Animal Ordinances in Ventura, CA (2026)
7 verified animal ordinances for Ventura, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
San Buenaventura allows backyard chicken keeping only after issuance of a Director's Permit (Animal Raising Permit) under SBMC §24.210.050.11. Hens are limited to four per lot, roosters are prohibited, and coops must sit at least 35 feet from any building used for human habitation other than the on-site dwelling. Livestock (cattle, horses, goats, swine) is not permitted in the R-1 residential zones; agricultural keeping is confined to A (Agricultural) zoning. The same code section requires a covered, predator-resistant coop kept outside the front yard setback. Slaughtering and on-site sale of chickens or eggs are expressly forbidden. Permit conditions are enforceable by the Community Development Director and may be revoked under SBMC Ch. 24.570 for nuisance, odor, noise, or rodent attraction complaints. Outside city limits, the Ventura County Zoning Ordinance governs livestock densities.
Backyard chickens by Director's Permit; no roosters; cap of 4 hens
Some RestrictionsDog Leash Laws
Dogs in the City of Ventura (officially San Buenaventura) must be on a leash and under physical control when off the owner's property; animal control is handled by Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) under contract, which enforces both the San Buenaventura Municipal Code Division 7 (Public Health and Safety) and the Ventura County animal-control ordinance applied to contract cities. Off-leash exercise is allowed only in designated off-leash areas — the off-leash hours at Arroyo Verde Park (6 a.m.-9 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday) and the dedicated off-leash dog park at Camino Real Park, per the City of Ventura Parks & Recreation Department.
Ventura Dog Leash Law (VCAS contract enforcement)
Some RestrictionsBreed Restrictions
The City of Ventura has no breed-specific 'dangerous' or 'vicious' dog ordinance — and state law would forbid one. California Health & Safety Code §122331 expressly bars any city or county from declaring a dog 'potentially dangerous or vicious' based on breed. Local agencies may adopt breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter or breeding-permit programs, but Ventura has not enacted one; dangerous-dog determinations are made case-by-case under Cal. Food & Agric. Code §31602 (potentially dangerous) and §31603 (vicious) by Ventura County Animal Services.
Ventura Breed Restrictions - State Preemption (No BSL)
Few RestrictionsCalifornia Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 (Local Dog Control Programs — Breed-Specific Restriction)
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 as prov...
Beekeeping
The San Buenaventura Municipal Code does not authorize residential apiaries inside the city. Unlike unincorporated Ventura County (which allows up to four colonies on lots of 10,000 sq ft under VCOC §8107-2.6.2), the City of Ventura has no equivalent permissive provision in Div. 24 (Zoning) or Div. 7 (Public Health and Safety), and the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner treats hobby beekeeping within city limits as prohibited. Any keeping of bees is therefore by exception only and may be abated as a public nuisance under SBMC Div. 7 if it causes harm or persistent disturbance. State law independently requires every beekeeper to register hives annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner under Cal. Food & Agric. Code §29040, and protects bees from pesticide drift under FAC §29101 and CCR Title 3 §6650 et seq. Africanized honey bee (AHB) management follows Cal. Food & Agric. Code §29200 et seq.
Beekeeping not authorized within Ventura city limits; state apiary registration required
Heavy RestrictionsExotic Pets
Ventura has no local exotic-pet ordinance; the City defers to California's restricted-species framework, one of the strictest in the country. Cal. Fish & Game Code §2118 designates certain wild animals (most non-domesticated mammals, reptiles, and birds) as 'restricted species' that may not be possessed without a CDFW permit. CCR Title 14 §671 lists prohibited and restricted species - bans on private possession cover most monkeys, ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, large cats, wolves and wolf hybrids, certain reptiles (alligators, caimans, large constrictors), and most native wildlife. Endangered or fully protected species (§§5050, 5515 Fish & Game Code) cannot be privately owned at all. Inside Ventura, possession of an unpermitted restricted species also constitutes a zoning violation (animal keeping not authorized for the use) and a public nuisance under SBMC Div. 7. Dangerous-animal complaints are investigated by Ventura County Animal Services under the city's animal services contract.
Exotic pet possession governed by California Fish & Game Code; no city exception
Heavy RestrictionsWildlife Feeding
Ventura does not have a stand-alone city ordinance banning wildlife feeding, but state regulation does the work. California Code of Regulations Title 14 §251.1 defines harassment of any game or non-game bird or mammal to include intentional acts that disrupt normal behavior patterns - including feeding - making it unlawful to feed deer, coyotes, raccoons, foxes, skunks, opossums, squirrels, and most wild birds (other than at compliant bird feeders). The rule is enforced by CDFW Wildlife Officers and carries fines up to roughly $1,000 per violation. Feeding mountain lions, bears, or coyotes additionally creates a public-safety nuisance that the City may abate under SBMC Div. 7 (Public Health and Safety). Migratory bird feeders are not banned but must not create unsanitary conditions, attract rodents, or violate the City's nuisance, refuse, or zoning provisions. Intentional feeding of wildlife on City parks/beaches is also restricted under Div. 11 (Public Parks, Beaches and Street Trees) rules.
Feeding wildlife prohibited under California 'harassment' rule (CCR Title 14 §251.1)
Some RestrictionsAnimal Hoarding
Ventura has no numerical cap on pets (no 'three-dog limit' or similar) in its Municipal Code; hoarding situations are addressed through California Penal Code §597 (animal cruelty), §597.1 (failure to care for animals - allows seizure), §597f (impounding starving/neglected animals), and §597t (confined animals must have adequate exercise, space, food, water). Ventura County Animal Services - the City's contracted animal control provider - has authority to seize animals under §597.1 when conditions are unsanitary, animals are malnourished, or there is failure to provide veterinary care. Hoarding is a misdemeanor by default with a fine up to $20,000 and one year jail, and can be charged as a felony when cruelty is willful or causes serious injury. The City may also abate the property as a public nuisance under SBMC Div. 7 (Public Health and Safety) when conditions create health hazards, odors, or pest infestations. Mental-health referral is generally combined with criminal charges.
Animal hoarding prosecuted under Cal. Penal Code §597 and §597.1; no separate local count cap
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Ventura County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Ventura city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Ventura County →