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

Modoc County Code Title 6 regulates only dogs (Chapter 6.02) and bees (Chapter 6.06). There is no county ordinance capping the number of dogs, cats, or other animals per household, and no kennel-licensing chapter establishing thresholds (such as the five-dog or ten-dog 'kennel' rules common in other counties). Instead, the County's dog obligations are per animal: under Section 6.02.010, any person in the unincorporated county who owns or has custody of one or more dogs must pay an annual license fee for each dog over four months of age (fee set by Board of Supervisors resolution, with a senior discount for spayed/neutered dogs and waivers for service and police dogs), and under Section 6.02.040 each dog over four months must be vaccinated against rabies biennially. So practically, there is no maximum number of dogs, but every qualifying dog must be individually licensed and vaccinated. Cats are not addressed in Title 6 at all and are not subject to county licensing. While the animal code sets no limit, very large numbers of animals could still implicate California's animal-cruelty and neglect law (Penal Code Sections 597 and 597.1) and any applicable zoning or nuisance rules. For local specifics, contact the Modoc County Sheriff's animal control or the County Environmental Health Division, which issues dog licenses.