7 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Kern County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Kern County, poultry and livestock keeping is tied to zoning: § 19.60.020 permits it in the Residential Suburban (RS) district and Chapter 19.12 in agricultural zones, with coops set back 30 feet from off-site residences and 100 feet from schools, parks and hospitals.
Kern County Zoning Ordinance §§ 19.60.020 & 19.60.070 (Residential Suburban (RS) Combining District — Permitted Uses; Yards and Setbacks)
19.60.020 PERMITTED USES. The following uses and others determined to be similar to these uses pursuant to Sections 19.08.030 through 19.08.080 of this title are permitted in an RS District: A. Breeding, raising, and keeping of poultry, birds, rabbits, chinchillas, fish, frogs, or bees for the domestic use of the resident/occupant of the lot, provided, however, there shall be no killing or dres...
Kern County requires dogs to be leashed and controlled, or confined, on public property and other people's land under KCC § 7.08.150; off-leash is allowed only on the owner's secured property. Dogs 4 months and older must be licensed.
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 30951 (state preempts dog tag requirements) — Kern County Animal Services leash-law implementation
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 30951 (verbatim): 'It is unlawful for any person to own, harbor, or keep any dog over the age of four months which does not bear upon it a substantial collar on which one of the following is fastened: (a) A metallic tag which gives the name and post office address of the owner. (b) A metal license tag which is issued by the authority of a county, city and county, or an...
Kern County has no breed-specific ordinance — state law (Cal. Food & Agric. Code §31683) preempts breed bans. Dogs are regulated by conduct under Kern County Code §7.08.270, which defines potentially dangerous and vicious dogs based on behavior.
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 31683 (preempts breed-specific dog bans) — Kern County uses conduct-based dangerous-dog process (Title 7)
Cal. Food & Agric. Code § 31683 (Local Programs Authorized): 'Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or enforcing its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs that may incorporate all, part, or none of this chapter, or that may punish a violation of this chapter as a misdemeanor or may impose a more restrictive program to...
Beekeeping in unincorporated Kern County is governed by state apiary law. All apiary owners must register their colonies and locations with the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner each January, post identification signs at each apiary, and keep registrations current.
Cal. Food & Agr. Code secs. 29040, 29045
Sec. 29040. Every person that is the owner, broker, or is in possession of an apiary that is located within the state, on the first day of January of each year, shall register the number of colonies in each apiary that is owned or possessed by the person and the location of each apiary. [...] Sec. 29045. It is unlawful for a person to maintain any apiary that is not registered pursuant to this ...
Exotic animal ownership in unincorporated Kern County is controlled by California state law. Fish and Game Code section 2118 makes it unlawful to import, transport, or possess restricted wild animals -- including primates, bears, and crocodilians -- without a state permit.
Cal. Fish & Game Code sec. 2118
It is unlawful to import, transport, possess, or release alive into this state, except under a revocable, nontransferable permit as provided in this chapter and the regulations pertaining thereto, any wild animal of the following species:
Unincorporated Kern County sets no fixed cap on pets per household. The practical line is commercial activity: more than one litter a year, or boarding, training or selling animals for compensation, requires a Commercial Animal Facility permit under County Code § 7.08.040. Dogs must be licensed at four months.
Kern County Animal Services — Commercial Animal Facility Permit (Kern County Code § 7.08.040 implementation)
Kern County does not impose a fixed cap on the number of household dogs or cats. A Commercial Animal Facility permit is required at higher thresholds, defined by Kern County Animal Services as: '(1) Any premises where a person is in the business of buying or selling, boarding, breeding more than one (1) litter per year, letting for hire, or training for a fee dogs or cats. Animal shelters as de...
Unincorporated Kern County does not mandate spaying or neutering of pets. Owners of unaltered dogs instead pay higher license fees ($60 per year versus $15 for altered dogs), and California law requires shelters and rescues to sterilize dogs before adoption.
Cal. Food & Agr. Code sec. 30503(a)
Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), no public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, humane society shelter, or rescue group shall sell or give away to a new owner any dog that has not been spayed or neutered.
3 cities in Kern County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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