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Warner Robins, GA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
City Code § 5-8
Banned
Cattle, horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, goats, sheep, fowl
Exception
Government-owned school farm land
Enforcement
Animal control officer, § 5-3
Penalty
Up to $1,000 fine / 12 months jail

Summary

Warner Robins bars keeping cattle, horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, goats, sheep, or fowl, including backyard chickens, anywhere inside the city limits unless a specific city ordinance permits it, with a narrow carve-out only for governmental school farm property.

It shall be unlawful for any person to raise, keep or permit to be raised or kept on premises that he owns or controls within the city limits of Warner Robins any wild nondomestic animal, or any cattle, horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, goats, sheep, or fowl, unless permitted by the ordinances of the city. The prohibitions contained in this section shall not apply to real property owned by any governmental entity for use as a school farm.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).

Full Breakdown

" Fowl covers chickens along with other poultry, so backyard flocks fall under the same blanket ban as barnyard livestock unless a separate city ordinance, such as the zoning code's agricultural district rules, opens the door for a particular property. The only exemption written into section 5-8 itself covers real property owned by a governmental entity and used as a school farm. Because the ban runs off zoning designation rather than a standalone permit process, whether a property can keep fowl or livestock in practice depends on whether it sits in a district, such as R-Ag, where the zoning ordinance allows agricultural uses; property in a straight residential or commercial district gets no such allowance under chapter 5 alone.

Animal control officers enforce section 5-8 the same way they enforce the rest of chapter 5, including inspection authority under section 5-5 and citation authority under section 5-3.

Violations & Fines

Keeping livestock or fowl without an ordinance permitting it on that property is punished under section 5-2, which applies the Code's general penalty in section 1-7: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 12 months in jail, or both. An animal control officer can issue a citation under section 5-3 based on personal observation or a witness's sworn statement, and each day the animals remain counts as a separate violation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep backyard chickens in Warner Robins?
Not by default. Section 5-8 bans keeping 'fowl' on any property inside the city limits 'unless permitted by the ordinances of the city,' the same blanket rule that covers cattle, goats, and other livestock. Whether chickens are allowed on a specific lot depends on that property's zoning district permitting agricultural uses.
What livestock does the Warner Robins ban cover?
Section 5-8 names cattle, horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, goats, sheep, and fowl, plus any wild nondomestic animal, and prohibits keeping any of them inside the city unless a specific city ordinance allows it on that property. The only built-in exception is for governmentally owned land used as a school farm.
What happens if I keep livestock in violation of section 5-8?
Conviction is punished under section 5-2 through the Code's general penalty in section 1-7, up to a $1,000 fine, up to 12 months in jail, or both, and an animal control officer can cite you under section 5-3 based on their own observation or a witness statement.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Warner Robins

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How Warner Robins compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Warner Robins to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview

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