Santa Barbara County, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Two County provisions set the practical limit on dogs in unincorporated areas. The Land Use & Development Code, Section 35.42.060.F.1 (Household pets), states there shall be no more than three dogs permitted on a single lot, that household-pet keeping must be accessory to a residential use of a dwelling on the lot, that the animals are for the domestic use of the residents only and not kept for commercial purposes, and that enclosures must be located no closer than 25 feet to a dwelling on another lot. The animal-keeping tables confirm "Dogs" are limited to three across residential and agricultural zones. Keeping more than three dogs requires a Conditional Use Permit or Minor Conditional Use Permit for a commercial or non-commercial kennel under Section 35.82.060. This dovetails with County Code Chapter 7, whose definitions describe a kennel as any premises or area where four or more dogs four months of age or older are kept and cared for (excluding a licensed veterinary hospital or humane facility). Cat numbers are not capped by a specific County ordinance. Standard nuisance, restraint, and licensing rules in Chapter 7 still apply to all dogs regardless of number.