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

Article 12 of Chapter 4-11 (codified on eCode360 at the city's official municipal code) sets the chicken rules. Up to four (4) hens may be kept on parcels of 4,500 square feet or larger without a permit. On parcels under 4,500 square feet, residents must obtain an Animal Permit from the City. With an Animal Permit, up to ten (10) chickens may be kept, but in no case may a single parcel exceed 10 hens. Roosters are flatly prohibited - the noise impact on neighbors drove the 2013 adoption (City Council File #13-426). Chickens must be kept outdoors in the rear yard inside a fenced area and provided with a coop; they cannot roam outside the fenced rear yard. The total square footage of all coops on a lot cannot exceed 60 square feet. Other livestock - horses, cows, sheep, goats, or other animals 'of any kind' - is barred under §4-11-1100 except for permitted household pets (cats, caged birds, up to two licensed spayed/neutered pot-bellied pigs, fish, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and up to two dogs). Exceptions exist for licensed pet shops, horse-riding academies, husbandry uses allowed by zoning, and authorizations from the Animal Control Director.