Animal Ordinances in Fort Smith, AR (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Fort Smith, Arkansas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Fort Smith allows backyard fowl under a 2023-amended ordinance: only ducks and female chickens are permitted, with a maximum of 20 fowl on properties between 21,780 square feet (one-half acre) and five acres. Roosters are banned city-wide to reduce noise and odor. Coops and water features must be kept sanitary and located at least 25 feet from neighboring residential structures. No City permit is required, but fowl must be kept in fenced rear yards.
Fort Smith AR Chickens, Fowl and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Fort Smith Code of Ordinances Section 4-56 (At-large dog or cat) prohibits owners from allowing dogs or cats to be at large within the city — animals must be on a leash and under the owner's control whenever outside a secure enclosure. The 2023 animal ordinance overhaul (Section 4-108) also requires all dogs and cats to be microchipped and spayed or neutered unless continuously secured. Violations of Section 4-56 carry a maximum fine of $250 per occurrence, and Fort Smith Animal Services handles impoundment.
Fort Smith AR Dog Leash and At-Large Rules
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Fort Smith does not have a breed-specific ordinance — pit bulls, Rottweilers, and other breeds are not banned by the City. Arkansas does not preempt local breed-specific legislation, so cities are free to enact bans, but Fort Smith has chosen not to. Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances regulates dogs by behavior (at-large, vicious, dangerous) rather than by breed. Surrounding Arkansas cities (Beebe, Pine Bluff, Jacksonville, North Little Rock, Little Rock) do have pit bull bans, so check the specific jurisdiction before relocating.
Fort Smith AR Breed-Specific Legislation
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Fort Smith's Code of Ordinances does not contain a dedicated urban-beekeeping chapter, so backyard hives sit in regulatory gray space governed by Chapter 4 nuisance provisions and zoning review. Arkansas state law at A.C.A. Section 2-22-110 (the Arkansas Bee Law) requires every beekeeper to register every apiary location with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Apiary Section within ten days of acquiring bees. Registration is free. Hives that trigger neighbor complaints can draw nuisance citations under Chapter 4.
Fort Smith AR Beekeeping Rules
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Fort Smith's Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances addresses dangerous and wild animals through general nuisance and restraint provisions, and exotic species are not listed as a customary residential accessory use under the zoning code. Statewide, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Code (notably AGFC Code 9.02 and the Captive Wildlife rules at AGFC R1.01 et seq.) restricts private ownership of large carnivores, primates, bears, and many native wildlife species — no new permits for large carnivores have been issued in Arkansas since 2005.
Fort Smith AR Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Fort Smith bans unattended feeding of stray dogs, stray cats, feral cats, deer, geese, ducks, raccoons, fowl, and other wildlife under a Chapter 4 ordinance addressing nuisance attractants. Statewide, Sebastian County sits inside the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone as a Tier 2 county, which makes it unlawful under AGFC Regulation 7.06 / E1.12 to feed wild deer or elk for any purpose. Bird feeders are not banned but must be maintained to avoid attracting vermin.
Fort Smith AR Wildlife Feeding Rules
Heavy RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Fort Smith addresses animal hoarding through two overlapping frameworks: (1) Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances, which prohibits keeping animals that constitute a public nuisance or menace, plus the Section 4-108 spay/neuter and microchip mandate that limits how many intact animals a household can keep; and (2) Arkansas state cruelty statutes at A.C.A. Section 5-62-101 et seq., where aggravated cruelty to a cat, dog, or horse is a Class D felony. Fort Smith Animal Services and HOPE Humane Society investigate hoarding complaints.
Fort Smith AR Animal Hoarding
Heavy RestrictionsPet Limits
Fort Smith's Code of Ordinances does not impose a single fixed numerical cap on household dogs and cats, but Section 4-108 (effective July 17, 2023) requires every dog and cat kept as a pet within the city to be spayed/neutered and microchipped unless continuously secured — and a breeder license costing $1,000 per intact breeding animal is required for anyone wishing to keep intact dogs or cats for breeding. Chapter 4 nuisance provisions and the Arkansas cruelty statutes layer additional limits on over-capacity homes.