Stockton households are capped at four dogs and four cats over four months old without a kennel permit, with additional zoning rules controlling commercial-scale animal keeping in residential districts.
SMC Title 6 sets the household maximum at four dogs and four cats above four months. Anyone exceeding the cap must apply for a kennel or cattery permit through the Community Development Department, which triggers zoning review under SMC Title 16, neighbor notification, and minimum lot-size or distance standards. Multi-family rentals may have stricter caps in lease agreements; landlords retain discretion under California civil law. Service animals are not counted toward limits under federal ADA rules.
Exceeding pet limits without a kennel permit can lead to citations, mandatory surrender, kennel-permit application orders, and code-enforcement action up to nuisance abatement.
Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA
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See how Stockton's pet limits rules stack up against other locations.
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