Sparks allows backyard hens scaled to lot size, from two hens on lots under 2,000 square feet up to sixteen on parcels over 10,000 square feet. Roosters and on-site slaughter are prohibited. Larger livestock needs agricultural or SF-40 zoning.
Sparks' urban-agriculture ordinance, Section 20.03.048, lets residents keep hens in SF, MF, MUD-MR, and MUD-RN districts, with the number tied to parcel size: two hens under 2,000 square feet, four hens from 2,001 to 6,000 square feet, and up to sixteen hens on lots over 10,000 square feet. Roosters and on-site slaughter are banned. Each hen needs at least ten square feet of covered coop, set back ten feet from the home and five feet from side and rear property lines, with no front-yard access. Under Section 20.03.005, production livestock is limited to the A-5 and A-40 agricultural districts, and recreational livestock is allowed in A-5, A-40, and SF-40 on lots of at least one acre.
Keeping roosters or exceeding the hen limit leads to a code-enforcement order to remove the birds. Unauthorized livestock must be removed, and nuisance or sanitation violations carry fines.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Washoe County.
See how Sparks's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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