York County, VA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 24.1-271(f) of the York County Code permits doghouses, pens, hutches or similar outdoor enclosures for household pets as an accessory residential use. The moment a property houses more than four canines or felines over the age of six months in such a structure, the county deems it a private kennel, which must then meet the standards of § 24.1-417 rather than the ordinary pet-keeping allowance. A private kennel proposed at a single-family home that is a lawful nonconforming use in a nonresidential district needs a Special Use Permit from the Board of Supervisors regardless of animal count.

Under § 24.1-417, every private kennel run or pen must be designed and maintained for secure confinement, set back at least fifty feet from any residential lot line, and screened and buffered to reduce visual and noise impact on neighboring properties; runs and pens must also meet the general accessory-structure siting rules in Article II, Division 7 (§ 24.1-270 et seq.), including the five-foot minimum side and rear yard setback of § 24.1-273(d). Pets housed entirely inside the principal residence face no numeric cap under § 24.1-271(e).

Planning and Development Services administers these standards; the Sheriff's Office Animal Control division separately enforces licensing and at-large complaints under Chapter 4 of the County Code.