Animal Ordinances in Simi Valley, CA

Simi Valley maintains 136 local ordinances across all categories, and 11 of those deal specifically with animal ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Simi Valley falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Chickens & Livestock

To keep chickens or other farm animals in Simi Valley, the parcel must be inside the City's Animal (A) Overlay Zone (or the more restrictive Limited (L) Overlay Zone), or must be at least 20,000 square feet with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) under Simi Valley Municipal Code § 9-44.060. Roosters are separately capped at four (4) per parcel under the adopted Ventura County Code § 4494-3, with a 40-foot setback from neighboring residences.

Key details: Primary Code: Simi Valley Municipal Code § 9-44.060 (Animal Keeping). Overlay Zones: Animal (A) – all farm animals; Limited (L) – limited species only. Outside Overlay: Minimum 20,000 sq ft + CUP required. Hens in (L) Zone: Max 5; coop 3-6 sq ft per hen; max 6 ft coop height. Rooster Limit: Fewer than 5 per parcel (VCC § 4494-3).

Keeping farm animals outside an overlay zone without a CUP, or exceeding the per-zone limits, is a zoning violation enforceable by Code Enforcement. Keeping five or more roosters is a misdemeanor/infraction under VCC § 4494-5, and each rooster over the limit and each tethered rooster is a separate violation; an Animal Control Officer may also issue an administrative civil penalty under Article 8.

Compared to other cities, Simi Valley takes a harder line on chickens & livestock. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Pet Limits

Under Simi Valley Development Code § 9-44.060 (Animal Keeping), a maximum of four (4) domestic dogs, cats, and/or Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (in any combination) may be kept on a single residential lot in the OS, RE, RVL, RL, RM, RMod, RH, RVH and MH zones. Keeping five or more dogs or cats for commercial purposes constitutes a 'kennel' under the adopted Ventura County Code and requires a county-issued kennel license.

Key details: Primary Code: Simi Valley Municipal Code § 9-44.060 (Animal Keeping). Pet Limit: 4 total (dogs, cats, and/or Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs combined). Applies In: OS, RE, RVL, RL, RM, RMod, RH, RVH, MH zones. Kennel Threshold: 5+ dogs or cats over 4 months kept for commercial purposes (VCC § 2592). Dog License: Required at 4 months / 30+ days kept (VCC § 4411).

Exceeding the four-animal limit is a zoning violation enforceable by Simi Valley Code Enforcement and may result in a Notice of Violation, administrative citation, and required reduction in the number of animals. Operating a commercial kennel without a county kennel license is a misdemeanor/infraction under VCC § 2600-1, and an Animal Control Officer may issue an administrative civil penalty under Article 8.

Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Simi Valley expressly deleted the Ventura County spay/neuter mandate it otherwise adopted by reference. Section 6-1.201 removes former Section 4421 in its entirety, so the City has no local requirement that owned dogs or cats be sterilized.

Key details: Governing section: SVMC 6-1.201. Deleted requirement: Ventura County Code Sec. 4421. Effective date: Ord. No. 1337, July 1, 2022. Related rule kept: Breeding permit, SVMC 6-1.202. Local mandate: None.

There is no violation or penalty tied to owning an unaltered dog or cat in Simi Valley, because Section 6-1.201 removed the underlying requirement. Enforcement instead centers on the separate breeding permit mandate in Section 6-1.202 and on differential license fees for unaltered animals under the County's adopted licensing schedule, not on sterilization status itself.

Simi Valley is more permissive than most cities when it comes to mandatory spay/neuter. That said, there are still limits.

Wildlife Feeding

Simi Valley prohibits intentionally feeding crows or ravens anywhere in the City. Property owners cannot allow feeding of these birds on their land or the adjoining right-of-way, and the ban covers every species in the Corvus genus.

Key details: Governing section: SVMC 6-1.1201. Species covered: All birds in genus Corvus. Adopted: Ord. 1136/1137, effective Nov. 13, 2008. Property owner liability: Yes, if feeding is allowed on-site. Intent required: Yes, feeding must be intentional.

Section 6-1.1201 does not set out its own fine schedule; a violation is enforced as a violation of Title 6's animal provisions, which the City administers through Ventura County Animal Services under the adopted county code framework and the City's general administrative citation process. Both the person feeding the birds and a property owner or occupant who knowingly allows feeding on their land or adjoining right-of-way can be cited.

Compared to other cities, Simi Valley takes a harder line on wildlife feeding. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Wildlife Rescue Permits

Wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Simi Valley need a City Conditional Use Permit and can only operate on residential lots in the Limited Farm Animal overlay zone of at least 20,000 square feet. Only indigenous California wildlife may be treated, and mountain lions, bear, deer, and other big game are barred outright.

Key details: Permit required: City Conditional Use Permit. Minimum lot size: 20,000 square feet. Zone required: Limited Farm Animal (L) overlay, residential. Prohibited species: Mountain lions, bear, deer, wild pigs, exotics. Staffing cap: 2 employees/volunteers on-site at once.

Operating a Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility without the required Conditional Use Permit, exceeding the CUP's authorized animal count, treating prohibited big-game or exotic species, or violating the setback and staffing limits is enforced under Development Code Chapter 9-78 as a misdemeanor or infraction under SVMC § 1-2.01, carrying up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, with continuing violations charged day by day. A CUP found out of compliance can be revoked under Chapter 9-78 procedures.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Simi Valley actively enforces its wildlife rescue permits requirements.

Beekeeping

Simi Valley allows beekeeping in the RMod, RM, RL, RVL, RE, and OS zones, with a Zoning Clearance required on lots between 10,000 square feet and three acres outside an animal overlay zone. Hives are capped at two per property, must sit 20 feet from a property line at the entrance, and 50 feet from any neighboring home.

