Animal Ordinances in Orem, UT (2026)
11 verified animal ordinances for Orem, Utah, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Orem permits backyard hen chickens (no roosters) on single-family lots under one acre, with the number scaled to lot size (2 hens at 5,000 sq ft up to 12 at 30,000 sq ft). Larger livestock such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and turkeys require at least one acre.
Backyard hens allowed by lot size; livestock needs 1 acre
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code Section 22-6-10.C.7
The keeping of hen chickens (no roosters) shall be permitted in a residential zone on a single-family lot less than one (1) acre [subject to lot-size limits]. Chickens must be kept in a predator resistant coop or chicken tractor at night which shall be set back at least 10 feet from all property lines.
Dog Leash Laws
Orem requires all dogs to be leashed or contained at all times, including in most city parks. The only designated off-leash area is the dog park at Timpanogos Park. All dogs over 4 months must be licensed annually.
Orem Dog Leash Law
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code Chapter 5 - Animal Control
Dogs must be leashed at all times, even in a majority of the city parks. The only city park available to let dogs run free is at the dog park area at Timpanogos Park. No person may harbor or possess more than two (2) dogs or two (2) cats, four (4) months of age or older.
Breed Restrictions
Orem has no breed-specific ordinance, and it cannot enact one. Utah Code Section 18-2-101 prohibits any municipality from adopting or enforcing breed-specific dog rules and voids any that exist, so pit bulls and other breeds are legal in Orem.
No breed bans allowed; Utah state law preempts BSL
Few RestrictionsUtah Code Section 18-2-101 (Regulation of dogs by a municipality)
(1) A municipality may not adopt or enforce a breed-specific rule, regulation, policy, or ordinance regarding dogs. (2) Any breed-specific rule, regulation, policy, or ordinance regarding dogs is void.
Beekeeping
Orem allows backyard beekeeping in every residential zone under Orem City Code Section 22-6-10(L), capped at two hives in R5 through R8 and three in R12/R20 (five on half-acre-plus lots). Hives must sit 15 feet from property lines, and beekeepers must register with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
Orem Backyard Beekeeping Hive Limits
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 22-6-10(L)
As provided in this section, an apiary may be maintained in the rear yard of residential lots as provided below: No more than two (2) hives in residential zones R5, R6, R6.5, R7.5 and R8. No more than three (3) hives in residential zones R12 and R20, but if the residential lot is ½ acre or larger, then an apiary with no more than five (5) hives may be maintained...Hives shall be placed at least...
Exotic Pets
Orem bans keeping, selling, or trading a defined list of wild animals: bears, non-domesticated wild cats, coyotes, foxes, wolves, monkeys and apes, raccoons, skunks, venomous snakes, venomous fish and piranha, and non-domesticated weasels, no matter how tame the individual animal is. Zoos, shelters, vets, labs, and circuses may keep them only if properly secured.
Orem Bans Keeping Wild and Dangerous Animals as Pets
Heavy RestrictionsOrem City Code §§ 5-1-1(W) (Definitions), 5-1-7 (Wild Animals)
W. Wild Animal: Any of the following animals, no matter how domesticated they may be: Alligators and crocodiles. Bears (ursidae). Cat family (felidae), except the commonly accepted domesticated cats. Coyotes, foxes and wolves. Porcupine (erethizontiade). Monkeys, apes and lemurs. Raccoon (prosynnidae). Skunks. Venomous snakes or lizards. Venomous fish and piranha. Weasels (mustelidae), except t...
Pet Limits
Orem limits households to a maximum of two dogs and two cats (four months of age or older) per lot. Dogs over four months old must also be licensed annually and kept current on rabies vaccination.
No more than 2 dogs and 2 cats per lot in Orem
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code Section 22-6-10.C.3
The maximum number of dogs or cats four months of age or older shall not exceed two (2) each per lot.
Cat Rules
Every cat in Orem four months or older must carry a current rabies vaccination: the first shot within 30 days of turning four months or arriving in the city, then revaccinated every 12 months, half the 24-month interval the code sets for dogs. Skip the collar tag and the cat is presumed unvaccinated and impoundable.
Orem Cat Rabies Vaccination Required Every 12 Months
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 5-4-2 (Control of Rabies and Rabid Animals)
The owner or custodian of a dog or cat four (4) months of age or over shall have the animal vaccinated within thirty (30) days after it reaches this age. Unvaccinated dogs or cats over four (4) months of age, which are acquired by the owner or brought into the City, shall be vaccinated within thirty (30) days of acquisition or of being moved into the City. Every dog shall be revaccinated every ...
Pet Store Rules
Orem's animal control chapter singles out one species-specific retail ban: pet shops in the city may not raise or sell red-eared slider turtles or the closely related Cumberland slider, listed by their scientific names. The code sets no adoption-only mandate and no general ban on stores selling dogs, cats, or other animals.
Orem Pet Shops Banned From Selling Certain Turtles
Light RestrictionsOrem City Code § 5-1-6 (Sale of Certain Turtles Prohibited)
It shall be unlawful for any pet shop to raise or sell any Pseudemys Scripta-Elegans, or P. Troostii family Testudinidae ("Pet Turtles").
Pet Groomer Rules
Run a dog or cat grooming business out of a residential zone in Orem and the code drops one hard rule on it: every part of the operation must happen inside an enclosed building, and no animal may stay on the premises overnight. There is no separate grooming license listed in this chapter.
Orem Grooming Parlors Must Operate Fully Enclosed
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 5-1-12 (Grooming Parlors)
Where the business of a grooming parlor is carried on within any residential zone, all the activities of the business shall be conducted entirely within the confines of an enclosed building, and there shall be no keeping of any animal overnight.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Orem's zoning code lists veterinary services and small animal hospitals as Standard Land Use Code 6515 in Appendix A, and permits the use by right in only five zones: C2, C3, HS, M1 and M2. Every residential zone (R5 through R20), OS5/ROS, PO, C1, CM, BP and PF are marked "N," meaning the use is not permitted there at all, not even conditionally.
Where a Veterinary Clinic Can Locate in Orem
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 22-19-1 (Land Uses by Zone) and Appendix A (SLU 6515)
22-19-1. Land Uses by Zone. Uses which are permitted, not permitted, and uses which require a conditional use permit are listed in Appendix A, which is incorporated herein by this reference. In Appendix A, permitted uses are identified with a "P" in the zone in which they are permitted. If a use requires a conditional use permit in a zone, it is identified with a "C" and the provisions of Artic...
Bird Protection
Orem City Code makes it a criminal offense to take or kill any bird, or to rob or destroy any bird's nest, egg, or young, whenever doing so violates Utah's wildlife laws. The city folds the state's protections into its own animal control chapter, giving Orem police an independent citywide charge.
Orem Ban on Killing Birds or Destroying Nests
Some RestrictionsOrem City Code § 5-1-3 (Cruelty to Animals Prohibited)
It shall be unlawful for any person to take or kill any bird, or to rob or destroy any nest, egg or young of any bird in violation of the laws of the State of Utah.
Looking for Utah County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Orem city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Utah County →