Vacaville, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- VMC § 6.04.040
- Minimum lot size for livestock/fowl
- 1 acre
- Covered animals
- Roosters, ducks, cows, goats, hogs, etc.
- Enforcement agency
- Solano Animal Control Authority
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor/infraction, Penal Code § 19.8
Summary
Vacaville bars roosters, ducks, turkeys, geese, and other livestock or cloven-hoofed animals on any parcel under one acre. VMC § 6.04.040 sets a flat one-acre minimum lot size before these animals can be kept, corralled, or harbored at all.
Except as otherwise provided in this code, no person shall keep, corral or harbor any cow, horse, ox, mule, donkey, sheep, goat, hog, rooster, duck, turkey, goose, dove, pigeon, peacock, guinea fowl, domestic livestock or other cloven-hoofed animal in the City on any single parcel of property less than one acre in size.
Full Breakdown
040, titled 'Animals prohibited on less than one-acre lots,' flatly bars keeping, corralling, or harboring a cow, horse, ox, mule, donkey, sheep, goat, hog, rooster, duck, turkey, goose, dove, pigeon, peacock, guinea fowl, domestic livestock, or any other cloven-hoofed animal on a single parcel smaller than one acre anywhere in the city. The rule applies per parcel, not per household, so a lot must independently meet the one-acre threshold regardless of ownership. 150 bars selling or giving away baby chicks, rabbits, ducklings, or other fowl as pets or novelties (including dyed or colored animals), though hatcheries and stores selling stock to be raised for food are exempt.
210, and owners must keep pens, coops, stalls, or barns clean and sanitary. Enforcement runs through the Solano Animal Control Authority, a joint powers agreement with Fairfield and Suisun City that contracts with Humane Animal Services (a subsidiary of the SPCA of Solano) for animal control and pickup within Vacaville.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 6.04, including keeping prohibited livestock on an undersized lot, is a misdemeanor or infraction punishable under Penal Code § 19.8, per VMC § 6.04.240. Nuisance violations such as animals running at large or odor complaints are abated through the procedure in Chapter 6.20, and an animal control officer can serve written notice on the owner requiring the nuisance be corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a rooster in Vacaville on a standard residential lot?
Is there a minimum acreage rule for backyard livestock in Vacaville?
What agency enforces Vacaville's animal-keeping rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vacaville
How Vacaville compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Vacaville to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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