Animal Ordinances in Roseville, CA

If you live in Roseville or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Roseville has 11 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Breed Restrictions

State law bars Roseville from writing a dog ordinance that singles out particular breeds, but it expressly lets the city run its own dangerous-dog program instead. Roseville does exactly that through Municipal Code Chapters 7.46 and 7.48, which classify dogs as potentially vicious or vicious based on documented behavior, not breed, and route owners through impoundment, conditions of release, and a police-chief hearing with appeal rights.

Key details: State rule: No breed-specific dog ordinances (Food & Agric. Code §31683). Local program: RMC Ch. 7.46 potentially vicious; Ch. 7.48 vicious. Impoundment: Up to 30 days for observation. Appeal window: 10 days to request police-chief hearing. Reclassification: Clears after 36 incident-free months.

Failing to comply with any condition of release imposed by the animal control officer is independently unlawful and can trigger further impoundment or an upgrade to a full vicious-dog declaration (§§ 7.46.050, 7.48.024). An impounded dog isn't released until all fees and penalties are paid and the owner shows compliance with release conditions, and if those conditions go unmet for 10 days after notice, a rebuttable presumption of abandonment arises that lets the police chief order the dog destroyed after the Chapter 7.48 notice-and-hearing process (§ 7.46.040).

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

Pet Groomer Rules

Roseville zones pet grooming shops under the 'Grooming and Pet Stores' Commercial Use Type in Municipal Code Section 19.08.090(B)(1), covering dog and cat grooming or sales with only limited indoor boarding. A groomer that boards animals beyond that limited scope shifts into the separate, more restricted 'Kennels' classification, so where a shop can legally open depends on which use type it fits.

Key details: Use type: Grooming and Pet Stores. Boarding allowed: Limited indoor boarding only. Full boarding/training: Classified as Kennels instead. Classification authority: Planning Manager, Section 19.08.050. Max misdemeanor fine: $500 or 6 months jail.

Operating a grooming business as an unclassified or misclassified use, or exceeding the 'limited indoor boarding' scope of Section 19.08.090(B)(1) without the zoning approval that a kennel use requires, is a Title 19 violation. Section 19.90.030 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine and six months in jail, reducible to a $250 infraction at the City Attorney's discretion, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.

Roseville is more permissive than most cities when it comes to pet groomer rules. That said, there are still limits.

Dog Leash Laws

Roseville bans letting a dog run at large under the city's 'leash law,' Municipal Code Sec. 7.12.010. Off an owner's property a dog must be restrained by a leash no longer than six feet, held continuously by someone able to control it, per the at-large definition in Sec. 7.04.060.

Key details: Leash length limit: 6 feet. Golf course exception: Trained geese-control dogs. On-property rule: Adequate confinement required. Enforcement: Infraction or administrative citation. Enforcer: Animal control officer.

Letting a dog run at large violates Sec. 7.12.010. Section 7.08.050 makes any Title 7 violation punishable, at the city attorney's discretion, as either an infraction or an administrative citation, and the animal control officer can seize a loose dog and use standard animal-control methods to bring it in.

Cat Rules

Roseville requires every cat over four months old to carry a city license, the same rule that applies to dogs, under Municipal Code Sec. 7.16.010. Owners must apply within 30 days of acquiring a cat, prove current rabies vaccination, and keep the license tag on the cat's collar at all times.

Key details: Licensing age: Over 4 months old. Application window: 30 days after acquiring. Altered-animal discount: Half the standard fee. License terms: 12, 24, or 36 months. Late renewal penalty: After 15 days past expiration.

Failing to license a cat over four months old violates Sec. 7.16.010, punishable under Sec. 7.08.050 as an infraction or administrative citation at the city attorney's discretion. Renewing more than 15 days after a license expires triggers a delinquent penalty fee set by council resolution (Sec. 7.16.100), and attaching one cat's tag to a different cat violates Sec. 7.16.130.

Pet Limits

Roseville caps the number of dogs any premises can keep at four before triggering its kennel licensing law. Municipal Code Sec. 7.20.010 requires a kennel license from the animal control officer to keep more than four dogs over four months old on one property, no matter how many people live there.

Key details: Dog limit before kennel license: 4 dogs over 4 months. Applies regardless of: Number of residents. Kennels barred on: Residentially zoned property. License requires: Disaster evacuation plan. Revocation appeal window: 10 days to city clerk.

Keeping more than four dogs over four months old without a kennel license violates Sec. 7.20.010 and is enforceable as an infraction or administrative citation under Sec. 7.08.050. Because Sec. 7.20.020(D) bars kennels on residential-zoned land, a residential property owner cannot cure the violation by simply applying, since no license will legally issue there.

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

Bird Protection

Roseville bans hunting, molesting, chasing, capturing, or harming any bird or other vertebrate wildlife inside city parks under Municipal Code Section 8.02.310. Violators face an infraction or misdemeanor charge at the city attorney's discretion. State-permitted sport fishing is the only carved-out exception, and even that can be closed by posted signage.

