Sandy, UT Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Household pet cap
- 6 (dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks)
- Chicken allowance
- Up to 10, no license needed
- Roosters
- Not allowed as household pets
- Dog limit
- 3, or 5 with hobby license
- Farm animal rezoning
- "A" designation, 5 lots or 1.5 acres
- Large animal density
- 10,000 sq ft per animal
Summary
Sandy City Code allows up to ten chickens on any residential lot with no rezoning or hobby license, on top of six common household pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, ducks), as long as the birds are kept without creating a nuisance. Roosters don't count as household pets. True farm animals like goats, horses or potbellied pigs need an "A" zoning designation and a minimum-acreage ratio.
Ratio of Animals to Lot Size for Farm Animals... Each large animal requires at least 10,000 square feet. Each medium animal requires at least 4,000 square feet. Each small animal requires at least 400 square feet... Household Pets. Maximum Number Allowed. All zones are allowed no more than a total of six common household pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, and ducks). These household pets may be kept on-site for family use only. Roosters are not allowed as a household pet. Exceptions: In addition to the six common household pets, there shall be no more than ten chickens, kept on a non-nuisance basis. No more than three dogs per residence are allowed unless the resident has procured a dog hobby license to allow up to a total of five dogs.
Full Breakdown
Section 21-11-3 splits animal keeping into two tracks. Household pets are capped city-wide at six per residence (dogs, cats, rabbits and ducks), with an explicit carve-out letting any lot add up to ten chickens "kept on a non-nuisance basis" without a separate license. Roosters are excluded from the household-pet allowance entirely. Dog owners are limited to three dogs unless they obtain a dog hobby license, which raises the cap to five. 5 acres. Once designated, density is set by animal size: 10,000 square feet per large animal, 4,000 per medium animal, and 400 per small animal, so a 20,000-square-foot lot could hold two large animals, five medium animals, 50 small animals, or a mix.
Vietnamese potbellied pigs get their own ratio, two per half-acre with a two-pig maximum regardless of lot size. Outdoor animal structures such as coops, pens and kennels must sit at the rear of the main dwelling at least 30 feet from neighboring dwellings, and dog kennels or runs need at least ten feet from the property line and 40 feet from neighboring homes. All facilities must also comply with noise, nuisance and Salt Lake Valley Health Department rules.
Violations & Fines
Sandy City Code § 21-11-3 does not set its own fine schedule, so a violation, such as exceeding ten chickens, keeping a rooster, or running unpermitted farm animals outside an "A" district, falls under the Code's general penalty in §§ 1-2-2 and 1-2-3: a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 for an individual and up to six months in jail. Nuisance complaints (odor, noise) can also draw enforcement from Sandy's Animal Services Division or the Salt Lake Valley Health Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to keep chickens in Sandy?
Can I keep a rooster with my chickens?
How many dogs can I have in Sandy?
What does it take to keep goats or a cow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sandy
How Sandy compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Sandy to another location·View the Utah animal ordinances overview
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