Sacramento County, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- County Feeding Ordinance
- None specific found for unincorporated areas
- Nuisance Wildlife
- Report to Ag Commissioner Wildlife Services
- State Rule
- CCR Title 14 sec. 251.1 (harassment of wildlife)
- Covered Wildlife
- Game/nongame birds & mammals, furbearers
- Nuisance Angle
- Feeding that attracts vermin is abatable
Summary
No Sacramento County ordinance specifically bans feeding wildlife in unincorporated areas; the County routes wildlife issues (skunks, raccoons, rodents) to the Agricultural Commissioner's Wildlife Services Program. Under California law, intentionally disrupting an animal's feeding can be unlawful 'harassment' (CCR Title 14 section 251.1), and feeding that attracts nuisance wildlife is enforceable as a property nuisance.
Vision: To proactively address human-wildlife conflicts and improve wildlife incident responses; to support safe human-wildlife interactions; and to increase understanding, awareness and appreciation of wildlife in California. Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) can occur when humans encounter or interact with wild animals in an unwanted or unsafe way. In California, habitat loss and a changing climate have increased the frequency and type of HWC reported to CDFW. It has become more common for people to be "living with wildlife" as communities grow along the urban-wildlands interface and wildlife look for limited resources such as food, water, and habitat.
Full Breakdown
No Sacramento County ordinance specific to feeding wild animals in unincorporated areas was identified in the County's published animal and code-enforcement materials. Instead, the County directs residents to report nuisance wildlife, skunks, raccoons, rodents and similar, to the County Agricultural Commission's Wildlife Services Program, which handles wildlife conflicts. 1 defines 'harass' as an intentional act that disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering, for game birds, nongame birds and mammals, and furbearing mammals, so deliberately interfering with wildlife (including through baiting or feeding that alters their behavior) can run afoul of state wildlife rules, with a narrow exception for landowners/tenants driving animals to prevent crop or property damage.
5 concerns abandoned animals at care facilities, not wildlife feeding, and does not apply here. Practically, attracting deer, coyotes, raccoons, or rodents by feeding can also create a public nuisance and draw odor/vermin code enforcement. Residents who want a local feeding restriction or have a wildlife conflict should contact the Agricultural Commissioner's Wildlife Services Program or Code Enforcement.
Violations & Fines
There is no county-specific feeding-ban citation identified, but intentionally disrupting wildlife behavior can be enforced as unlawful harassment under state wildlife regulations, and feeding that attracts vermin or nuisance wildlife can be abated by Code Enforcement as a property nuisance. Wildlife conflicts are referred to the Agricultural Commissioner's Wildlife Services Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to feed wildlife in unincorporated Sacramento County?
Who do I call about nuisance wildlife like raccoons or skunks?
Could feeding deer or coyotes get me in trouble?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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