Alexandria's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Alexandria, Virginia, there are 9 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Cat Rules

Every cat four months or older in Alexandria must carry an individual license and current rabies vaccination under City Code Sec. 5-7-47 and Sec. 5-7-38.1. Alexandria has no running-at-large or leash law for cats specifically, but licensing, a $10-$30 annual tax range, and a four-cat-per-dwelling cap all apply citywide.

Key details: License required at: 4 months old or older. Unaltered cat tax: $10/yr or $25/3-yr license. Altered cat tax: $2/yr or $5/3-yr license. Rabies vaccination: Required, by licensed veterinarian. Household cap: 4 cats over 4 months per unit.

Owning an unlicensed cat four months or older is unlawful under Sec. 5-7-47, and Sec. 5-7-53 presumes any cat without a collar tag for the current year to be unlicensed, shifting the burden onto the owner to prove otherwise. Making a false statement to obtain a cat license is a separate offense under Sec. 5-7-56, and general Chapter 7 violations carry the $50 civil penalty set in Sec. 5-7-46.

Microchipping

Alexandria doesn't require microchipping for pets generally, but once a court declares a dog 'dangerous' under City Code Sec. 5-7-36, the owner must have it permanently identified by tattoo or electronic implantation (microchip) before the city will issue the required dangerous-dog registration certificate.

Key details: General pets: No citywide microchip mandate. Trigger: Court finding of 'dangerous dog'. ID method: Inner-thigh tattoo or electronic chip. Registration fee: $50, renewed annually. Deadline: Within 10 days of court finding.

An owner of a court-declared dangerous dog who fails to obtain permanent tattoo or chip identification cannot receive the required registration certificate; keeping the dog without a valid certificate, or otherwise willfully failing to comply with any Sec. 5-7-36 requirement, is a Class 1 misdemeanor under subsection (n), on top of the underlying civil registration fee of $50.

The rules around microchipping in Alexandria lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Dog Leash Laws

Alexandria City Code Sec. 5-7-32 prohibits any dog or exotic/poisonous animal from running at large within the city. Dogs must be secured by a leash, lead, or other physical restraint that is not harmful to the dog.

Key details: Code: Sec. 5-7-32. Restraint: Leash/lead required. Applies To: Dogs + exotic animals. License Required: Sec. 5-7-47.

Dog at large: $50 to $200. No rabies tag: $50 to $100. Dangerous dog violation: Class 1 misdemeanor up to $2,500.

Breed Restrictions

Virginia law, applied in Alexandria through City Code Sec. 5-7-36, lets a court order a dog euthanized once it is proven a 'vicious dog', but Va. Code § 3.2-6540.1(C) expressly bars finding any dog vicious based on breed alone. Owners whose reckless neglect lets a dog cause serious injury face a Class 6 felony.

Key details: Vicious-dog outcome: Court-ordered euthanasia. Breed alone: Cannot establish 'vicious dog' status. Evidentiary hearing deadline: Within 30 days of summons. Burden of proof: Beyond a reasonable doubt. Reckless owner penalty: Class 6 felony.

A dog judicially found vicious under § 3.2-6540.1 must be euthanized by court order, and the owner can be ordered to pay restitution to any injured person and the cost of the dog's confinement. Separately, an owner whose reckless disregard for human life in controlling a dog, canine crossbreed, or other animal proximately causes a person's serious injury is guilty of a Class 6 felony, which under Virginia law can carry one to five years in prison or, at the jury's discretion, up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

This is one of the stricter rules in Alexandria's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Beekeeping

Alexandria regulates beekeeping through local ordinance. Virginia has a State Apiarist program under VA Code §3.2-4400.

Key details: Hives: Typically 2 to 4 residential. Setback: 10 to 25 ft from lines. Flyway Barrier: May be required. State Law: VA Code §3.2-4400.

Ordinance violation: $50 to $200. Nuisance complaints may trigger additional restrictions.

