Animal Ordinances in El Paso, TX (2026)
12 verified animal ordinances for El Paso, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
El Paso lets residents keep chickens and other fowl, but City Code § 7.24.020(B) caps roosters at three per property and requires a Department of Animal Services permit for anyone keeping six or more rabbits or fowl. Coops must sit at least 30 feet from neighboring homes, hotels, churches or schools, and manure has to be cleared twice a week.
El Paso Backyard Chicken and Rooster Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 7.24.020(B)
B.Rabbits and Fowl.1.Except in a farm-ranch district or zoning district in which a stockyard or stable is permitted or except where kept as household pets in quantities fewer than six, no person shall keep any rabbit or fowl within the city without a permit as herein provided, and where fowl are allowed, no person shall keep more than three roosters.2.No person shall keep any animal within the ...
Dog Leash Laws
El Paso Chapter 7.04 requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet whenever off the owner's property. Off-leash dogs are prohibited except in designated dog parks such as Eastwood Dog Park.
El Paso Dog Leash Laws
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.042 (Requirements for Owner of Dangerous Dog)
Sec. 822.042. REQUIREMENTS FOR OWNER OF DANGEROUS DOG. (a) Not later than the 30th day after a person learns that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, the person shall:(1) register the dangerous dog with the animal control authority for the area in which the dog is kept;(2) restrain the dangerous dog at all times on a leash in the immediate control of a person or in a secure enclosu...
Breed Restrictions
El Paso does not ban specific dog breeds. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 822.047 preempts city-level breed-specific legislation.
El Paso Breed Restrictions
Few RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.041 (Dangerous Dogs — Definitions)
Sec. 822.041. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:(1) "Animal control authority" means a municipal or county animal control office with authority over the area where the dog is kept or a county sheriff in an area with no animal control office.(2) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that:(A) makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure i...
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is permitted in El Paso subject to Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131 (registration) and city setback rules.
El Paso Beekeeping
Light RestrictionsTexas Agriculture Code Sec. 131.045 (Beekeeper Registration)
Sec. 131.045. BEEKEEPER REGISTRATION. (a) Each beekeeper in this state may register on an annual basis with the chief apiary inspector. A registration under this section expires August 31 following the date the registration is issued.(b) A registration must include:(1) information required by the chief apiary inspector; and(2) the county or counties in which the beekeeper operates.(c) T...
Exotic Pets
El Paso Chapter 7.04 and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 43 prohibit keeping dangerous wild animals such as large cats, bears, primates, and venomous reptiles without state exotic permits.
El Paso Exotic Pets
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.101, 822.103 (Dangerous Wild Animals)
Sec. 822.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: ... (4) "Dangerous wild animal" means:(A) a lion;(B) a tiger;(C) an ocelot;(D) a cougar;(E) a leopard;(F) a cheetah;(G) a jaguar;(H) a bobcat;(I) a lynx;(J) a serval;(K) a caracal;(L) a hyena;(M) a bear;(N) a coyote;(O) a jackal;(P) a baboon;(Q) a chimpanzee;(R) an orangutan;(S) a gorilla; or(T) any hybrid of an animal listed...
Pet Limits
El Paso Chapter 6 lets Animal Services Center officers act when animal counts at a single residence create unsanitary or cruel conditions, even where each pet is individually licensed and rabies-vaccinated under the city kennel rules.
Animal Hoarding Limits Under El Paso Ch. 6
Some RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 821.021 (Disposition of Cruelly Treated Animals — Definitions)
Sec. 821.021. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:(1) "Cruelly treated" includes tortured, seriously overworked, unreasonably abandoned, unreasonably deprived of necessary food, care, or shelter, cruelly confined, caused to fight with another animal, or subjected to conduct prohibited by Section 21.09, Penal Code.(2) "Nonprofit animal welfare organization" means a nonprofit organization that ha...
Cat Rules
El Paso requires owned cats to stay on their owner's property or under physical control off it, but Chapter 7.12 carves out a real exception for feral cats processed through trap-neuter-return: a vaccinated, ear-tipped TNR cat isn't treated as running at large or subject to the standard registration mandate.
