Animal Ordinances in Lansing, MI (2026)
5 verified animal ordinances for Lansing, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Lansing permits up to five hens on a one- or two-family residential lot, no roosters, ducks, peacocks, turkeys, or emus, with coop setback and rodent-control rules.
Lansing Backyard Chicken Rules
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1250.02.04(d)
No livestock or poultry shall be owned, kept, possessed, harbored or kept charge of except as provided for below: (1) No more than five hens may be kept on any one- or two-family residential property, and no roosters, ducks, peacocks, turkeys or emus shall be allowed; ... (3) A covered enclosure or fenced enclosure shall not be located closer than ten feet from the property line of any adjacent...
Dog Leash Laws
Lansing prohibits letting a dog run loose off the owner's property; dogs must stay confined or be on a leash held by someone able to control them at all times.
Lansing Dogs Running at Large Ban
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 610.02
(a)No dog owner shall permit his or her dog to run at large within the City. A dog running at large in violation of this chapter at least twice within any continuous six-month period of time is hereby deemed to be a nuisance.(b)A dog owner is required to confine or secure his or her dog within the limits of the owner's premises, except when the dog is securely tethered on a leash and under the ...
Exotic Pets
Lansing bans keeping wild animals in any residential zoning district under Section 1250.02.04(c) of the Zoning Code, which defines 'wild animal' broadly to include alligators, bears, raccoons, wild cats, primates, poisonous snakes and spiders, and other undomesticated species. Ingham County residents can't keep these as pets even in a private home.
Lansing, MI Wild Animal Pet Ban
Heavy RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1250.02.04(a),(c)
1250.02.04. - Keeping of animals. (a)Definitions. As used in this section: Wild animal means any animal not domesticated by humans or any animal which a person is prohibited from possessing by law. Wild animals shall include, but shall not be limited to, the families of the following: alligator, deer, opossum, badger, wild dog, dog-wolf, coyote, weasel, bear, raccoon, skunk, wild cat, lemur, ma...
Pet Limits
Lansing allows household pets like dogs, cats, fish, birds, and hamsters as an accessory use in every zoning district, but Section 1250.02.04(b)(2) caps dogs at three per dwelling unit for animals four months or older. Ingham County residents with more than three adult dogs at one address are exceeding the Zoning Code's pet limit.
Lansing, MI Household Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1250.02.04(b)(1)-(2)
1250.02.04. - Keeping of animals. (b)Household pets.(1)The keeping of household pets, including dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters and other animals generally regarded as commonly housed inside human dwellings as household pets, is permitted as an accessory use in any zoning district.(2)No more than three dogs, four months of age and older, shall be kept or housed in or at one dwelling unit.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Veterinary clinics need conditional-use approval in every Commercial Mixed-Use district in Lansing, and must operate inside a fully enclosed, soundproof building that keeps noise and odor off the lot line.
Lansing Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Significant RestrictionsLansing Codified Ordinances § 1243.03
Animal Hospital C C C C C C All operations must be completely enclosed in a soundproof building in such a way as to not produce any objectionable noises or odors at the lot lines. Bank P P P P P P Boarding House C C C S C C 1. Permitted on non-local streets. 2. Staff must be on-site or on-call 24 hours a day. Clinic C C C C C C At least one property line abutting and all points of ingress/...