Animal Ordinances in Orem, UT: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Orem or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Orem has 6 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Pet Limits

Orem limits households to a maximum of two dogs and two cats (four months of age or older) per lot. Dogs over four months old must also be licensed annually and kept current on rabies vaccination.

Key details: Maximum dogs: 2 per lot (4 months+). Maximum cats: 2 per lot (4 months+). Code Section: Orem City Code 22-6-10.C.3. Dog license required: Yes - over 4 months, annually. License fee: $15 altered / $35 unaltered.

Harboring more than two dogs or two cats four months of age or older per lot violates Orem City Code Section 22-6-10.C; keeping an unlicensed dog over four months old, or one without current rabies vaccination, is also a violation. Animals kept in excess of the limit, or determined to be a nuisance by virtue of number, may be impounded under the governing animal control code.

Chickens & Livestock

Orem permits backyard hen chickens (no roosters) on single-family lots under one acre, with the number scaled to lot size (2 hens at 5,000 sq ft up to 12 at 30,000 sq ft). Larger livestock such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and turkeys require at least one acre.

Key details: Backyard hens: Allowed under 1 acre; no roosters. Hen count by lot: 2 at 5,000 sq ft up to 12 at 30,000 sq ft. Coop setback: 10 ft from all property lines; not in front yard. Livestock minimum lot: 1 acre (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, fowl). Slaughtering chickens: Prohibited.

Keeping livestock on a lot smaller than one acre, exceeding the per-lot-size chicken limits, keeping roosters, locating a coop in a front yard or within 10 feet of a property line, slaughtering chickens, or keeping animals for commercial production all violate Orem City Code Section 22-6-10.C and are enforced as zoning violations through the City's Neighborhood Improvement Team.

Breed Restrictions

Orem has no breed-specific ordinance, and it cannot enact one. Utah Code Section 18-2-101 prohibits any municipality from adopting or enforcing breed-specific dog rules and voids any that exist, so pit bulls and other breeds are legal in Orem.

Key details: Breed bans: Prohibited - state-preempted. Controlling statute: Utah Code 18-2-101. Pit bulls: Legal in Orem. Regulation basis: Individual behavior, not breed. Vicious animal at large: Class B misdemeanor (Utah County 5-2-17).

Because breed-specific regulation is preempted, no penalty attaches to owning any particular breed. Owners of any dog determined to be vicious by behavior must comply with confinement and muzzling requirements; allowing a vicious animal to go at large is a Class B misdemeanor (Class A if it causes a human death) under Utah County Code 5-2-17.

Orem is more permissive than most cities when it comes to breed restrictions. That said, there are still limits.

Dog Leash Laws

Orem requires all dogs to be leashed or contained at all times, including in most city parks. The only designated off-leash area is the dog park at Timpanogos Park. All dogs over 4 months must be licensed annually.

Key details: Leash Required: All public areas. Off-Leash Area: Timpanogos Park dog park only. License Required: All dogs 4+ months. License Fee: $15 neutered / $35 unaltered. Shelter: North Utah Valley Animal Shelter, Lindon.

Citations for dogs at large or off-leash in non-designated areas. Impoundment fees at North Utah Valley Animal Shelter. Fines for failure to license.

Beekeeping

Orem permits beekeeping subject to city regulations. Utah Code §4-2-103 requires registration with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). Hive setback and management rules apply in residential zones.

Key details: Status: Permitted with regulations. State Registration: Utah Code §4-2-103 (UDAF). Hive Type: Removable frames required. Contact: Planning (801) 229-7058.

Unauthorized hives: removal order. Nuisance complaints: fines. Unregistered apiary: state-level penalty.

Orem is more permissive than most cities when it comes to beekeeping. That said, there are still limits.

Exotic Pets

Orem's animal control provisions restrict keeping wild or exotic animals. Utah Admin Code R657-3 governs reptile and amphibian ownership. Permits may be required by species. Wild-caught animals are prohibited.

Key details: State Law: Utah Admin Code R657-3. Wild-Caught: Prohibited. Permits: May be required by species. Contact: Orem Animal Control / UDWR.

Keeping a prohibited exotic animal: animal control citation, potential seizure of the animal.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Orem gives residents more room on animal ordinances. 2 of the 6 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.

Keep in mind that Orem can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.