Animal Ordinances in Hanover County, VA (2026)
11 rules for unincorporated Hanover County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Hanover County allows up to six hens, but no roosters, as an accessory use on single-family lots in the RS, R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts under Zoning Ordinance Section 26-298.1. Outside the Town of Ashland, the coop and run must sit entirely in the rear yard, at least 15 feet from side and rear lot lines, kept clean of waste and free of odor and insects.
Hanover County Backyard Chicken Rules
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 26-298.1
Notwithstanding any district regulations to the contrary, the keeping of chickens on lots with single-family detached homes within the RS, R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts shall be permitted as an accessory use so long as the following conditions are satisfied: 1.There shall no more than six (6) female chickens (hens) kept on the property. No male chickens (roosters) are permitted.2.All chickens sha...
Dog Leash Laws
Hanover County bars dog owners from letting a canine run at large during April, May and June anywhere in the county, and year-round in the urban service area, in the R-1 through R-6 zoning districts, in county parks, on school grounds, and anywhere in the Town of Ashland, under Code Section 4-74.
Hanover County Dogs Running at Large
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-74
(a)It shall be unlawful for the owner of any canine or canine crossbreed to allow such canine or canine crossbreed to run at large in the county during the months of April, May and June of any year.(b)It shall be unlawful for the owner of any canine or canine crossbreed to allow such canine or canine crossbreed to run at large, at any time, in the urban service area, as defined in the subdivisi...
Breed Restrictions
Hanover County does not ban or restrict dogs by breed. When the general district court decides whether a canine is a dangerous or vicious dog under sections 4-75 and 4-76, the ordinance says breed alone can never be the basis for that finding, and owning a particular breed is never prohibited.
No Breed-Specific Dog Bans in Hanover County, VA
Few RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-75(b)
(b)No canine or canine crossbreed shall be found to be a dangerous dog solely because it is a particular breed, nor is ownership of a particular breed of canine or canine crossbreed prohibited. No animal shall be found to be a dangerous dog if the threat, injury, or damage was sustained by a person who was: ... (3)Provoking, tormenting, or physically abusing the animal, or can be shown to have ...
Beekeeping
Hanover County lets homeowners keep bees in the RS, R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts as an accessory use under the Zoning Ordinance (chapter 26), Section 26-298.2. Outside the Town of Ashland, a lot is capped at two production colonies and one nucleus colony, and every hive must sit in the rear yard, 15 feet off side and rear lot lines, behind a six-foot flyway barrier.
Hanover County Beekeeping Rules
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 26-298.2
Notwithstanding any district regulations to the contrary, the keeping of bees in the RS, R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts shall be permitted as an accessory use so long as the following conditions are satisfied: 1.There shall no more than two (2) production colonies and one (1) nucleus colony kept on the property. ... 2.All colonies shall be kept in hives with removable frames, which shall be kept i...
Exotic Pets
Anyone in Hanover County outside the Town of Ashland who wants to keep a wild, exotic or vicious animal on their property needs a permit from the county first. The chief animal control officer decides wild and exotic animal applications, while the board of supervisors handles vicious animal permits after a public hearing.
Wild and Exotic Animal Permit Rules in Hanover County, VA
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-80
(a)No person shall keep or permit to be kept on his premises any wild, exotic or vicious animal, unless that person shall have previously obtained a permit from the county for such animal ... (c)No permit shall be approved by the chief animal control officer or the board of supervisors unless the applicant has demonstrated in the application:(1)That the wild, exotic or vicious animal(s) will be...
Pet Limits
Hanover County caps dog ownership at five adult dogs per tax parcel in every residential zoning district, from AR-1 through RS, under Code Section 4-72. Adult dogs already owned and licensed before October 25, 1995 are grandfathered, but once those older dogs are sold, lost or die, replacements count toward the five-dog cap again.
Hanover County Dog Ownership Limit
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-72
It shall be unlawful for more than five (5) adult dogs to be owned or harbored on any one (1) tax map parcel zoned AR-1, AR-2, AR-6, RC, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and RS. Adult dogs owned and properly licensed prior to October 25, 1995 shall be exempt from this limitation, but upon the sale, loss, or demise of the adult dog or dogs owned and properly licensed prior to October 25, 1995, the o...
Cat Rules
In Hanover County outside the Town of Ashland, every cat four months or older must carry a current rabies vaccination under section 4-16, but cats never need a county license the way dogs do under section 4-56. Owners have 30 days from adoption or moving into the county to get the shot done.
Cat Rabies Vaccination Rules in Hanover County, VA
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-16
(a)The owner of all dogs and cats four (4) 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. ... (e)Any person who owns or is the custodian of any dog or domesticated cat o...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Hanover County requires dogs and cats adopted from a releasing agency to be sterilized. If the animal isn't already sterilized, the new owner signs an agreement to have it done within 30 days of adoption, or within 30 days after it turns six months old if it wasn't yet sexually mature.
Mandatory Sterilization of Adopted Pets in Hanover County, VA
Significant RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-96
(a)A dog or cat shall not be released for adoption from a releasing agency unless:(1)The animal has already been sterilized; or(2)The individual adopting the animal signs an agreement to have the animal sterilized by a licensed veterinarian:a.Within thirty (30) days of the adoption if the animal is sexually mature; orb.Within thirty (30) days after the animal reaches six (6) months of age, if t...
Pet Groomer Rules
Hanover County zoning defines a 'pet shop or animal grooming establishment' as any business that bathes, clips, or grooms dogs and cats for a fee, or buys and sells companion animals. Section 26-6 requires every work room, cage, and pen to sit inside a fully enclosed building and bars any noise or odor that reaches outside its walls.
Pet Grooming Shop Rules in Hanover County
Some RestrictionsHanover County Code § 26-6
Pet shop or animal grooming establishment: A place of business where: 1.Companion animals are bought, sold, exchanged, or offered for sale or exchange to the general public; or2.For a fee, dogs and cats are bathed, clipped, or combed or brushed for the purpose of enhancing their aesthetic value or health. All work rooms, cages, or pens used in connection with a pet shop or animal grooming estab...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In Hanover County's B-1 Neighborhood Business District outside Ashland, Hanover County Code § 26-107(1) permits an animal hospital or clinic for small animals as a by-right use only if the practice operates entirely inside a soundproof building. The identical use and soundproofing condition applies to commercial development in the county's HV Historic Village District.
Hanover County B-1 Animal Hospital Zoning
Light RestrictionsHanover County Code § 26-107(1)
A building or land shall be used only for the following purposes: 1.Animal hospital or clinic for small animals conducted entirely in a soundproof building.
Wildlife Rescue Permits
Hanover County's wild-animal permit rule in section 4-80 does not apply to state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators: anyone holding a category I, II or III wildlife rehabilitation permit from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries can possess native wild animals for rehab without a separate county permit.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit Exemption in Hanover County, VA
Light RestrictionsHanover County Code § 4-80(a)
... except that persons holding a category I, II, or III wildlife rehabilitation permit issued by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries may possess native wild animals for the purpose of rehabilitation pursuant to the conditions of their wildlife rehabilitation permit and applicable state law.
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