Animal Ordinances in Santa Fe, NM (2026)
9 verified animal ordinances for Santa Fe, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Santa Fe lets residents raise chickens, other fowl and rabbits for personal use without a permit, but City Code sets welfare minimums: any confined fowl needs food and water at least every twelve hours in an enclosure letting it stand fully erect, and selling unweaned rabbits or fowl under four weeks old is banned.
Santa Fe Backyard Chicken and Rabbit Rules
Some RestrictionsSFCC 1987 §§ 5-8.11, 5-9.2
5-8.11 - Confining or crating of fowl. It is unlawful for any person to confine any wild or domestic fowl or bird unless provisions are made for the proper feeding and the furnishing of water to the fowl or bird at intervals not longer than twelve (12) hours; and unless provisions are made that the crate, box or other enclosure in which the fowl or bird is confined or impounded permits the fowl...
Dog Leash Laws
Santa Fe requires dogs on public streets, alleys, city property and any place open to the public to be on a secure leash no longer than six feet, under the immediate effective physical control of the handler. Retractable leashes longer than six feet are allowed only if the handler can still control the dog, and voice command never counts as restraint.
Santa Fe Dog Leash Law Caps Length at Six Feet
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 5-5.4
Voice command is not an acceptable form of restraint. ... Animals shall not be allowed upon a public street, alley, easement, city property or other place open to the public or upon any property other than that of the owner of the animal unless properly restrained. Dogs shall be on a secure leash no longer than six (6) feet in length and under the immediate effective physical control of the per...
Breed Restrictions
Santa Fe does not ban or single out any dog breed. Instead, Section 5-7.4 SFCC 1987 lets a court declare any individual animal "dangerous" or "vicious" based on its own conduct, such as biting or attacking, and imposes muzzle, leash and euthanasia consequences on that specific animal regardless of breed.
Santa Fe's Dangerous Animal Rules Are Behavior-Based
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 5-7.4
No person shall keep or harbor a vicious animal. An animal whose bite or attack results in or causes great bodily harm to a person or an animal may be deemed vicious by a court of law. ... An animal deemed vicious by a court of law shall be surrendered to the animal services center for humane euthanasia, at the owner's expense, or the owner shall provide acceptable proof to the animal services ...
Exotic Pets
Owning a wild or exotic animal in Santa Fe requires a permit from the animal services administrator under Section 5-10.1 SFCC 1987, and some animals, including bats and any species banned by state or federal law, cannot be permitted at all. The administrator inspects the housing before issuing or renewing the year-long permit and can deny, suspend or revoke it for cause.
Santa Fe Wild and Exotic Animal Permit Rule
Significant RestrictionsSFCC 1987 § 5-10.1(A)
A.It is unlawful to be in charge of, possess or own:(1)Any wild or exotic animal or species prohibited by federal or state law;(2)Any wild or exotic animal or species when kept in such numbers or in such a way as to constitute likelihood of harm to the animals themselves, to human beings or to the property of human beings, or which constitutes a public or private nuisance;(3)Bats; or(4)Skunks, ...
Cat Rules
Santa Fe requires every cat three months or older to be licensed, with a current rabies certificate presented at purchase and a valid tag affixed at all times. The at-large restraint rule in Section 5-5.4 applies to cats along with dogs, and an unaltered cat needs its own annual permit under the city's separate spay/neuter ordinance.
Santa Fe Requires Every Cat to Be Licensed
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 5-5.6
Any person owning, possessing, or harboring any dog or cat three (3) months of age or over shall obtain a license for such animal. Licenses valid for one (1) year, two (2) years, or three (3) years may be obtained from an organization designated by the administrator. A current rabies vaccination certificate shall be presented at the time of the license purchase. In the event a tag is lost, repl...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Santa Fe bars anyone from owning a dog or cat over six months old that hasn't been spayed or neutered, unless the owner buys an annual unaltered-animal permit or gets a veterinarian's written statement that surgery would harm the animal's health. A vasectomy alone does not satisfy the requirement.
Santa Fe Requires Dogs and Cats Be Spayed or Neutered
Heavy RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 5-7.15
No person shall own or harbor within the city municipal boundaries any dog or cat over the age of six (6) months that has not been spayed or neutered unless that person obtains an annual permit from the animal services division to keep an unaltered dog or cat or obtains written verification from a licensed veterinarian that the dog or cat should not be neutered for health reasons. ... A vasecto...
Pet Groomer Rules
Santa Fe requires every grooming parlor to hold a professional animal care permit from the animal services administrator before opening, backed by an on-site inspection and a $250 annual fee. Operating without a current permit is unlawful, and the permit can be suspended or revoked after a written violation notice and hearing.
Santa Fe Requires a Permit to Run a Grooming Parlor
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 5-6.2
Breeders and persons operating kennels, grooming parlors, pet shops, animal training, dog walking service, pet sitting service, circus acts or shelters shall obtain a professional animal care permit from the administrator. It shall be unlawful to operate such a business without a current valid professional animal care permit. A current city business license shall be presented at the time of app...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Santa Fe zones veterinary clinics for household pets, not livestock. Subsection 14-6.2(C)(8) bars veterinary establishments outside the RR district from treating farm animals, keeping outdoor kennels, or boarding animals outside soundproof rooms, and lets the land use director investigate and revoke the occupancy permit over noise or odor at the lot line.
Santa Fe Restricts Veterinary Clinics To Small Animals
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code § 14-6.2(C)(8)
(8)Veterinary Establishments Except in an RR district, the following shall apply:(a)the facilities provide treatment for animals of a nonagricultural, domestic household nature only, including dogs, cats, caged birds and other animals typically capable of being housed within a family dwelling unit ;(b)the facilities contain no external kennels or areas of boarding, training, breeding or exercis...
Bird Protection
Willfully killing a bird, or molesting or robbing its nest, is an outright misdemeanor in Santa Fe under Section 5-8.12 SFCC 1987. The rule sits in the animal cruelty article of Chapter V, carries no permit exception, no size threshold and no species list, and is enforced by Animal Services under the rest of the chapter's cruelty provisions.
Santa Fe Ban on Killing or Robbing Bird Nests
Heavy RestrictionsSFCC 1987 § 5-8.12
5-8.12 - Birds. It is unlawful to willfully kill any bird, or to molest or rob the nest of a bird.