Animal Ordinances in Carrollton, TX

If you live in Carrollton or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Carrollton has 13 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Coyote Management

Carrollton's animal code makes it unlawful to feed wild animals, including coyotes, anywhere in the city, and separately bans keeping a coyote or other wild animal as a pet. The Department of Community Oversight (DCO) can impound or euthanize a wild animal found at large.

Key details: Feeding wild animals: Unlawful citywide, § 91.011(D). Keeping a coyote as a pet: Prohibited, § 91.055(A). Wild animal at large: May be impounded/euthanized, § 91.055(C)-(D). Maximum fine: $2,000.00 per day, § 10.99(A)(2)(e). Enforcing agency: DCO / Animal Services Officers.

Violating the feeding or wild-animal-keeping provisions of Chapter 91 is a misdemeanor under Section 91.072, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000.00 per Section 10.99(A)(2)(e), since Chapter 91 is classified as a public-health-and-sanitation chapter. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and no culpable mental state need be proven.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Carrollton actively enforces its coyote management requirements.

Cat Rules

Every cat four months or older in Carrollton must be rabies-vaccinated and registered with the city within 30 days, wearing its registration tag whenever it is off the owner's property. The code has no separate feral-colony program; the DCO handles registration and enforcement.

Key details: Rabies vaccination required at: 4 months of age, § 91.021(A). Registration deadline: 30 days after acquiring cat, § 91.021(E). Registration validity: 1 year, or 3 years with 3-yr rabies shot. Tag requirement: Worn at all times off owner's property. Nonresident exemption: Cats kept under 60 days, § 91.021(E).

Failing to vaccinate, register or tag a cat as required by Section 91.021 is enforced as a Chapter 91 offense: a misdemeanor under Section 91.072 punishable by a fine of up to $2,000.00 under Section 10.99(A)(2)(e), with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. An unregistered or unvaccinated cat impounded by the DCO cannot be redeemed until the owner pays registration and vaccination fees.

Microchipping

Carrollton does not mandate microchipping for all pets, but any animal impounded at the shelter must be microchipped before the DCO releases it back to its owner. Owners get 10 calendar days to provide proof if the chip cannot be implanted at pickup.

Key details: Microchip required to redeem: Impounded animals, § 91.042(B)(2). Grace period if not chipped at pickup: 10 calendar days. Adopted-animal microchipping: Mandatory before adoption, § 91.043(C). Fee responsibility: Owner pays implant fee before release. Enforcing agency: DCO / animal services.

Failing to provide proof of microchip implantation within the 10-day window is itself an offense under Section 91.042(B)(9), enforced as a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under Section 91.072: a fine of up to $2,000.00 per Section 10.99(A)(2)(e), with each day of noncompliance a separate violation. An animal cannot be released from the shelter until the microchip fee and all other applicable fees are paid.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Carrollton doesn't require sterilizing every owned pet, but any animal adopted from the city shelter over four months old must be spayed or neutered within 30 days, and animals impounded a third time in 12 months must be sterilized before release.

Key details: Adopted pet over 4 months: Sterilize within 30 days, § 91.044(A)(4). Adopted pet under 4 months: Signed sterilization contract required. 3rd impoundment in 12 months: Sterilization required, § 91.042(B)(3). 4th impoundment in 12 months: May be sterilized by animal services first. Max fine for noncompliance: $2,000.00 per day.

Missing the 30-day sterilization proof deadline, or breaching an adoption sterilization contract, is prosecuted as a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under Section 91.072, with fines up to $2,000.00 per Section 10.99(A)(2)(e) and each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The DCO can also withhold release of a shelter animal under Section 91.044(C) until the adopter complies.

Breed Restrictions

Carrollton has no breed-specific ban; instead it declares a dog "dangerous" by behavior. A dog that has bitten more than once, or caused serious bodily injury once, can be seized by the DCO and faces a Municipal Court hearing that may order euthanasia or release under strict conditions.

Key details: Dangerous dog defined by: Bite history, not breed, § 91.050. Court hearing deadline: 10 business days after seizure, § 91.052. Required liability insurance: $100,000.00 minimum, § 91.054(A)(1). Euthanasia deadline after order: 24 hours, § 91.053(A). Compliance deadline to reclaim dog: 20 days, § 91.054(B).

