Pocatello, ID Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Pocatello City Code defines "livestock, small" in section 6.04.010 to include, among others, rabbits, ducks, chickens, pigeons, pheasants, peacocks, and any other fowl or poultry, which places backyard chicken keeping squarely under the small livestock permit chapter rather than the general pet rules. Section 6.04.200 requires anyone who wants to keep small livestock, other than dogs or cats, to apply in writing to the Animal Services Director and pay a fee set by city council resolution for each animal. The application must show compliance with Idaho Code health certificate requirements where applicable, proof that the applicant gave notice to every owner and occupant within one hundred feet of the property, and the written consent of at least seventy-five percent of those neighbors unless the director waives that step.

Applicants also need a holding structure that gives the animals adequate space and weather protection, inspected and approved by an Animal Services officer, and built to comply with the planning and zoning department's setback and size rules; no holding facility may sit within thirty feet of a neighboring residence. The director denies applications from anyone with a history of chapter violations and can deny or revoke a permit for failing to keep animals secured, letting waste reach a neighbor's property, or unsanitary conditions. Permits must be renewed annually through the same process and cannot be transferred to a new owner or address. A denial or revocation can be appealed in writing to the City Council using the same procedure as commercial animal establishment licensing.