Sonoma County, CA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)
Key Facts
- Pit bull spay/neuter age
- Over 4 months old
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated county only
- Exemptions
- 8 categories, incl. service dogs
- At-large dogs
- Must be fixed if cited
- Default penalty
- Infraction under Sec. 5-180
Summary
Sonoma County requires every pit bull over four months old in the unincorporated area to be spayed or neutered, and any dog cited for running at large must be fixed at the owner's expense too.
No person shall own, harbor or keep within the unincorporated area of this county, a pit bull over the age of four months, which has not been spayed or neutered, except as provided in Section 5-170 (a)-(g), above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-171 bars owning, harboring or keeping an unspayed or unneutered pit bull over four months anywhere in unincorporated Sonoma County. Sec. 5-170 separately requires owners cited for a dog running at large under Sec. 5-115 to have that dog spayed or neutered at their own cost. Both sections share the same eight exemptions: working police, service, and search-and-rescue dogs; vet-certified health exceptions; herding, livestock-guardian, and hunting dogs; dogs boarded at a licensed kennel for training or resale; and dogs registered with AKC, UKC, or ADBA and kept for show, field trials, or agility.
Violations & Fines
No violation-specific penalty is listed for Sec. 5-170 or 5-171 in Sec. 5-182's misdemeanor list, so Sec. 5-180 controls: any violation of the chapter is an infraction punishable as provided by law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the pit bull spay/neuter rule apply inside Santa Rosa or the City of Sonoma?
Are there exceptions to the mandatory pit bull spay/neuter rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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