Animal Ordinances in Farmington Hills, MI (2026)
7 verified animal ordinances for Farmington Hills, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Farmington Hills is a fully built-out suburban city and does NOT have a permissive backyard-chicken ordinance comparable to Detroit, Ann Arbor, or Ferndale. Chapter 6 (Animals) of the Farmington Hills Code of Ordinances governs domestic and farm animal keeping, and the Chapter 34 Zoning Ordinance restricts agricultural uses including keeping of fowl and livestock to limited large-lot residential and agricultural districts. As a practical matter, on standard R-1/R-2/R-3 residential lots in Farmington Hills, keeping chickens, roosters, ducks, geese, turkeys, peafowl, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, or swine is not a permitted accessory use. Residents must check with the Farmington Hills Planning Department (248-871-2500) and Zoning Division (248-871-2400) before acquiring poultry or livestock. Oakland County Animal Control (248-858-1070) enforces field-level animal welfare and at-large issues. Violations are misdemeanors or municipal civil infractions under Chapter 1, Sec. 1-15 of the Code (penalty provisions).
Farmington Hills Chickens & Livestock (Chapter 6 + Chapter 34 Zoning - Suburban Restrictions)
Heavy RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Farmington Hills Chapter 6 Article II (Dogs and Cats) requires dogs to be under physical restraint when off the owner's property and prohibits dogs running at large. Annual dog licensing is required at four months of age or within 30 days of moving to Farmington Hills, with proof of current rabies vaccination required. Licensing is administered by Oakland County under the Michigan Dog Law of 1919 (MCL 287.262 et seq.) and can be obtained through DocuPet (online), Oakland County Animal Control, or the Farmington Hills Treasury counter. Fees: $55/year spayed-neutered, $65/year intact (3-year licenses also available). Field enforcement is by Oakland County Animal Control (248-858-1070) and Farmington Hills Public Safety (248-871-2610).
Farmington Hills Dog Leash & Control (Chapter 6 Art. II + MCL 287.262 Dog Law of 1919)
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Farmington Hills has NO breed-specific dog ban. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, and other commonly-restricted breeds are legal in Farmington Hills without breed-specific permits, muzzle, or insurance requirements. Enforcement is conduct-based through Chapter 6 Article III (Dangerous Animals): Sec. 6-55 (potentially dangerous animal requirements - including a mandatory obedience class) and Sec. 6-62 (report of dangerous animal classification). Michigan does NOT have a statewide BSL preemption statute, so breed-specific local rules remain a local-option matter; Farmington Hills has chosen not to adopt one. Private restrictions - HOAs, leases, and homeowners insurers - frequently restrict breeds independently of City Code.
Farmington Hills Breed Restrictions (None - Conduct-Based Dangerous Animal Framework)
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Farmington Hills Chapter 6 (Animals) does not contain a dedicated beekeeping ordinance, and Chapter 34 (Zoning) does not list 'apiary' or 'beekeeping' as a permitted accessory use in standard residential districts. Practical residential beekeeping in Farmington Hills therefore depends on (1) zoning compatibility verified through the Planning Department (248-871-2500), (2) Chapter 17 (Nuisances) considerations if hives create nuisance conditions for neighbors, and (3) compliance with the Michigan Bees Act (MCL 286.811 - 286.825) which requires every owner of bees or beekeeping equipment in Michigan to register annually with the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD). The Michigan Right to Farm Act does NOT protect new residential apiaries from local zoning. Beekeepers should verify zoning, secure HOA / deed approval, and register with MDARD before installing hives.
Farmington Hills Beekeeping (No Dedicated Ordinance + MI Bees Act MCL 286.811)
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Farmington Hills Chapter 6 Article III (Dangerous Animals) regulates possession of dangerous and exotic animals at the local level, allowing the City to classify any animal (not just dogs) as potentially dangerous (Sec. 6-55) or dangerous (Sec. 6-62) and impose registration, enclosure, and restraint requirements. State law preempts most large exotic mammal ownership: the Michigan Large Carnivore Act (MCL 287.1101 - 287.1123, Act 274 of 2000) BANS new acquisition or possession of lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cougars, panthers, cheetahs, bears, and hybrids of these species in Michigan. Only animals owned before the Act's effective date (Apr 1, 2000) could be grandfathered under strict permit conditions including $250,000 liability insurance. Local field enforcement is Oakland County Animal Control (248-858-1070); state enforcement is MDARD and the DNR.
Farmington Hills Exotic Pets (Ch. 6 Art. III + MI Large Carnivore Act MCL 287.1101)
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Farmington Hills adopted Ordinance C-5-2017 in 2017 prohibiting the feeding of deer within the city. The ordinance is part of the City's deer-management strategy in response to chronic deer overpopulation in this suburban Oakland County community. The local ban layers on top of Michigan's statewide ban on baiting and feeding deer in the Lower Peninsula (Michigan DNR Wildlife Conservation Order, adopted in 2018 in response to chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis), which categorically bans feeding deer anywhere in the Lower Peninsula regardless of municipal action. Songbird and squirrel feeders are not categorically banned but must not become attractants for deer; Chapter 17 (Nuisances) addresses feeders that draw rats, raccoons, or other vermin.
Farmington Hills Deer & Wildlife Feeding Ban (Ordinance C-5-2017 + Statewide MI Deer-Baiting Ban)
Heavy RestrictionsLivestock
Farmington Hills Chapter 34 (Zoning Ordinance) restricts the keeping of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and other farm livestock to limited large-lot residential and any remaining agricultural zoning districts - generally parcels of one acre or larger in the city's lowest-density zones. In standard R-1 through R-4 subdivision residential, multi-family, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial districts, livestock keeping is NOT a permitted accessory use and is effectively prohibited. The historic Code accessory-structure setbacks (175 ft from the principal dwelling, 30 ft from neighboring dwellings, 5 ft from property lines) make livestock keeping on a typical 1/4-acre or 1/3-acre subdivision lot physically impossible even if zoning permitted it. Pre-existing operations may be grandfathered as legal nonconforming uses if not expanded. State law (MCL 287.701 et seq. Animal Industry Act) also applies for disease control.
Farmington Hills Livestock Keeping (Ch. 34 Zoning - Effectively Prohibited in Standard Subdivisions)
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Oakland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Farmington Hills city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Oakland County →