Chino Hills, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard lot limit
- 5 total dogs/cats, max 3 dogs
- Lot size threshold
- 7,200 sq. ft. or less
- Apartment/condo limit
- 3 total animals, max 2 dogs
- Commercial kennel threshold
- 4+ dogs or 4+ cats over 4 months
- Larger lots
- governed separately by Chapter 6.12
Summary
A Chino Hills house on a standard residential lot cannot keep more than five dogs and cats combined, and no more than three of them can be dogs, under Municipal Code Section 6.08.020. Apartments and condos face a tighter cap of three total animals with no more than two dogs, and larger parcels follow a separate chapter.
It is unlawful for the occupants of any dwelling unit in a residential zone, district, area, or planned unit development, excepting an apartment or condominium, to keep in the City more than five total animals (i.e., dogs and cats), of which no more than three such animals shall be dogs. Any dwelling unit on property larger than seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet shall be allowed the number and types of animals set forth in Section 6.12.060 of this Code and subject to the additional regulations contained in Chapter 6.12.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
020 sets the citywide default: occupants of any dwelling unit in a residential zone, district, area, or planned unit development, other than an apartment or condominium, cannot keep more than five total dogs and cats, with a hard sub-cap of three dogs within that total. 12, which set different, larger-lot allowances. 030: no more than three total animals, of which no more than two may be dogs. That section is explicit that the city's numeric cap does not substitute for, or excuse compliance with, an apartment complex's own rules or a condominium association's CC&Rs on keeping animals, so a resident can be within the city's limit and still be in breach of a stricter HOA or lease term.
08: a 'commercial kennel' is any place other than a private kennel housing four or more dogs, or four or more cats, over four months old, which is the threshold separating an ordinary household from a use the city treats as a commercial kennel subject to separate permitting.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 6.08 does not carry its own fine schedule for exceeding the animal count limits, so a violation is enforced as a general Code violation: Section 1.36.010 makes it a misdemeanor punishable under Section 1.36.020(A) by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day the excess animals are kept charged as a separate offense unless the City elects to proceed as an infraction or administrative citation instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs and cats can I keep at my Chino Hills house?
Is the pet limit different for a Chino Hills apartment or condo?
Does meeting the city's pet limit mean I can ignore my HOA's animal rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle pet limits.