Animal Ordinances in Maricopa, AZ (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Maricopa, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Maricopa City Code §18.80.030 allows urban chickens with conditions: no more than six hens on an individual lot. The enclosure must be in the rear or side yard, at least 10 feet from a neighboring property, no larger than 200 square feet, and no taller than eight feet. Roosters are not authorized under the hen allowance.
Maricopa Backyard Chickens & Hens (Six Hens Max; 200 sq ft Coop)
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Maricopa City Code §12.20.020 requires dogs in city parks to be on a leash of not more than six feet ('direct control'); voice control and tethering do not qualify. The city adopts the Pinal County Rabies and Animal Control Ordinance (No. 050510-ACC) by reference (§6.05.010), under which no dog may be at large.
Maricopa Dog Leash Law (Six-Foot Direct Control in Parks; County At-Large Rule)
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Maricopa imposes no breed-specific bans. Arizona law (A.R.S. §9-499.04, as amended by SB 1248) prohibits cities, towns, and counties from enacting or enforcing breed-specific dog regulation: a city may regulate dogs only if the rule is not specific to any breed. Maricopa instead regulates dangerous and vicious animals by behavior.
Maricopa Breed Restrictions (No Breed-Specific Bans - Preempted by A.R.S. §9-499.04)
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Maricopa City Code §18.80.030 addresses apiaries directly: buildings or hives for apiaries may not be closer than 75 feet to any neighboring residence. Beekeeping is therefore allowed where lot dimensions can meet that setback. Africanized bee management is also subject to Arizona state agricultural oversight.
Maricopa Beekeeping (Apiary Hives 75 ft From Neighboring Residence)
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
The City of Maricopa has no separate published exotic-pet ordinance; possession of non-domestic species is controlled by Arizona state law. A.R.S. §17-306 bars possessing live wildlife except as authorized, and Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-406 designates restricted live wildlife - including the entire order Carnivora (foxes, skunks, raccoons, big cats, etc.) - which generally cannot be kept without a special license.
Maricopa Exotic Pets (Governed by Arizona Restricted Wildlife Law)
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Maricopa's animal rules prohibit feeding, maintaining, or harboring stray or feral animals on public or private property without the property owner's permission, with the feeder responsible for humane removal. Feeding of wild game animals is separately controlled by Arizona Game and Fish under state law; the city does not publish a distinct backyard-wildlife-feeding ordinance.
Maricopa Wildlife & Stray Feeding (Stray/Feral Feeding Prohibited; State Wildlife Law)
Some RestrictionsLivestock
Maricopa City Code §18.80.030 allows horses on lots at least one acre - up to three horses on one acre, plus one additional horse for each 3,000 square feet above one acre. Commercial livestock operations (horses, cattle, sheep, goats, ostriches, swine) require larger sites, and pens, corrals, and similar structures must be at least 200 feet from any residential, commercial, or industrial district.
Maricopa Livestock & Horses (1-Acre Minimum for Horses; 200-ft Setbacks)
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Maricopa has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but hoarding situations are reached through several rules: the zoning four-dog limit (§18.80.030), public-nuisance and cruelty/neglect provisions in the adopted Pinal County Rabies and Animal Control Ordinance, and Arizona's animal-cruelty statute (A.R.S. §13-2910), which Maricopa enforcement references.
Maricopa Animal Hoarding (Nuisance, Cruelty & Pet-Limit Enforcement)
Some RestrictionsPet Limits
Maricopa City Code §18.80.030 caps household dogs at a maximum of four in all zoning districts except rural districts. The limit does not apply to small animals kept within a residence - including cats, fish, small birds, rodents, and reptiles - which have no numerical cap under this section.
Maricopa Pet Limits (Four Dogs Max in Non-Rural Zones; Cats Uncounted)
Some RestrictionsCat Rules
Maricopa City Code §18.80.030 places no numerical limit on cats kept within a residence, treating them as small indoor animals alongside fish, birds, rodents, and reptiles. Cats are still subject to rabies-control, bite-reporting, and park rules under the adopted Pinal County Rabies and Animal Control Ordinance and the city parks chapter.