Animal Ordinances in San Rafael, CA

If you live in San Rafael or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. San Rafael has 10 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Beekeeping

San Rafael exempts backyard beekeeping from the administrative use permit the city otherwise requires for keeping mammals, birds, and reptiles on residential property.

Key details: Permit required: No: exempt from use permit. Citation: SRMC § 14.17.020.B.8. Numeric hive cap: None stated in ordinance. Scope: Citywide, all residential zoning districts.

Because beekeeping is exempt from the use permit, there is no permit-based violation for keeping bees itself; a hive that becomes a public nuisance (aggressive swarming, sanitation problems) can still be addressed under the city's general nuisance and animal-keeping enforcement provisions.

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

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

San Rafael does not order every pet owner to spay or neuter an animal. Under Municipal Code Section 14.17.020, keeping animals beyond the code's exempt numbers, more than three dogs, ten cats, or four hens per dwelling, triggers an administrative use permit, and the community development director can make spaying or neutering a condition of that permit under Section 14.17.020(C)(2).

Key details: Trigger: More than 3 dogs, 10 cats, or 4 hens per unit. Permit: Administrative use permit, Section 14.17.020(B). Spay/neuter condition: Section 14.17.020(C)(2). Who decides: Community development director, case-by-case. Appeal window: 5 working days, Section 14.21.100.

Enforcement runs through Chapter 14.30. Each day a person keeps an animal in violation of a permit condition is a separate offense under Section 14.30.050. The code enforcement officer, planning director, public works director or city attorney may revoke the permit under Section 14.30.070, issue a citation under Section 1.42.010, pursue nuisance abatement under Chapters 1.16 and 1.20, or have the city attorney prosecute the violation as a misdemeanor. An appeal of the permit or its conditions must be filed within five working days of issuance under Section 14.21.100.

Compared to other cities, San Rafael takes a harder line on mandatory spay/neuter. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Chickens & Livestock

San Rafael requires a city permit before keeping chickens, ducks, rabbits, cows, goats, sheep or other farm animals, besides cats and dogs, on any property within city limits, under SRMC § 6.04.010.

Key details: Governing section: SRMC § 6.04.010. Requires: City permit before keeping animals. Covers: Poultry, rabbits, cows, goats, sheep. Exempt: Cats and dogs. Enforcement: Health officer inspection, revocable permit.

Keeping poultry, rabbits or livestock without a permit violates § 6.04.010; the city can revoke an existing permit under § 6.04.070, and premises are subject to inspection at all reasonable times to check sanitary compliance.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. San Rafael actively enforces its chickens & livestock requirements.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

San Rafael requires a zoning administrator use permit for any animal care facility, including veterinary clinics, citywide, with mandatory findings on noise, waste handling and nuisance impacts before approval.

Key details: Permit required: Use permit, zoning administrator. Applies: Citywide, San Rafael city limits. Governing chapter: SRMC Chapter 14.22 use permits. Noise tie-in: Must meet Chapter 8.13 standards.

Operating an animal care facility without an approved use permit, or violating permit conditions, is a zoning code violation subject to code enforcement action, citation, and potential permit revocation.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. San Rafael actively enforces its veterinary clinic zoning requirements.

Wildlife Feeding

San Rafael Municipal Code § 19.20.070.C.4 bars anyone from abandoning, hunting, capturing, harming, or feeding any animal in a city park or building. The clause is broader than the leash rules right above it: those cover only dogs and pets an owner maintains, while this one reaches wildlife such as deer, geese, and raccoons with no ownership qualifier at all.

Key details: Governing section: SRMC § 19.20.070.C.4. Covered locations: Any park, plaza, trail, or city building. Covered animals: Any animal, not just owned pets. Exceptions in the clause: None stated. Enforcement authority: Code enforcement official, § 1.08.020.

