Hawthorne, CA Animal Ordinances: Livestock (2026)

Hawthorne is a fully built-out, predominantly residential city, and its Animal Care and Keeping Animals chapter (Chapter 6.24 of the Hawthorne Municipal Code) treats livestock and farm-type animals restrictively. The chapter's core rule provides that 'no person shall keep any animal, fowl or bird, wild or domestic, other than dogs, cats, canaries or not more than four birds of the Psittacinae family, within thirty-five feet of any habitable dwelling, except by special permit issued by the director of animal services or the director of licensing and code enforcement.' Because any livestock animal falls within 'any animal,' it must be kept at least 35 feet from any habitable dwelling and effectively requires a special permit on most parcels. The code also caps residential, church, and educational properties: no crowing roosters, no more than ten domestic fowl or birds, and no more than five rabbits. Zoning restricts agricultural uses, so larger livestock - horses, cattle, goats, pigs, sheep - are generally not permitted on standard residential lots and would require both compatible zoning and a special permit. Statewide, the California Food & Agricultural Code governs estrays (livestock running at large) and livestock identification, and counties may declare grazing areas; those provisions reinforce that loose livestock can be impounded. Residents who want to keep any farm-type animal should consult Hawthorne's Director of Licensing and Code Enforcement about zoning, the 35-foot setback, and the special-permit process before acquiring the animal.