Animal Ordinances in Decatur, GA (2026)
4 verified animal ordinances for Decatur, Georgia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
The City of Decatur, Georgia bans keeping hogs or pigs outright, but allows chickens, ducks, and other fowl on any lot if they are fenced and housed sanitarily, while cattle, horses and similar livestock need at least two acres with fixed setbacks.
Decatur, GA Backyard Livestock and Fowl Rules
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances §§ 14-7, 14-7.1, 14-8
It shall be unlawful to keep hogs or pigs within the city. ... (1)Livestock shall be permitted on properties of at least two acres in size.(2)All buildings used for livestock shall be located at least 200 feet from any property line.(3)All livestock shall be maintained at least 100 feet from any property line.(4)There shall be a minimum of 5,000 square feet of fenced lot area not covered by the...
Dog Leash Laws
Every animal in the City of Decatur, Georgia must be on a leash under a competent handler's control, or inside a securely fenced dog park, any time it leaves its owner's property. Even on the owner's own land, an unattended animal must be behind a locked enclosure, not simply chained to a tree, post, or building.
Decatur, GA Leash and Restraint Law for Dogs
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances §§ 14-33, 14-34
It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal, or anyone having possession or custody of any animal, to ensure that the animal is kept under restraint and that reasonable care and precautions are taken to prevent the animal from leaving, while unattended, the real property limits of its owner, possessor or custodian, and to ensure that: ... (3)The animal is on a leash and under the control ...
Breed Restrictions
Decatur, Georgia does not name or ban any dog breed. Instead, an animal becomes a regulated dangerous animal only after a known unprovoked bite or attack causing serious harm, or if it was trained for animal fighting, triggering mandatory perimeter fencing, a locked pen, and a leash-and-collar rule whenever it leaves that pen.
Decatur, GA Dangerous Dog Confinement Rules
Significant RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances §§ 14-31, 14-33, 14-39.1
Dangerous animal means any animal which constitutes a physical threat to human beings or other domestic animals by virtue of a known propensity to endanger life by an unprovoked assault or by biting so as to cause serious bodily harm or an animal trained, owned, or harbored for the purpose, primarily or in part, of animal fighting. ... (1)Whenever outside of its enclosure as provided for in par...
Exotic Pets
Anyone in the City of Decatur, Georgia who wants to keep a wild, exotic, dangerous, or nondomestic animal or reptile must first get a permit from the police department, which can set caging conditions or refuse or revoke the permit whenever the animal threatens public safety.
Decatur, GA Wild and Exotic Animal Permit
Significant RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances §§ 14-42, 14-43
No person shall have, keep, or maintain any wild, exotic, dangerous, or nondomestic animal or reptile without first applying to and receiving from the police department a permit to do so. The charge for this permit shall be as set forth in the schedule of fees and charges. ... The police department is hereby invested with the authority to issue permits to any person for the keeping or maintaini...
Looking for DeKalb County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Decatur city rules.
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