Salt Lake City's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Salt Lake City, Utah, there are 16 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.
Wildlife Feeding
Intentional feeding of deer, raccoons, coyotes, and other wildlife prohibited in Salt Lake City per SLC 8.04. Bird feeding allowed but must not attract rodents or big game.
Key details: Prohibited: Deer, elk, coyote, raccoon feeding. Fine: $100+. State Rule: Utah Admin R657-3. Bird Feeders: Allowed if maintained.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
This is one of the stricter rules in Salt Lake City's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Animal Hoarding
Salt Lake City Animal Services responds to suspected hoarding under Title 6 cruelty and welfare provisions, working with mental health partners when residents accumulate animals beyond their ability to provide adequate food, sanitation, and veterinary care.
Key details: Code title: SLC Title 6 + UT 76-9-301. Lead agency: SLC Animal Services. Charge level: Misdemeanor or felony. Reporting line: 801-799-3000 dispatch.
Officers issue cruelty citations carrying class B misdemeanor exposure plus impound and restitution costs. Chronic hoarders may face felony aggravated cruelty charges and lifetime ownership bans through court order.
This is one of the stricter rules in Salt Lake City's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Cat Rules
Salt Lake City requires every cat over four months to be licensed and rabies vaccinated under Title 6, and prohibits owners from allowing cats to trespass on neighboring property or run at large in public areas.
Key details: License age: Four months and up. Required vaccine: Rabies, current. Stray hold: Five business days. Discount: Spay/neuter cuts fee.
Unlicensed or unvaccinated cats trigger fines starting near $50 plus impound fees. Repeated nuisance trespass complaints may escalate to misdemeanor citations and civil claims from neighbors.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Salt Lake City does not blanket-mandate spay or neuter, but Title 6 sharply discounts licenses for altered pets and requires sterilization for animals adopted from the city shelter or impounded multiple times for running at large.
Key details: Adoption rule: Mandatory pre-release alter. License markup: About 5x unaltered. Repeat impound: Sterilization required. Subsidy program: Big Fix Utah.
Failure to alter an adopted animal forfeits the deposit and may result in seizure. Refusing court-ordered sterilization after repeat impounds escalates to misdemeanor citation and ownership ban.
Microchipping
Salt Lake City does not universally mandate microchipping, but Animal Services microchips every animal adopted, redeemed, or licensed at the shelter and requires chips before release for repeat at-large impound cases.
Key details: Universal mandate: No, encouraged only. Adoption requirement: Yes, included in fee. Repeat impound: Chip before release. Typical cost: Under fifty dollars.
Refusing chip implantation before redemption forfeits the animal. Allowing registration to lapse after a chip is implanted is not separately fined but undermines redemption rights.
If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Salt Lake City gives residents more flexibility on microchipping.
Coyote Management
Salt Lake City defers most coyote management to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources under state code Title 23A, but Animal Services responds to aggressive incidents and the city actively promotes hazing techniques to keep urban coyotes wary.
Key details: Lead agency: Utah DWR statewide. City response: Animal Services hazing tips. Feeding penalty: Wildlife-feeding citation. Firearm use: Banned in city.
Discharging a firearm at coyotes within city limits is a misdemeanor weapons violation. Feeding coyotes triggers a wildlife-feeding citation with escalating fines under Chapter 6.04.
Pet Store Rules
Salt Lake City prohibits pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits, restricting retail to animals sourced from shelters or 501c3 rescues, mirroring a model used by Sandy and other Utah cities.
Key details: Allowed sources: Shelter or rescue only. Covered species: Dogs, cats, rabbits. Recordkeeping: Source on each cage. Penalty class: Class B misdemeanor.
Selling commercially bred animals from a retail storefront is a class B misdemeanor with daily fines, business license suspension, and possible permanent license revocation for repeat offenders.
Compared to other cities, Salt Lake City takes a harder line on pet store rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Salt Lake City zoning Title 21A allows veterinary offices and small-animal clinics by right in most commercial and mixed-use districts, with conditional-use review when overnight boarding, kennels, or large-animal practices are involved.
