Animal Ordinances in Cornelius, NC (2026)
2 verified animal ordinances for Cornelius, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is permitted in Cornelius residential zones with setback requirements. Hives must be at least 10 feet from property lines and behind a 6-foot flyway barrier if within 25 feet of a neighbor. Registration with NC Department of Agriculture recommended.
animals/beekeeping
Some RestrictionsN.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 106, art. 55 - North Carolina Bee and Honey Act of 1977
The General Assembly hereby declares that it is in the public interest to promote and protect the bee and honey industry in North Carolina and to authorize the Commissioner of Agriculture and the Board of Agriculture to perform services and conduct activities to promote, improve, and enhance the bee and honey industry in North Carolina particularly relative to small beekeepers; to regulate all ...
Exotic Pets
Cornelius prohibits keeping wild and exotic animals including venomous snakes, non-human primates, large cats, bears, and wolves. N.C.G.S. 14-416 et seq. governs dangerous wild animals statewide. Mecklenburg County ordinance adds local enforcement.
animals/exotic-pets
Heavy RestrictionsN.C.G.S. §§ 14-416, 14-417, 14-417.1
Article 55. Regulation of Certain Reptiles. § 14-416. Mishandling of certain reptiles declared public nuisance and criminal offense. The intentional or negligent exposure of other human beings to unsafe contact with venomous reptiles, large constricting snakes, or crocodilians is essentially dangerous and injurious and detrimental to public health, safety and welfare, and is therefore declared ...