Sacramento, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Swine limit
- 3 per dwelling unit
- Dog limit
- 3 (4 if altered)
- Cat limit
- 7 per dwelling unit
- Enforcement
- Animal Care Services
- First violation fine
- Up to $100
- Governing law
- City Code § 9.44.370
Summary
Sacramento caps the number of animals a household may keep: three swine, three dogs over four months (four if all are spayed, neutered or vet-certified unfit for surgery), and seven cats over eight weeks, per City Code § 9.44.370. The cap applies per dwelling unit or adjacent yard, not per resident.
A. Swine. No person or group of persons shall keep, harbor, or maintain more than three swine permitted by section 9.44.320 in or about any dwelling unit, or adjacent yard. B. Dogs. 1. Except as provided in subsection B.2, no person or group of persons shall keep, harbor, or maintain more than three dogs over the age of four months in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard. 2. A person or group of persons may keep, harbor, or maintain in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard, a maximum of four dogs over the age of four months if each of the dogs (i) has been spayed or neutered, or (ii) is certified in writing by a licensed veterinarian as not being a suitable subject for sterilizing due to health or age reasons. C. Cats. No person or group of persons shall keep, harbor, or maintain more than seven cats over the age of eight weeks in or about any dwelling unit or adjacent yard.
Full Breakdown
370 sets a hard per-dwelling cap on how many common animals a household may keep, regardless of how many people live there. Swine are capped at three per dwelling unit or adjacent yard (subsection A). Dogs over four months old are capped at three, but a household may keep a fourth dog if every dog is spayed or neutered, or is certified in writing by a licensed veterinarian as unsuitable for sterilization due to health or age (subsection B). Cats over eight weeks old are capped at seven per dwelling unit or adjacent yard, with no spay/neuter exception built into the cat count (subsection C).
The ordinance defines 'dwelling unit' by cross-reference to the Planning and Development Code (subsection D), so the limit runs with the housing unit rather than the household's headcount, meaning roommates or multi-generational families sharing one unit are still bound by the same combined caps. 054. 44's general animal care services law, exceeding it is enforced by the city's animal care services manager and officers, the same office that handles licensing, impoundment and wild-animal permits for the rest of the chapter, and a household found with excess animals can be required to reduce the count as well as face citation.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more swine, dogs or cats than the section allows is punishable under the chapter's general penalty section, § 9.44.210: an infraction with a fine up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second violation of the same section within a year, and up to $500 for each further violation within that year, plus possible administrative penalties under § 9.44.215.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I legally keep in Sacramento?
Does the cat limit have a spay/neuter exception like dogs?
Does the pet limit apply per person or per household?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle pet limits.