Maricopa, AZ Animal Ordinances: Livestock (2026)

Livestock and equestrian keeping in the City of Maricopa is governed by the city's zoning code, §18.80.030 (Animal keeping). For horses, the code allows keeping on lots that are at least one acre in size: up to three horses are allowed on one acre, and an additional horse is permitted for each 3,000 square feet of lot area above one acre. This acreage-and-density formula reflects Maricopa's mix of dense master-planned subdivisions (where horses are effectively excluded by lot size) and surrounding larger-lot and rural-edge parcels in Pinal County where equestrian use is traditional. For broader commercial agriculture, the code addresses the commercial breeding, raising, training, and grazing of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, ostriches, swine, and other livestock and sets siting standards: such operations require larger sites (reported minimum acreage in the area of ten acres), and pens, buildings, corrals, and similar structures may not be closer than 200 feet to any residential, commercial, or industrial district. These setbacks manage odor, dust, flies, and noise at the boundary between agricultural and developed land. Arizona's statewide cruelty-to-livestock framework (administered by the Arizona Department of Agriculture) also applies to care standards. As always, HOA CC&Rs in Maricopa subdivisions commonly prohibit livestock entirely regardless of zoning, and exact lot-by-lot allowances depend on the underlying zoning district - confirm with City of Maricopa Planning & Zoning.