Animal Ordinances in Irving, TX (2026)
9 verified animal ordinances for Irving, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Irving regulates livestock by zoning district. Most residential districts prohibit large livestock. Properties in qualifying zoning districts must comply with animal density and lot size requirements.
Irving Livestock Regulations
Some RestrictionsTex. Agriculture Code Sec. 142.001 (Estrays - Definitions)
Sec. 142.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:(1) "Estray" means stray livestock, stray exotic livestock, stray bison, or stray exotic fowl.(2) "Perilous condition" means a circumstance or condition in which capture and impoundment of an estray presents an immediate threat to law enforcement personnel or to the health of the estray.(3) "Person" does not include the government or a governmenta...
Dog Leash Laws
Irving dog owners must keep animals from running at large under Sec. 6-80(a): confined or restrained on a leash strong enough to prevent unwanted contact, per the Sec. 6-1 definition. Once animal services declares a dog dangerous, Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.042 gives the owner 30 days to register it, leash or enclose it, and carry $100,000 in liability coverage; Irving's ordinance raises that floor to a 6-foot leash and $250,000 in insurance.
Irving Dangerous Dog Leash and Restraint Rules
Significant RestrictionsTex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.042
Sec. 822.042. REQUIREMENTS FOR OWNER OF DANGEROUS DOG. (a) Not later than the 30th day after a person learns that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, the person shall: (1) register the dangerous dog with the animal control authority for the area in which the dog is kept; (2) restrain the dangerous dog at all times on a leash in the immediate control of a person or in a secure enclosure;...
Beekeeping
Texas Property Code § 202.007 prohibits HOAs from banning beekeeping that complies with TX Apiary Inspection Act. Irving allows beekeeping subject to nuisance provisions in Ch. 6.
Irving Beekeeping Regulations
Light RestrictionsTexas Agriculture Code Sec. 131.045
BEEKEEPER REGISTRATION. (a) Each beekeeper in this state may register on an annual basis with the chief apiary inspector. A registration under this section expires August 31 following the date the registration is issued. (b) A registration must include: (1) information required by the chief apiary inspector; and (2) the county or counties in which the beekeeper operates. (c) The inspector may r...
Exotic Pets
Irving Ch. 6 regulates the keeping of wild and exotic animals. Texas Parks and Wildlife regulates possession of dangerous wild animals under Health & Safety Code Ch. 822, Subchapter E.
Irving Exotic Pet Regulations
Some RestrictionsTexas Health and Safety Code Sec. 822.103
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION; FEES. (a) A person may not own, harbor, or have custody or control of a dangerous wild animal for any purpose unless the person holds a certificate of registration for that animal issued by an animal registration agency. (b) A certificate of registration issued under this subchapter is not transferrable and is valid for one year after its date of issuance or renewal...
Pet Limits
Irving caps a single residence at eight companion animals four months or older, counting dogs and cats together. A household may also keep no more than two litters of offspring at the same time. Irving Animal Services enforces the limit under Chapter 6.
Irving Pet Limits: Max Eight Animals Per Household
Light RestrictionsIrving Code of Ordinances § 6-92 (Maximum number of companion animals); Ordinance 2021-10468, § 2, adopted 7/22/2021
(a) A person commits an offense if he/she owns more than eight (8) companion animals, four (4) months of age or older, on the premises of a single residence within the city at any given time. (b) A person commits an offense if he/she keeps on the premises of a single residence, more than two (2) litters or other groups of offspring of companion animals at the same time.
Cat Rules
Irving treats a cat running loose the same as any other animal at large: the owner is on the hook under Sec. 6-80(a) for failing to prevent it or to secure it, unless the cat is part of a recognized colony. Sec. 6-80(g)(1) carves out a specific defense for feral and community cats that have been sterilized, rabies-vaccinated, and ear-notched, letting supervised colonies avoid citation.
Irving Cat At-Large and Feral Colony Rules
Some RestrictionsIrving Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances § 6-80
§ 6-80. Animal nuisances. The owner of any animal in the city is responsible for the behavior and conduct of that animal at all times, including conduct that creates a public nuisance. A person commits an offense if by act, omission or possession, he/she allows an animal to create a public nuisance. The following are public nuisances: (a) Animals at large. (1) A person commits an offense if he/...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Irving doesn't require every pet to be spayed or neutered, but two triggers make it mandatory. Sec. 6-34 forces sterilization within 30 days on any dog or cat that bites a person, animal, or livestock while at large, and Sec. 6-22(a)(3) adds a second trigger: any dog, cat, or rabbit impounded more than once in a 12-month span must be sterilized before release.
Irving Mandatory Spay/Neuter for Biting Pets
Some RestrictionsIrving Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances § 6-34
§ 6-34. Sterilization requirements for biting dogs and cats. (a) Any dog or cat that bites a person, domestic animal or livestock while at large shall be required to be sterilized within thirty (30) days of the bite occurrence. For the purposes of this subsection, proof of sterilization shall be a sterilization certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian, or the owner of the animal may provid...
Microchipping
Irving requires every dog and cat over four months old to carry a microchip registered with a microchip company, not just a collar tag. Sec. 6-15 of the Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances makes it an offense to keep an unchipped pet, misuse another animal's chip number, or let a dog or cat go outdoors without an ID tag bearing the owner's name and current phone number.
Irving Microchip and ID Tag Requirement
Some RestrictionsIrving Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances § 6-15
§ 6-15. Microchip, microchip registration and ID tag required for dogs and cats. (a) A person who resides in the city commits an offense if he/she is the owner of a dog or cat over four (4) months of age that is not implanted with a microchip and registered with a microchip registration company. (1) The owner of a dog or cat shall maintain his/her current contact information with a microchip re...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Irving's Unified Development Code treats veterinary clinics and animal hospitals as their own zoning use, not as ordinary professional offices. Section 2.5.4(a)(7) expressly excludes 'animal grooming salons, dog kennels, funeral homes, veterinarian and veterinary hospitals' from the Professional Office district's use list, and the Non-Residential Land Use Table permits enclosed veterinary clinics by right only in Neighborhood and Community Commercial zoning, with outside runs or boarding requiring a Conditional Use Permit.
Irving Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsIrving Unified Development Code § 2.5.4(a)(7) (Professional Office District, Principal Uses)
Professional offices for the conduct of the following professional and semi-professional occupations: accountant, architect, attorney, dentist, engineer, insurance agent, real estate agent, personal or family counselor, chiropractor, physical therapist, physician, public secretary, surgeon; or any other office or profession which is of the same general character as the foregoing, but excluding ...
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