A § 19.20.070.C.4 violation is charged as a public nuisance under § 19.20.110 and enforced by any code enforcement official, defined at § 1.08.020, acting under the authority granted at § 19.20.100. The chapter routes enforcement through Code Enforcement Chapters 1.40, 1.42, 1.44, and 1.46, which give the city both citation and infraction or misdemeanor prosecution paths and administrative abatement remedies rather than fixing one flat fine for a first offense.

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

Microchipping

San Rafael has no citywide microchipping mandate. Keeping animals beyond the numbers exempted in Municipal Code Section 14.17.020(B), more than three dogs, ten cats, or four hens per dwelling, triggers an administrative use permit, and the community development director can require tagging or microchipping to identify the animal's guardian under Section 14.17.020(C)(1).

Key details: Trigger: More than 3 dogs, 10 cats, or 4 hens per unit. Permit: Administrative use permit, Section 14.17.020(B). ID condition: Tagging or microchipping, Section 14.17.020(C)(1). Who decides: Community development director, case-by-case. Appeal window: 5 working days, Section 14.21.100.

Compared to other cities, San Rafael takes a harder line on microchipping. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Bird Protection

San Rafael's wildfire vegetation-clearing rules step aside where compliance would destroy a bird nest, egg or active raptor nest protected under state Fish and Game Code. SRMC §4.12.035 lets an owner request that exception from the fire chief.

Key details: Governing state law: Fish & Game Code §3503. Also covers: active raptor nests. Request process: written request to fire chief. Final decision by: fire chief. Applies within: Chapter 4.12 WUI standards.

Clearing required vegetation without first requesting this exception can trigger Chapter 4.12's misdemeanor/infraction penalties under SRMC §1.42.010, on top of separate liability under state Fish and Game Code for destroying a protected nest.

The rules around bird protection in San Rafael lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Dog Leash Laws

San Rafael requires every dog off its owner's property to be secured on a leash of reasonable length under SRMC §6.10.030; violations are an infraction, and Marin County's adopted animal control code adds further penalties enforced by SRPD.

Key details: Leash required: In all public places. Private property: Owner's consent required otherwise. Penalty: Infraction, §6.10.050(C). Enforcement: San Rafael Police Department. County code adopted: Marin Co. Code Ch. 8.04, 8.08, 8.12.

Letting a dog run off-leash in public, or on someone else's property without consent, is an infraction under §6.10.050(C); Marin County code violations adopted by reference can be charged as a misdemeanor.

Pet Limits

San Rafael exempts up to 3 dogs and 10 cats per dwelling unit, plus 4 hens and 3 potbellied pigs, from its animal-keeping permit requirement. Keep more than these thresholds and an administrative use permit is required under San Rafael Municipal Code Section 14.17.020.

Key details: Dogs exempt from permit: 3 or fewer, over 4 months old. Cats exempt from permit: 10 or fewer, over 4 months old. Hens exempt from permit: 4 or fewer. Potbellied pigs exempt: 3 or fewer, under 70 lbs. Over the threshold: Administrative use permit required.

Keeping more dogs, cats, potbellied pigs or hens than the Section 14.17.020(B) exemption thresholds allow, without first obtaining an administrative use permit, makes the property a declared public nuisance under subsection E and subjects the owner to code enforcement and nuisance abatement. Because the section falls under the general municipal code, a violation may also be charged as an infraction or misdemeanor under San Rafael Municipal Code Section 1.42.010, punishable by a fine of up to $500, with a misdemeanor carrying up to 6 months in the Marin County jail.

Exotic Pets

San Rafael requires an administrative use permit and individual case review for any animal not on its short exempt list, including wild or exotic species, before it may be kept.

Key details: Exempt species: fish, limited dogs/cats/pigs/hens/birds only. Other or wild animals: individual case review required. Permit type: administrative use permit. State permits: CDFW verification may be required.

Keeping a non-exempt or exotic animal without the required administrative use permit and case-review approval violates § 14.17.020(B)-(C) and can be declared a public nuisance under § 14.17.020(E).

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

The Bottom Line

San Rafael is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 6 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in San Rafael, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that San Rafael 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.