Animal Ordinances in Stockton, CA (2026)
16 verified animal ordinances for Stockton, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Stockton Municipal Code 6.04.440 ('Keeping of hogs, shoats, pigs, rooster or cockerels') prohibits keeping pigs, hogs, shoats, roosters or cockerels within the city. Hens may be kept in residential zones subject to the Development Code (Title 16), and 'rooster complaints' are an explicit enforcement category for Stockton Animal Services.
Hens permitted, but roosters, pigs, hogs and shoats prohibited (SMC 6.04.440)
Heavy RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Stockton Municipal Code Chapter 6.04 (Animal Services) prohibits any dog from being on a public street, alley, or other public place unless held continuously on a rope, chain, or leash by a competent person. Cats and dogs working livestock or in obedience trials are exempted.
Dog Leash and At-Large Rules in Stockton
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
California Food & Agricultural Code § 31683 preempts cities from banning or restricting dogs based on breed. Stockton has no breed ban and no breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter ordinance — all dogs are regulated the same way under SMC Chapter 6.04, with individual dogs declared potentially dangerous or vicious based on behavior, not breed.
Breed Restrictions in Stockton (State Preemption)
Few RestrictionsCal. Food & Agric. Code § 31683
31683. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or enforcing its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs that may incorporate all, part, or none of this chapter, or that may punish a violation of this chapter as a misdemeanor or may impose a more restrictive program to control potentially dangerous or vicious dogs. Except ...
Beekeeping
Stockton Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) does not contain a stand-alone beekeeping prohibition; backyard beekeeping is allowed subject to general nuisance and zoning rules. Under California Food & Agricultural Code §29040 every owner or person in possession of an apiary in California must register with the county agricultural commissioner by January 1 each year (or within 30 days thereafter) and report colony counts and locations.
Beekeeping — no city ban, but Cal. FAC §29040 annual apiary registration required
Some RestrictionsExotic Pets
Stockton Municipal Code Title 6 focuses on domestic dogs and cats and prohibited livestock (pigs, hogs, roosters under SMC 6.04.440), but does not separately enumerate exotic species. The controlling rule is California Fish and Game Code §2118, which makes it 'unlawful to import, transport, possess, or release alive' in the state — except under a revocable, nontransferable CDFW permit — a long list of restricted wildlife including non-human primates, most carnivores, most rodents, crocodilians, piranhas, and many bird species.
Exotic and restricted animals — governed by Cal. Fish & Game Code §2118
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Stockton Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) and Title 8 (Health and Safety) as identified through Animal Services do not contain a stand-alone ordinance prohibiting feeding of wildlife such as coyotes, deer, raccoons or waterfowl. California Department of Fish and Wildlife's 'Keep Me Wild' program strongly discourages feeding, and feeding that creates a public-safety hazard or attracts protected wildlife can violate Fish and Game Code provisions and SMC Title 8 nuisance rules.
Wildlife feeding — no Stockton-specific ban; CDFW 'Keep Me Wild' guidance + Cal. F&G Code apply
Few RestrictionsCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife - Keep Me Wild Program
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. In California, habitat loss and a changing clima...
Livestock
Stockton bans hogs, pigs, roosters, and wild animals citywide. Hen chickens and ducks allowed with enclosures 20 ft from neighbor dwellings in side/rear yards only.
Stockton Livestock and Poultry Keeping Rules
Heavy RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Stockton Municipal Code §6.04.390 caps the number of dogs and §6.04.400 caps the number of cats per residence as the front-line tool against animal hoarding. Conditions of neglect — too many animals to feed, water and shelter properly — are independently prosecutable under California Penal Code §597(b), which makes it a crime to deprive an animal of 'necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter.'
Pet limits — SMC 6.04.390 (dogs) and 6.04.400 (cats); hoarding prosecuted under Cal. Penal Code §597
Some RestrictionsPet Limits
Stockton households are capped at four dogs and four cats over four months old without a kennel permit, with additional zoning rules controlling commercial-scale animal keeping in residential districts.
Stockton Household Pet Number Limits
Some RestrictionsCat Rules
Stockton licenses cats and treats free-roaming cats as nuisances on neighbor property, while supporting trap-neuter-return colonies through Stockton Animal Services rather than aggressive impoundment.
Stockton Cat Licensing and Outdoor Rules
Few RestrictionsMandatory Spay/Neuter
Stockton requires all dogs and cats over four months old to be spayed or neutered, with limited intact-permit exceptions, as part of efforts to reduce shelter intake at Stockton Animal Services.
Stockton Mandatory Spay-Neuter for Dogs and Cats
Heavy RestrictionsMicrochipping
Stockton requires dogs and cats to be microchipped and licensed, with chip information kept current through Stockton Animal Services so lost pets can be returned without entering long shelter holds.
Stockton Pet Microchipping Requirements
Some RestrictionsCoyote Management
Stockton handles coyote sightings through hazing education and pet-protection guidance from Stockton Animal Services, with lethal removal limited to California Department of Fish and Wildlife depredation cases.
Stockton Coyote Sightings and Management
Few RestrictionsPet Store Rules
Stockton pet stores must follow California AB 485, which bars retail sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits unless sourced from shelters or rescues, enforced through state and local code provisions.
Stockton Pet Store Sale Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsPet Groomer Rules
Stockton allows pet grooming as a commercial use under SMC Title 16, with home-based mobile groomers limited by home-occupation rules and California state preemption on cosmetology-style licensing.
Stockton Pet Grooming Business Rules
Few RestrictionsVeterinary Clinic Zoning
Stockton zones veterinary hospitals into commercial and limited-commercial districts under SMC Title 16, with overnight boarding and outdoor runs subject to use permits and noise-buffer conditions.
Stockton Veterinary Clinic Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsLooking for San Joaquin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Stockton city rules.
Animal Ordinances in San Joaquin County →