Murrieta, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard limit
- Four cats/dogs per household
- Large-lot exception
- Eight animals on 2+ acres
- Kennel minimum parcel
- One acre with CUP
- Weaning cutoff
- Four months for cats, dogs
- Governing section
- Murrieta Code § 16.44.040(E)
Summary
Murrieta caps household cats and dogs at four animals total per Municipal Code Section 16.44.040(E), Table 16.44.040-1, regardless of zoning district. The cap rises to eight animals total only on parcels of two acres or more. Kennels, catteries and commercial breeding operations exceeding these numbers need a conditional use permit and a minimum one-acre parcel.
E. Animal Keeping Standards.
1. The following standards shall apply to all animal keeping uses, where allowed within the residential zoning districts:
TABLE 16.44.010-1 ANIMAL KEEPING STANDARDS Cats or dogs All zones Four animals each None All zones Eight animals total Two acres
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
040-1 sets the numeric ceiling for cats and dogs in every zoning district: four animals each on a standard lot with no minimum lot size, or eight animals total once the parcel reaches two acres. 44 (Standards for Specific Land Uses), adopted to keep dust, noise, odor, and visual blight from animal keeping off neighboring properties. c as four months old for cats and dogs. 2, hold at least a one-acre parcel, and meet Riverside County environmental health department requirements for kennel construction, drainage, and sewer service.
28. 040-1, and the Planning Division treats the count as per-household, not per-species, meaning a mix of two dogs and three cats already exceeds the four-animal limit.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more cats and dogs than Table 16.44.040-1 allows without a conditional use permit is a code violation prosecuted under the general penalty section, Murrieta Code Section 1.08.050. A first violation is an infraction punishable by up to a $100 fine, rising to $200 for a second conviction within a year and $500 for a third; a third violation of the same provision by the same person becomes a prosecutable misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep more than four dogs and cats in Murrieta?
Does the four-animal limit count puppies and kittens?
What happens if I'm caught over the limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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How other cities in Riverside County handle pet limits.