Animal Ordinances in Santa Rosa, CA (2026)
9 verified animal ordinances for Santa Rosa, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Santa Rosa City Code Section 20-42.040 allows hens (no roosters) on any residential lot, with a sliding-scale limit of 3 to 30 hens depending on lot size, plus rear-yard coop setbacks of 5 to 20 feet. Larger livestock - horses, cows, hogs, goats, sheep - are permitted only in Rural Residential zones on parcels of at least 20,000 square feet.
Up to 30 hens allowed by lot size; no roosters; livestock only in RR zones
Some RestrictionsCity of Santa Rosa, Hen Keeping page and Farm Animals FAQ (summarizing City Code Section 20-42.040)
Hen keeping (female chickens) is allowed in Santa Rosa, subject to specific standards to ensure compatibility with residential neighborhoods. Roosters are not allowed. Number of Hens Allowed: The number of hens allowed per lot depends on the size of your lot: lots 5,000 square feet or less allow 3 hens; lots 5,001-10,000 sq. ft. allow 6 hens; lots 10,001-43,560 sq. ft. allow 6 hens per 10,000 s...
Dog Leash Laws
Santa Rosa requires every dog on a public street, road, alley or other public place to be restrained on a leash or chain no longer than six feet, per § 7-12.100. The same six-foot limit applies in city parks and playgrounds under § 7-12.110, and an unleashed dog found in public or on someone else's property may be impounded.
Santa Rosa Dog Leash and Restraint Law
Some RestrictionsSanta Rosa City Code § 7-12.100
(A) No person owning or otherwise having a dog in his or her care, charge, custody or possession shall cause, permit or allow such dog to be in or upon any public street, road, alley or other public place unless such dog is restrained and under control by leash or chain, or unless confined in a vehicle in the manner allowed by Section 7-08.120. The leash or chain shall not exceed six feet in le...
Breed Restrictions
California Health & Safety Code Section 122331 preempts breed-specific dangerous-dog declarations and bans, but expressly allows local mandatory spay/neuter rules. Santa Rosa City Code requires that all pit bulls over four months old kept in the City be spayed or neutered, and all dogs running at large be sterilized after citation.
No breed ban; pit bulls must be spayed or neutered
Some RestrictionsCalifornia Health and Safety Code Section 122331
(a) No program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, and pursuant to Sections 31683 of the Food and Agricultural Code and 122331 of the Health and Safety Code, a city or county may enact dog control ordinances that are more restrictive than current state law. These local ordinances may include, but are not limited to, mandatory spay or neuter progr...
Exotic Pets
Santa Rosa follows California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations for exotic animals. Many exotic species require state permits, and some are completely prohibited. Local zoning may further restrict animal keeping.
Santa Rosa Exotic & Wild Animal Regulations
Heavy RestrictionsCCR Title 14, Section 671(c) — CDFW Restricted Species Permits
Restricted Species Permits are required for every person who imports, exports, transports, or possesses any restricted animal listed in Section 671(c), Title 14, of the California Code of Regulations (CCR). Entitlements / Fee / Description Restricted Species Permit Application/Amendment — New: $155.53; Renewal and Amendment: $80.60. Required for every new permit, permit renewal or amendment o...
Pet Limits
Santa Rosa City Code Section 20-42.040 limits any residential lot to a total of five animals (domestic or exotic), of which no more than three may be dogs and no more than one may be a pot-bellied pig. Hens (no roosters) are allowed in addition to the five-animal limit, subject to a lot-size sliding scale.
Five animals total per lot, max three dogs; hens extra
Heavy RestrictionsSanta Rosa City Code Section 20-42.040 (Animal Keeping)
On any lot in a residential zoning district, or in conjunction with any residential use in any other district, a total of five animals (domestic or exotic) may be kept on one lot, of which not more than three may be dogs, and not more than one may be a pot-bellied pig. In addition to the five animal total, hens may be kept in accordance with the limitations of Table 4-1 and the development stan...
Cat Rules
Santa Rosa bans cats from public parks and playgrounds outright under § 7-20.010, with impoundment for violators. Unlike dogs, cats are not required to be licensed: § 7-20.030 makes cat registration voluntary, and a registered cat's tag and certificate last for the cat's lifetime, with fees cut in half for spayed/neutered cats and for owners over 62.
Santa Rosa Cat Park Ban and Voluntary Registration
Light RestrictionsSanta Rosa City Code § 7-20.010
No person owning or otherwise having a cat in his care, charge, control, custody or possession shall cause, permit or allow such cat to be in or upon any public park or playground. The Poundmaster may seize and impound every cat found in violation of this section and such impoundment shall be pursuant to Chapter 7-16.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Any dog cited for running at large in Santa Rosa, meaning cited under the leash rules at §§ 7-12.100 or 7-12.110, must be spayed or neutered at the owner's expense under § 7-30.200. The mandate has seven built-in exceptions covering law-enforcement, service, search-and-rescue, herding, and show dogs, plus a documented veterinary health exemption.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter for Dogs Cited At Large
Significant RestrictionsSanta Rosa City Code § 7-30.200
Except as provided in subsections (A) through (G) of this section, all owners cited for dogs running at large for violation of Sections 7-12.100 and 7-12.110 shall have their dog spayed and neutered at the owner's expense. ... (D) Dogs certified by a licensed veterinarian as having a health reason for not being spayed/neutered;
Microchipping
Santa Rosa does not require every pet to be microchipped, but any animal a court or the Poundmaster has declared potentially dangerous or vicious must be. Section 7-30.080 requires the owner, at their own expense, to have a Poundmaster-assigned microchip implanted and logged in the animal's licensing file, and the same animal must also be sterilized at the owner's cost.
Microchipping Required for Dangerous Animals
Significant RestrictionsSanta Rosa City Code § 7-30.080
The owner of any animal found potentially dangerous or vicious pursuant to this chapter shall, at his or her expense, have a microchip assigned by the Poundmaster, implanted into the animal for identification purposes. The identifying information listed on the microchip shall be noted in the licensing files for that animal. An animal that has been found to be potentially dangerous or vicious pu...
Pet Store Rules
Santa Rosa bars anyone from selling, bartering, giving away or publicly displaying an animal on the street or in public, but § 7-08.060 carves out an exception for pet stores that sell dogs, cats or other animals inside humane display facilities. Hatchery chick and duckling sales, family pet transfers, and sales from private farm or residential property are also exempt.
Santa Rosa Public Animal Sale and Display Rule
Some RestrictionsSanta Rosa City Code § 7-08.060
No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter, give away or publicly display any animal. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the sale or display of natural chicks or ducklings in proper brooder facilities by hatcheries or stores engaged in the business of selling them to be raised for domestic consumption or commercial purposes, nor shall this section be construed to prohibit the sal...
Looking for Sonoma County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Rosa city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Sonoma County →