Key details: Zones allowed: RMod, RM, RL, RVL, RE, OS. Zoning Clearance threshold: 10,000 sq ft to 3 acres, non-overlay. Hive cap: 2 hives per property (more needs Admin CUP). Prohibited species: Apis Mellifera Scutellata (African bees). Setback from off-site home: 50 feet.

Keeping bees without the required Zoning Clearance, exceeding the two-hive cap without an Administrative CUP, keeping African honey bees, or violating the setback and screening standards can lead to revocation of the Zoning Clearance by the Director, appealable to the Planning Commission, plus enforcement under Chapter 9-78 as a misdemeanor or infraction under SVMC § 1-2.01, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both.

Cat Rules

Simi Valley allows small-scale cat breeding, up to four adult cats with two litters a year, in every residential zone with just a Home Occupation Permit for sales. Breeding five or more cats on a single-family lot requires a Conditional Use Permit, a Ventura County kennel license, and annual County inspections.

Key details: Small-scale limit: 4 adult cats, 2 litters/year, all residential zones. Small-scale permit: Home Occupation Permit (for sales). Large-scale limit: Up to 12 adult cats, 2 litters/year. Large-scale permit: Conditional Use Permit + County kennel license. Inspection: Annual Ventura County inspection report to City.

Breeding more cats than a Home Occupation Permit or Conditional Use Permit authorizes, operating without the required County kennel license, missing an annual County inspection, or refusing the City's 24-hour inspection access is a Development Code violation enforceable under Chapter 9-78 as a misdemeanor or infraction under SVMC § 1-2.01, with fines up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both, and a CUP subject to revocation for noncompliance.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals need a Conditional Use Permit in most Simi Valley commercial zones and are permitted by right only in the Planned Development Commercial (CPD) district. Table 2-5 of the Development Code bars the use entirely from the Mixed-Use, Regional Commercial, Community Commercial, and all three industrial zones.

Key details: CUP required: CO, CN, BP zones. Permitted by right: CPD zone only. Not allowed: MU, CR, CC, CI, LI, GI. Governing table: Table 2-5, SVMC § 9-26.030. CUP process: Public hearing, SVMC § 9-52.070.

Opening a veterinary clinic in a zone marked "not allowed" on Table 2-5, or operating without first obtaining the required Conditional Use Permit under Section 9-52.070, violates the Development Code. Per SVMC Section 1-2.01, code violations are infractions or misdemeanors; a misdemeanor carries up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in County Jail, or both, and the City can also revoke a CUP for violating its conditions.

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

Pet Groomer Rules

Pet grooming shops are a permitted use by right in Simi Valley's Mixed-Use, Neighborhood Commercial, and Planned Development Commercial zones under Table 2-5 of the Development Code. The use is barred outright, with no conditional use permit path, in Office Commercial, Regional Commercial, Community Commercial, Business Park, and all three industrial zoning districts.

Key details: Permitted zones: MU, CN, CPD (by right). Prohibited zones: CO, CR, CC, CI, BP, LI, GI. Construction permit: Planned Development Permit required. Governing table: Table 2-5, SVMC § 9-26.030. Definition section: SVMC § 9-80.020.

Operating a pet grooming business in a zone where Table 2-5 marks it "not allowed," or beginning construction without the Planned Development Permit required by Section 9-26.030(A) footnote (2), violates the Development Code. Under SVMC Section 1-2.01, any Code violation is punishable as an infraction or misdemeanor; a misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment in County Jail for up to six months, or both.

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

Exotic Pets

Exotic and wild animal ownership in Simi Valley is regulated by both state law and the municipal code. California Fish and Game Code restricts many species, and Simi Valley may impose additional restrictions on keeping non-domestic animals in residential areas.

Key details: State Regulation: CA Fish & Game Code, Title 14 CCR 671. Ferrets: Illegal in California. Venomous Animals: Prohibited in residential zones. Animal Services: (805) 388-4341.

Keeping a restricted species without proper permits is a misdemeanor under California Fish and Game Code, carrying fines up to $1,000 and potential confiscation of the animal. City code violations for unauthorized exotic pets carry additional administrative fines. Animals may be seized and relocated to appropriate facilities.

Breed Restrictions

Simi Valley does not have a breed-specific ban. California Food & Agricultural Code § 31683 prohibits any local dog-control program from being specific as to breed (except for spay/neuter and breeding requirements under HSC § 122331). The City instead uses the adopted Ventura County 'potentially dangerous' and 'vicious' dog framework (VCC §§ 4470-3 through 4470-17) based on a dog's actual behavior.

Key details: State Preemption: Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 31683 (no breed-specific bans). Breed-Specific Exception: Spay/neuter/breeding only (Cal. HSC § 122331). Local Framework: Ventura County Code §§ 4470-3 et seq. (Potentially Dangerous / Vicious Dogs). Off-Premises Restraint (Potentially Dangerous): Non-retractable leash ≤4 ft; responsible adult. Off-Premises Restraint (Vicious): ≤4 ft leash + basket muzzle + responsible adult.

Violation of a potentially-dangerous or vicious-dog order is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000 or up to six months in county jail, or both (VCC § 4470-17). The City may seek injunctive relief under § 4470-18. California Civil Code § 3342 also imposes strict civil liability on any dog owner whose dog bites a person in a public place or lawfully on private property, regardless of prior viciousness or owner knowledge.

The Bottom Line

Simi Valley is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 11 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Simi Valley, 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 Simi Valley 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.