Animal Ordinances in Harlingen, TX (2026)
7 verified animal ordinances for Harlingen, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Harlingen bans keeping livestock anywhere in the city and limits fowl like chickens to locations at least 250 feet from neighboring homes, schools, or restaurants, capped at 20 birds.
Harlingen Bans Livestock, Restricts Fowl
Significant RestrictionsHarlingen City Code § 6-92
(a) Livestock prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, locate, or maintain any livestock within the city for any period of time. (b) Keeping of fowl restricted. ... Fowl may be kept, located, or maintained within the city only at locations no closer than 250 feet from the nearest private residence structure, school ... except for the family residential unit ... occupied by the p...
Dog Leash Laws
Harlingen bans letting a dog run at large and requires a leash of at least ten feet whenever the dog leaves its keeper's property.
Harlingen Dog Leash and At-Large Law
Light RestrictionsCity Code § 6-146(a)
It shall be unlawful for the keeper of any dog to permit such dog to run at large within the city. Such dog may be allowed beyond the premises of such keeper when leashed to such keeper or other person authorized by such keeper.
Breed Restrictions
Harlingen has no breed-specific ban; instead a municipal court hearing can declare any dog 'vicious' under Chapter 6, triggering a $100,000 insurance mandate or court-ordered destruction of the animal.
Harlingen Dangerous Dog Declaration & Rules
Few Restrictions§ 6-203(f)
If such dog appears to be a vicious animal as defined in section 6-117, a hearing shall be held before the judge of the municipal court wherein evidence shall be presented by the city prosecutor that such dog meets the definition of a vicious animal. If the judge of the municipal court finds that the dog meets the definition of a vicious animal, the judge of the municipal court shall order the ...
Beekeeping
Harlingen outlaws keeping bees or running an apiary anywhere inside city limits, treating any hive as a declared nuisance.
Harlingen Bans Beekeeping Citywide
Heavy RestrictionsCity Code § 6-2
The keeping of bees or the operating of an apiary within the city limits is hereby declared a nuisance and is hereby prohibited and made unlawful. Any person who causes, suffers, or permits the keeping of bees or the operating of an apiary within the city limits shall be deemed guilty of an offense.
Exotic Pets
Harlingen prohibits keeping lions, wolves, bears, primates, and other wild animals as pets citywide, with narrow exceptions for licensed zoos, circuses, and schools.
Harlingen Bans Keeping Wild Animals as Pets
Some RestrictionsHarlingen City Code § 6-123
It shall be unlawful to harbor, have, keep, or possess any wild animal or poisonous reptiles within the city limits except in an approved zoo, circus, school, or college for educational purposes. Possession of a wild animal pursuant to this section may be subject to regulations prescribed by the city environmental health director for indemnification of the city, proof of insurance and such othe...
Pet Limits
Harlingen makes it a criminal offense to harbor more than five dogs or cats combined per dwelling unit in residential, multi-family, and mobile-home zones.
Harlingen Caps Households at Five Dogs or Cats
Some RestrictionsHarlingen, TX Code of Ordinances § 6-150
A person commits an offense if he harbors more than five dogs or cats, or any combination of dogs and cats, more than eight weeks old on the premises of a dwelling unit that shares a common wall with another dwelling unit or that shares no common wall with another dwelling unit in an area zoned as non-designated (N), residential (R-1 or R-2), multi-family (M-1 or M-2), and/or mobile-home (MH).
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Harlingen has no mandate to spay or neuter a pet. Section 6-146(g) instead zeroes out the first at large fine for a microchipped, altered dog or cat, and lets a dog owner cut $200.00 off the fine by showing the court proof before the court date.
Harlingen Waives Fines for Altered Pets
Light RestrictionsCity Code § 6-146(g)
For first time offenses, if the dog or cat has been microchipped and spayed or neutered, the fine for any violation of subsections (a)-(e) shall be zero dollars. ... For dogs that have not been microchipped and spayed or neutered, the owner may have the fine reduced by the court by $200.00 if proof from a licensed veterinarian or animal shelter of the dog being microchipped and spayed or neuter...
Looking for Cameron County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Harlingen city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Cameron County →