Animal Ordinances in Hampton, VA (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Hampton, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Hampton allows up to six hens (no roosters) on single-family lots after obtaining a $25 permit, with sanitation, predator-proof shelter rules, and inspections by Animal Control.
Hampton Backyard Chicken Keeping Rules
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code Section 5-24.1
Up to six (6) chickens may be kept on lots with a single family residence as the primary use. No chickens shall be allowed on lots with a primary use of townhouse, duplex, multifamily, or manufactured housing park.(b)Only hens, no roosters, shall be kept.(c)No slaughter of chickens for consumption or otherwise shall occur as part of this use.(d)Chickens shall be provided with a covered, predato...
Dog Leash Laws
Hampton requires all dogs to be on a leash or under direct control of the owner when off the owner's property. Dogs running at large may be impounded by Animal Control.
Hampton Dog Leash Laws & Off-Leash Rules
Heavy RestrictionsVa. Code § 3.2-6538 - Governing body of any locality may prohibit dogs from running at large; civil penalty
Any locality may by ordinance prohibit the running at large of all or any category of dogs, except dogs used for hunting, in all or any designated portion of such locality during such months as it may designate. Any such locality may also require that dogs be confined, restricted, or penned up during such periods. For the purpose of this section, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roam...
Breed Restrictions
Hampton has no breed ban. City code bars declaring a dog dangerous based on breed alone, instead requiring proof of an actual bite or attack through a court process under Section 5-42.
Hampton Dangerous Dog Declaration Rules
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code Section 5-42
No dog or hybrid canine shall be found to be a dangerous dog:(1)As a result of biting, attacking, or inflicting serious injury on a dog or cat while engaged with its owner as part of lawful hunting or participating in an organized, lawful dog handling event;(2)If the court determines, based on the totality of the evidence before it, or for other good cause, that the dog is not dangerous or a th...
Exotic Pets
Hampton does not ban owning exotic reptiles, but City Code Section 5-11 makes it unlawful to keep a non-native reptile, like an American alligator, in any way that lets it escape or run loose.
Hampton Exotic Reptile Confinement Law
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code Section 5-11
It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any exotic reptile or type of reptile not native to the commonwealth, including but not limited to the American alligator, to keep the reptile in any manner that will permit its escape or to knowingly permit the reptile to run at large. Any violation of this section shall constitute a Class 2 misdemeanor. (Ord. No. 735, § 4-8, 11-10-82; Ord. No...
Cat Rules
Hampton cats must be spayed or neutered and licensed before running loose; unlicensed at-large cats can be impounded, and registered feral-colony caregivers are exempt from licensing under a separate program.
Hampton Cat At-Large & Licensing Rules
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code § 5-38(b)(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any cat owned or kept by him to run or go at large within the city unless the cat is spayed or neutered and properly licensed in accordance with Article IV, sections 5-51 through 5-60 of the Hampton City Code.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Hampton does not require spaying or neutering every pet, but any dog or cat adopted from a city-funded releasing agency must be sterilized within 30 days, backed by a civil penalty up to $250.
Hampton Shelter Adoption Sterilization Rule
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code Section 5-7
Every new owner of a dog or cat adopted from a releasing agency within the city ... shall cause to be sterilized the dog or cat ... within 30 days of the adoption, if the animal is sexually mature ... Any person who violates subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $250.
Pet Store Rules
Hampton allows pet shops to sell dogs and cats under a $50 annual permit with mandatory inspection; dog sales must meet Virginia's sourcing law, and adoption-only operations need no permit at all.
Hampton Pet Shop Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code § 5-83(a), (c), (g)
(a) It shall be unlawful to operate a pet shop, as the term is defined in this chapter, without a valid permit issued under this article... (c) As a condition of permitting, pet shops that sell dogs shall comply with the provisions of the Code of Virginia § 3.2-6513.1, as amended... (g) A permit shall not be required if companion animals are only offered for adoption.
Pet Groomer Rules
Hampton pet groomers, animal hospitals, kennels and stables are taxed as a business service under § 18.1-43, paying 36 cents per $100 of gross receipts once above the flat-fee threshold.
Hampton Pet Groomer Business License Tax
Some RestrictionsHampton City Code § 18.1-43
The local license tax imposed upon a person engaged in providing for compensation any repair, personal, business or other services not specifically classified as "financial, real estate, or professional service" in this chapter, or engaged in any other business or occupation not specifically named in this chapter, or not specifically exempted from local license tax is thirty-six cents ($0.36) p...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Hampton allows veterinary offices and hospitals only in specific zoning districts and requires the use to be wholly enclosed except for a fenced, curfewed outdoor run.
Hampton Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsHampton Zoning Ordinance § 3-3(28)
(28)Veterinarian office/hospital in R-R, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2, M-3, RT-1, LBP, PH-1, PH-2, and PH-3 shall comply with the following minimum conditions:(a)In the R-R district, all buildings and areas used for such purposes shall be located at least one hundred (100) feet from all side and rear property lines.(b)In all districts, the use shall be conducted wholly within an enclosed building except ...
Bird Protection
Hampton's city manager can post nesting areas -- expressly covering birds -- as closed, and entering a posted zone or killing or injuring the animals, nests, or eggs there is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Hampton Posted Nesting Area Protections
Significant RestrictionsHampton City Code §§ 5-110, 5-112
The city manager or his designee is authorized to identify and post as "closed" animal nesting areas within the city identified by a resource management plan. For the purposes of this article animal includes all mammals, birds and fish. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to kill or injure any animal or destroy or injure the nest or eggs of any animal in an area posted "area closed" ... pur...