Stockton, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Hogs/pigs/roosters
- banned citywide, no exception (§ 6.04.440)
- Hens/other fowl
- allowed only in permitted zones
- Zone table
- Table 2.2, Development Code § 16.20.020
- At-large ban
- livestock can't run onto other property
- Transit exception
- 24 hours max passing through City
- Enforcement
- infraction or misdemeanor citation
Summary
Stockton bans hogs, pigs, roosters and cockerels outright, anywhere in the City, under § 6.04.440. Hens and other fowl or livestock are not flatly banned but are folded into zoning: § 6.04.420 makes keeping them unlawful "except where permitted within a particular zone or district" of the Development Code.
§ 6.04.420. Keeping and maintaining animals or domestic fowl. It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to keep any domestic or wild animal (excluding dogs, cats and other household pets), reptile, apiary, or fowl, within the City except where permitted within a particular zone or district as provided in the Development Code of the City.
§ 6.04.440. Keeping or maintaining hogs, shoats, pigs, or roosters or cockerels prohibited. It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep in any sty, pen, or other enclosure or to have in his, her, their, or its possession within the corporate limits of the City any live hog or hogs, shoat or shoats, pig or pigs, or any rooster or roosters, or cockerel or cockerels.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4970744; v11 updated 2026-07-07).
Full Breakdown
Section 6.04.440 draws no zoning exception at all for hogs, shoats, pigs, roosters or cockerels; possessing one anywhere within Stockton's corporate limits is unlawful, full stop. Other fowl, apiaries, reptiles and domestic or wild animals (aside from dogs, cats and other household pets) fall instead under § 6.04.420, which permits them only in zones and districts where the Development Code allows it. Section 6.04.430 separately bars any such animal, fowl or livestock, plus cattle, horses, mules, goats, sheep and swine, from running at large onto public or private property, cross-referencing Table 2.2 of Development Code § 16.20.020 for which zones permit which uses. A narrow transport exception in §§ 6.04.450 and 6.04.460 lets animals, reptiles, bees or fowl pass through the City without violating the chapter, but only for up to 24 hours from entry.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a hog, pig, or rooster anywhere in the City, or keeping other fowl or livestock outside a zone where the Development Code permits it, violates §§ 6.04.440 or 6.04.420 and can be enforced by administrative citation under § 6.04.380, chargeable as an infraction or misdemeanor under § 6.04.490.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens in Stockton?
Are backyard pigs or roosters ever allowed in Stockton?
What if my livestock gets loose onto a neighbor's property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
How Stockton compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Stockton to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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