The rules around beekeeping in Alexandria lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Pet Groomer Rules

Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance classifies a pet-grooming business as a "personal service" use under Section 2-183.1, which expressly lists "animal care facility with no overnight accommodation" as an example. A stand-alone grooming shop with no boarding is permitted by right wherever personal service uses are allowed; adding overnight boarding pushes the business into a separate, more restrictive use category.

Key details: Governing use category: Personal service (§ 2-183.1). Grooming only: Permitted by right where personal service is allowed. Overnight boarding: Needs admin special use permit (§ 4-902.1(A)). Boarding location rule: Must be in a commercial complex. Enforcing agency: Alexandria Dept. of Planning & Zoning.

Operating an animal care facility with overnight boarding without the required administrative special use approval is a zoning violation. The Department of Planning & Zoning's code enforcement division issues a notice of violation and directs the business to cease boarding operations or obtain the required approval; continued noncompliance is referred to the City Attorney's office for civil enforcement under the Zoning Ordinance.

Chickens & Livestock

Alexandria bans keeping fowl, including chickens, within 200 feet of any residence you don't occupy, and caps livestock like goats, sheep and horses to large lots under Sec. 5-7-2 and Sec. 5-7-3 of the City Code. Livestock needs at least 1.5 acres and specific setbacks; violators face a $5 to $10 daily fine.

Key details: Fowl setback: 200 ft from any other occupied residence. Livestock minimum lot: 1.5 acres. Livestock property-line setback: 25 feet. Livestock headcount: 2 adult head per 1.5 acres. Swine: Completely prohibited citywide.

Violating the fowl-distance rule (Sec. 5-7-2), the livestock-acreage and setback rule (Sec. 5-7-3), or the citywide swine ban (Sec. 5-7-1) is punishable by a fine of not less than $5 and not more than $10 per offense, and each day the violation continues is prosecuted as a separate offense, so an unlawful coop or pen can accumulate daily fines.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance treats a veterinary hospital as an 'animal care facility' (Sec. 2-110), and whether it needs a permit turns on overnight boarding. A clinic with no overnight stays is a personal service allowed by right in commercial zones; one that boards patients overnight needs administrative approval in a commercial complex or a City Council special use permit elsewhere.

Key details: No-boarding vet clinics: Permitted by right as personal service. Boarding, commercial complex: Administrative special use, Sec. 4-102.1(A). Boarding, elsewhere in zone: Special use permit, Sec. 4-103(A). Unpermitted-use penalty: $200 first offense, $500 each repeat. Governing definitions: Zoning Ordinance Secs. 2-110, 2-201.2.

Operating a boarding vet clinic without the required administrative approval or special use permit is a use violation under Sec. 11-207(A)(1), which the director of Planning and Zoning charges as a class five civil violation, covering 'the failure to obtain a special use permit where so required.' Sec. 11-207(C)(5) sets the penalty at $200 for a first offense and $500 for each subsequent violation, with each day of continued unauthorized boarding counted as a separate offense.

Pet Limits

City Code Sec. 5-7-57 caps household pets at five dogs over four months old or four cats over four months old per dwelling unit anywhere in Alexandria. The cap applies per unit, not per lot, so a single-family home and each unit in a duplex or apartment building are counted separately.

Key details: Dog limit: 5 dogs over 4 months old. Cat limit: 4 cats over 4 months old. Applies per: Dwelling unit, not per household. Puppies/kittens under 4 months: Not counted. Penalty: $50 civil penalty per notice.

Exceeding the five-dog or four-cat limit is enforced under the animal article's general civil penalty in Sec. 5-7-46: a $50 civil penalty for the violation, issued by an animal control or law enforcement officer. As with other Chapter 7 violations, the owner may admit liability and pay the city treasurer or contest the citation in Alexandria General District Court, and each animal over the limit can support a separate notice.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Alexandria gives residents more room on animal ordinances. 2 of the 9 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

This guide is based on Alexandria's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.