Mendocino County, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

In unincorporated Mendocino County, the number of dogs you may keep is shaped by the kennel-licensing provisions of Title 10 (Animals), Chapter 10.12 (Licensing and Permits), rather than by a single flat 'X pets per house' rule. Keeping five (5) or more dogs brings an owner into kennel-license territory. The County provides a 'certified agricultural kennel license' for working-dog situations: no person shall be issued a certified agricultural kennel license without verifying that their dogs (5 or more) are used solely for the purpose of herding or protection of farm animals, or hunting, and the owner must further agree that these dogs are not to be sold or traded for commercial purposes. Applicants must complete a signed statement attesting that the information is true and correct. Separately, every individual dog four (4) months or older must be licensed (see Chapter 10.12, §10.12.010) and rabies-vaccinated, regardless of how many dogs are kept. Because the controlling number is tied to the kennel threshold (5 or more dogs) and to per-dog licensing rather than a posted household maximum, owners planning to keep multiple dogs should confirm kennel-permit requirements and any zoning limits with Mendocino County Animal Care Services. Larger commercial breeding/boarding operations are also a zoning use governed by Title 20.