Animal Ordinances in Westminster, CO (2026)
9 verified animal ordinances for Westminster, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Westminster requires a permit before a single chicken sets foot on a residential lot, and caps flocks at six hens on lots of two acres or less, or 12 hens on larger lots, under Section 6-7-12(I). Roosters are barred since only hens qualify. Livestock such as horses or goats needs a half-acre of pasture per animal and generally a ten-acre parcel or O-1 zoning under Section 6-7-12(B).
Westminster Backyard Chicken and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-12(I)
(I)Chickens: ...(2)Chickens may only be kept in the rear yard of a single-family detached property with an existing residence and with a proper chicken coop meeting the following requirements:(a)A coop shall be fully enclosed, having floors, walls, and roofs sufficient to protect the chickens from predators;(b)Each coop shall provide a minimum of six square feet of living space per chicken;...(...
Dog Leash Laws
Westminster requires owners to keep dogs under leash control off their own property, making it a civil infraction for an animal to run at large under W.M.C. 6-7-5(A)(1). Fines escalate for repeat offenses and are higher for animals that are not spayed or neutered.
Westminster Dogs Running at Large Ban
Some RestrictionsWestminster, CO Municipal Code § 6-7-5(A)
(A)Animals Running at Large Prohibited:(1)It shall be a civil infraction for an animal's owner or custodian to fail to restrain the animal by physical means from running at large. Running at large means an animal, off the premises of the owner or custodian, not under the effective and immediate physical control of the owner or custodian by means of a leash, cord or chain of reasonable length to...
Breed Restrictions
Westminster does not name or ban any dog breed. Instead, Section 6-7-8 declares an animal 'potentially dangerous' or 'vicious' based on what it actually did, then imposes leash, muzzle, microchip, spay/neuter, and insurance requirements regardless of breed.
Westminster Dangerous Dog Law, Not Breed Ban
Significant RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-8
Any owner or custodian of an animal shall be criminally liable for any animal's behavior meeting the definition of potentially dangerous animal... (1)Causing bodily injury to any person or domestic animal;(2)Chasing or menacing a person or domestic animal in an aggressive manner;(3)Acting in an aggressive manner while encroaching onto public or private property, from a vehicle, or from the owne...
Beekeeping
Keeping bees in Westminster requires a City permit before the bees even arrive. Hive counts scale from two on a quarter-acre lot up to eight on larger lots, and every hive needs a ten-foot rear setback plus a six-foot flyaway barrier.
Westminster Backyard Beekeeping Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-12(H); § 6-7-19
Bees: It shall be a civil infraction for any person to possess, harbor, keep, maintain or permit on his property within the City bees or bee hives, unless the owner or occupant of the property complies with the requirements of this chapter... The maximum number of hives per single-family detached lot shall be allowed as follows:(a)One-quarter acre or less: two hives;(b)More than one-quarter acr...
Exotic Pets
Westminster bans importing, selling, or keeping any 'prohibited animal', a defined list running from big cats and bears to venomous snakes and large constrictors, anywhere in the city. Presumed-prohibited animals stay banned until an owner proves otherwise in Municipal Court.
Westminster Ban on Prohibited Exotic Animals
Heavy RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-1 (definitions), § 6-7-12(C)
Prohibited animal shall mean any animal that is ordinarily found in an unconfined state and is usually not kept as a household pet, including, but not limited to, lions, tigers, cheetahs, panthers, leopards, cougars, mountain lions, ocelots, any wild members of the genus felis, lynx, bobcats, foxes, minks, skunks, raccoons, bears, nonhuman primates, wolves and coyotes; poisonous or venomous sna...
Wildlife Feeding
It is unlawful to knowingly put out food for wild animals anywhere in Westminster, a rule aimed at deer, geese, and other unconfined wildlife. The ban specifically exempts feeding squirrels and passerine songbirds.
Westminster Ban on Feeding Wild Animals
Some RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-13(I)
Feeding of Wild Animals: It shall be unlawful to knowingly place or provide food for any wild animal. This prohibition shall not apply to squirrels or passerine birds.
Pet Limits
Residential properties in Westminster may keep no more than 10 domestic animals total, and no more than 4 of those can be dogs or cats over four months old. Emotional-support and ADA service animals still count toward that cap.
Westminster Household Pet Limit: 4 Dogs/Cats
Some RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-12(A)
It shall be a civil infraction for anyone to knowingly possess, harbor, keep, maintain, or permit on any property within the City zoned for residential use more than ten domestic animals, of which no more than four shall be dogs or cats over the age of four months; or more than the number of bee hives allowed in Subsection 6-7-12(H), W.M.C.; or more than the number of female chickens allowed in...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Westminster does not require spay or neuter for ordinary dogs and cats, but it does mandate it in two specific cases: potbellied pig permits require proof of spay or neuter, and a dog declared 'potentially dangerous' must be sterilized as a condition of legal possession.
Westminster Spay/Neuter Rules for Pigs, Dangerous Dogs
Some RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-12(F)(1)
Potbellied Pigs: It shall be a civil infraction for any person to possess, harbor, keep, maintain or permit at his dwelling within the City any potbellied pig or any pig purporting to be a potbellied pig, unless the owner complies with the requirements of this section... The owner of any potbellied pig four months of age or older shall obtain a permit issued by the City of Westminster for the p...
Pet Store Rules
No retail store in Westminster may sell, deliver, or offer for adoption any dog or cat. Stores can still host lawful rescue or shelter adoption events on-site, provided they take no ownership stake or adoption fee and post the rescue's name on each animal's enclosure.
Westminster Retail Pet Store Sale Ban
Heavy RestrictionsWestminster Municipal Code § 6-7-12(G)
Restrictions on the Sale of Animals:(1)No retail store or its owner, operator or employees shall sell, deliver, offer for sale or adoption, advertise for sale of, barter, auction, give away, or otherwise transfer or dispose of cats or dogs.(2)This prohibition shall not apply to lawfully operated animal rescue organizations, and animal shelters.(4)Nothing in this section shall prevent a retail s...
Looking for Adams County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Westminster city rules.
Animal Ordinances in Adams County →