Mountain View, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Household animal cap
- 4 total (may rise to 25 by permit)
- Roosters
- Banned over 4 months old (non-commercial)
- Setback permit trigger
- Housing within 10 feet of property line
- Neighbor notice for expansion
- Mailed 50-foot radius, 10-day comment window
- Governing section
- MVCC Sec. 5.38, Art. III
Summary
Mountain View bans keeping livestock in any R (residential) district and makes it unlawful to keep chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons, or other fowl anywhere in the city except as Chapter 5, Article III allows, under City Code Sec. 5.38. Article III then caps most households at four animals total, bans roosters over four months old, and requires a permit for housing within ten feet of a property line.
(a)No person shall keep any livestock in any R district.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any equine animal, any bovine animal, any sheep, hog or goat, any live hare, rabbit, chicken, duck, turkey, goose, pigeon or other fowl except as provided in this article.(c)Any person maintaining any such animal or fowl within the city shall keep the premises upon which such is kept fenced, or if such animal is staked, so as to keep the animal or fowl from leaving the premises upon which such is kept, and shall not permit such animal or fowl to run at large upon the street or upon the property of any other person.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 38 sets the baseline: no livestock in any R district, and no equine, bovine, sheep, hog, goat, rabbit, or fowl anywhere in the city unless kept under the conditions in Article III, with the property fenced or the animal staked so it cannot run at large. Sec. 43 caps the total at four animals per premises, counting hares, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, and any combination of livestock or fowl together, though the animal services administrator may approve up to 25 upon finding they will be kept healthy, sanitary, and free of noise or odor that reaches neighboring properties, after mailing notice to every residential parcel within 50 feet and giving them 10 days to object.
Sec. 40 flatly bars keeping any rooster over four months old unless the premises operates commercially under applicable zoning and state law. Sec. 39 requires a permit from the administrator to house fowl or exotic animals within the ten-foot setback from a property line, issued only after the administrator confirms the housing will not injure the animal's health or endanger anyone nearby, and revocable if conditions are violated; a denial, suspension, or revocation can be appealed to a hearing officer within 10 days. Sec. 41 requires corrals, barns, stables, and similar structures to be cleaned and disinfected at least once every 15 days.
Violations & Fines
Keeping livestock in an R district, exceeding the four-animal cap without an administrator exception, or keeping a rooster past four months old is a code violation enforced under the citywide penalty schedule in Sec. 1.7: up to $100 for a first infraction, $200 for a second within a year, $500 for a third, and a fourth within the year chargeable as a misdemeanor. The administrator can also revoke a Sec. 5.39 housing permit for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep in Mountain View?
Are roosters allowed?
Can I keep chickens in a residential zone at all?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
How Mountain View compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Mountain View to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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