San Clemente, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Dog/cat threshold requiring permit
- 4 or more, over 4 months old
- Other-animal cap
- 6 maximum, any combination
- Permit type
- Private kennel permit
- Rescue exemption
- Valid animal rescue permit holders
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100
Summary
Keeping four or more dogs or cats over four months old at a San Clemente home requires a private kennel permit. Any combination of other animals is capped at six, unless another provision of Title 6 expressly allows more.
2.Dogs and cats. With the exception of those persons who have a valid animal rescue permit issued by authority, any person keeping four or more dogs or cats over four months in age, or any combination thereof, is first required to obtain a private kennel permit pursuant to San Clemente Municipal Code Section 6.20.010. Keeping more than six animals other than dogs or cats over four months in age, or any combination thereof, on any residential property is prohibited except as may otherwise be expressly permitted by this title.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
010(2) sets the household pet cap. 030 sets its fee. 010(2) caps the total at six on any residential property in any combination, unless another part of Title 6 expressly permits more. An animal rescue operation holding a valid rescue permit issued under the authority's private kennel program is exempt from needing a separate kennel permit for the dogs and cats in its care. The 100-foot proximity rule in the same section applies on top of these numeric caps: even a household within the four-dog/six-animal limits must still keep animals or fowl 100 feet from a neighboring occupied residence unless the Zoning Code allows otherwise.
Violations & Fines
Keeping four or more dogs or cats, or more than six other animals, without the required kennel permit is an infraction under Section 6.04.070, with fines up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $500 for each additional offense in that year; a pattern of violations within a year escalates to a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 or six months in county jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I have in San Clemente without a permit?
Is there a limit on other pets like rabbits or birds?
Where do I get a private kennel permit?
Do animal rescue volunteers need a kennel permit for foster dogs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Pet Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle pet limits.