Animal Ordinances in Caldwell, ID (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Caldwell, Idaho, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Caldwell's land use code (10-02-15) lets a household keep up to ten chickens as pets without a half-acre lot. Exceeding the listed numbers, or adding more animal types, requires a minimum one-half acre lot and/or a special use permit. Poultry must be enclosed; roosters are treated as livestock.
Caldwell Chickens and Backyard Poultry Rules
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Caldwell requires dogs to be confined to the owner's property in a secure enclosure, or otherwise controlled on a leash when off the premises and accompanied by the owner. City Code section 08-03-17 governs running at large and animal confinement, and Idaho Code 25-2805 separately makes running at large an infraction.
Caldwell Dog Leash and Running-at-Large Rules
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Caldwell does not ban any dog breed. The city instead regulates 'vicious' and 'dangerous' animals by behavior and history under City Code 08-03-25, and Idaho Code 25-2810 controls court-ordered restrictions on dangerous and at-risk dogs statewide. Some other Idaho towns have breed bans, but Caldwell relies on conduct-based rules.
Caldwell Breed Restrictions and Dangerous Dogs
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Caldwell's published animal land use code (10-02-15) lists the pets and livestock it regulates, and honeybees are not among the named animals. The city does not appear to publish a dedicated beekeeping ordinance. Apiaries in Idaho are regulated at the state level by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture under Idaho Code Title 22, Chapter 25.
Caldwell Beekeeping Rules
Few RestrictionsExotic Pets
Caldwell's land use code limits household animals to listed pets and livestock and lets the planning director decide what 'equivalent small animals' qualify, but exotic and wild species are controlled mainly by the state. Idaho's deleterious exotic animal rules (ISDA) and captive wildlife laws (Idaho Fish and Game) require permits for many exotic and native wild species.
Caldwell Exotic and Wild Animal Rules
Some RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
No dedicated Caldwell ordinance prohibiting the feeding of deer, waterfowl, or other wildlife was located in the city code. Feeding that creates a nuisance can be addressed under the city's general nuisance and code compliance authority, and Idaho Fish and Game discourages feeding big game. Some other Idaho cities, such as Pocatello, do have explicit feeding bans.
Caldwell Wildlife Feeding Rules
Few RestrictionsLivestock
Caldwell allows livestock but requires a minimum one-half acre lot to qualify (City Code 10-02-15 and 10-12-03-3). Livestock must be kept in enclosures meeting the zoning district's setbacks and the fence ordinance, and maximum animal density is capped, excluding offspring under nine months of age.
Caldwell Livestock Keeping Rules
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Caldwell does not appear to have a hoarding-named ordinance, but its pet and livestock limits under City Code 10-02-15 cap how many animals a household may keep without a larger lot or permit, effectively guarding against overcrowding. Animal neglect and cruelty, the core harm in hoarding cases, are crimes under Idaho Code 25-3504.
Caldwell Animal Hoarding and Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsPet Limits
Caldwell's land use code (10-02-15) caps household pets, using the example of up to five cats, ten chickens, and one goat, and no household may keep more than three different types of pets. Exceeding the listed numbers or adding more types requires a minimum half-acre lot and/or a special use permit.
Caldwell Pet Limits per Household
Some RestrictionsCat Rules
Caldwell's animal control chapter regulates canines, not cats, and contains no cat licensing requirement. Cats are still capped by the land use code's pet limits (up to five per household under 10-02-15). General confinement and nuisance principles apply, and Idaho's animal cruelty law (Idaho Code 25-3504) protects all animals.
Caldwell Cat Rules
Few RestrictionsLooking for Canyon County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Caldwell city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Canyon County →