Animal Ordinances in Noblesville, IN (2026)
7 verified animal ordinances for Noblesville, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Noblesville is one of the most restrictive Hamilton County cities on backyard chickens. Section 90.27 of the Noblesville Code of Ordinances (Title IX, Chapter 90 - Animals) flatly prohibits keeping, raising, confining or feeding hogs, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep or cows within the corporate limits unless the parcel is in an area zoned agricultural. There is no residential hen permit, no numeric hen cap, and no setback alternative - chickens are simply not allowed on residentially zoned lots inside Noblesville. This puts Noblesville in contrast to neighboring Carmel, Westfield and Fishers, which permit limited backyard hens under various local rules.
Noblesville Chickens & Backyard Hens (Code Sec. 90.27 - Certain Animals Prohibited)
Heavy RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Section 90.12 of the Noblesville Code ('Restraint of Animals/Animals at Large') makes it unlawful for any owner or custodian to allow an animal to run at large within the city. Dogs must be on a leash and under the direct control of a competent person when on public property or property open to the public. Dogs may be off-leash only on the owner's own property under direct voice command, or inside designated dog parks. Section 90.03 imposes a general duty of care, and the City's tethering rule prohibits chaining a dog between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. or tethering at a vacant property unattended, with a 12-foot minimum tether length and operable swivels on both ends.
Noblesville Dog Leash & Restraint Rules (Code Sec. 90.12 - Restraint of Animals)
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
The City of Noblesville does not have a breed-specific dog ban. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, and other commonly-restricted breeds are legal to own in Noblesville without breed-specific permits, muzzle, insurance, or enclosure requirements. Indiana has NO statewide preemption of breed-specific legislation - the Indiana Court of Appeals struck down Indianapolis' attempt at a pit-bull ordinance on procedural grounds in 2009, and some Indiana cities do have BSL - but Noblesville and Hamilton County rely on the conduct-based Indiana Dangerous Dog statute (IC 15-20-1) and Chapter 90 of the City Code instead.
Noblesville Breed Restrictions (No BSL; Conduct-Based Dangerous-Dog Rule)
Few RestrictionsBeekeeping
Backyard beekeeping is permissive in Noblesville. Indiana Code 36-1-28-1 (Public Law 193-2019, effective July 1, 2019) preempts any Indiana city, county, town, or township from adopting or continuing an ordinance, rule, regulation or resolution that prohibits a person from beekeeping on property the person owns, rents, or leases. Municipalities may still regulate the NUMBER and LOCATION of hives, but only in conformity with standards established by the Apiary Inspectors of America. Noblesville Code Sec. 90.27 (which prohibits residential keeping of hogs, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and cows) does NOT list bees, and the City has not enacted a hive-count cap.
Noblesville Beekeeping (Protected by Indiana Code 36-1-28 Honeybee Preemption)
Few RestrictionsExotic Pets
Indiana regulates private possession of wild and exotic animals through a state Wild Animal Possession Permit administered by the Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife under IC 14-22-26 and 312 IAC 9-11. Animals are classified into Class I (raccoons, opossums, squirrels - permit required), Class II (beavers, coyotes, foxes, mink, bobcats, smaller wild cats - permit required), and Class III (potentially dangerous - bears, big cats, wolves, venomous reptiles, large constrictors and crocodilians - strict permit required). Noblesville Code Chapter 90 (notably Sec. 90.10) provides a city overlay for wild or exotic animals; Sec. 90.27 separately bars residential keeping of traditional livestock. The federal Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022 also prohibits private big-cat ownership nationwide.
Noblesville Exotic Pets (Indiana DNR Wild Animal Permit; IC 14-22-26)
Some RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
The City of Noblesville does not have a specific wildlife-feeding ordinance in Chapter 90 of the Code, and Hamilton County does not impose a county-wide feeding ban. Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish & Wildlife rules govern statewide. Indiana prohibits feeding or baiting of deer for hunting on public land, and the DNR strongly discourages residential deer feeding for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) management reasons. Bear feeding is not a routine issue in central Indiana (Hamilton County is outside established black-bear range). Residential bird feeders are unregulated. Feeding that creates a public-safety nuisance can be addressed under general Noblesville Code nuisance provisions.
Noblesville Wildlife Feeding (No City Ordinance; Indiana DNR Rules Apply)
Few RestrictionsLivestock
Section 90.27 of the Noblesville Code of Ordinances (Title IX, Chapter 90 - Animals) prohibits keeping, raising, confining or feeding hogs, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep or cows within the corporate limits of the city unless the parcel is in an area zoned agricultural. Horses are not on the Sec. 90.27 list, but the Noblesville Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) accessory-use and zoning-district provisions effectively limit large-animal keeping to rural-zoned acreage. Indiana has no statewide preemption that would override the City's choice, and Sec. 90.27 has no residential permit or setback alternative. Hamilton County's Title 15 Agriculture and Animals Ordinance governs the unincorporated balance of the county.
Noblesville Livestock (Sec. 90.27 Prohibition; Agricultural Zoning Required)
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Hamilton County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Noblesville city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Hamilton County →