Animal Ordinances in Owensboro, KY (2026)
5 verified animal ordinances for Owensboro, Kentucky, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
In the City of Owensboro, Owensboro Municipal Code § 4-1 bars livestock like horses, cattle, and goats on lots under two acres, § 4-2 bans swine entirely, and § 4-5 allows up to six female chickens per residential lot with strict siting rules. Keeping chickens also requires a $25 permit from the Department of Public Works under § 4-8.
Owensboro Backyard Chicken and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsOwensboro Municipal Code §§ 4-1, 4-2, 4-5, 4-8
Sec. 4-1. - Keeping of livestock regulated.(a)It shall be unlawful to maintain or house, within the corporate limits of the city, any livestock on any lots or parcels less than two (2) acres in size. ... Sec. 4-2. - Swine prohibited.No person shall keep swine within the corporate limits of the city. ... Sec. 4-5. - [Keeping of chickens.]( ... b)Six (6) or fewer female chickens may be kept withi...
Beekeeping
In the City of Owensboro, Owensboro Municipal Code § 4-4 declares the keeping of bees within the corporate limits a nuisance and unlawful outright. Unlike the city's six-hen allowance for chickens, there is no permit, hive-count limit, or residential-zone exception for bees; the rule is a flat citywide ban dating back to the 1955 Code.
Owensboro Bans Beekeeping Within City Limits
Heavy RestrictionsOwensboro Municipal Code §§ 4-4, 4-7, 1-11
Sec. 4-4. - Bees prohibited in the city.The keeping of bees within the corporate limits of the city is hereby declared to be a nuisance and unlawful. ... Sec. 4-7. - Penalties.Any person violating any section of Article I of this chapter shall be subject to the penalties in Chapter 1, Section 1-11 of this Code. ... Sec. 1-11. - General penalty for violation of Code; separate offenses.(a) ... th...
Pet Groomer Rules
In the City of Owensboro, pet grooming is a listed use in the joint Owensboro-Daviess County Zoning Ordinance's Zones and Uses Table, and Appendix F Note 51 permits it only "without boarding facilities." Every grooming site must provide one off-street parking space per 300 square feet of parking floor area under Appendix F Section 13.8, and the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission's Zoning Administrator enforces both standards.
Pet Grooming Zoning Rules in Owensboro
Some RestrictionsOwensboro Zoning Ordinance, Appendix F § 8.4 (Note 51); § 13.8
51.Without boarding facilities. ... USE from "Zones and Uses Table" (Section 8.2) Required Number of Parking Spaces ... 2A Pet grooming 1/300 SF
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In the City of Owensboro, a kennel, animal hospital, or veterinarian's office must sit at least 100 feet from any Residential Zone, measured from the structure or use itself rather than accessory parking areas. Appendix F Section 8.4, Note 35 sets this separation for veterinary and kennel uses, and Appendix F Section 13.8 requires one off-street parking space per 200 square feet of parking floor area for the same office.
Veterinary Office Zoning in Owensboro
Some RestrictionsOwensboro Zoning Ordinance, Appendix F § 8.4 (Note 35)
35.Kennel, animal hospital, office of veterinarian providing that such structure or use, not including accessory parking areas, shall be at least one hundred (100) feet from any Residential Zone.
Bird Protection
In the City of Owensboro, Owensboro Municipal Code § 4-3 makes it unlawful to shoot, pursue, kill, or injure any squirrel, rabbit, other game, or any bird or fowl within the corporate limits. The one-sentence ban covers wild birds and small game alike, and since Article I sets no penalty of its own for this section, it is enforced through the chapter's cross-referenced general penalty.
Owensboro Ban on Killing Birds and Game
Heavy RestrictionsOwensboro Municipal Code §§ 4-3, 4-7, 1-11
Sec. 4-3. - Pursuing, injuring, killing of animals and birds.No person shall shoot or otherwise pursue, kill or injure any squirrel, rabbit or other game, or any bird or fowl, within the corporate limits of the city. ... Sec. 4-7. - Penalties.Any person violating any section of Article I of this chapter shall be subject to the penalties in Chapter 1, Section 1-11 of this Code. ... Sec. 1-11. - ...
Looking for Daviess County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Owensboro city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Daviess County →