Whittier, CA Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- WMC § 18.52.030(B); Chapter 8.28
- Allowed zone
- R-E residential-estate zone only
- Permit required
- Minor conditional use permit, Chapter 18.58
- Homing pigeon cap
- 100 birds maximum per premises
- Pigeon permit trigger
- Required once over 10 birds kept
- Pigeon setback
- 15 ft from property lines, 30 ft from dwellings
Summary
Whittier only allows chickens, other fowl, and livestock in the R-E residential-estate zone, and only with a minor conditional use permit under Section 18.52.030(B). Homing pigeons follow separate Chapter 8.28 rules, including a 100-bird cap and a permit above ten birds.
B.Uses conditionally permitted in the R-E zone:—Animals, fish, fowl (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, etc. as defined in Section 8.28.030 of the WMC), homing pigeons of the order Columbae, kept and maintained for noncommercial purposes and not otherwise permitted as an accessory use (minor conditional use permit pursuant to Chapter 18.58);—Golf courses, privately owned;—Livestock, care and maintenance for commercial or noncommercial purposes (minor conditional use permit pursuant to Chapter 18.58);
Full Breakdown
58. The same subsection separately lists livestock, care and maintenance for commercial or noncommercial purposes, also requiring a minor conditional use permit. 030(C) through (F), chickens and livestock are not available in those denser residential zones at all; R-E is the only zone where the use is even conditionally allowed. 030 defines "fowl" to include chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and other domesticated birds other than pigeons, and separately defines homing pigeons as birds of the order Columbae housed in a pigeon loft and identified by leg band.
040 requires a conditional use permit once more than ten birds are kept, caps any premises at one hundred homing pigeons, requires leg bands for identification, requires the loft be kept sanitary and at least fifteen feet from property lines and thirty feet from an adjoining dwelling when housing more than ten birds, and limits releases to no more than twenty-five birds at once and no bird released more than once in twenty-four hours. 58, sets the applicable limits case by case.
Violations & Fines
Keeping fowl, homing pigeons beyond ten birds, or livestock without the required minor conditional use permit is a zoning violation enforceable under the city's general penalty provisions. Section 8.28.040(20) separately makes it an infraction to violate any provision of the homing pigeon chapter, and the code enforcement supervisor may determine that keeping of birds constitutes a nuisance, health, or safety hazard even after a permit issues, per Section 8.28.040(16).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep chickens in a Whittier R-1 neighborhood?
How many homing pigeons can I keep in Whittier without a permit?
Do I need a permit to keep livestock on my Whittier property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
How Whittier compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·California rules heatmap·Compare Whittier to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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