Animal Ordinances in Sparks, NV (2026)
5 verified animal ordinances for Sparks, Nevada, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Sparks allows backyard hens scaled to lot size, from two hens on lots under 2,000 square feet up to sixteen on parcels over 10,000 square feet. Roosters and on-site slaughter are prohibited. Larger livestock needs agricultural or SF-40 zoning.
Sparks Backyard Chickens & Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsSparks, NV, Municipal Code § 20.03.005(D)
Livestock used for recreational purposes may be kept only in the agricultural ("A-5" and "A-40") and "SF-40" residential district, if: a. The minimum size of the lot is one acre; b. No more than one head of livestock may be maintained per 20,000 square feet of land area; and/or c. The keeping of poultry and large fowl or birds is limited to 12 per acre of property.
Beekeeping
Sparks allows backyard beekeeping as an accessory use in single-family and multifamily residential zones under Municipal Code § 20.03.048(B)(3), capping every parcel at two hives, each no larger than 20 cubic feet and five feet tall, set back five feet from the property line behind a six-foot flyway fence.
Sparks Backyard Beekeeping Hive Standards
Some RestrictionsSparks, NV, Municipal Code § 20.03.048(B)(3)
3.Apiary uses are allowed as an accessory use in the SF, MF, MUD-MR or MUD-RN when the following conditions are complied with:a.No hive shall exceed 20 cubic feet in volume.b.No more than two hives are allowed per parcel.c.No hive shall exceed five feet in height.d.No hive shall be located closer than five feet from the property line.e.A constant supply of water shall be provided for all hives....
Exotic Pets
Sparks bans harboring wildlife outright: Municipal Code Section 20.03.005(C) makes it unlawful to create or establish a location or structure for feeding, sheltering, or providing sustenance to a high risk species anywhere in the city, a list that names skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, badgers, bobcats, weasels and feral cats.
Sparks Ban on Sheltering High-Risk Wild Animals
Heavy RestrictionsSparks, NV, Municipal Code § 20.03.005(C) (Ord. 2512, adopted Aug. 24, 2015)
C.Prohibited Practices; Non-Domestic Animals.It is unlawful for any person to create or establish a location or structure for the purpose of feeding, sheltering, or providing sustenance to a high risk species within the boundaries of the City.1.For the purposes of this subsection, "feeding" shall mean the provision of food, water or other sustenance left outside of any building or structure.2.F...
Wildlife Feeding
Sparks Municipal Code Section 20.03.005 makes it unlawful to feed or shelter high-risk wildlife, including coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, bats, bobcats, and feral cats. Leaving food or water outdoors for these animals is prohibited.
Sparks Wildlife Feeding Restrictions
Some RestrictionsSparks, NV, Municipal Code § 20.03.005(C)
It is unlawful for any person to create or establish a location or structure for the purpose of feeding, sheltering, or providing sustenance to a high risk species within the boundaries of the City. ... "high risk species" shall mean such species as the striped skunk, spotted skunk, raccoon, fox, bat coyote, badger, bobcat, weasel, feral cat, and other high risk transmitters of disease.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Sparks' zoning code counts a Vietnamese potbellied pig as a lawful "domestic household pet" only if it has been spayed or neutered upon reaching maturity, and city rules cap ownership at one pig per residence. An unaltered pig, or a second pig on the same lot, falls outside the pet definition and the animal-use rules in Section 20.03.005.
Sparks Mandatory Spay-Neuter: Potbellied Pigs Only
Some RestrictionsSparks, NV, Municipal Code § 20.08.002; § 20.03.005(B)(3)
Domestic household pet: Any animal generally domesticated by humans, including: dogs of the species Canis Familiarizes; cats of the species Felis Catus... domestic rabbits, but not those being used for commercial purposes or for food production; Vietnamese potbellied pigs (Sus Scrofa Vittatus) that are spayed or neutered upon reaching maturity; domesticated fowl or birds... [§ 20.03.005(B)(3):]...
Looking for Washoe County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sparks city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Washoe County →