Santa Clara County, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No feeding wildlife without a permit
- Authority
- Parks and Recreation Director
- Scope
- County Parks in unincorporated area only
- Related
- All Park Areas are wildlife sanctuaries
Summary
Feeding deer, geese, or other wildlife in a Santa Clara County Park is prohibited unless the Parks Director issues a Valid Permit; unincorporated county parks are declared wildlife sanctuaries.
No person shall feed wildlife in a Park, except by Valid Permit issued by the Director.
(Ord. No. NS-702.93, 1-9-18)
Sec. B14-24.5. - Molesting livestock prohibited. No person shall molest, harass, or injure livestock in any part or portion of any Park Area.
(Ord. No. NS-702.93, 1-9-18)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Santa Clara County Ordinance Code § B14-24.4 bans feeding wildlife in any County Park, requiring a Valid Permit from the Parks and Recreation Director for any exception. This sits inside the county's Parks Article on Fish and Wildlife, which separately declares every Park Area a wildlife sanctuary and bars hunting, harassing, or taking of wild birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The rule covers County-operated parks and trails in unincorporated Santa Clara County only: it has no application inside San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, or the county's other thirteen cities, each of which sets its own park rules.
Violations & Fines
Feeding wildlife without a permit is enforced by park rangers; related sanctuary violations under § B14-24.3 are charged as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply if I live in San Jose?
Can I ever feed wildlife in a County Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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