Animal Ordinances in Flint, MI (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Flint, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
City of Flint Code of Ordinances Chapter 9 Article XIV bars poultry and domestic fowl, other than household pets such as canaries and parakeets, on any residentially zoned lot within the City. Backyard chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys are not permitted in Flint residential districts. Larger livestock are also barred outside of agricultural zoning, which is effectively absent within City limits.
Flint Chickens & Livestock (City Code Ch. 9, Art. XIV)
Heavy RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
City of Flint Chapter 9 prohibits dogs from running at large and incorporates the Michigan Dog Law, MCL 287.262, which forbids any owner from allowing a dog to stray unless held properly in leash. Every dog four months or older must be licensed through the Genesee County Treasurer's Office with proof of current rabies vaccination.
Flint Dog Leash & Licensing (City Code Ch. 9 + MCL 287.262)
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
The City of Flint has no breed-specific ban. Michigan has no statewide preemption of breed-specific legislation, but Flint's Section 9-14.6 regulates vicious dogs by behavior, not by breed. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, and other breeds are lawful in Flint so long as the individual dog has not been declared vicious.
Flint Breed-Specific Rules (None; Behavior-Based Vicious Dog Ordinance)
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
The City of Flint Code Chapter 9 has no beekeeping-specific ordinance. Apiaries fall under the Michigan Bee Law (1976 PA 412, MCL 286.301 et seq.) administered by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and may also qualify for Right to Farm Act protection if operated per the relevant GAAMPs.
Flint Beekeeping (No Local Rule; MI Bee Law + RTFA GAAMPs)
Few RestrictionsExotic Pets
City of Flint Code Section 9-14.4 prohibits keeping any warm-blooded, carnivorous, or omnivorous wild or exotic animal not customarily a household pet, including nonhuman primates, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and wild or exotic cats. Michigan's Large Carnivore Act (MCL 287.1101 et seq.) separately bars big cats and bears statewide.
Flint Exotic Pets (City Code § 9-14.4 + MCL 287.731 Large Carnivore Act)
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Intentional feeding and baiting of free-ranging white-tailed deer is banned across the entire Lower Peninsula of Michigan, including Genesee County and the City of Flint, under Natural Resources Commission Order pursuant to Part 401 of NREPA (MCL 324.40101 et seq.) and the CWD response framework. Bird feeders are allowed only if they do not also attract deer.
Flint Wildlife Feeding (Lower Peninsula Deer Feeding Ban)
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Animal hoarding in Flint is prosecuted under the Michigan Penal Code, MCL 750.50 (duty of care) and MCL 750.50b (intentional cruelty), as enforced by the Flint Police Department and Genesee County Animal Control. Twenty-five or more animals or three prior cruelty convictions elevate the offense to a felony with up to seven years in prison.
Flint Animal Hoarding (MCL 750.50 + MCL 750.50b Felony)
Heavy RestrictionsPet Limits
The City of Flint does not impose a numeric ceiling on the number of dogs, cats, or other companion animals per household in Chapter 9 of the Code. Limits are functional: each dog must be licensed through Genesee County, and all animals must receive adequate care under MCL 750.50, with the vicious-dog rule in Section 9-14.6 applying breed-neutrally.
Flint Pet Limits (No Numeric Cap; Functional Care Standard)
Few RestrictionsLooking for Genesee County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Flint city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Genesee County →