Farmington Hills, MI Animal Ordinances: Livestock (2026)

Farmington Hills is approximately 33 square miles of suburban Oakland County, developed almost entirely in standard residential subdivisions, multi-family complexes, office and commercial parks, and parks / open space. The Chapter 34 Zoning Ordinance establishes the residential zoning districts (RA-1 One-Family Residential through R-4 One-Family Residential and multi-family RC and RM districts) plus office, business, industrial, and special-purpose districts. The keeping of farm LIVESTOCK - horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, mules, donkeys, oxen - is generally permitted only in the largest-lot, lowest-density residential zoning categories (typically lots of one acre or more) and any remaining parcels that retain an agricultural designation in the city's general plan. In R-1 through R-4 standard subdivision residential, RC condominium, RM multi-family, and all non-residential districts, livestock keeping is NOT a permitted accessory use and is therefore prohibited under the general rule that an accessory use not expressly permitted is not allowed. The City's historic Chapter 6 accessory-structure standard for animal-keeping setbacks - 175 feet between the animal structure and the principal dwelling on the parcel, 30 feet from any neighboring dwelling, and 5 feet from any property line - acts as a second-layer practical bar: a 175-foot interior dimension cannot be satisfied on a typical 100-foot-wide subdivision lot regardless of the underlying zoning. Pre-existing livestock operations on parcels that retained their land use from before the city incorporated as Farmington Hills in 1973 may be grandfathered as LEGAL NONCONFORMING USES, but the nonconforming use cannot be expanded, intensified, or resumed after a period of discontinuance specified by the Zoning Ordinance. STATE LAW: the Michigan Animal Industry Act (MCL 287.701 et seq.) and MDARD regulations require registration and movement-permit controls for cattle (particularly given Michigan's bovine TB management zone), require Coggins testing for horses, and impose disease-control rules for swine, sheep, and goats. The Michigan Right to Farm Act (MCL 286.471 et seq.) provides protection to commercial farms operating under Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) from local nuisance regulation, but does NOT override zoning that prohibits a new livestock operation from being established and generally does not apply to small residential operations lacking commercial intent. HORSES specifically: Farmington Hills historically permitted horse-keeping on large-acreage parcels with stable / barn setbacks, but the city's continued residential infill has reduced the number of qualifying parcels. Equestrian residents should verify zoning, secure a Coggins test annually, and comply with MDARD movement rules. HOAs and subdivision deed restrictions in every standard Farmington Hills subdivision prohibit livestock keeping independently of the City Code.