Animal Ordinances in Chesterfield County, VA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
In Chesterfield, your property boundary line itself counts as a lawful fence for livestock and poultry: it is unlawful to let livestock or poultry cross that line and run at large, whether or not you built an actual fence. Pigs face added distance rules from roads, homes and city lines.
Chesterfield County Livestock and Poultry At-Large Rule
Some RestrictionsChesterfield County, VA, Code of Ordinances § 4-2
The boundary line of each lot or tract of land within the county shall be a lawful fence as to any livestock or poultry, as defined in Sec. 4-21, infra. It shall be unlawful for the owner or manager to permit any livestock or poultry to run at large beyond the boundaries of the tract of land where the livestock or poultry is regularly confined.
Dog Leash Laws
No dog may run at large anywhere in Chesterfield County at any time of year. Off county land, a leash is not always required, but the dog must stay under the owner's immediate, obedient control; on county land, a physical leash is required outside posted off-leash areas.
Chesterfield County Dogs Running at Large Rule
Significant RestrictionsChesterfield County, VA, Code of Ordinances § 4-23(c)
For purposes of this section, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roaming or running off the property of its owner or custodian and not under its owner's or custodian's immediate control. "Immediate control" is defined as a physical leash directly connecting the dog to the owner/custodian or under the direct control of the owner/custodian in which the dog is clearly obedient to commands...
Breed Restrictions
Chesterfield repealed its own dangerous-dog ordinance in 2007, so dangerous-dog findings run entirely on state law. Virginia Code bars a court from declaring a dog dangerous based on breed alone, so no dog breed is banned or specially restricted countywide.
Chesterfield Dangerous Dog Rules, Not Breed
Significant RestrictionsCode of Virginia § 3.2-6540(H), (K)(1)
K. No animal shall be found by the court to be a dangerous dog: 1. Solely because it is a particular breed... The court shall determine that the animal is a dangerous dog if the evidence shows that it (i) killed a companion animal that is a dog or cat or inflicted serious injury on a companion animal that is a dog or cat...or (ii) directly caused serious injury to a person, including laceration...
Exotic Pets
Chesterfield bans keeping wild or exotic animals as pets, for display or exhibition anywhere in the county. The list covers monkeys, raccoons, skunks, wolves, foxes, big cats, venomous snakes, tarantulas and crocodilians, with narrow exceptions for licensed exhibitions and vet clinics.
Chesterfield County Wild and Exotic Animal Ban
Heavy RestrictionsChesterfield County, VA, Code of Ordinances § 4-3
A wild or exotic animal means any (i) live monkey (nonhuman primate), raccoon, skunk, wolf, squirrel, fox, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, lynx or any other warm-blooded mammal, (ii) poisonous or venomous snake, (iii) tarantula, (iv) other poisonous or venomous animal normally found in the wild, or (v) any member of the crocodilian family including, but not limited to, alligators, crocodiles, ca...
Wildlife Feeding
Virginia bans feeding bear at any time and feeding that attracts nuisance wildlife. Deer feeding is prohibited statewide each September 1 through the first Saturday in January. Chesterfield is not on the year-round deer-feeding ban list.
Feeding wildlife rules in Chesterfield County
Some Restrictions4VAC15-40-286
It shall be unlawful for any person as defined in § 1-230 of the Code of Virginia to place, distribute, or allow the placement of food, minerals, carrion, trash, or similar substances when it attracts any species of wildlife in such numbers or circumstances to cause property damage, endanger any person or wildlife, or create a public health concern.
Cat Rules
Chesterfield County requires every dog and cat four months or older to carry a current rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian, under Virginia Code § 3.2-6521(A). Owners must keep the vaccination certificate and produce it on demand from an animal control officer, humane investigator, or county health official. Unvaccinated cats picked up by the animal warden cannot be released from the shelter, and violators face criminal penalties under the county's rabies control ordinance.
Chesterfield County Cat Rabies Vaccination Law
Some RestrictionsCode of Virginia § 3.2-6521(A)
A. The owner or custodian of all dogs and cats four months of age and older shall have such animal currently vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian or licensed veterinary technician who is under the immediate and direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian on the premises unless otherwise provided by regulations. The supervising veterinarian on the premises shall provide the owner o...
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