Stockton, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- City-specific feeding ban
- None identified
- State guidance
- CDFW 'Keep Me Wild': do not feed wildlife
- Nuisance enforcement
- SMC Title 8 (health and safety)
- Feral cats
- Stockton Animal Services TNR program
- Coyote / wildlife emergencies
- Report to CDFW + Animal Services
Summary
Stockton Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) and Title 8 (Health and Safety) as identified through Animal Services do not contain a stand-alone ordinance prohibiting feeding of wildlife such as coyotes, deer, raccoons or waterfowl. California Department of Fish and Wildlife's 'Keep Me Wild' program strongly discourages feeding, and feeding that creates a public-safety hazard or attracts protected wildlife can violate Fish and Game Code provisions and SMC Title 8 nuisance rules.
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. As the State's trustee agency for fish and wildlife, CDFW has developed a robust HWC To
Full Breakdown
Stockton's posted Title 6 sections (6.04.090 licensing, 6.04.130 at-large, 6.04.310 burial of dead animals, 6.04.390/400 number-of-pets, 6.04.440 prohibited livestock) and Title 8 (Health & Safety, including Ch. 8.20 Noise Regulations) do not include a stand-alone 'no feeding wildlife' provision. However: (1) the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 'Keep Me Wild' campaign instructs Californians never to feed wildlife and notes that 'a fed animal is a dead animal' because habituated animals become dangerous and are often killed; (2) feeding that causes a habituated animal to become a public-safety hazard can trigger CDFW depredation action; and (3) attracting rats, raccoons or pigeons into accumulations of garbage or fecal matter can be abated under SMC Title 8 sanitary nuisance provisions and SMC 8.20.040 (animal noise). Feeding of feral cats is regulated indirectly through Stockton Animal Services' Trap, Neuter & Return (TNR) program, which is the city's recognized framework for managed colonies.
Violations & Fines
There is no specific Stockton fine for casually feeding songbirds or squirrels. Feeding that creates a documented nuisance (accumulated feces, attractant rodents, habituated coyotes posing a threat) is abated under SMC Title 8 with administrative citation amounts of $100 / $200 / $500 for first, second and third offenses. Feeding bears (not present in Stockton) or other large game in a way that creates a hazard can violate Cal. Fish & Game Code and Title 14 CCR rules administered by CDFW.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put out a bird feeder in Stockton?
Is it illegal to feed coyotes in Stockton?
Can I feed feral cats in my neighborhood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
California rules heatmap·Compare Stockton to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Wildlife Feeding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle wildlife feeding.