Monterey, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Monterey City Code Chapter 6 splits poultry and livestock into separate rules. Under Section 6-4, no one may keep a horse, cow, goat or sheep on private property except in a securely fenced area, enclosure or corral, and that enclosure cannot sit within 75 feet of another person's dwelling or residential structure unless at least 2,500 square feet of area is provided per animal. The Chief of Police and the health officer can issue an annual permit that drops the setback to 50 feet if neighbors within 300 feet consent in writing, or a temporary one-week-per-month permit that drops it to as little as 20 feet.

Section 6-5 carves out an exception for the 7th District Agricultural Association's annual fair, letting exhibitors show animals on the fairgrounds for a week before and after the event under the Fair Board's own rules. Fowl are governed separately under Section 6-6: on and after August 1, 2026, roosters are prohibited anywhere in the City, with the only exception being the 7th District Agricultural Association keeping roosters for educational or exhibition purposes. Hens and other domestic fowl remain legal but must be kept in an enclosure of metal chicken wire or other suitable material, built high enough and sturdy enough to prevent escape, and the owner must keep that enclosure in good repair.

Section 6-2 separately bars any chicken or domestic fowl from running at large in the City. The old Section 6-7 banning beekeeping has been repealed and no longer applies, so keeping bees is not addressed by this chapter.