The owner has 20 days to prove compliance with the insurance, registration, enclosure and signage conditions before the dog is euthanized under Section 91.054(B); violating any provision of the dangerous-dog subchapter is itself an offense under Section 91.054(C), prosecuted as a Chapter 91 misdemeanor with fines up to $2,000.00 per day under Section 10.99(A)(2)(e).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Carrollton actively enforces its breed restrictions requirements.

Chickens & Livestock

Carrollton allows up to six chickens per lot with a DCO permit, no roosters, and a coop no bigger than 80 square feet or eight feet tall, set back 25 feet from a neighbor's dwelling and five feet from any property line. Livestock needs at least an acre.

Key details: Max chickens per lot: 6, with annual DCO permit, § 91.007(A)(4). Roosters: Prohibited. Coop size/height limit: 80 sq ft, 8 feet tall. Coop setback from neighbor's home: 25 feet. Livestock minimum lot size: 1 acre, § 91.056(A)(1).

Keeping chickens without a DCO permit, keeping roosters, or violating coop setbacks is a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under Section 91.072, punishable by up to $2,000.00 under Section 10.99(A)(2)(e), with each day a separate offense. A permit holder who refuses a DCO inspection request commits a separate offense under Section 91.007(A)(7), and a revoked or denied permit becomes final if not appealed within 15 calendar days.

Pet Groomer Rules

Carrollton classifies any grooming business as a 'kennel' once it handles two or more animals over four months old, per § 91.003, and those businesses are exempt from the city's residential pet-count limits only if they sit on property zoned for that use and meet sanitation and secure-containment standards under § 91.007(A)(9).

Key details: Kennel threshold: 2+ animals over 4 months old (§91.003). Grooming counts: Grooming/boarding/training = kennel use. Exemption condition: Must be on property zoned for that use. Operating duty: Sanitation and secure containment required. Zoning layer: Special Use Permit under Chapter 153 CZO.

Operating an unauthorized kennel or grooming business is enforced under Chapter 91's general penalty, § 91.072: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $2,000 per violation, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. A groomer keeping animals on property that lacks the required zoning approval loses the § 91.007(A)(9) exemption and can be cited for exceeding the residential two- or three-pet cap in addition to any zoning violation.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Carrollton actively enforces its pet groomer rules requirements.

Wildlife Feeding

Carrollton bans feeding wild animals by any method except fowl, and separately makes it a public nuisance to feed birds or wildlife in a way that could attract rodents or vermin. Both bans sit in Chapter 91's animal code, enforced by the Designated City Official with fines of up to $2,000 per violation.

Key details: Wildlife feeding: Banned for all wild animals except fowl (§91.011(D)). Bird-feeding exception: Legal unless it attracts rodents/vermin. Feeding location: Only on your own property. Container rule: Rodent-resistant container (§91.011(C)). Enforcer: Designated City Official / Animal Services Officer.

Both the wildlife-feeding ban and the rodent-attraction nuisance are misdemeanors under Chapter 91's general penalty, § 91.072, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 for each offense, with every day the condition continues counted as a separate violation. Enforcement runs through the DCO or an Animal Services Officer, typically after a resident complaint or a nuisance finding on inspection.

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

Pet Limits

Carrollton limits most households to two dogs and two cats without a fenced backyard, three of each with one, and up to five of each on a fenced acre 200 feet from a neighbor's home. A separate five-animal cap covers other pets, and permits allow up to six chickens or three beehives per lot.

Key details: No fence: Max 2 dogs + 2 cats. Fenced backyard: Max 3 dogs + 3 cats. 1+ acre, fenced 200 ft: Up to 5 dogs + 5 cats. Other animals: 5 max per lot, excludes fowl/livestock. Chickens: Up to 6, permit required, no roosters.

Exceeding a pet-count limit is a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under the general penalty section, § 91.072, punishable by up to $2,000 per offense, with each day over the limit charged as a separate violation. A denied or revoked chicken or beekeeping permit becomes final if not appealed to the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee within 15 calendar days of written notice.

