Unincorporated Kern County sets no fixed cap on pets per household. The practical line is commercial activity: more than one litter a year, or boarding, training or selling animals for compensation, requires a Commercial Animal Facility permit under County Code § 7.08.040. Dogs must be licensed at four months.
Kern County's Title 7 animal code takes a different approach from cities that cap pets at a set number — there is no per-household limit in the unincorporated areas. What the county watches instead is when pet keeping turns commercial. Breed more than one litter in a year, or board, train, or sell animals for compensation, and § 7.08.040 requires a Commercial Animal Facility permit from Animal Services. Separately, § 7.08.020 requires every dog to be licensed at four months of age. Cats escape county licensing, though state rabies-vaccination rules still apply.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Kern County, CA
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See how Kern County's pet limits rules stack up against other locations.
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