Berkeley, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Household dog cap
- 4 dogs over 6 months
- Kennel exception
- Public Health Dept. approval required
- Kennel setback
- 25 feet from occupied dwellings
- Cat limit
- Not set by Chapter 10.04
- Enforcing agency
- Public Health Department
Summary
Berkeley caps most households at four dogs over six months old on one premises, unless the extra dogs are kept in Public Health Department-approved kennels set back at least 25 feet from any occupied dwelling other than the owner's own.
It is unlawful for any person to keep on any one premises owned or occupied by them, more than four dogs if said dogs are more than six months old, unless said dogs are properly housed in kennels approved by the Public Health Department. If more than four dogs over the age of six months are kept in a permanent enclosure or in a kennel as herein provided, no part of said enclosure or kennel may be within 25 feet of any dwelling house occupied by human beings, except any and all dwelling houses owned or occupied by the person owning, caring for, or having control of such dogs.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 8031-NS, passed July 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
130 makes it unlawful to keep more than four dogs over six months of age on a single premises unless those dogs are properly housed in kennels the Public Health Department has approved. The section then adds a siting requirement for any approved kennel or permanent enclosure holding more than four adult dogs: no part of that enclosure may sit within 25 feet of any occupied dwelling house, though the setback does not apply to a dwelling the dog owner or caretaker also owns or occupies.
The four-dog threshold counts only dogs older than six months, so litters of puppies under that age are not counted toward the cap, and the ordinance is a straight numeric limit rather than a permit-based system: exceeding four adult dogs without an approved kennel is a violation regardless of noise, odor, or complaints. 130 stands alone as the code's household pet-count restriction. 04 impoundment and citation provisions if a keeper exceeds the limit without approval.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more than four dogs over six months old on one premises without Public Health Department kennel approval violates BMC 10.04.130 and is enforceable through the citation and arrest procedures in BMC 10.04.240, with penalties set under BMC 10.04.250. A kennel housing more than four dogs that is sited within 25 feet of a neighboring occupied dwelling is a separate violation of the section's setback requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can a Berkeley resident legally own?
How far must a Berkeley dog kennel be from the neighbor's house?
Does Berkeley limit how many cats a household can keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley
California rules heatmap·Compare Berkeley to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle pet limits.