6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Johnson County, Iowa.
Verified from official government sources
Johnson County cities allow limited backyard hens with no roosters; larger livestock needs agricultural or large-lot zoning. On unincorporated farmland, Iowa's agricultural zoning exemption (Iowa Code 335.2) leaves most farm animals to the owner.
Iowa City, Coralville, and unincorporated Johnson County require dogs to be leashed or controlled off the owner's property, with the shared Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center handling enforcement. Rabies vaccination is required by Iowa Code 351.33.
Iowa Code § 351.33 (2026)
Every owner of a dog shall obtain a rabies vaccination for such animal. It shall be unlawful for any person to own or have a dog in the person's possession, six months of age or over, which has not been vaccinated against rabies. Dogs kept in kennels and not allowed to run at large shall not be subject to these vaccination requirements.
Iowa does not preempt breed bans, so cities may adopt them, but Iowa City and Coralville use behavior-based dangerous-dog ordinances rather than breed-specific bans. Verify your specific city, since rules can change.
Beekeeping is allowed across much of Johnson County, with city zoning setting hive limits and setbacks in town. Iowa Code Chapter 160 requires registering apiaries with the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
Johnson County cities restrict dangerous exotic and wild animals through local ordinance, while Iowa Code Chapter 717F bans keeping dangerous wild animals, including big cats, primates, bears, and many venomous or large reptiles, statewide.
Johnson County has no blanket ban on feeding wildlife, but cities discourage feeding deer, and unsecured food that draws pests or deer can trigger nuisance enforcement. Iowa DNR manages wildlife conflicts statewide.
1 cities in Johnson County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Johnson County Ordinance Hub →