Riverside, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog threshold
- 5+ dogs, 4 months+, needs kennel license
- Cat threshold
- 10+ cats, 4 months+, needs cattery license
- License issuer
- Animal Control Director
- License term
- 1-2 years, renew within 30 days
- Grandfather clause
- Pre-existing licensed animals exempt 20 years
- Appeal window
- 15 days to Administrative Hearing Officer
Summary
Riverside doesn't cap pets by a simple headcount in the noise or nuisance code: it does it through zoning. Keep five or more dogs, or ten or more cats, four months or older, on residential property for personal use and your home becomes a 'residential kennel' or 'residential cattery' under RMC §19.910, which triggers a mandatory Animal Control Director license under §8.18.020.
Kennel-residential means any building, structure, enclosure or premises located in a residential zone whereupon, or within which five or more dogs, four months of age or older, are kept or maintained only for the personal use of persons living on the premises... Cattery-residential means any building, structure, enclosure or premises located in a residential zone whereupon, or within which, ten or more cats, four months of age or older, are kept or maintained only for the personal use of persons living on the premises... No person shall operate or maintain a residential kennel or a residential cattery as those terms are defined in Section 8.18.010 of this chapter without first obtaining an appropriate license from the Animal Control Director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
040 ('Cattery-Residential'): a residential property crosses the line at five or more dogs, or ten or more cats, each four months of age or older, kept for the personal use of people living there. 020(C)), checking against state law, City Code, and the standards for kennels and catteries adopted by the City Manager. 020(D)). 020(E)). 12, before this section's adoption keep those specific animals for 20 years without a kennel license.
Violations & Fines
Operating an unlicensed residential kennel or cattery above the threshold is enforceable through the administrative code-enforcement remedies of Chapter 1.17 (§8.18.060), including administrative citations and civil penalties, on top of the general Code penalty at §1.01.110: up to $1,000 for a misdemeanor or $250 for an infraction, with each day counted separately. A denied, revoked, or non-renewed license can be appealed to an Administrative Hearing Officer within 15 days, and judicial review afterward runs through Code of Civil Procedure §1094.6 in Riverside County Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I legally own in Riverside without a permit?
What's the cat limit before I need a cattery license?
Will I lose grandfathered pets if I already have more than the limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle pet limits.