Key details: Governing section: RMC § 8.02.310. Where it applies: All city parks. Penalty class: Infraction or misdemeanor. Exception: State-permitted sport fishing. Enforcement: Park rangers, police.

Violating Section 8.02.310 is chargeable as either an infraction or a misdemeanor, with the choice left to the Roseville city attorney's office based on the circumstances of the offense. Park rangers appointed under Section 8.02.330 carry enforcement responsibility for the chapter and may hold citation authority; interfering with a ranger performing that duty is itself a separate infraction or misdemeanor. Repeated or aggravated conduct, such as trapping or shooting wildlife, is more likely to be pursued as a misdemeanor than a first-time infraction.

Compared to other cities, Roseville takes a harder line on bird protection. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Exotic Pets

California bars possession of restricted wild animals as pets anywhere in the state, including Roseville, unless the keeper holds a permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife under 14 CCR § 671. The restricted list covers big cats, primates, wolves and wolf hybrids, bears, and dozens of other species; ordinary pet-keeping is not a permitted purpose.

Key details: Permit issuer: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Cats restricted: All Felidae except domestic cats/hybrids. Dogs restricted: All Canidae except domesticated dogs. Primates restricted: All species except humans. Local layer: RMC Ch. 7.32 bans wild animals citywide.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife enforces the restricted-species permit requirement statewide and can seize any restricted animal held without a permit. Section 671(a) itself authorizes Roseville and other cities to add their own possession bans or permit rules on top of the state list, which is exactly what Roseville has done: its animal control officer enforces Chapter 7.32's separate citywide ban on keeping any wild animal, with violations processed through the city's general animal-title enforcement and citation procedures.

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

Chickens & Livestock

Roseville caps backyard poultry at 10 birds total, in any mix of ducks, chickens, or pigeons, and bans geese and turkeys outright on any lot that isn't zoned agricultural. Municipal Code § 7.36.010 sets the limit; keepers who exceed it, or who want livestock like horses or goats on a residential lot, must follow separate enclosure, setback, and registration rules in Chapters 7.28 and 7.36.

Key details: Fowl cap: 10 ducks/chickens/pigeons combined, off-ag land. Geese/turkeys: Banned outright off agricultural zones. Coop setback: 20 feet from every property line. Livestock registration: Report to animal control within 5 days. Horses/goats exception: Fenced 75 ft from any dwelling.

Chapter 7.36 carries no fine of its own, so exceeding the fowl cap, skipping the 20-foot setback, or keeping livestock without required registration or fencing falls under the citywide general penalty in Municipal Code § 1.20.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, unless the city attorney elects to charge it as an infraction under § 1.20.020, which starts at $100 and rises to $200 and then $500 for repeat violations of the same provision within 12 months.

Beekeeping

Roseville limits backyard beekeepers to two hives per property unless the land is zoned agricultural, and every hive, agricultural or not, must sit at least 500 feet from any building where people or animals normally live, under Municipal Code §§ 7.36.070 and 7.36.080. That distance rule makes the two-hive residential allowance impractical on most standard house lots.

Key details: Hive cap: 2 hives on non-agricultural land. Building setback: 500 feet from any occupied building. Setback applies: Even to agriculturally zoned hives. Special permit: Police chief can waive limits, annual fee. Default penalty: Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail.

Chapter 7.36 sets no bee-specific fine, so keeping more than two hives, placing a hive within 500 feet of an occupied building without a special permit, or ignoring a permit condition falls under the citywide general penalty in § 1.20.010: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, unless the city attorney charges it as an infraction under § 1.20.020, which runs $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within 12 months, and $500 for a third or later repeat.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Roseville's zoning code splits animal medical care into two Commercial Use Types under Section 19.08.090(B): a 'veterinary clinic' confined to an enclosed building with limited cage space for acute small-animal care, and a 'veterinary hospital' that adds outdoor space for long-term medical care, boarding, and grooming. Which label applies determines the zoning districts where a practice can legally locate.

Key details: Veterinary clinic: Enclosed only, acute small-animal care. Veterinary hospital: Adds outdoor space, long-term care. Both classifications include: Boarding and grooming services. Reclassification authority: Planning Manager, Section 19.08.050. Max misdemeanor fine: $500 or 6 months jail.

Operating a veterinary practice under the wrong use classification, for example running hospital-level outdoor boarding under a 'clinic' zoning approval, is a Title 19 violation enforced under Section 19.90.020. Section 19.90.030 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 and up to six months in jail, or an infraction up to $250 at the City Attorney's discretion, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.

Wildlife Feeding

Roseville restricts or prohibits intentional feeding of wildlife including deer, coyotes, and bears. Feeding wildlife creates public safety hazards and nuisance conditions.

The Bottom Line

Roseville is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 11 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Roseville, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Roseville's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.