10 rules for unincorporated Inyo County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Inyo County's zoning code allows keeping small livestock such as poultry, rabbits, goats, pigs, sheep and pigeons as an accessory use. On small residential lots under one-half acre this is for domestic, educational or youth-agriculture purposes only, and large livestock and commercial operations are prohibited.
Inyo County only requires dogs to be leashed in "densely populated areas" designated by the Board of Supervisors. There, a dog off the owner's premises must be restrained by a leash no longer than six feet. Elsewhere in the unincorporated county there is no countywide leash mandate.
Inyo County's dog code does not impose breed-specific bans or breed-specific spay/neuter mandates. Instead, any dog may be declared "vicious" individually based on its behavior. Differential licensing fees apply to unaltered dogs of all breeds, and California law bars breed-specific bans.
Inyo County has no dedicated beekeeping ordinance in its animal code. Bees fall under the zoning rules for animal maintenance, and California's Food and Agricultural Code requires every apiary owner to register colonies and locations annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner.
Inyo County Code Chapter 8.24 regulates wild or exotic animals, including a specific restriction on transporting skunks into or out of the county except by sheriff's permit for recognized zoos or research institutions. California state law separately bans private possession of most wild and exotic species without a permit.
Inyo County's code does not contain a specific blanket ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wild animals, but its animal-maintenance and nuisance provisions discourage attracting wildlife. On the surrounding Inyo National Forest and other public lands, federal food-storage and wildlife rules apply, and California law restricts feeding big game.
In unincorporated Inyo County, large livestock such as horses, cattle, mules and donkeys are barred from small residential lots under one-half acre but allowed on larger residential and other-zoned parcels as an accessory use. Open-space and agricultural zones allow livestock ranching, and pens must meet setback limits.
Inyo County addresses animal hoarding through its nuisance and care provisions rather than a numeric cap. Owners must provide adequate food, water, shelter and care, may not keep animals in unsanitary conditions, and may not abandon animals. Animal Services can cite violations and impound neglected animals.
Inyo County's code sets no fixed numeric cap on how many dogs or cats a household may keep. However, a property with five or more dogs (five months or older) kept for breeding and sale is a regulated "kennel," and all animal keeping is limited by nuisance and sanitation rules.
Inyo County exempts domestic cats from its prohibition on animals running at large, so cats are not subject to leash or confinement rules. Cats are not required to be licensed (only dogs are), but adopters of unaltered cats from the shelter must pay a spay/neuter deposit under the County code.
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