St. Charles County, MO Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Household pet cap
- 4 domesticated animals per residential lot
- Snake cap
- 4 per lot, exempt in single-family zoning
- Hen cap
- 8 hens on lots 10,000+ sq ft
- Rooster minimum lot
- 5 acres residentially zoned
- Over the cap
- kennel registration required (§205.160)
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine or 1 year jail
Summary
Unincorporated St. Charles County caps most households at four domesticated animals and, separately, four snakes on residentially zoned property, with backyard hens allowed up to eight per lot. Keep more than four pets and Section 205.085 requires a kennel registration from the Division Director instead.
A. No person shall harbor, keep or allow another to harbor or keep more than four (4) domesticated animals on any parcel of property located within a residentially zoned district; except that any person may keep more than four (4) animals on any parcel of property only after obtaining a kennel registration issued by the Division Director. B. No person shall harbor, keep or allow another to harbor or keep more than four (4) snakes on any parcel of property located within a residentially zoned district. This shall not apply to any property zoned single-family residential. ... 1. Hens may be kept on residential property. A rooster may only be kept on a residentially zoned parcel of land five (5) acres or more in size. 2. In residential lots of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or more, the maximum number of hens that may be kept is eight (8). ... D. Any person that obtains a kennel registration must comply with requirements set forth in Ordinance of St. Charles County Sections 205.160 — 205.210, inclusive. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the number of livestock on agriculturally zoned property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863880; v61 updated 2026-05-11; through 05-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
" The Chapter 205 definition of "domesticated animal" matters here: it excludes fish and any caged bird, reptile, amphibian, or small mammal under six pounds, so those don't count toward the four-animal cap. 085(B): no more than four snakes per residentially zoned parcel, though that limit does not apply to property zoned single-family residential. 085(C): hens are allowed on any residential lot, but a rooster is legal only on five acres or more, and on lots of ten thousand square feet or larger a household may keep no more than eight hens, confined to a fenced rear-yard enclosure with a coop capped at one hundred square feet. 080 exotic/dangerous-animal ban, and confirms the four-animal cap does not touch livestock kept on agriculturally zoned land at all.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a fifth dog, cat or other domesticated animal without a Division kennel registration, or a fifth snake outside single-family zoning, is a Chapter 205 violation. Section 205.250 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.00 or up to a year in the county jail, with each day the excess animals remain a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pets can I legally keep in unincorporated St. Charles County?
Do my fish or pet snake count toward the four-animal limit?
How many backyard chickens can I keep?
Does the four-pet cap apply to farm animals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Charles County
Compare St. Charles County to another location·View the Missouri animal ordinances overview
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