Animal Ordinances in Lawton, OK (2026)
14 verified animal ordinances for Lawton, Oklahoma, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Keeping horses, goats or other large and small animals in Lawton requires an Animal Welfare Division permit under City Code Article 5-4, capped at two large animals or twelve small animals per property. Backyard chickens and other domestic fowl fall under a separate 25-foot setback rule in Section 5-4-415(B).
Lawton Livestock and Fowl Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsLawton City Code §§ 5-4-404(A), 5-4-408, 5-4-415(B)
No person shall keep, own, maintain, use or have in his possession any small animals or large animals within the city except as provided in this chapter. ... Except as provided in this chapter, no permit shall be issued, or be valid if issued, for the permitting or keeping within the city a combined total of more than two large animals or twelve (12) small animals, except that no permit may be ...
Dog Leash Laws
Lawton makes it unlawful for an owner or keeper to let a dog or any animal run at large anywhere in the city, and Section 5-1-101 caps a "restraint" leash or tether at six feet under the control of a competent person. A first at-large citation starts at a $100 fine and climbs to $200 by the third offense.
Lawton's Leash and At-Large Dog Law
Some RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-1-114
A.It is unlawful for any owner or keeper to fail to prevent or permit any animal from running at large within the city. Any animal found running at large within the city shall be either:1.Impounded by the animal welfare officer and disposed of at the discretion of the city unless reclaimed as provided for in this chapter; or2.At the discretion of the animal welfare officer, an animal found at l...
Breed Restrictions
Lawton's animal code lets the animal welfare division weigh a dog's individual behavior, bite history and temperament when ordering preventive measures, but Section 5-6-602 expressly forbids using that authority to single out an entire breed. Dangerous-animal designations under Section 5-2-201 are likewise defined by what an animal has done, not what breed it is.
Lawton Bars Breed-Specific Animal Rules
Few RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-6-602
The provisions of the Article shall not be interpreted as authorizing the imposition of preventive measures on a breed of animals.
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is allowed in every Lawton zoning district under Section 5-4-415(C). In urban districts, keepers must register with the city, keep colonies at one per 2,500 square feet of lot, and set hives back 35 feet from property lines unless elevated or fenced.
Lawton Backyard Beekeeping Rules
Some RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-4-415(C)
Beekeeping shall be allowed in all zoning districts within the city. However, when bees are kept in urban zoning districts (all zoning districts except A-1, A-2 and P-F) the following provisions shall apply:1.No such beekeeping shall be allowed until the keeper of such bees has registered his beekeeping operation with the city and paid a fee specified in the fee schedule;2.The density of coloni...
Exotic Pets
Lawton bans keeping or displaying any wild or exotic animal as a pet, from lions and wolves to poisonous snakes, raccoons and monkeys, under Section 5-1-111. Large reptiles capable of topping forty pounds are separately barred outright, and the only exceptions are zoos, circuses, educational or medical institutions, and state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators.
Lawton's Ban on Wild and Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-1-111
A.For the purpose of this section, a wild or exotic animal means an animal which is usually not a domestic animal and which can normally be found in the wild state, or which has not been deemed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health to have an established rabies quarantine period, including, but not limited to, lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, wolves, foxes, ... alligators, crocodiles, ap...
Wildlife Feeding
Lawton City Code Section 19-4-410 makes it unlawful to feed, kill, ensnare, trap, or chase prairie dogs anywhere on city-owned property. The feeding ban applies even to city staff and agents acting in an official capacity, the only group exempted from the kill and trap restrictions in the same section.
Lawton Bans Feeding Prairie Dogs on City Land
Heavy RestrictionsLawton City Code § 19-4-410
19-4-410 - Feeding and killing prairie dogs prohibited. No person shall feed, kill, ensnare, trap, chase or attempt to kill prairie dogs in or upon any city property. This section, other than the restriction on feeding prairie dogs, shall not apply to employees or agents of the city acting in their official capacities.
Pet Limits
Lawton caps ownership at three dogs or cats, in any combination, over six months old, per Section 5-5-501(A) of the City Code. Every dog or cat over that age must also carry an individual license from the Animal Welfare Division.
Lawton Dog and Cat Household Limit
Some RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-5-501(A)
Except as specifically provided for herein, it shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, keep or have under his control more than a total of three (3) dogs or cats, including any combination thereof, over six (6) months of age. The owner of every dog or cat shall, obtain a license for each such animal from the Animal Welfare Division.
Cat Rules
Lawton authorizes registered animal rescue groups to run trap-neuter-return programs for feral cat colonies under Section 5-1-103(E), letting eartipped cats be released back where they were trapped instead of impounded. Owned cats over six months old still need a city "A" or "B" license under Section 5-5-501, and no household may keep more than three without a special handler's license.
