10 rules for unincorporated Del Norte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Del Norte County is a rural coastal-ranch county. The Animal Control Ordinance (Title 8, Chapter 3) classifies poultry as 'livestock' and requires owners to keep it securely confined so it does not roam at large. The County Code sets no maximum number of hens for ordinary residential keeping; siting follows zoning.
In unincorporated Del Norte County, the Animal Control Ordinance (County Code Title 8, Chapter 2, Leash Law) makes it unlawful to let a dog be unleashed or unattended on any public place, public road, or private road open to use by others, or to let a dog trespass on private property. Loose dogs are subject to immediate seizure and impoundment.
Del Norte County's Animal Control Ordinance contains no breed-specific bans and no breed-based license differences. Dangerous-dog regulation is behavior-based, following the California Food and Agricultural Code's potentially-dangerous and vicious-dog framework. California law (Food & Ag Code 31683) bars local dog programs from being breed-specific.
Del Norte County's Animal Control Ordinance (Title 8) does not regulate honeybees, and we found no county beekeeping ordinance. Whether you can keep hives turns on your parcel's zoning. California requires apiaries to be registered with the County Agricultural Commissioner, who in Del Norte County also serves as Director of Animal Control.
Del Norte County's Animal Control Ordinance (Title 8) regulates dogs, common household pets, and livestock, but does not authorize private possession of exotic wild animals. The controlling restrictions are statewide: California Fish and Game Code 2118 and Title 14 CCR 671 ban keeping many wild and exotic species as pets without a state permit.
Del Norte County's Animal Control Ordinance (Title 8) regulates owned and kept animals, not the feeding of free-roaming wildlife, and we found no county wildlife-feeding ban. The controlling rule is statewide: California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 251.3 prohibits intentionally feeding big game mammals such as deer and bears.
Del Norte County is a rural coastal-ranch county with cattle, dairy, and sheep operations. The Animal Control Ordinance (Title 8, Chapter 3) defines 'livestock' as bovines, goats, pigs, sheep, and poultry, requires secure confinement, and bars livestock from running at large - loose livestock is subject to immediate seizure and impoundment.
Del Norte County has no standalone 'hoarding' ordinance, but Title 8 requires proper care of every animal, treats animal nuisances under California Penal Code 597.1, and caps unlicensed multi-dog keeping via kennel rules. Severe neglect and hoarding are prosecuted under California Penal Code 597.
Del Norte County sets no flat household pet limit, but it regulates multiple-dog keeping by kennel license. Under Title 8, Chapter 2, a 'kennel' is a place where more than five dogs are kept for breeding, training, sale, or other commercial purposes, and operating a kennel requires a county kennel license.
Del Norte County's Animal Control Ordinance treats cats more leniently than dogs. Cats are listed as allowed pets and the leash/at-large rules in Title 8, Chapter 2 are written for dogs, not cats. There is no county cat-licensing scheme, and we found no county cat-leash requirement; rabies prevention follows state law.
See every category we cover for Del Norte County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Del Norte County Ordinance Hub →