Animal Ordinances in Utica, NY (2026)
6 verified animal ordinances for Utica, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Utica prohibits keeping fowl of any kind within city limits. City Code bars having, keeping, or offering to sell any live chickens, geese, ducks, pigeons, or doves. A 2021 zoning proposal to allow backyard chickens was voted down, so the ban remains in effect.
Backyard Chickens Banned in Utica
Some RestrictionsUtica City Code Ch. 2-5, Art. III (Fowl)
No person shall have, or keep, or offer to sell any fowl within the City of Utica.
Dog Leash Laws
Utica requires dogs off the owner's property to be on a leash no longer than 8 feet. Dogs may not run at large, and no dog may be tied within 25 feet of a public thoroughfare. A loose dog is presumed to be running at large.
Dog Leash Law in Utica, NY
Some RestrictionsUtica City Code Sec. 2-5-36(A)
No person owning, keeping, harboring or having the care, custody or control of any dog shall permit the dog to be at large in the city unless the dog is under leash not exceeding eight (8) feet in length
Breed Restrictions
Utica does not ban any specific dog breed. New York state law preempts breed-specific bans, so control is based on a dog's behavior. A dog of any breed that attacks or threatens people can be declared dangerous under NY Agriculture and Markets Law Sec. 121, triggering strict controls.
Dog Breed Rules in Utica, NY
Some RestrictionsNY Agriculture & Markets Law Sec. 108(24)
"Dangerous dog" means any dog which (i) without justification attacks a person, companion animal, farm animal or domestic animal ... and causes physical injury or death, or (ii) behaves in a manner which a reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death
Exotic Pets
New York bans keeping dangerous wild animals, big cats, primates, and venomous reptiles as pets, and this applies in Utica. Under Agriculture and Markets Law Sec. 370, owning a wild animal capable of inflicting bodily harm without safeguarding the public is a misdemeanor. Utica code does not add an exception.
Exotic & Wild Pets in Utica, NY
Some RestrictionsNY Agriculture & Markets Law Sec. 370
Any person owning, possessing or harboring a wild animal or reptile capable of inflicting bodily harm upon a human being, who shall fail to exercise due care in safeguarding the public from attack by such wild animal or reptile, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by both.
Pet Limits
Utica City Code sets no fixed numeric cap on dogs or cats per household. Instead, all dogs four months and older must be licensed, and premises must be kept clean and sanitary. Keeping too many animals can still be enforced as a nuisance or, in extreme cases, animal cruelty.
How Many Pets You Can Keep in Utica
Some RestrictionsUtica City Code Sec. 2-5-37(D)
No person who owns a dog shall permit the premises, structures or enclosures in which such dog is kept to be unclean and unsanitary.
Cat Rules
Utica does not require cats to be licensed or leashed, and there is no citywide cat limit. Cats are still covered by the city's animal-nuisance provisions, so a cat causing damage, waste, or noise can prompt enforcement. Owners must keep animals from becoming a nuisance to neighbors.
Cat Rules in Utica, NY
Some RestrictionsUtica City Code Sec. 2-15-58(1)
frequently or for continued duration howls, barks, meows, squawks or makes other sounds which create a noise disturbance
Looking for Oneida County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Utica city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Oneida County →