Animal Ordinances in Fullerton, CA (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Fullerton, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Poultry is banned outright on residential lots under 7,000 square feet and in every duplex, apartment, condominium or mobile home, while larger lots may keep up to four birds with 80 square feet of fenced outdoor exercise space, and roosters and peacocks are barred from every residential zone regardless of lot size, under Fullerton Municipal Code section 15.17.030(K).
Fullerton Backyard Poultry and Livestock Rules
Significant RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 15.17.030(K)(1)(a)-(c)
(a) Generally. Roosters and peacocks shall not be permitted in any residential zone. (b) Lots of less than 7,000 square feet. Poultry is not permitted. (c) Lots of 7,000 square feet or more (excluding duplexes, apartments, condominiums or mobile homes). Four animals may be kept on a lot containing not less than 80 square feet of fenced outdoor exercise space to be used by the animal on th...
Dog Leash Laws
Inside Fullerton parks, dogs may only go where posted "Domestic Animals Permitted" signs allow, and where they are allowed, Section 9.12.280 requires them to stay on a leash no longer than ten feet at all times. Running dogs at large in a park is expressly barred, and on-duty police canines are exempt.
Fullerton Dog Leash Rules in City Parks
Some RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 9.12.280
(A) No person in a park shall have been responsible for the entry of a dog or other domestic animal into areas other than automobile parking concourses and walks immediately adjacent thereto, and in such other areas as may be clearly marked by signs bearing the words “Domestic Animals Permitted in this Area.” Nothing herein shall be construed as permitting the running of dogs at large. All do...
Breed Restrictions
Fullerton does not have breed-specific legislation banning or restricting any particular dog breed. California state law (Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683) prohibits breed-specific bans by local governments. However, individual dogs that bite or display aggressive behavior may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious regardless of breed.
Fullerton Dog Breed Restrictions and Dangerous Dog Rules
Light RestrictionsCalifornia Food & Agricultural Code § 31683
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or enforcing its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs that may incorporate all, part, or none of this chapter, or that may punish a violation of this chapter as a misdemeanor or may impose a more restrictive program to control potentially dangerous or vicious dogs. Except as prov...
Beekeeping
Keeping bees in a Fullerton residential zone requires a residential beekeeping permit, not just compliance with general animal-keeping rules. Fullerton Municipal Code § 15.17.030(V) also requires the beekeeper to notify adjoining property owners before the city issues the permit.
Fullerton Residential Beekeeping Permit Rule
Significant RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 15.17.030(V)
(V) Residential beekeeping. (1) Permit required. Any beekeeping in a residential zone shall require a residential beekeeping permit. (2) Notification required. The notification of adjoining properties is required prior to the issuance of a residential beekeeping permit. (3) Best management practices. (a) Beekeeping shall follow the city's best management pra...
Exotic Pets
Fullerton follows California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations on exotic animal ownership. Many exotic species require state permits, and some are entirely prohibited. Local nuisance ordinances also apply to exotic pets kept in residential areas.
Fullerton Exotic & Non-Traditional Pet Rules
Heavy RestrictionsCal. Code Regs. tit. 14, § 671 (Restricted Species Permits)
Restricted Species Permits are required for every person who imports, exports, transports, or possesses any restricted animal listed in Section 671(c), Title 14, of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) (PDF) . Entitlements Fee Description Restricted Species Permit Application/Amendment New: $155.53 Renewal and Amendment: $80.60 Required for every new permit, permit renewal or amendment of a...
Wildlife Feeding
Feeding ducks, geese or other waterfowl on or within 100 yards of any public lake, pond, stream or fountain in Fullerton, including Laguna Lake, is illegal under Fullerton Code of Ordinances Section 9.12.208. The ordinance also bars letting a minor in your care do the feeding and bans releasing waterfowl into these areas outright.
Fullerton Waterfowl Feeding Ban
Heavy RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 9.12.208
(C) Prohibition on feeding of waterfowl. No person shall establish or provide food to waterfowl on, or adjacent to, any restricted area. No person shall allow any minor in his or her care or custody to allow such feeding by the minor. For the purpose of this division (C), ADJACENT means within 100 yards of any restricted area. (D) Prohibition on release of waterfowl. No person shall abandon...
Pet Limits
Fullerton caps traditional pets at four dogs and cats combined on lots of 20,000 square feet or less, five on larger lots, and two per unit in duplexes, apartments, condominiums or mobile homes. Keeping four or more dogs also requires an R-1 or R-1P lot and a non-commercial kennel license from County Animal Control, under Fullerton Municipal Code section 15.17.030(J).
Fullerton Household Dog and Cat Limits
Some RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 15.17.030(J)(1)(a)1
1. Lots of 20,000 square feet or less (excluding duplexes, apartments, condominiums or mobile homes): Any combination of dogs and cats totaling four animals, plus their offspring less than four months old, per lot of 20,000 square feet or less. The keeping of four dogs requires a property having an R-1 or R-1P Zone and a non-commercial kennel license obtained from County Animal Control.
Cat Rules
Fullerton's animal-keeping code makes every pet owner cage, pen or fence in their animals and keeps them off the street, with one deliberate carve-out: cats. Fullerton Municipal Code § 11.36.030(A) exempts cats from both the mandatory enclosure requirement and the at-large prohibition that binds dogs, poultry and livestock. A cat sunning itself on a neighbor's porch is not, by itself, a code violation; a loose dog or unpenned chicken is.
Fullerton Cat At-Large Exemption Rule
Few RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 11.36.030(A)
All animals, except for cats, shall be confined at all times within a suitable enclosure (e.g., fenced backyards, pens, coops, cages, corrals and the like). No animals, except cats, shall be permitted to run at large.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Fullerton does not let a veterinary practice open in its General Commercial or Central Business District zones by right. Fullerton Municipal Code section 15.30.030.2(B)(2) requires an animal hospital in the G-C Zoning District to first win a conditional use permit under Chapter 15.70, and the parallel C-3 use table imposes the identical CUP requirement for the Central Business District Commercial zone.
Fullerton Animal Hospital Zoning Requirements
Significant RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 15.30.030.2(B)(1)-(2)
(B) The following uses are permitted in the G-C Zoning District, subject to the approval of a conditional use permit (CUP) pursuant to Chapter 15.70: (1) Agriculture; (2) Animal hospital;
Bird Protection
Feeding ducks, geese or other waterfowl at Laguna Lake or any other public lake or pond in Fullerton is unlawful under FMC § 9.12.208, including feeding within 100 yards of the water. The city says supplemental feeding harms wild bird health and discourages natural migration.
Fullerton Waterfowl Feeding Ban at City Lakes
Some RestrictionsFullerton Code of Ordinances § 9.12.208(B)-(C)
RESTRICTED AREA. Refers to any publicly owned lake, pond, stream, creek, fountain or body of water in the city, including, but not limited to, Laguna Lake... Prohibition on feeding of waterfowl. No person shall establish or provide food to waterfowl on, or adjacent to, any restricted area... For the purpose of this division (C), ADJACENT means within 100 yards of any restricted area.
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