Animal Ordinances in Granville County, NC (2026)
9 rules for unincorporated Granville County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Raising or breeding poultry, livestock, cattle, horses and bees counts as a bona fide farm use under Code § 32-1302(a), and Table 03.110A permits bona fide farms by right, marked 'Y', in all nine of the county's zoning districts, from AR-80 down to the industrial and office/institutional districts, with no acreage minimum written into the use table itself.
Granville County Backyard Poultry & Livestock Rule
Few RestrictionsGranville County Code § 32-142 (Table 03.110A) and § 32-1302(a)
Land Use AR-80 AR-40 R-25 MHPD HB NB I-1 I-2 O/I Parking Loading Other ... Bona Fide Farms Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y na. na. ... (a)(1)Bona fide farm purposes (NAICS 111, 112, part and 11142). Bona fide farm uses include crop production and animal production, and agritourism defined by G.S. 160D-903. ... (2)These uses also include:a.Orchards, aquaculture and truck farming.b.The raising or breeding of l...
Dog Leash Laws
Granville County Code Section 11-41(a) makes it unlawful for a dog to run loose off its owner's property without direct control. Animal control officers who find a dog at large may pick it up under Section 11-8, and the owner faces the civil penalty ticket process set out in Section 11-12, plus impound and boarding fees before the dog can be redeemed.
Granville County Dog At-Large and Leash Rule
Some RestrictionsGranville County Code § 11-41(a)
Sec. 11-41. - Offenses. (a)Dogs not under direct control. A dog not under direct control of its owner and determined to be at large by the animal control officer can be picked up by such officer, and the owner may be subject to a fine as outlined in section 11-12.
Breed Restrictions
Granville County Code Section 11-81 declares a dangerous or public-nuisance animal on behavior, not breed: two or more bites, attacks or chases, or a single bite that breaks skin, lets an animal control officer make the declaration. A declared dangerous dog's owner must sign a retention contract with signage, secure confinement, a leash and muzzle when off-property, and a fee.
Granville County Dangerous Dog Declaration Rules
Significant RestrictionsGranville County Code § 11-81(a)
Sec. 11-81. - Dangerous and public nuisance animals. (a)An animal may be determined by an animal control officer to be dangerous when it commits any of the following acts two or more times, or any combination of two or more of the following acts one or more times; except that an animal may be determined to be dangerous after it has bitten any person one time so as to cause abrasions or break th...
Exotic Pets
Granville County Code Section 11-41(f) bars keeping any wild animal in the unincorporated county unless the owner holds a captivity license issued under G.S. 113-272.5. The subsection does not loosen any state or federal restriction on native wildlife, so an animal already prohibited by the state wildlife resources commission or by federal law stays prohibited regardless of a county permit.
Granville County Wild Animal Captivity License Rule
Heavy RestrictionsGranville County Code § 11-41(f)
(f)Wild animals.(1)This subsection shall apply to wild animals and owners of wild animals. Neither this subsection nor any section of this chapter shall have the effect of permitting any activity or condition with respect to a wild animal native to the state which is prohibited or more severely restricted by state statutes or by regulations of the state wildlife resources commission, or of perm...
Pet Limits
Keeping more than four dogs, more than six cats, or a combined total of more than five dogs and cats over four months old turns a residence into a 'kennel' under Code § 32-1306(h). Table 03.110A only permits kennels with a minor special use approval in the AR-80 and AR-40 districts and prohibits them outright in R-25 and MHPD.
Granville County Household Dog and Cat Limit
Some RestrictionsGranville County Code § 32-142 (Table 03.110A) and § 32-1306(h)
Land Use AR-80 AR-40 R-25 MHPD HB NB I-1 I-2 O/I Parking Loading Other ... Kennels MinS MinS N N Y Y Y Y N 1/333 sf. plus 1 per 3 stalls 1/40 stalls see section 32-209 ... (h)Kennels means the boarding, breeding, training or selling of domestic dogs or cats. This shall include the keeping of more than four dogs or six cats over the age of four months, or the keeping of a total of more than five...
Cat Rules
Granville County Code Section 11-46 sets up a Trap-Neuter-Return program for unowned community cats. A recognized community cat-sponsoring organization coordinates with county animal control, and caregivers must trap cats humanely, have a veterinarian confirm each cat is healthy before spay or neuter surgery, vaccinate for rabies and FVRCP, ear-tip the cat, and report any cat bite to animal control.
Granville County Community Cat TNR Program Rules
Some RestrictionsGranville County Code § 11-46
Sec. 11-46. - Trap—Neuter—Return programs. (a)Organizations or individuals that engage in trap—neuter—return are encouraged to register through a sponsoring organization. Organizations performing or supporting trap—neuter—return in the county shall identify and nominate a community cat-sponsoring organization, which shall be recognized by the county environmental services director or his design...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Granville County has no general spay-or-neuter mandate for pets. Its only fixed-sterilization rule sits inside Section 11-81(f)(5)(a): to keep a dog an animal control officer has declared dangerous, the owner must sign a retention contract and prove to county animal control that the dog is already spayed or neutered and current on rabies vaccination.
Granville County Dangerous Dog Spay-Neuter Proof Rule
Light RestrictionsGranville County Code § 11-81(f)(5)(a)
(3)Any person owning a declared dangerous dog who wishes to retain the dog must enter into a contract with the county containing such requirements as the county may stipulate and at least the following set out below and pay a fee to the county to offset the costs of administration as set out in the county fee schedule. ... (5)The owner must provide proof at the time of entering into the contrac...
Microchipping
Granville County Code Section 11-81(f)(5)(b) requires microchipping only for a dog an animal control officer has formally declared dangerous. Before the county lets an owner keep that dog under a retention contract, the owner must prove the dog carries a permanent-ID microchip and give the microchip number to county animal control; there is no countywide microchip mandate for ordinary pets.
Granville County Dangerous Dog Microchip Requirement
Light RestrictionsGranville County Code § 11-81(f)(5)(b)
(3)Any person owning a declared dangerous dog who wishes to retain the dog must enter into a contract with the county containing such requirements as the county may stipulate and at least the following set out below and pay a fee to the county to offset the costs of administration as set out in the county fee schedule. ... (5)The owner must provide proof at the time of entering into the contrac...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Veterinary uses (NAICS 54194) fall under the 'Services' category in Code § 32-1306(m), and Table 03.110A permits Services by right, marked 'Y', only in the Highway Business, Neighborhood Business, Prime Industrial and General Industrial districts. The table marks Services 'N', prohibited, in the AR-80, AR-40, R-25, MHPD and Office/Institutional districts, so a veterinary clinic cannot locate in the county's agricultural or residential zones.
Granville County Veterinary Use Zoning Rule
Some RestrictionsGranville County Code § 32-142 (Table 03.110A) and § 32-1306(m)
Land Use AR-80 AR-40 R-25 MHPD HB NB I-1 I-2 O/I Parking Loading Other ... Services N N N N Y Y Y Y N see table 03.110B 1/33,000 sf. ... (m)Service uses include a wide variety of personal and commercial services. This category does not include those services for customers in vehicles, such as a drive-in banking facility. ... Veterinary uses (NAICS 54194).
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