Riverside, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

The City of Riverside does not have a standalone municipal wildlife-feeding ban. Instead, the City Public Works Department enforces California Code of Regulations Title 14, §251.1, which provides: 'No person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal. For the purposes of this section, harass is defined as an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.' The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the City interpret this to prohibit feeding wildlife — including coyotes, mountain lions, bears, deer, and squirrels — because supplemental feeding disrupts the animal's natural feeding behavior and habituates it to humans, creating a public-safety hazard. The Riverside Public Works Coyote Encounter educational sheet states directly that 'persons feeding a coyote, either accidentally or intentionally, violate state and local laws.' Accidental feeding is interpreted to include leaving pet food outside, accessible garbage, fallen fruit, or unsecured compost — all of which the City can cite under Riverside Municipal Code Title 8 nuisance provisions and Title 6 (Health & Sanitation). Inside the County of Riverside, feeding of non-domestic predators is also restricted under Riverside County Code Title 6 (Animals) and the County's Vector Control rules for rodent-attracting feeding. Reports go to the City via 311 or the Riverside County Department of Animal Services at (951) 358-7387.