Santa Ana, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 5-6 lets a Santa Ana property keep up to four fowl (chickens, ducks, geese, or turkeys) or rabbits, or any combination, without a permit; anyone who wants more must obtain a special permit from the city's Planning and Development Services Department and follow a detailed rule set. Coops, pens, or runs must sit at least thirty feet from any residence other than the owner's own, with smooth, tight floors that prevent standing water or filth, at least two-and-a-half square feet of floor area per bird or rabbit where they are given free run, and removal of dead animals, manure, feathers, and other waste within forty-eight hours or storage in fly-tight containers until then.

Ground-level runs that cannot be kept sanitary must have cement floors laid to keep out rodents, and rabbits must be kept in hutches with removable floors: box hutches are banned outright. 5 makes it unlawful to keep any rooster at all on premises used for residential purposes or zoned to permit residential use under Chapter 41, with no numeric exception. Separately, Section 5-18(b) requires fowl and rabbits generally be kept at least thirty feet from any building designated for human occupancy, and the Director of Planning and Development Services is barred from approving a building permit until that distance is verified.

Permits issued under Section 5-6 can be revoked on any ground that would justify denying one, and a denied or revoked applicant may appeal to the city council under Chapter 3.