How Sioux Falls Handles Animal Ordinances: A Practical Guide

Sioux Falls maintains 189 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with animal ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Sioux Falls falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Microchipping

Sioux Falls requires every dog and cat over six months to be licensed annually, and Animal Control strongly encourages microchipping to speed return of lost pets.

Key details: License age: Six months and older. Renewal: Annual. Required proof: Current rabies vaccination. Microchip: Encouraged not required.

Unlicensed pets impounded by Animal Control face boarding fees, license back-fees, and ordinance fines that quickly exceed 150 dollars.

Pet Limits

Sioux Falls Ch. 90.20 caps the number of dogs and cats per household and requires kennel licensing once a residence exceeds the standard pet count.

Key details: Combined cap: Four dogs and cats. Age threshold: Six months old. Above cap: Kennel license required. Authority: Sioux Falls Animal Control. Code: Ch. 90.20.

Exceeding pet limits without a license is a city ordinance violation with fines beginning near 100 dollars and may trigger removal orders if conditions are unsanitary.

Coyote Management

Sioux Falls Animal Control responds to coyote sightings along the Big Sioux River corridor and works with SD Game, Fish and Parks on hazing, but discharging firearms inside city limits remains restricted under Ch. 80.

Key details: Hot zone: Big Sioux River corridor. City response: Sightings logged and hazing. State partner: SD Game Fish and Parks. Firearm discharge: Restricted under Ch. 80.

Discharging a firearm at coyotes inside city limits violates Sioux Falls misdemeanor code and can result in arrest, weapons confiscation, and substantial fines.

Chickens & Livestock

Sioux Falls Code § 90.008 permits up to six chickens (hens only; no roosters) or rabbits per property without a permit, with neighbor approval required within 100 feet for more than six birds or other fowl. Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses) are prohibited outside AG (Agricultural District) zoning.

Key details: Hens allowed without permit: Up to 6 (no roosters). Rabbits allowed without permit: Up to 6. Setback from neighbor dwellings: 25 feet for coops/pens. Neighbor approval radius (>6 birds or other fowl): 100 feet — written consent. Livestock (cattle, goats, swine, horses): AG zoning only.

Violations of Chapter 90 are municipal infractions enforced by Sioux Falls Animal Control. Typical first-offense fines run $100-$200 plus court costs; continuing violations are charged per day. Failure to comply can also lead to seizure and impoundment of the animals. Operating a backyard flock without required setbacks can be abated as a public nuisance under SDCL § 21-10-1.

Animal Hoarding

Sioux Falls Code § 90.015 caps domestic pets at four per household (over six months old, excluding birds and fish) absent a kennel conditional use permit, which functions as the city's primary anti-hoarding tool. State felony cruelty under SDCL § 40-1-2.4 backs up egregious neglect cases.

Key details: Pet limit per household: 4 dogs/cats over 6 months (combined). Exempt animals: Birds, fish, animals under 6 months. Exempt facilities: Shelters, vet offices, retail pet stores. Path to keep more: Kennel conditional use permit. Right of entry for cruelty: Sioux Falls Code § 90.005.

Each animal in excess of the four-pet limit is a separate § 90.015 violation. Fines start around $100 per animal per day. Animal Control may seize and impound animals kept in inhumane conditions under § 90.005. Felony cruelty under SDCL § 40-1-2.4 carries up to 2 years in state prison and a $4,000 fine. Forfeiture of all animals and a ban on future ownership are common conditions in sentencing.

Wildlife Feeding

Sioux Falls Code § 90.016 (Deer Feeding Prohibited, Ord. 80-14, passed 2014) makes it unlawful to place or allow any unnatural food source accessible to deer on any property within city limits. Feeders placed 5+ feet above ground or for the documented purpose of feeding livestock/pets are an affirmative defense.

Key details: Code section: Sioux Falls Code § 90.016 (Ord. 80-14, Nov 4 2014). Target species: White-tailed deer. Bird feeder safe harbor: 5+ feet above ground, deer-inaccessible. Livestock/pet feeding exception: Documented purpose at owner's request. Government exception: Authorized wildlife management agents.

Violation of § 90.016 is a municipal infraction subject to fines and abatement orders. Sioux Falls Animal Control will issue a warning and removal order for unlawful feeders; refusal to comply escalates to citation. Repeat or commercial-scale baiting may also trigger SD Game, Fish and Parks enforcement under SDCL Title 41.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Sioux Falls actively enforces its wildlife feeding requirements.

Breed Restrictions

Sioux Falls has NO breed-specific dog ordinance and is statutorily barred from enacting one. South Dakota Codified Laws § 40-34-16 (enacted 2014) preempts local breed-based legislation statewide: 'No local government, as defined in § 6-1-12, may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance, policy, resolution, or other enactment that is specific as to the breed or perceived breed of a dog.' This preemption expressly applies to home-rule cities including Sioux Falls. In place of any breed ban, Sioux Falls regulates dogs that have actually behaved dangerously through a behavior-based tier: § 90.003 (Restricted Animals) and § 90.003.1 (Vicious Animals). A dog of any breed — including pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, or mixed breeds — may be declared 'restricted' if it has approached a person or animal in a vicious or terrorizing manner, or has bitten, injured, or attacked on public or private grounds. Restricted-animal owners must use a leash AND muzzle in public, carry $100,000 of animal-liability insurance, alter the animal, maintain current rabies vaccination and city license, and meet confinement requirements. Vicious-animal designations under § 90.003.1 (which Sioux Falls evaluates using the Dunbar Bite Scale) carry stricter consequences up to euthanasia. None of these consequences turn on breed.