Beekeeping

Carrollton bans keeping bees or hives without an annual DCO permit, capping residential lots at three hives with setbacks, flight-path barriers, and biennial re-queening. Section 91.007(A)(6) lays out the full standards, replacing the thinner state-law citation with a detailed local permit scheme adopted November 2025.

Key details: Permit required: Annual DCO permit for any hive. Hive cap: 3 hives per city lot. Setback: 10 ft from property line. Flight barrier: 8 ft tall, 10 ft from hive. Re-queening: Required every 24 months.

Keeping bees without a permit, or violating any of the eight hive conditions, is a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under § 91.072, fined up to $2,000 per offense with each day treated separately. A Municipal Court conviction also exposes the beekeeper to permit revocation by the DCO, appealable in writing to the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee within 15 calendar days or the revocation becomes final.

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

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Veterinary hospitals in Carrollton are exempt from the city's residential pet-count caps only when located on property zoned for that purpose, per § 91.007(A)(9), and the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance separately classifies veterinary and kennel uses as requiring a Special Use Permit in single-family districts.

Key details: Exemption condition: Must be zoned for veterinary/kennel use. Operating duty: Sanitation + secure containment (§91.007(A)(9)). Zoning use code: 812910, Pet Care/Veterinary/Kennels. SF-detached districts: Special Use Permit required. Outdoor runs/pens: Also requires Special Use Permit.

Running a veterinary or kennel operation without the required Special Use Permit is enforced as a zoning violation under Chapter 153, while keeping more animals on-site than the property's zoning allows also risks a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under § 91.072, punishable by up to $2,000 per day. Losing the § 91.007(A)(9) exemption exposes the clinic to the standard two- or three-pet household cap.

Compared to other cities, Carrollton takes a harder line on veterinary clinic zoning. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Dog Leash Laws

Carrollton makes it unlawful for any dog owner to let their animal run at large, defined in § 91.003 as not confined by a fence or leash strong enough to keep it on the owner's property. A third at-large conviction within 12 months lets the Designated City Official ask a Municipal Court judge to order the dog removed from the city entirely.

Key details: At-large definition: Off-leash, unfenced, or unsecured (§91.003). Core ban: Unlawful to allow at-large/nuisance (§91.010(A)). Fence failure: Escape is prima facie code violation. Repeat offense: 3rd conviction in 12 mo triggers hearing. Possible outcome: Court can order exclusion from city.

Running a dog at-large is enforced as a Chapter 91 misdemeanor under the city's general penalty section, § 91.072, carrying a fine of up to $2,000 because animal-regulation violations fall in Carrollton's public-health penalty tier; each day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense. A third at-large conviction in 12 months can trigger a Municipal Court hearing ending in a city-wide exclusion order for the animal.

Exotic Pets

Carrollton's Code of Ordinances bans keeping any wild or vicious animal as a pet, for display, or for exhibition within city limits under § 91.055, readopted by Ordinance 4287 on November 18, 2025. The chapter's definitions section lists dozens of covered species, from big cats to venomous reptiles, with narrow exemptions only for zoos, circuses, and performing-animal exhibitions; violators face fines up to $2,000.00.

Key details: Governing section: Code of Ordinances § 91.055. Adopted: Ordinance 4287, November 18, 2025. Maximum fine: $2,000.00 per violation, § 10.99(A)(2)(e). Enforcing agency: Domestic Care Officer / Animal Services Officer. Exemptions: Zoological parks, circuses, performing-animal exhibitions.

Keeping a prohibited wild animal, whether as a pet or for display, is a Chapter 91 violation carrying a fine up to $2,000.00 under Code § 10.99(A)(2)(e), since animal regulations fall in the higher public-health-and-sanitation penalty tier. Animal Services or the DCO can impound any wild animal found at-large, and the code bars redeeming an impounded wild animal kept in violation of the chapter; the DCO may instead place it with a wildlife rehabilitator or humanely euthanize it at their discretion.

Compared to other cities, Carrollton takes a harder line on exotic pets. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Carrollton is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 13 rules covered here, 7 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Carrollton, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

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