Animal Ordinances in Sioux Falls, SD (2026)
10 verified animal ordinances for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Sioux Falls Code § 90.008 permits up to six chickens (hens only; no roosters) or rabbits per property without a permit, with neighbor approval required within 100 feet for more than six birds or other fowl. Livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses) are prohibited outside AG (Agricultural District) zoning.
Chickens and Livestock in Sioux Falls
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Sioux Falls Code of Ordinances Chapter 90 (Animals and Fowl) prohibits dogs and other animals from running at large anywhere in the city except on property officially designated as an animal off-leash area. Section 90.002 makes it unlawful for any person owning, keeping, harboring, or controlling an animal to allow that animal to be at large on the private premises of others or on any public property. The city operates a network of fenced off-leash dog parks (Lien, Spencer, Family, Kirby, and Hayward) where dogs may run unrestrained; everywhere else in the city, dogs must be on a leash and under the owner's physical control. Repeat offenders are designated 'reckless owners' under Ch. 90, with fines that are at minimum doubled. Sioux Falls also requires that all dogs six months or older be licensed with the city within 30 days of acquisition, and licensing requires proof of current rabies vaccination.
Sioux Falls Dog Leash & Running-at-Large Rules (Code Ch. 90)
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
Sioux Falls has NO breed-specific dog ordinance and is statutorily barred from enacting one. South Dakota Codified Laws § 40-34-16 (enacted 2014) preempts local breed-based legislation statewide: 'No local government, as defined in § 6-1-12, may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance, policy, resolution, or other enactment that is specific as to the breed or perceived breed of a dog.' This preemption expressly applies to home-rule cities including Sioux Falls. In place of any breed ban, Sioux Falls regulates dogs that have actually behaved dangerously through a behavior-based tier: § 90.003 (Restricted Animals) and § 90.003.1 (Vicious Animals). A dog of any breed — including pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, or mixed breeds — may be declared 'restricted' if it has approached a person or animal in a vicious or terrorizing manner, or has bitten, injured, or attacked on public or private grounds. Restricted-animal owners must use a leash AND muzzle in public, carry $100,000 of animal-liability insurance, alter the animal, maintain current rabies vaccination and city license, and meet confinement requirements. Vicious-animal designations under § 90.003.1 (which Sioux Falls evaluates using the Dunbar Bite Scale) carry stricter consequences up to euthanasia. None of these consequences turn on breed.
Breed-Specific Bans Prohibited — Behavior-Based Restricted/Vicious Dog Rules Apply
Some RestrictionsBeekeeping
Sioux Falls Code § 90.041 et seq. (Hobby Beekeeping, adopted 2019) allows up to four honeybee colonies per residential lot, subject to a city beekeeping permit, completion of an approved beekeeping class, neighbor consent, and a 6-foot flyway barrier around the apiary.
Hobby Beekeeping in Sioux Falls
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Sioux Falls Code § 90.003 (Restricted Animals) prohibits keeping native fur bearers, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, panthers, endangered species, exotic animals, and venomous snakes. Only domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets (European polecat) are expressly permitted.
Exotic Pets in Sioux Falls
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Sioux Falls Code § 90.016 (Deer Feeding Prohibited, Ord. 80-14, passed 2014) makes it unlawful to place or allow any unnatural food source accessible to deer on any property within city limits. Feeders placed 5+ feet above ground or for the documented purpose of feeding livestock/pets are an affirmative defense.
Wildlife Feeding in Sioux Falls
Heavy RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Sioux Falls Code § 90.015 caps domestic pets at four per household (over six months old, excluding birds and fish) absent a kennel conditional use permit, which functions as the city's primary anti-hoarding tool. State felony cruelty under SDCL § 40-1-2.4 backs up egregious neglect cases.
Animal Hoarding in Sioux Falls
Some RestrictionsPet Limits
Sioux Falls Ch. 90.20 caps the number of dogs and cats per household and requires kennel licensing once a residence exceeds the standard pet count.
Household Pet Limits in Sioux Falls
Some RestrictionsMicrochipping
Sioux Falls requires every dog and cat over six months to be licensed annually, and Animal Control strongly encourages microchipping to speed return of lost pets.
Pet Microchipping and Licensing in Sioux Falls
Some RestrictionsCoyote Management
Sioux Falls Animal Control responds to coyote sightings along the Big Sioux River corridor and works with SD Game, Fish and Parks on hazing, but discharging firearms inside city limits remains restricted under Ch. 80.
Coyote Encounters in Sioux Falls
Some RestrictionsLooking for Minnehaha County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sioux Falls city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Minnehaha County →