Animal Ordinances in Davenport, IA (2026)
6 verified animal ordinances for Davenport, Iowa, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Davenport allows up to six hens (no roosters) on single-family lots with a permit and a completed chicken-keeping class. Coops must sit 10 feet from lot lines and 25 feet from any principal structure. Other livestock is banned outside agricultural zoning.
Davenport Backyard Chickens & Livestock Rules
Heavy RestrictionsDavenport, IA, Municipal Code § 6.06.030 (Urban Chickens)
Only a maximum of six female chickens (hens) are allowed for each tract of land.
Dog Leash Laws
Davenport requires a dog off the owner's property to be on a leash no longer than six feet under the control of a competent handler. Dogs and cats must be licensed and rabies-vaccinated, and animals running at large may be impounded.
Davenport Dog Leash & At-Large Laws
Some RestrictionsDavenport, IA, Municipal Code § 6.04.060(A)(4)
When the animal is being walked off the premises of its owner or custodian so long as the animal is on a leash not more than six feet in length and under the control of a person competent to restrain and control the animal.
Breed Restrictions
Davenport has no breed-specific ban; pit bulls and other breeds are legal. The city regulates individual dogs by behavior. A dog declared dangerous under the 2025 ordinance must be euthanized or microchipped and rehomed outside city limits within 14 days.
Davenport Dog Breed Restrictions
Some RestrictionsDavenport, IA, Municipal Code § 6.04.010(M) (dangerous dog defined)
DANGEROUS DOG - 1. Means a dog that has: a. Killed a human being; b. Taken aggressive action that caused a serious injury as defined in Iowa Code § 702.18 to a human; c. Killed another domesticated animal, excluding fowl; d. Twice within a forty-eight-month period attacked, bitten, or otherwise caused an injury to a person engaged in lawful activity.
Beekeeping
Davenport's animal code does not specifically regulate honeybees, which are not livestock under the ordinance, so backyard hives are allowed, subject to the city's nuisance rules. Iowa Code Chapter 160 requires apiary registration with the state.
Davenport Beekeeping Rules
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Davenport bans keeping wild, exotic, or dangerous animals, including venomous snakes, large cats, primates, bears, wolves, foxes, and non-fowl fur-bearers, under Section 6.04.100. Violators face immediate seizure, and an animal roaming at large may be destroyed.
Davenport Exotic & Wild Animal Rules
Heavy RestrictionsDavenport, IA, Municipal Code § 6.04.100(A)
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, harbor, maintain, sell or traffic in any of the following wild, exotic or dangerous animals: 1. All poisonous snakes and poisonous reptiles; all nonpoisonous snakes greater than 10 feet in length; Gila monsters, alligators, crocodiles and caimans;
Wildlife Feeding
Davenport has no dedicated ordinance banning the feeding of deer or other wildlife. Feeding that attracts rodents or creates unsanitary or nuisance conditions is actionable under the city's animal-nuisance and sanitation provisions. Deer management falls to the Iowa DNR.