Anne Arundel County, MD Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Cat limit
- 9 cats maximum per household
- Dogs, 5-6
- Requires 25,000 sq ft lot
- Dogs, 7+
- 40,000 sq ft plus 5,000/dog
- Livestock ratio
- 1 animal unit per 40,000 sq ft
- Small-lot chickens
- 4 hens on a 10,000 sq ft lot
Summary
Anne Arundel County's zoning code caps how many pets, livestock, and fowl a household may keep, scaling the limit to lot size: no more than 9 cats, a rising dog schedule past 4, and animal-unit ratios for horses, cattle, swine, and other livestock.
(b) Pets. The keeping of pets for other than commercial purposes is allowed. (1) The keeping of cats is limited to no more than nine per household. (2) The keeping of dogs shall be in accordance with the following schedule: 1 to 4, No requirement; 5 to 6, 25,000 square feet; 7 or more, 40,000 square feet, plus 5,000 square feet for each additional dog above 7.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 18-4-104 limits animals per household by lot size in every residential zoning district. Cats are capped at 9. Dogs: 1-4 need no minimum lot; 5-6 dogs require a 25,000-square-foot lot; 7 or more require 40,000 square feet plus 5,000 square feet per dog above 7. Miniature pigs (1-2) need 47,500 square feet and a fenced enclosure. Livestock and domestic fowl need a 40,000-square-foot lot and may not exceed one animal unit per 40,000 square feet (e.g., 2 horses, 2 cattle, 10 sheep/goats, or 8 swine equal one unit); smaller lots down to 10,000 square feet may keep only a handful of hens. This applies directly in unincorporated communities such as Glen Burnie, Severna Park, and Pasadena, which have no separate animal code of their own; it does not apply inside Annapolis or Highland Beach, which administer their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the caps is a Code violation. Under § 9-1-101, violating any county Code provision is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 6 months, or both, and each day the excess continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I keep in unincorporated Anne Arundel County?
Does this limit apply in Glen Burnie or Severna Park?
What happens if I exceed the animal limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland animal ordinances overview
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