Animal Ordinances in Louisville, KY (2026)
14 verified animal ordinances for Louisville, Kentucky, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Louisville may permit backyard chickens with limits on flock size and setbacks. Roosters typically banned in residential zones. Kentucky Right to Farm Law protects agricultural operations.
Louisville Chickens & Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
LMCO Chapter 91 (§ 91.002) requires all dogs off the owner's premises to be restrained by a lead or leash controlled by a responsible person. Dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs require a leash no longer than 4 feet and must be securely muzzled when off the owner's property. Off-leash areas in designated Metro Parks are permitted exceptions.
Louisville Metro Dog Leash Laws
Heavy RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Louisville Metro currently does not enforce breed-specific legislation (BSL). Previous pit bull-related restrictions were repealed. Dogs are regulated by behavior (dangerous/potentially dangerous classifications) rather than breed. Kentucky state law (KRS 258.235) prohibits local BSL statewide.
Louisville Metro Dog Breed Restrictions
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Louisville Metro allows beekeeping under its 2021 Urban Agriculture amendments to the Land Development Code. No specific standalone beekeeping ordinance exists; hives are regulated as part of urban agriculture uses. State regulations under KRS Chapter 252 (bee disease control) apply.
Louisville Metro Beekeeping
Few RestrictionsExotic Pets
LMCO Chapter 91 § 91.140 regulates exotic species in Louisville Metro. Prohibited wild animals may not be kept without express written permission from the Director of Metro Animal Services. Theatrical exhibitions featuring prohibited wild animals require a permit. Most exotic wildlife is not permitted as pets in Jefferson County.
Louisville Metro Exotic & Prohibited Animals
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Louisville Metro does not have a blanket ordinance against feeding backyard songbirds, but intentionally feeding deer, raccoons, coyotes, and other wildlife that creates a nuisance can violate LMCO Chapter 91 (animal control) and state wildlife regulations. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources prohibits feeding deer in certain counties to control chronic wasting disease.
Wildlife Feeding in Louisville
Some RestrictionsLivestock
Livestock is restricted in most of Louisville Metro's urban services district. Backyard chickens (hens only, no roosters) are allowed in most residential zones under LMCO Chapter 91 with flock size limits and coop setback rules. Larger livestock like goats, horses, and cattle require agricultural zoning or minimum lot sizes typically only found in the outer suburban and rural parts of Jefferson County.
Livestock Rules in Louisville
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Louisville Metro Code Chapter 91 caps household pet numbers and lets Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) intervene when conditions endanger animal welfare or public sanitation, including in suspected hoarding situations.
Animal Hoarding and Excessive Numbers
Some RestrictionsPet Limits
Louisville Metro Code limits the number of dogs and cats per household; exceeding the limit triggers kennel-license requirements under Chapter 91 and may run afoul of Land Development Code zoning restrictions for residential districts.
Household Pet Number Limits
Some RestrictionsCat Rules
Louisville Metro Code Chapter 91 requires cats four months and older to be licensed, vaccinated for rabies, and either confined indoors or on the owner's property; community-cat trap-neuter-return programs operate through LMAS partners.
Cat Licensing and Free-Roaming Rules
Some RestrictionsMandatory Spay/Neuter
Louisville Metro Code Chapter 91 requires that dogs and cats reclaimed from LMAS after running at large, or adopted from the shelter, be spayed or neutered unless the owner pays an unaltered-animal license and meets specific exemptions.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter for Reclaimed Animals
Heavy RestrictionsMicrochipping
Louisville Metro encourages but does not universally mandate microchipping; LMAS scans every impounded animal, registers chips at adoption, and treats microchip data as primary evidence of ownership in disputed claims.
Microchipping and Lost-Pet Recovery
Few RestrictionsCoyote Management
Coyotes are common across Jefferson County parks and neighborhoods; Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources sets hunting and trapping rules statewide, while LMAS and Metro Parks handle local conflict reports and hazing guidance.
Coyote and Urban Wildlife Conflicts
Few RestrictionsPet Store Rules
Pet stores in Louisville Metro must hold a business license under Chapter 110 and comply with LMAS care, sourcing, and disclosure standards; commercial kennel zoning is governed by Land Development Code Chapter 156 and Form Districts.
Pet Store and Retail Animal Sales
Some RestrictionsLooking for Jefferson County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Louisville city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Jefferson County →