Key details: Code chapter: Title 21A.33. By right: Most commercial zones. Conditional use: Boarding or kennels. Large animal: Industrial or agricultural.
Operating a clinic with boarding without conditional-use approval triggers a zoning enforcement notice, daily fines, and potential injunction until the approved use permit is obtained.
The rules around veterinary clinic zoning in Salt Lake City lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Bird Protection
Salt Lake City defers to the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Utah wildlife code to protect native birds, prohibiting take or nest disturbance, while local Title 6 covers bird-keeping nuisance and sanitation.
Key details: Primary law: Federal MBTA. State backstop: Utah Code 23A-3. Risky season: Spring nest period. Permit issuer: USFWS, Utah DWR.
Destroying an active migratory nest violates federal MBTA with fines up to fifteen thousand dollars per bird. Local nuisance from caged birds may add citations under SLC Title 6 sanitation rules.
Wildlife Rescue Permits
Salt Lake City does not issue wildlife rehabilitation permits; residents who find injured wildlife must contact a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources licensed rehabilitator, since possession of native wildlife without a state permit is unlawful under Utah Code 23A.
Key details: Permit issuer: Utah DWR only. Citizen rule: No keeping wildlife. First call: SLC Animal Services. Partner facility: WRCNU, Tracy Aviary.
Possessing native wildlife without a DWR rehabilitation permit can trigger class B misdemeanor citation and confiscation. Repeat or commercial violations escalate to higher charges and permanent ban.
Pet Limits
Salt Lake City limits households to 2 dogs and 4 cats (6 total) per dwelling unit under SLC 8.04.280. Kennel license required beyond these limits.
Key details: Dogs: 2 per household. Cats: 4 per household. Total: 6 combined max. Over Limit: Multiple-animal permit required.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Dog Leash Laws
Dogs must be leashed (max 6 ft) in all public areas in Salt Lake City per SLC 8.04.390. Off-leash only in designated dog parks like Memory Grove, Parley's, and Tanner.
Key details: Leash Max: 6 feet. Code: SLC 8.04.390. Off-leash Parks: Parley's, Tanner, Memory Grove, Lindsey Gardens. Fine: $50-$150+.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Compared to other cities, Salt Lake City takes a harder line on dog leash laws. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Breed Restrictions
Salt Lake City has NO breed-specific legislation. Dangerous dog designation is behavior-based under SLC 8.04.340 and Utah Code 18-1-3.
Key details: BSL: None. Dangerous Dog Code: SLC 8.04.340. State Law: Utah Code 18-1-3. Insurance: $300,000 for vicious designation.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Salt Lake City is more permissive than most cities when it comes to breed restrictions. That said, there are still limits.
Exotic Pets
Salt Lake City prohibits keeping wild, dangerous, or exotic animals including big cats, bears, primates, venomous reptiles, and constrictors over 8 ft under SLC 8.04.230.
Key details: Code: SLC 8.04.230. Banned: Big cats, bears, primates, venomous reptiles. Constrictors: Over 8 ft prohibited. State: UDWR permit rules R657-3.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
This is one of the stricter rules in Salt Lake City's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Beekeeping
Beekeeping allowed on residential lots in Salt Lake City under SLC 8.08. Up to 2 hives on lots under 10,000 sq ft; registration with Utah Dept of Ag required.
Key details: Hive Limit: 2 on lots under 10,000 sq ft. Setback: 10 ft from property line. Flyway Barrier: 6 ft if within 25 ft of neighbor. State Registration: Required annually (UDAF).
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Chickens & Livestock
Salt Lake City may allow backyard chickens with limits. Roosters typically banned in residential areas. Livestock requires agricultural zoning.
Key details: Hens: Typically 4 to 6 allowed. Roosters: Usually prohibited. Livestock: Agricultural zones. HOA: Often prohibits all.
Unauthorized livestock: removal order. Nuisance: $100 to $500. Roosters in prohibited areas: immediate removal.
The Bottom Line
Salt Lake City is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 16 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City'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.