17 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 9 cities in Dallas County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
No county restrictions on chickens or livestock in unincorporated areas. Texas counties cannot zone or restrict agricultural use. TX Agriculture Code governs livestock health and disease. HOA/deed restrictions may prohibit livestock in subdivisions.
Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 161.001 — Definitions (livestock, fowl)
Sec. 161.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this chapter: (1) "Animal" includes livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl, and exotic fowl. (2) "Commission" means the Texas Animal Health Commission ... (4) "Exotic livestock" means grass-eating or plant-eating, single-hooved or cloven-hooved mammals that are not indigenous to this state and are known as ungulates, including animals from the swine, horse,...
Dallas County requires dogs on leash in public. Off-leash in designated parks only. License and rabies vaccination required. TX HSC §822.013 covers dogs at large.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.042(a)
Sec. 822.042. REQUIREMENTS FOR OWNER OF DANGEROUS DOG. (a) Not later than the 30th day after a person learns that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, the person shall: (1) register the dangerous dog with the animal control authority for the area in which the dog is kept; (2) restrain the dangerous dog at all times on a leash in the immediate control of a person or in a secure enclosure;...
No county breed-specific legislation. Texas has no statewide breed ban. TX HSC Chapter 822 regulates dangerous dogs based on behavior, not breed. Counties cannot enact breed restrictions under Texas law.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 822.047 — Local Regulation of Dangerous Dogs (breed-specific restrictions prohibited)
Sec. 822.047. LOCAL REGULATION OF DANGEROUS DOGS. A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions: (1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and (2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter.
No county beekeeping restrictions. TX Agriculture Code Chapter 131 governs apiary registration statewide. Beekeepers must register hives with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service. No county setback, hive count, or lot size requirements.
Tex. Agric. Code Secs. 131.025, 131.041 — State Beekeeping Permits and Pest Reporting
Sec. 131.041. PERMIT FOR INTERSTATE MOVEMENT. (a) A person may not ship or cause to be shipped bees or equipment into or out of this state unless the person has a permit issued by the chief apiary inspector authorizing the shipment. (b) A permit issued under this section applies to all shipments made by the beekeeper and expires on August 31 following the date the permit is issued. The term of ...
TX Local Government Code Section 240.002 allows counties to regulate wild animal keeping. TX HSC Chapter 822 Subchapter E regulates dangerous wild animals including lions, tigers, bears, and primates requiring registration with local animal control.
No county wildlife feeding ordinance. No state law prohibiting wildlife feeding on private property. TX Parks and Wildlife regulations apply to protected species. County has limited regulatory authority over private property activities.
No county livestock restrictions. Texas counties cannot zone or restrict agricultural activity. TX Agriculture Code and TX Animal Health Commission govern livestock health, disease, and movement. HOA/deed restrictions may prohibit livestock.
Tex. Agric. Code Sec. 142.003(a)-(b)
Sec. 142.003. DISCOVERY OF ESTRAY; NOTICE. (a) If an estray, without being herded with other livestock, roams about the property of a person without that person's permission or roams about public property, the owner of the private property or the custodian of the public property, as applicable, shall, as soon as reasonably possible, report the presence of the estray to the sheriff of the county...
Dallas County has no county-specific hoarding ordinance. Texas Penal Code 42.092 governs cruelty to non-livestock animals; Dallas County Sheriff investigates in unincorporated areas. Cities like Dallas and Irving handle their own cases through municipal animal services.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 821.022(a)-(b)
Sec. 821.022. SEIZURE OF CRUELLY TREATED ANIMAL. (a) If a peace officer or an officer who has responsibility for animal control in a county or municipality has reason to believe that an animal has been or is being cruelly treated, the officer may apply to a justice court or magistrate in the county or to a municipal court in the municipality in which the animal is located for a warrant to seize...
Dallas County imposes no pets-per-household cap. Each city sets its own limit. Dallas allows up to six dogs and cats combined per single-family residence; suburbs vary from three to eight, often with kennel-permit options for larger numbers.
Dallas County has no dedicated cat ordinance. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 826 mandates rabies vaccination for cats over four months. Dallas County HHS oversees rabies control; cities run licensing, TNR, and nuisance enforcement.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 826.021 — Rabies Vaccination of Dogs and Cats Required
Sec. 826.021. VACCINATION OF DOGS AND CATS REQUIRED. (a) Except as otherwise provided by department rule, the owner of a dog or cat shall have the animal vaccinated against rabies by the time the animal is four months of age and at regular intervals thereafter as prescribed by department rule. (b) A veterinarian who vaccinates a dog or cat against rabies shall issue to the animal's owner a vacc...
Texas has no statewide spay-neuter mandate, and Dallas County does not require sterilization. Cities choose their own rules: Dallas requires intact-pet permits, while many suburbs and unincorporated areas remain entirely voluntary unless an animal is adopted from a shelter.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Secs. 828.002-828.003 — Sterilization Required for Adopted Dogs and Cats
Sec. 828.002. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTION. Except as provided by Section 828.013, a releasing agency may not release a dog or cat for adoption unless the animal has been sterilized or the release is made to a new owner who signs an agreement to have the animal sterilized ... Sec. 828.003. STERILIZATION AGREEMENT. (a) The sterilization agreement used by a releasing agency must contain: ... (4) the...
Dallas County has no microchip ordinance, and Texas does not require microchipping pets. Cities choose their own rules; Dallas mandates microchips for dogs and cats under Chapter 7. Voluntary chipping is strongly encouraged for return-to-owner.
Dallas County coordinates coyote conflict response with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which classifies coyotes as nongame predators. Dallas County HHS handles vector and rabies issues; cities run hazing education programs to reduce attractants and bold-coyote behavior.
Texas does not prohibit retail pet sales statewide, and Dallas County imposes no countywide pet-store sourcing ban. Dallas City Code Section 7-3.1 limits retail sales to rescue and shelter sources, but this rule does not extend to suburban or unincorporated stores.
Tex. Occ. Code Sec. 802.101
Sec. 802.101. LICENSE REQUIRED. (a) A person may not act as, offer to act as, or represent that the person is a dog or cat breeder in this state unless the person holds a license under this chapter for each facility that the person owns or operates in this state. A license for a single facility may cover more than one building on the same premises. (b) The commission by rule may establish requi...
Texas does not license pet groomers, and Dallas County imposes no county groomer rule. Groomers operate under general business licensing and animal-cruelty law. Dallas County HHS only intervenes when a grooming-related rabies exposure or cruelty complaint arises.
Texas Occupations Code Chapter 801 governs veterinary licensing through the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Dallas County does not zone clinics; cities set zoning, parking, and noise rules. Boarding or kennel uses often require additional conditional-use permits.
Native birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 64. Dallas County has no separate bird ordinance. Removing nests, eggs, or birds without a permit is a federal offense with substantial fines.
Tex. Parks & Wild. Code Sec. 64.002(a)-(b)
Sec. 64.002. PROTECTION OF NONGAME BIRDS. (a) Except as provided by this code, no person may: (1) catch, kill, injure, pursue, or possess, dead or alive, or purchase, sell, expose for sale, transport, ship, or receive or deliver for transportation, a bird that is not a game bird; (2) possess any part of the plumage, skin, or body of a bird that is not a game bird; or (3) disturb or destroy the ...
9 cities in Dallas County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
18 verified rules • Animal Hoarding, Beekeeping
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
7 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
6 verified rules • Beekeeping, Breed Restrictions
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