Sonoma, CA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

020(A) limits any dwelling unit in the City of Sonoma to no more than three dogs or three cats over the age of four months; keeping more requires either a lawfully established kennel permitted by the zoning ordinance or a permit under subsection (B). Under subsection (B), the chief of police may, after investigating the circumstances, grant a permit for one additional dog or cat beyond the three-animal limit, if satisfied that the extra animal will not violate other provisions of Title 8, create a nuisance, or otherwise defeat the title's purposes; the permit can carry conditions the chief sets.

An applicant submits a permit application to the chief of police, and if the chief denies it, must receive the reasons for denial in writing and may appeal to the city clerk within seven calendar days. If the animals in question are already living at the property when the application is filed, the request must be accompanied by a fee set by the city council, unless the owner instead removes the extra animals or consents to their impoundment at the owner's expense while the permit process proceeds; this fee requirement does not apply to a new resident who can prove four or more dogs or cats were properly licensed in their prior jurisdiction within the last 12 months.

04's notice and hearing procedures, and filing the appeal stays enforcement except where life or property is in danger. This limit is set by the City of Sonoma and does not apply outside city limits in the unincorporated Sonoma Valley.