Animal Ordinances in San Jose, CA (2026)
14 verified animal ordinances for San Jose, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
San Jose allows up to six chickens or other small animals without a permit, but a permit is required above that or for any livestock, and roosters over four months old are banned citywide.
San Jose Backyard Chicken & Livestock Permit
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code §§ 7.60.700, 7.10.205, 7.60.815, 7.60.820
It is unlawful for any person to maintain livestock or more than six (6) small animals without a permit. ... "Small animals" means rabbits, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, doves, pigeons, game birds, or other fowl. ... It is unlawful for any person to maintain a rooster over four (4) months of age.
Dog Leash Laws
San Jose dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet on streets, sidewalks, and most public and shared private areas, with a narrow twenty-foot exception in open space.
San Jose Six-Foot Dog Leash Law
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.40.040(B)
The dog owner/guardian or person with a right to control a dog must keep the dog under direct physical restraint by means of a leash not to exceed six feet in length when the dog is on any public street, public sidewalk, other public place, event on public property, or at any private place or property or common area of any planned development cluster, townhouse, or on any condominium project wi...
Breed Restrictions
San Jose's Municipal Code labels a dog dangerous or vicious based on documented bites, attacks or injuries under Chapter 7.30: never because of its breed. No local ordinance singles out pit bulls or any other breed for extra restrictions.
San Jose Has No Breed-Specific Dog Rules
Few RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.10.090
"Dangerous dog" means any dog other than a police dog that has committed or meets any one (1) of the following: A.Killed or caused the death of another domestic animal. B.Bitten a person which resulted in an injury that is less than a severe injury. C.Threatened the safety of a person or animal and caused an injury to the person that is less than a severe injury.
Beekeeping
San Jose requires a permit before keeping any hive of bees on a lot or parcel, caps residential apiaries at two hives, and sets fixed setbacks from property lines and neighboring dwellings.
San Jose Beekeeping Permit for Backyard Hives
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.60.510
It is unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any hive of bees on any lot or parcel within the city without first obtaining a permit in accordance with this part.
Exotic Pets
San Jose requires anyone who keeps, harbors, sells, trades, or leases a wild, exotic, or venomous animal to first obtain a dangerous animal permit from the city's animal care administrator, per Municipal Code § 7.60.910.
San Jose Wild & Exotic Animal Permit Required
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.60.910
No person may keep, harbor, maintain, sell, trade, or let for hire a dangerous animal, other than a potentially dangerous, dangerous, or vicious dog which is subject to separate requirements under Chapter 7.30 of this Title 7, without first obtaining a permit from the administrator.B.No permit may be required of any zoo, university, college, governmental research agency, or other bona fide scie...
Wildlife Feeding
San Jose prohibits intentional feeding of wildlife that creates a nuisance or public safety concern, including coyotes, raccoons, deer, and wild turkeys. Feeding can attract predators to neighborhoods near Alum Rock, Almaden, and Silver Creek foothills, and city enforcement actively responds to complaints.
Wildlife Feeding Rules in San Jose
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Dept. of Fish and Wildlife — Keep Me Wild Program
Home / HWC Human-Wildlife Conflicts Toolkit Vision: To proactively address human-wildlife conflicts and improve wildlife incident responses; to support safe human-wildlife interactions; and to increase understanding, awareness and appreciation of wildlife in California. Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) can occur when humans encounter or interact with wild animals in an unwanted or unsafe way. ...
Pet Limits
San Jose caps every dwelling unit at a sliding scale of adult dogs and cats, up to five cats with no dogs, or three dogs with two cats, under Municipal Code § 7.40.020, enforced by the city's animal services officers.
San Jose Maximum Dogs and Cats Per Household
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.40.020
A. It is unlawful for any person to maintain, at any dwelling unit, more than any of the following combination of cats and dogs: Zero (0) adult dogs and five (5) adult cats; or One (1) adult dog and four (4) adult cats; or Two (2) adult dogs and three (3) adult cats; or Three (3) adult dogs and two (2) adult cats.
