Animal Ordinances in Bishop, CA (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Bishop, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Bishop allows up to four hens (no roosters) OR four rabbits, or four combined, per single-family lot for noncommercial use. They must be kept in coops or hutches, at least 20 feet from a neighbor's line, and hidden from the street.
Backyard chickens and rabbits in Bishop
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.08.101
Section 6.08.100 shall not prohibit the keeping of chickens and rabbits, for noncommercial purposes, on any single-family residential lot as set forth below: A. Chickens. No more than four per residential lot. All chickens must be female. No roosters may be kept. B. Rabbits. No more than four per residential lot.
Dog Leash Laws
Bishop requires dogs off the owner's premises to be under restraint by a leash no longer than six feet. Dogs may not run at large, trespass, or make habitual loud noise. State law adds rabies-vaccination and licensing duties.
Dog leash law in Bishop, California
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.04.180
No owner of any animal, wild or domestic, except the domestic cat, shall permit or suffer the animal to do any of the following: 1. Run at large (i.e., shall not be off the premises of the owner) unless under restraint by leash; the maximum leash length is to be six feet.
Breed Restrictions
Bishop has no breed-specific ban. California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 prohibits any dog program from being breed-specific, so no breed is outlawed. Bishop instead regulates individual dogs declared vicious or dangerous, regardless of breed.
Dog breed restrictions in Bishop, California
Some RestrictionsCA Food & Ag. Code 31683
No program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed.
Beekeeping
Bishop prohibits beekeeping outright. Municipal Code 6.08.110 makes it unlawful to keep or harbor any bees in the city and declares any beehive used or occupied by bees a nuisance. There is no residential hive allowance inside city limits.
Beekeeping banned in Bishop, California
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.08.110
It is unlawful to keep or harbor any bees in the city, and any beehive used or occupied by bees is a nuisance, and it is unlawful to keep or maintain any such hive in the city.
Exotic Pets
Bishop bans letting any dangerous or vicious animal run at large and requires a police permit for any exhibition or parade of wild, dangerous, or vicious animals. Swine are banned. California also requires a state permit to keep restricted wild animals.
Exotic and dangerous pets in Bishop
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.08.070
It is unlawful to permit any dangerous or vicious animal or household pet of any kind to run at large in the city, and any exhibitions or parades of wild, dangerous or vicious animals may be conducted only upon securing a permit from the chief of police.
Wildlife Feeding
Bishop's code has no ordinance that specifically bans feeding deer, coyotes, or bears, so the direct rule comes from California: Fish and Game Code 251.1 prohibits harassing wildlife, and Title 14 CCR 251.3 bars intentional feeding of big-game mammals like deer and bear. Keeping animals must not create a nuisance.
Feeding wildlife in Bishop, California
Some RestrictionsLivestock
Bishop treats horses, cattle, sheep, goats and similar animals as "animals" that must be kept in a substantial enclosure and may not run at large. A poultry or animal yard must be at least 100 feet from any residence, public way, church, or school. Swine are banned.
Keeping livestock in Bishop, California
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.08.100
It is unlawful to maintain in the city any poultry or animal yard within 100 feet of any building used for residential purposes by anyone other than the one maintaining such poultry or animal yard, or their immediate family, or within 100 feet of any public way, other than an alley, or within 100 feet of any church or school building.
Animal Hoarding
Bishop has no ordinance using the word "hoarding," but it bars keeping animals in unsanitary or overcrowded conditions and bans cruelty, including underfeeding, overloading, or abandoning any animal. Overcrowded, filthy keeping is a nuisance the city can abate.
Animal hoarding and neglect in Bishop
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.08.060
It is unlawful for any person within the city to cruelly treat any animal in any way, and any person who inhumanly beats, underfeeds, overloads or abandons any animal or household pet shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this section.
Pet Limits
Bishop sets no simple household cap on dogs or cats, but keeping five or more dogs for breeding and sale is a kennel needing a county-approved kennel license. Chickens and rabbits are capped at four combined per single-family lot. All animals must be kept sanitary and licensed as required.
How many pets you can own in Bishop
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.04.040
A kennel license may be issued to any person or entity that owns five dogs or more and is engaged in the business of breeding and raising dogs for sale. A kennel license may be issued only after prior approval by the health department.
Cat Rules
Cats are the one animal Bishop exempts from its leash and at-large restraint rule, so cats may roam. But a cat kept in an unsanitary condition, or one whose cries disturb neighbors, is still a nuisance the city can abate. There is no cat license requirement.
Cat rules in Bishop, California
Some RestrictionsBMC 6.04.180
No owner of any animal, wild or domestic, except the domestic cat, shall permit or suffer the animal to do any of the following: 1. Run at large (i.e., shall not be off the premises of the owner) unless under restraint by leash.
Looking for Inyo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bishop city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Inyo County →