Animal Ordinances in Temple, TX (2026)
6 verified animal ordinances for Temple, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Temple lets residents keep up to six hens in a backyard coop at least 50 feet from a neighbor's house, but roosters and other fowl still need a 150-foot setback under the city's livestock and fowl rule.
Temple Backyard Hens Allowed, Roosters Banned
Some RestrictionsTemple, TX Code of Ordinances, Sec. 6-54(d)(2)-(3)
Notwithstanding Subsection (d)(1), a person may own no more than six (6) hens within the City if the pen, coop, or other enclosure for housing the hens is no less than fifty (50) feet from the nearest residence, excluding the residence of the animal's owner... The exception to the distance requirements required in Subsection (d)(1) for the keeping of hens under Subsection (d)(2) does not apply ...
Dog Leash Laws
Temple requires every dog to be under restraint, enclosed, leashed, or under direct voice control, anywhere off the owner's property; running loose is a Code violation.
Temple Leash and At-Large Law
Light RestrictionsTemple City Code § 6-4
(a) All owners must keep their animals under restraint except as otherwise provided by this Section. (b) An animal not under restraint is at large, except if the animal is: (1) on the premises of its owner's property and is under the immediate personal supervision and the control of a responsible person and obedient to that person's commands... (c) It is unlawful for an animal to be at large.
Beekeeping
Temple bans keeping beehives within 300 feet of a neighbor's home and requires a water source for the colony.
Temple Beehive Setback Rule
Significant RestrictionsCity Code § 6-54(e)
Bees. A person may not maintain or keep any beehives in any pen, yard, enclosure, barn, building, structure, or other location that is located less than three hundred (300) feet of the residence of any person other than the person maintaining or keeping the beehives.
Exotic Pets
Temple prohibits keeping lions, wolves, bears, primates, venomous reptiles, and other wild or exotic animals as pets citywide.
Temple Bans Wild & Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsCity Code § 6-55
It is unlawful for a person to sell, offer for sale, trade, keep, own, harbor, use, or have in a person's possession or on property under such person's control any prohibited animal unless that person is exempted by Section 822.102, Subchapter E, Dangerous Wild Animals, Texas Health and Safety Code, as amended.
Pet Limits
Temple limits any one property to three dogs and three cats (plus young litters) unless the owner holds a City-issued multi-pet permit.
Temple caps dogs and cats at three each
Some RestrictionsTemple, TX Code of Ordinances, Sec. 6-60
A person may own up to three (3) dogs and three (3) cats, plus a litter of puppies and a litter of kittens, if the litters are younger than three (3) months. A person may keep or harbor more dogs and cats than allowed under Subsection (a), if the person: ... has a valid multi-pet permit issued to them under Sec. 6-61 and is compliant with its terms.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Temple requires every dog or cat adopted from Animal Services to be spayed or neutered within 14 days of adoption or by 6 months of age.
Temple Mandatory Pet Adoption Sterilization
Some RestrictionsTemple, TX Code of Ordinances § 6-34
Before an unsterilized dog or cat may be released from Animal Services for adoption, the adopter must sign a sterilization agreement with Animal Services... agreeing to: (1) have the dog or cat spayed or neutered within fourteen (14) days of the date of adoption or by the date the animal attains six (6) months of age, whichever is later.
Looking for Bell County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Temple city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Bell County →