Visalia, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Livestock Permitted Zone
- R-1-20 only
- Per-Site Cap (small R-1-20 parcels)
- 2 cows, 2 horses, 4 sheep, or 4 goats
- Pigs
- Prohibited (all zones)
- Standard Residential Zones
- Livestock/poultry not a permitted use
- May 2023 Council Vote
- Declined to expand backyard chickens
Summary
Under Visalia Municipal Code section 17.12.020, livestock keeping (excluding pigs) is permitted in the R-1-20 zone subject to a cap of two cows, two horses, four sheep, or four goats per site on smaller parcels; keeping is generally not allowed in standard residential zones, and the Visalia City Council declined to expand backyard-chicken allowances in May 2023.
In the R-1-20 zone only, the raising of livestock, except pigs of any kind, subject to the exception of not more than two cows, two horses, four sheep or four goats for each site.
Full Breakdown
Visalia regulates livestock and poultry keeping primarily through its zoning code (Title 17), not Title 6 (Animals). 020 of the Visalia Municipal Code allows the raising of livestock as a permitted use only in the R-1-20 zone (one of Visalia's lowest-density single-family residential zones), with a per-site cap of two cows, two horses, four sheep, or four goats and an explicit exclusion of pigs of any kind. Sites of ten acres or more in qualifying zones are exempt from the numeric per-site cap but remain subject to nuisance rules.
5, R-1-10 single-family districts and all multi-family districts), the zoning code does not list keeping of livestock or commercial poultry as a permitted use, which means it is prohibited. The Visalia City Council in May 2023 declined to amend the zoning code to broadly allow backyard chickens in standard residential zones, leaving the long-standing rule in place that hens and other poultry are not generally permitted on standard urban residential lots. 020.
Violations & Fines
Keeping livestock or poultry on a parcel outside the R-1-20 zone, or exceeding the two-cow/two-horse/four-sheep/four-goat cap on smaller R-1-20 parcels, is a zoning violation enforceable by Visalia Code Enforcement. Penalties include administrative citations, mandatory abatement (removal of the animals), and, in continuing-violation cases, escalating fines. Pigs are categorically prohibited under section 17.12.020 regardless of zone. Animal-noise problems (e.g., a rooster crowing at sunrise) are separately citable under VMC 6.12.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep backyard chickens in Visalia?
How many cows or goats can I keep on my R-1-20 lot?
Are roosters allowed in Visalia?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Visalia
How Visalia compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Visalia to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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