Lawton's Feral Cat TNR and Colony Rules
Some RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-1-103(E)
E.Trap-neuter-return/TNR shall be permitted, within the city limits of Lawton, by animal rescue groups registered with animal welfare to conduct a TNR program.1.Such organization will oversee registered feral cat colonies and feral cat caregivers;2.An eartipped feral cat received by animal rescue groups or animal welfare will be returned to the location where it was trapped unless veterinary ca...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Lawton makes it unlawful to own or keep any dog or cat over six months old that hasn't been spayed or neutered unless the owner holds an intact-animal "B" license under Section 5-1-105. Violators face a fine of at least $500 or up to thirty days in jail, though a first citation is dismissed if the owner proves compliance within fourteen days.
Lawton's Mandatory Spay/Neuter Requirement
Heavy RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-1-105
A.No person shall own or keep any dog or cat over the age of six (6) months that has not been spayed or neutered unless such person holds a "B" license for an intact dog or cat, issued for such animal under Section 5-5-501 of this code.B.Any person intentionally providing care or sustenance for a dog or cat for 10 days or more shall be deemed the owner of such dog or cat and shall comply with a...
Microchipping
Lawton has no blanket microchip mandate, but Section 5-6-601(C) lets the Animal Welfare Division order a microchip implant, case by case, as a preventive measure for an animal it finds poses a safety risk, alongside spay/neuter and muzzling orders.
Lawton Discretionary Pet Microchip Order
Significant RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-6-601(C)
the division shall have the authority to require appropriate, specific preventive measures which shall include, but are not limited to, the following: requiring the construction or repair of a proper enclosure, fence, or any other similar device that would provide greater assurance for the confinement of the animal, all of which are subject to being specifically approved for their adequacy by t...
Pet Store Rules
Lawton doesn't ban pet-shop sales outright, but Section 5-1-106.1 requires every pet shop to hold a Commercial Advertising/Transfer permit before selling, trading or giving away a dog or cat, and to source animals only from USDA-licensed breeders or breeders holding the city's own BAT permit. Each permit caps sales at fifty dogs or cats per year.
Lawton's Pet Shop Sale Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsLawton City Code § 5-1-106.1
1.No pet shop shall sell, trade, advertise, receive for any compensation or give away or transfer ownership of any dog or cat without first meeting all applicable requirements and criteria as described in Section 5-1-106 of this code and obtaining a Commercial Advertising/Transfer permit in lieu of a Breeding/Advertising/Transfer (BAT) Permit. Pet shops who breed any of their dogs and cats must...
Pet Groomer Rules
Lawton requires every commercial animal establishment, including brick-and-mortar and mobile pet-grooming facilities, to hold a city license before opening under Code Section 7-36-1-3602. Fees follow Schedule A, licenses must be displayed on-site, are non-transferable, and each mobile grooming unit run by the same company needs its own separate license.
Lawton Pet Grooming Facility License
Some RestrictionsLawton, OK Code of Ordinances § 7-36-1-3602
A.No person shall conduct, engage in or operate in any manner a commercial animal establishment within the city without having first obtained a license as provided for in this article.B.The license fees shall be as provided in the fee schedule.C.The license as provided for in this article shall be prominently displayed on the premises of the commercial animal establishment.D.The license shall n...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Lawton's A-2 Suburban District permits a veterinary medical facility by right, but only if the health officer's requirements are met and the use is no more obnoxious than the district's other permitted uses in noise, odor, traffic or danger. Section 18-5-2-508(A)(11) sets that comparative standard.
Lawton A-2 District Veterinary Facility Rules
Some RestrictionsLawton, OK Code of Ordinances § 18-5-2-508(A)(1)-(2), (5), (11)
A.Property and buildings in an A-2 Suburban District shall be used only for the following purposes:1.Detached one-family dwelling;2.Church;...5.The raising of farm animals in accordance with the regulations of the county-city health department, but this is not to be construed to allow commercial feed lots;...11.Veterinary medical facility, provided it meets requirements of the health officer an...
Bird Protection
Lawton designates its whole corporate area a bird sanctuary under City Code Section 19-4-408, and Section 19-4-409 makes it a citywide offense to trap, shoot, or molest any bird, wild fowl, or their nests. The chief of police enforces the ban, and only city employees or permitted agents may act against nuisance flocks like starlings after a formal review with local wildlife and civic groups.
Lawton's Entire City Limits Is a Bird Sanctuary
Heavy RestrictionsLawton City Code §§ 19-4-408, 19-4-409(A)
19-4-408 - Designation of bird sanctuary. The entire area embraced or hereafter included within the corporate limits of the city is designated as a bird sanctuary. 19-4-409 - Hunting birds prohibited—Exception. A.No person shall trap, shoot or attempt to shoot or molest in any manner any bird or wild fowl or rob bird nests or wild fowl nests in the city.