San Bernardino, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

SBMC § 6.05.020 makes it unlawful to keep or allow to roam any domestic fowl, defined at § 6.05.010 as birds of the order Galliformes including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pheasants, within 50 feet of any building or structure used or intended for human occupancy. Between 50 and 100 feet from an occupied structure, § 6.05.030 caps the flock at two fowl, and the maximum on any lot citywide is 24 fowl regardless of distance. Roosters and peacocks get a stricter buffer under § 6.05.040: none may be kept within 200 feet of an occupied building, and no more than one rooster or peacock is allowed per lot.

Section 6.05.060 separately bans letting any domestic bird or fowl roam onto public streets, sidewalks, school grounds, parks or private property without the owner's consent. Larger livestock is addressed in the adjoining Chapter 6.03: bovine, ratite, caprine or ovine animals cannot be kept on lots under one acre (§ 6.03.020), and on larger lots are capped at four head plus one more per acre beyond five, up to 18, kept at least 150 feet from occupied structures and 50 feet from property lines (§ 6.03.025).

Hogs, sows, gilts and boars are banned outright citywide under § 6.03.030. The Mayor and City Council's findings at § 6.03.010, dating to Ordinance 821 of 1921, cite the city's dense buildup as the reason livestock and fowl keeping is restricted as injurious to health and offensive to the senses.