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

Under Sacramento County's animal control ordinance (Title 8) for unincorporated areas, a person may keep up to four mature cats and four mature dogs on one lot, building, structure, enclosure, or premises. 'Mature' is defined as six months or older for cats and four months or older for dogs, so puppies and kittens below those ages are not yet counted toward the limit. Exceeding four dogs or four cats requires a conditional use permit for a kennel (dogs) or cattery (cats); those permits are restricted to certain zones and parcel sizes, and the Planning Department handles them. Separately, every dog and cat over four months of age must be licensed and currently vaccinated for rabies (license fees set under Chapter 8.08, with reduced fees for altered animals). The pet limit is enforced by Code Enforcement and Animal Care and Regulation; complaints about too many animals or resulting nuisance conditions are handled through those agencies. Residents seeking to keep more than the allowed number should contact Planning (sacplan@saccounty.gov) about a kennel/cattery use permit rather than assuming higher numbers are allowed.