Animal Ordinances in Gastonia, NC (2026)
3 verified animal ordinances for Gastonia, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Gastonia allows backyard hens only with a permit and only on lots of at least a quarter acre, capping flocks at five to ten hens and banning roosters outright. Livestock like cows, goats and horses need larger acreage and fenced pasture under a separate city permit.
Gastonia Backyard Chicken and Livestock Permits
Significant RestrictionsGastonia, NC Code of Ordinances § 10-18(e)
No permit may be issued for any chickens unless the applicant for the permit demonstrates that the chickens will be kept in a manner that satisfies each of the following conditions: (1) The tract on which the chickens will be kept shall be at least one-fourth of an acre. (2) No roosters shall be allowed. (3) A maximum of five hens shall be permitted on a tract of land that is between one-fourth...
Dog Leash Laws
In Gastonia's parks and on its greenways, dogs must stay on a leash no longer than eight feet; other livestock and domestic animals aren't allowed at all, under City Code § 7-48. Handlers must pick up and bin dog waste on park property. Citywide dog-at-large enforcement outside parks runs through Gaston County's Animal Control Ordinance, adopted by the county and incorporated by reference into city law.
Gastonia Park & Greenway Dog Leash Law
Some RestrictionsGastonia, NC Code of Ordinances § 7-48
Sec. 7-48. Domestic animals. (a) Dogs are allowed in parks and on greenways only when on leashes not exceeding eight feet in length. Other livestock and domestic animals are not permitted. If any dog shall defecate within any park or on any greenway trail, the attending person shall remove the feces and deposit it in an approved trash receptacle. (b) A violation of this section is punishable as...
Exotic Pets
Gastonia bans keeping any state-classified wild animal without a North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission permit, and bans hogs, pigs and swine entirely except one miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig per property that meets livestock setback rules.
Gastonia Wild Animal and Swine Ban
Heavy RestrictionsGastonia, NC Code of Ordinances § 10-19(a)
No person may have or keep within the city any wild animal other than one classified as a wild animal by the North Carolina wildlife resources commission and for which a permit is obtained from that commission, or any hogs, pigs, or swine except that a person may have or keep one miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig (sus scrofa vittatus) provided that any out-of-doors pen constructed for said po...
Looking for Gaston County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Gastonia city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Gaston County →