Key details: Breed bans: PROHIBITED statewide by SDCL § 40-34-16 (2014) — applies to home-rule cities. Sioux Falls home-rule status: Operates under SDCL Ch. 6-12 home-rule charter; still subject to § 40-34-16 preemption. Behavior-based tier: Code §§ 90.003 (Restricted) and 90.003.1 (Vicious) apply to any breed. Restricted-animal requirements: Leash + muzzle in public, $100,000 liability insurance, spay/neuter, rabies, license. Vicious-animal assessment: Sioux Falls uses Dunbar Bite Scale to differentiate restricted vs. vicious.

Because Sioux Falls cannot enforce a breed-specific rule, there is no violation tied to ownership of any particular breed. Violations arise from animal behavior and from non-compliance with restricted/vicious-animal requirements after a behavior-based declaration: failure to muzzle, failure to maintain $100,000 insurance, failure to confine, or harboring after a vicious-animal order are all enforceable under Chapter 90 and may trigger impoundment, criminal misdemeanor charges, or court-ordered euthanasia.

Beekeeping

Sioux Falls Code § 90.041 et seq. (Hobby Beekeeping, adopted 2019) allows up to four honeybee colonies per residential lot, subject to a city beekeeping permit, completion of an approved beekeeping class, neighbor consent, and a 6-foot flyway barrier around the apiary.

Key details: Maximum colonies per residential lot: 4 with city permit. Permit prerequisite: Approved beekeeping class + neighbor consent. Flyway barrier: 6-foot solid fence or hedge. On-site water source: Required. State registration: DANR apiary registration (SDCL Ch. 38-18).

Operating an apiary without a permit, exceeding the 4-colony limit, or maintaining colonies without the required flyway barrier is a municipal violation enforced by Sioux Falls Code Enforcement. Permits may be revoked for nuisance complaints, and unregistered apiaries may also face civil penalties under SDCL § 38-18 administered by DANR.

Dog Leash Laws

Sioux Falls Code of Ordinances Chapter 90 (Animals and Fowl) prohibits dogs and other animals from running at large anywhere in the city except on property officially designated as an animal off-leash area. Section 90.002 makes it unlawful for any person owning, keeping, harboring, or controlling an animal to allow that animal to be at large on the private premises of others or on any public property. The city operates a network of fenced off-leash dog parks (Lien, Spencer, Family, Kirby, and Hayward) where dogs may run unrestrained; everywhere else in the city, dogs must be on a leash and under the owner's physical control. Repeat offenders are designated 'reckless owners' under Ch. 90, with fines that are at minimum doubled. Sioux Falls also requires that all dogs six months or older be licensed with the city within 30 days of acquisition, and licensing requires proof of current rabies vaccination.

Key details: Citation: Sioux Falls Code § 90.002 (Running at Large Prohibited); §§ 90.003 & 90.003.1 (restricted/vicious dogs). Leash required: Yes — anywhere except designated off-leash dog parks. Designated off-leash parks: Lien, Spencer, Family, Kirby, and Hayward Parks (fenced facilities). License requirement: All dogs 6 months+ must be licensed within 30 days of acquisition; rabies vaccination required. Reckless owner threshold: Three running-at-large convictions within 12 months; fine doubled at minimum.

Running at large under § 90.002 is a municipal infraction. Recent fine data (verify current schedule with Sioux Falls Animal Control) indicates a baseline of approximately $95-$100, with the fine roughly doubling (to approximately $190) for reckless-owner designation after a third citation in 12 months. Animal Control will impound at-large dogs to the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society; owners must pay impoundment, boarding, and license-arrears fees to reclaim the animal. Unlicensed dogs are subject to separate citation under Chapter 90.

Exotic Pets

Sioux Falls Code § 90.003 (Restricted Animals) prohibits keeping native fur bearers, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, panthers, endangered species, exotic animals, and venomous snakes. Only domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets (European polecat) are expressly permitted.

Key details: Restricted species (banned): Bears, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, panthers, fur bearers, exotics, venomous snakes, endangered species. Expressly permitted: Domestic dogs, cats, ferrets. Wildlife rehab exception: Licensed rehabilitators only. Code sections: Sioux Falls Code §§ 90.003, 90.008. State wildlife overlay: SDCL Title 41 — SD Game, Fish and Parks.

Keeping a restricted animal is a municipal misdemeanor; animals may be seized and impounded by Sioux Falls Animal Control. Fines run from $200 plus court costs and continue daily until the animal is removed from city limits. Native wildlife violations may also trigger SD Game, Fish and Parks enforcement under SDCL Title 41. Venomous snake possession has been actively enforced in Sioux Falls (publicized seizures in 2021).

Compared to other cities, Sioux Falls takes a harder line on exotic pets. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Sioux Falls is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Sioux Falls, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Sioux Falls's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.