Animal Ordinances in Oklahoma City, OK (2026)
12 verified animal ordinances for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
OKC zoning caps backyard flocks at six hens or quail on lots under an acre, bans roosters, and sets coop setback and care rules.
Backyard Chickens in Oklahoma City
Some RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code § 59-9350.7.1
On parcels of less than one acre, keeping, feeding, and maintaining of up to a total of six chickens (hens) or quail shall be permitted.(1)No roosters shall be allowed.(2)Chickens and quail shall be sheltered in a coop and shall not be allowed inside a dwelling.(3)A coop shall provide at least four square feet of space per chicken or quail. Coops shall be located no closer than five feet from a...
Dog Leash Laws
Oklahoma City bans letting a dog run at large or trespass on others' property; off your own land a dog must be under direct control, meaning leashed, tethered, or voice-controlled only during training or shows.
Oklahoma City Dog Leash and At-Large Law
Some RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code §§ 8-38, 8-39, 8-5(a)(5)
(a)It shall be unlawful for the owner, keeper or other person in control of any dog, livestock or domesticated fowl other than homing pigeons to permit the same to be at large, or to trespass upon the property of any other person.(b)A violation of this section, upon conviction, shall be a Class "a" offense.(c)Any dog which is at large or trespassing shall be impounded and shall only be reclaime...
Breed Restrictions
Oklahoma City has no breed-specific dog ban. Individual animals are instead classified as "menacing" or "dangerous" under Municipal Code § 8-131 based on documented bites, aggression, or fighting use: never by breed.
No Breed Bans: OKC Dangerous Dog Law
Some RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-131(c)
(c)Dangerous animal means any animal:(1)that bites or inflicts an injury upon a person or domestic animal; or(2)that is owned, trained, used, or harbored, primarily or in part, for the purpose of animal fighting.
Exotic Pets
Oklahoma City outright bans keeping big cats, bears, wolves, venomous reptiles, primates, and crocodilians as pets, declaring possession a public nuisance per se under the city's Exotic Wildlife Abatement Ordinance.
Exotic Wildlife Ban in Oklahoma City
Heavy RestrictionsOklahoma City Code § 35-214
(a)The keeping or harboring of exotic wildlife within the corporate limits of the City is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance per se.(b)The use of any land within the corporate limits of the City to keep or harbor exotic wildlife is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance per se.(c)The keeping or harboring of exotic wildlife within the corporate limits of the City is hereby ...
Wildlife Feeding
Oklahoma City bans feeding feral animals, wildlife, or fowl in any city park under Municipal Code § 38-93(g). The Parks and Recreation Department enforces the rule against anyone putting out food for deer, geese, ducks, or strays on park grounds. Violators face a Class "a" misdemeanor unless they hold a permit or feed under the Community Cats Project.
Feeding Wildlife Banned in Oklahoma City Parks
Significant RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code § 38-93(g)
No individual shall feed, bait, or otherwise provide access to food for feral animals, wildlife, or fowl within any park, except as specifically authorized in this Code or as authorized by revocable permit or special event permit. It shall be an affirmative defense to any prosecution under this subsection that an individual was feeding feral cats pursuant to the Community Cats Project. (Ord. N...
Pet Limits
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-37 caps any household at four dogs and four cats over six months old, holding the owner or occupant responsible for the whole household's animals. Households that need more can obtain a kennel license under Article V rather than exceed the cap illegally.
Oklahoma City Pet Limit: Four Dogs, Four Cats
Some RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-37
§ 8-37. - Number of dogs and cats permitted. (a)No person shall harbor or keep dogs or cats totaling more than four of each over the age of six months in any household. The owner or occupant shall be held responsible for any violation of this section by any member of such household.(b)Exception. Households that obtain a kennel license as provided in Article V of this Chapter may harbor or keep ...
Cat Rules
Feral and stray cats picked up by Animal Welfare become city property and can skip the normal stray hold if eligible for the Community Cats Project, which sterilizes, vaccinates, and returns them outdoors instead of routing them through the standard shelter track.
Oklahoma City Feral Cat Colony Rules
Some Restrictions§ 8-59
Cats that appear to be feral and to be stray may be deemed to be community cats and shall immediately become the property of The City of Oklahoma City. They may be placed into the Community Cats Project upon intake without being held a minimum number of days. Feral or stray cats not placed into the Community Cats Project shall be held for three working days, not including holidays or days the s...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Oklahoma City requires all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered and microchipped before they're released from the shelter, whether adopted, reclaimed by owners, or transferred, with narrow health and purebred exceptions.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter for OKC Shelter Animals
Significant RestrictionsOklahoma City Code § 8-57(b)
All dogs and cats shall be spayed or neutered and micro-chipped prior to being released, including those reclaimed or otherwise returned to their owners. The Animal Welfare Superintendent may exempt the owner of a full-breed registered animal from the requirement to spay or neuter an animal prior to release upon the owner's presentation satisfactory proof of pure breed status as verified by the...
Microchipping
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-57(b) requires every dog and cat to be spayed or neutered and microchipped before the Animal Welfare Division releases it, including animals an owner is reclaiming from impoundment. A full-breed or medically unfit animal can be exempted from the spay/neuter half of the rule, but not from microchipping.
Mandatory Microchipping to Reclaim Pets in OKC
Some RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-57(b)
(b)All dogs and cats shall be spayed or neutered and micro-chipped prior to being released, including those reclaimed or otherwise returned to their owners. The Animal Welfare Superintendent may exempt the owner of a full-breed registered animal from the requirement to spay or neuter an animal prior to release upon the owner's presentation satisfactory proof of pure breed status as verified by ...
Pet Groomer Rules
Oklahoma City classifies pet grooming as Use Unit 8300.8 under the Zoning and Planning Code's commercial use classifications. Table 6200.1 permits grooming shops outright in the RC, NB, C-1, C-2, C-3 and C-4 commercial districts, but bars the use entirely from O-1 and O-2 office zones. Downtown, groomers are permitted in the DBD and DTD-2 design districts.
Pet Grooming Shops Zoning Rules in Oklahoma City
Some RestrictionsOklahoma City Municipal Code § 59-8300.8
8300.8. Animal Sales and Services: Grooming. Grooming of dogs, cats and small domestic animals. Typical uses include dog bathing and clipping salons, or pet grooming shops.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Oklahoma City zoning splits veterinary/kennel uses into two classes: fully enclosed "Restricted" clinics are permitted by-right in most commercial districts, while "General" clinics with outdoor runs need a Special Permit and must keep runs 50 feet from residential zones.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules in Oklahoma City
Some RestrictionsOKC Zoning and Planning Code § 59-9350.11
9350.11. Animal Sales and Services: Kennels and Veterinary, General (59-8300.10). These provisions shall apply in the AA and C-4 Districts: A. No outside runs shall be located within 50 feet of a residential district. B. All outside runs shall be fenced.
Bird Protection
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-69 makes it unlawful to willfully kill a song bird, or to molest or rob the nest of any song bird or wild bird, anywhere in the City. Because the section sets no penalty of its own, § 8-23 makes a violation a Class "a" offense under the Code's general penalty clause.
Song Bird and Nest Protection Law in OKC
Heavy RestrictionsOklahoma City Code § 8-69
§ 8-1. - General intent. The general intent of this Chapter is to protect animals from cruelty, neglect and abuse, to preserve the peace, and to promote the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City by establishing rules and regulations for any person owning, harboring or controlling any animal within the City. § 8-69. - Song birds; killing and robbing of nest prohibited. It shall...