Mission Viejo, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 10.01.296
- Livestock includes
- Poultry, cattle, goats, swine, sheep, equines
- Minimum wire fence
- 3 barbed wires, posts ≤ 1 rod apart
- Minimum wire height
- 1 wire at least 4 feet above ground
- Unclaimed livestock sale
- Public sale after 5 days at large
Summary
Mission Viejo lets residents keep livestock, defined to include poultry along with cattle, goats, swine, sheep and equines, but only behind a fence strong enough to contain the animals, meeting a detailed minimum-construction standard or its equivalent, and consistent with zoning.
Every owner, keeper, custodian or harborer of livestock shall erect and/or maintain a fence as herein described to contain and confine, consistent with zoning requirements, and confine all livestock kept or maintained on his or her premises. Such fence shall be sufficiently good, strong and substantial as to prevent the ingress and egress of livestock. No wire fence may be considered a good and substantial fence within the meaning of this section unless it has three tightly stretched barbed wires securely fastened to posts of reasonable strength, firmly set into the ground not more than one rod apart, one of which wires shall be at least four feet above the surface of the ground.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 296, in Article 8 of the animal chapter, requires every owner, keeper, custodian or harborer of livestock to erect and maintain a fence that contains and confines the animals on the premises, consistent with the city's zoning requirements. 5 feet) apart, with one wire at least four feet above the ground. Any other fence design of equal or greater height, strength and capacity is acceptable, and properly designed cattle guards, sufficient in width, depth and rail spacing to turn back livestock, also satisfy the requirement.
Because the definition of 'livestock' in Sec. 010 expressly includes poultry alongside cattle, goats, swine, sheep and equines, backyard chicken keeping falls under this fencing rule rather than a separate poultry-specific ordinance. Livestock kept in violation of Article 7's at-large restrictions, meaning allowed to graze or roam onto another's land or public property without consent, can be impounded by the director under Sec. 292, who then holds a lien on the animal for impoundment and care costs; unclaimed livestock can be sold at public sale after five days under Sec.
00 under Sec. 294. The fencing rule works alongside, not instead of, the underlying zoning code, which independently determines where livestock keeping is a permitted use.
Violations & Fines
Keeping livestock, including poultry, without a fence meeting the Sec. 10.01.296 construction standard, or allowing livestock to escape confinement and roam onto other property or public land, is enforceable under the citywide penalty scheme in Sec. 10.01.070 and can result in the animal being impounded by the director under Sec. 10.01.292, with a lien for impoundment and care costs and possible public sale of unclaimed animals after five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Mission Viejo?
What kind of fence does Mission Viejo require for livestock?
What happens if my livestock gets loose in Mission Viejo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mission Viejo
How Mission Viejo compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Mission Viejo to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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