Cat Rules
San José requires cats over four months old to be licensed and rabies-vaccinated, caps households at five adult cats, and makes it unlawful for a cat to stray or run at large on public or private property without consent.
San Jose Cat Licensing and At-Large Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.20.520
It is unlawful of any person to own, maintain, or board any adult dog or adult cat that has not been licensed pursuant to the provisions of this part, except that a license is not required for a dog or cat owned, maintained by, or under the control of a nonresident of the city which is kept in the city for thirty (30) or fewer days in any twelve (12) month period.B.Any dog or cat that is not pr...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
San Jose has no citywide law requiring pet dogs or cats to be spayed or neutered. The mandate is narrow: once the city formally designates a dog "potentially dangerous," § 7.30.910(B) requires that dog be spayed or neutered as a condition of keeping it.
San Jose Spay/Neuter Mandate for Dangerous Dogs
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.30.910(B)
7.30.910 - Potentially dangerous dog maintenance requirement. The administrator may impose any or all of the following requirements upon the maintenance of a potentially dangerous dog: A.A potentially dangerous dog must be muzzled and leashed, as specified under Section 7.30.950, when it is on any public street or in any other public place, or upon any private place or property or common ar...
Microchipping
San Jose lets cats wear a microchip instead of a metal license tag, and exhibition dogs skip wearing the tag if implanted with a chip carrying the same license information.
San Jose Microchip Option for Cats, Show Dogs
Light RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.20.570
(C) In lieu of the requirement that a cat wear a metal tag, the administrator may approve that a cat receive a computer microchip providing access to all of the information on the metal tag issued for the cat at the sole cost and expense of the owner/guardian or person with a right to control the cat. ... (E) A dog participating in or preparing for an exhibition may not be required to wear a me...
Pet Store Rules
San Jose requires anyone operating a pet shop to hold an animal facility permit and meet dedicated facility standards: a fully enclosed building, working heating, cooling and ventilation, sunlight protection for the animals, and hot and cold running water tied to the sanitary sewer.
San Jose Pet Shop Permit and Facility Standards
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 7.60.130(F)
every person who owns, conducts, manages, or operates any pet shop must comply with each of the following conditions:1.Housing facilities for animals and fish must be within a wholly enclosed structurally sound building, as defined in Section 7.10.065.2.Every pet shop must have a heating and cooling system and a ventilation system, that has been properly installed and meets all permit requireme...
Pet Groomer Rules
San Jose requires anyone operating a pet grooming business, a commercial shop or in-home paid grooming, to obtain an animal facility permit from the city before opening for business.
San Jose Pet Grooming Business Permit
Some RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code §§ 7.10.030, 7.60.010(B)
§ 7.10.030: "'Animal facility' means any pet shop, commercial kennel, private kennel, pet grooming business, animal menagerie, animal shelter, or horse establishment." § 7.60.010(B): "It is unlawful for any person to operate an animal facility without first obtaining a permit under this part."
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
San Jose bans veterinary services, grooming, boarding, and animal breeding as a live/work business in its Urban Village and Mixed Use zoning districts.
Vet Services Barred From Live/Work Units
Significant RestrictionsSan Jose Municipal Code § 20.55.201(F)(2)(d)
F.Live/work units. ... 2.Prohibited uses: ... d.Veterinary services, including grooming and boarding, and the breeding or care of animals for hire or for sale.
Wildlife Rescue Permits
California Fish and Game Code requires a CDFW permit to possess or rehabilitate native wildlife. San Jose residents who find injured animals should call the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, the area's permitted rehabilitator, rather than attempting home care. Possessing wildlife without a permit is a misdemeanor.
Injured wildlife handled by CDFW-permitted rehabbers, not the public
Some RestrictionsCDFW Native Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit Program
Injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals may be temporarily possessed for rehabilitation by a person in California under a Native Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit issued by CDFW. Trained wildlife rehabilitators provide treatment and care of these animals for the purpose of their release, in a condition of good health, to suitable habitat in the wild. Wildlife rehabilitators have an important role...
Looking for Santa Clara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Jose city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Santa Clara County →