4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Kent County, Michigan.
Verified from official government sources
Kent County, MI does not regulate the keeping of backyard chickens or livestock through a uniform countywide ordinance — those rules are set by each city and township's zoning code, subject to the Michigan Right to Farm Act (Public Act 93 of 1981, MCL 286.471 et seq.), which preempts most local restrictions on commercial farm operations conducted under Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs). The Kent County Animal Control Ordinance does, however, prohibit livestock and poultry from running at large under Section 11(f), defines "Livestock" in Section 6(l) to include horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, mules, and fur-bearing animals raised in captivity, and authorizes impoundment of stray livestock under Section 12. The ordinance applies only outside cities, villages, and townships that have adopted their own animal-control ordinance (§ 4 / MCL 287.289a).
In Kent County, MI, Section 11(b) of the Kent County Animal Control Ordinance (Ord. No. 06-23-22-82, effective July 1, 2022) requires owners and custodians to restrain dogs on a lead or leash no greater than 6 feet in length any time the dog is off the owner's property. The ordinance applies countywide except within cities, villages, or townships that have adopted their own animal-control ordinance (Section 4, citing MCL 287.289a). Animal Control Officers and Kent County Sheriff's Deputies may capture unrestrained or stray dogs under Section 8(a)(3). Violations are municipal civil infractions: $100 for a first offense and $200 for a subsequent offense within five years (Section 15(a)).
Kent County, MI does not impose any breed-specific legislation (BSL). The Kent County Animal Control Ordinance (Ord. No. 06-23-22-82, effective July 1, 2022) contains no breed-based bans, restrictions, or special insurance/muzzling requirements for any breed of dog. Instead, Section 11(c) applies a behavior-based standard: it is unlawful for an owner or custodian to intentionally or by failure to exercise due care allow a dog or other animal to menace, attack, or bite a person or other animal in a place where the person or animal is legally entitled to be. Michigan has no statewide preemption of local BSL, but Kent County and its largest city, Grand Rapids, have both declined to enact breed restrictions. Individual cities, villages, or townships within Kent County may have their own ordinances (Section 4 / MCL 287.289a) — check locally before assuming the county rule applies.
Kent County has no county-level beekeeping ordinance; keeping honey bees in Kent County is governed primarily by Michigan state law. The Michigan Apiary Law (Act 412 of 1976, MCL 286.801 et seq.) addresses bee diseases and gives MDARD authority to quarantine or destroy diseased colonies, but does not require residential beekeepers to register their hives. Commercial or for-sale beekeeping operations can qualify for nuisance protection under the Michigan Right to Farm Act (P.A. 93 of 1981, MCL 286.471 et seq.) by following the "Care of Farm Animals" Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) for apiculture. Within Kent County, hive setbacks, lot-density limits, and whether bees are allowed at all in residential zones are set by each township or city, so beekeepers must also check local zoning.
3 cities in Kent County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Kent County Ordinance Hub →