Redwood City, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Feeding wildlife in parks
- Prohibited, Code Sec. 25.2.02(I)
- Covers
- Birds, fowl, fish, reptiles, animals
- Includes
- Eggs, nests, and young animals
- Exception
- Federal/state wildlife permits only
- Violation penalty
- Infraction under Code Sec. 1.7B
Summary
Redwood City bars feeding, capturing, hunting, or otherwise harming any wild or domestic bird, fowl, fish, reptile, or animal in a City park under Code Section 25.2.02(I), with an exception only for activity that conforms to federal or state wildlife regulations or permits. The ban covers eggs, nests, and young animals too.
No person shall engage in the following prohibited acts and/or uses in a City park or facility: ... I.Feed, capture, remove, hunt, abuse, molest, injure, frighten, trap, kill, tease or hurt, throw or otherwise project objects at any wild or domestic fowl, animal, reptile, fish or bird or fowl, including the eggs or nest or young of any reptile, wild animal, or bird, except in conformance with federal or state regulations and/or permits;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
02 of the Redwood City Code lists acts prohibited in every City park or facility, and subsection I is the City's wildlife rule: no person may feed, capture, remove, hunt, abuse, molest, injure, frighten, trap, kill, tease, hurt, or throw or project objects at any wild or domestic fowl, animal, reptile, fish, or bird in a park, including their eggs, nests, or young. The only carve-out is activity done in conformance with federal or state wildlife regulations or permits, meaning a state-licensed trapper or a federally permitted researcher can act where an ordinary park visitor cannot.
The rule sits inside a broader list of park prohibitions enforced under the same section, including bans on riotous conduct, open alcohol containers, glass containers, unauthorized swimming or boating in park water features, unpermitted fires, and golf, archery, or model-aircraft use outside designated areas. 02(I). 7B, the same penalty that covers every other prohibited act in the Chapter 25 park rules.
Violations & Fines
Feeding, trapping, hunting, or harming wildlife in a Redwood City park, including waterfowl at a park pond, is an infraction under Section 25.2.06, punishable as provided in Code Section 1.7B. The same section covers every other prohibited act in Section 25.2.02, so a single park visit involving both wildlife feeding and another violation, like leaving glass containers, can draw separate citations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed the ducks at a Redwood City park pond?
Does the wildlife rule cover pets brought into the park?
What's the penalty for violating the wildlife-feeding rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Mateo County handle wildlife feeding.