El Paso Cat At-Large and TNR Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code §§ 7.12.010(B), 7.04.010(U), 7.12.020(A)(5)
B. The prohibition against an animal running at large shall not apply to: ... 2. A cat that can be identified as having an owner or caregiver by collar and tags, microchip, identifying tattoo, or is an ear tipped cat indicating that it has been processed through the trap-neuter-return protocol ... "Ear tipped cat" means a cat upon which a surgical process is performed during neutering as part o...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
El Paso requires sterilization for most adopted dogs and cats, and charges higher annual license fees for intact animals. The Animal Services Center runs a low-cost spay-neuter clinic that subsidizes surgery for residents living inside city limits.
Spay-Neuter Rules for El Paso Pet Owners
Light RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Chapter 828 (Dog and Cat Sterilization), Sec. 828.002, 828.003
Sec. 828.002. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTION. Except as provided by Section 828.013, a releasing agency may not release a dog or cat for adoption unless the animal has been sterilized or the release is made to a new owner who signs an agreement to have the animal sterilized. Sec. 828.003. STERILIZATION AGREEMENT. (a) The sterilization agreement used by a releasing agency must contain:(1) the d...
Microchipping
El Paso requires every dog, cat and ferret four months or older to carry an implanted microchip, not just a rabies tag. Section 7.12.040 makes microchipping mandatory citywide, and Section 7.12.020 ties it directly into the registration process: no microchip, no registration certificate.
El Paso Pet Microchip Requirement
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 7.12.040
No person shall own, keep or harbor within the city any dog, cat or ferret four months of age or older unless such dog, cat or ferret has a current vaccination and implanted microchip. A dog, cat or ferret will have a current vaccination for one year. However, after April 1, 2006, a vaccination may be current for a period of three years dependent upon the type of vaccine administered. All vacci...
Pet Store Rules
El Paso does not ban retail pet stores from selling dogs and cats, but City Code § 7.14.020 caps what any seller, including a retail establishment, can charge for a dog or cat under one year old. Absent itemized proof of costs, the ceiling is $50 unaltered or $150 if already spayed or neutered, and every animal must be vaccinated and microchipped before release.
El Paso Pet Store Price Caps on Puppies, Kittens
Some RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 7.14.020(A)-(C), (E)
A.No person shall sell a dog or cat except as provided in this title.B.No person who advertises to sell or transfer a dog or cat that is under one year of age may charge the purchaser or transferee an amount that is greater than is allowed in subsection E.C.No retail establishment may sell or transfer a dog or cat that is under one year of age for a charge or amount that is greater than is allo...
Pet Groomer Rules
El Paso requires two separate authorizations before anyone can groom a pet commercially: a personal groomer license under Chapter 7.15 and a shop registration for the premises. A license or registration can be denied, suspended for up to 60 days, or revoked for animal cruelty investigations or convictions, and shops must meet specific sanitation, water and observation standards.
El Paso Pet Groomer & Shop Licensing
Significant RestrictionsEl Paso City Code §§ 7.15.010, 7.15.020, 7.15.090
7.15.010 - Compliance required: "No person shall engage in the practice of animal grooming without first having obtained and paid for a valid license from the permit official. All persons subject to regulation by this Chapter 7.15 shall also comply with all standards regulating the humane treatment and grooming of animals, including, but not limited to those found in Title 7 of the El Paso City...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
El Paso's zoning code, not just Title 7, controls where a veterinary hospital or animal clinic can operate. City Code section 20.10.080 sets district-by-district conditions: special council permits in residential zones, mandatory soundproofing, and 150-foot buffers from residential property lines in commercial districts.
El Paso Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsEl Paso City Code § 20.10.080 (Animal facilities)
A. Kennels and animal training establishments are permitted when in compliance with Title 7 of this Code and the following conditions: 1. In the Ranch-Farm zoning district, provided, a. The site has a minimum of six acres... B. Small animal veterinary hospitals or clinics are permitted when in compliance with Title 7 of this Code and the following conditions: 1. In the R-1 and C-1 zoning distri...
Looking for El Paso County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement El Paso city rules.
Animal Ordinances in El Paso County →