" permitted use, with no development-plan-review asterisk, in all 11 residential districts: E, R-1, R-2, L-1, L-2, S-1, S-2, TF, M-L, M-M and M-H. Separately, the parish's Article II - Livestock (Sec. 10-21 through 10-26) polices larger stock roaming loose anywhere in the parish. Sec. 10-22 makes it unlawful for an owner or custodian to let cattle, cows, buffalo, oxen, beefalo, sheep, hogs, goats, mules, horses or asses "rove," defined in Sec. 10-21 as roaming unfenced, untethered or unattended off the owner's property.
Sec. 10-23 authorizes the sheriff to round up roving livestock, hold it at a central corral for up to 30 calendar days, and attempt to notify the owner before the animal can be reclaimed. Sec. 10-26 allows a defense only when the escape wasn't the owner's fault, such as a fence broken by an act of God or vandalism; ordinary neglect or a deteriorated fence is no defense.
Violations & Fines
Letting livestock rove is a misdemeanor under Sec. 10-25, and the owner or custodian also faces civil liability for any damage the animal causes to another's person or property. The sheriff can impound a roving animal for up to 30 days under Sec. 10-23 and bill the owner for reclamation and boarding costs. Animal-control violations under Chapter 10, Articles II through IV, also carry an administrative fine of up to $500.00 per violation under Sec. 2-559 Schedule C, with the same $500.00 charged again for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens in a St. Tammany Parish residential neighborhood?
What animals count as household agriculture, and what's banned?
Can my goat or horse roam onto my neighbor's property?
What happens if my livestock gets loose and is picked up by the sheriff?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
How St. Tammany Parish compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare St. Tammany Parish to another location·View the Louisiana animal ordinances overview
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