Animal Ordinances in Effingham County, GA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Effingham County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Effingham County's "chicken ordinance," Sec. 10-112, lets AR-1 landowners keep any permitted fowl outright, while R-1 lots and platted non-conforming AR-1 subdivisions may keep only four hens and a rooster with a development services permit. Chicken coops must sit at least 150 feet from any occupied dwelling. Sec. 10-113 caps horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and swine to AR-zoned land on at least a one-acre lot.
Backyard Chicken and Livestock Rules, Effingham County GA
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Code §§ 10-112, 10-113
Sec. 10-112. - Keeping of fowl (also known as "the chicken ordinance"). (a)Residential fowl is subject to the following regulations:(1)Permitted fowl: chickens, turkeys, guineas, geese, ducks, pigeons, or similar fowl.a.Permitted fowl per zoning district:1.All permitted fowl: all AR-1 excluding platted non-conforming AR-1 subdivision.2.All non-commercial fowl: AR-2 and AR-3.b.Conditional fowl p...
Dog Leash Laws
In unincorporated Effingham County, Sec. 10-71 makes it unlawful for owners to let a dog or cat run at large, stray from home, or trespass onto another person's property. Hunting dogs get a narrow exception during deer season if tagged, vaccinated, and supervised. Humane enforcement officers impound loose pets under Sec. 10-73, and cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs cannot roam county rights-of-way either.
Dog and Cat Leash Law in Effingham County, GA
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Code §§ 10-1, 10-71
Running at large means any animal, other than a hunting dog while hunting, not confined by its owner or keeper within walls or a fence of proper design, controlled by a leash, or kept in some manner as to keep it from coming in contact with members of the public. S ... ec. ... 10-71. - Dogs, cats, or livestock running at large prohibited. (a)It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any c...
Breed Restrictions
Effingham County has no breed-specific dog ban. Instead, Sec. 10-75 targets any animal, regardless of breed, that "constitutes a physical threat to human beings or other animals." Owners must keep a vicious animal muzzled or caged when outside a building or secure enclosure, and post a "WARNING BAD DOG" sign with one-inch letters at every entrance to the property or enclosure.
Vicious Animal and Guard Dog Rules, Effingham County GA
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Code §§ 10-1, 10-75
Vicious animal means any animal that constitutes a physical threat to human beings or other animals. ... ... Sec. 10-75. - Vicious animals and guard dogs. (a)It shall be unlawful for any person to take or keep any vicious animal outside a building or secure enclosure unless such animal is securely muzzled or caged.(b)It shall be the duty of each owner, tenant, or custodian of property upon whic...
Cat Rules
Effingham County does not license cats, but Sec. 10-71 still bars owners from letting a cat run at large or stray onto a neighbor's property. Sec. 10-118 makes trap-neuter-return the county's preferred way to handle impounded "community cats," letting registered caregivers reclaim an ear-tipped cat and return it to its original location without proving ownership.
Cat At-Large and TNR Rules, Effingham County GA
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Code §§ 10-71, 10-118
(a)It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any cat or dog, other than a hunting dog during hunting season to permit them to run at large in the county/city, or to stray from the premises of the owner or keeper or go upon the premises of any other person. ... ... Sec. 10-118. - Trap-neuter-return. (a)Intent and purpose. ... A process known as trap-neuter-return is the preferred approach ...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In unincorporated Effingham County, a veterinary clinic is a permitted use by right in the AR-1 and AR-2 agricultural districts and the B-1, B-2 and B-3 commercial districts, plus the Light and Heavy Industrial zones, under the county's Table of Permitted Uses. It needs only a conditional-use permit in the Mixed-Use district, and is not listed at all, so is barred, in the county's R-1 through R-6 residential districts and the Flood Hazard and Conservation Preservation districts.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning in Effingham County
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Zoning Ordinance § 4.1A
AR-1 AR-2 R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 B-1 B-2 B-3 MXD LI HI FH CP ... Veterinarians P P P P P C P P Animal Services-Not Veterinarians C P P C C
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