10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Lubbock County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Lubbock County has no zoning, so backyard chickens are broadly allowed on rural land. Inside the City of Lubbock, up to six hens are permitted in residential zones, roosters are banned, and coops need rear-yard placement and setbacks.
City of Lubbock Code ch. 4 (livestock and other animals)
Six (6) chicken hens may be permitted in an R-1, R-1A, or R-2 zoned residence... Roosters are not permitted.
A Texas county cannot pass a general leash ordinance for unincorporated areas. Inside the City of Lubbock, dogs must be restrained on a leash off the owner's premises; statewide, a dangerous dog must always be leashed or in a secure enclosure.
City of Lubbock Code ch. 4, art. 4.01 (definitions)
"At large" means any animal which is not physically and continually restrained by some person by means of a leash or chain of proper strength and length that precludes the animal from making unsolicited contact with any person, their clothing, their property, or their premises.
Texas law forbids breed-specific bans. Neither Lubbock County nor the City of Lubbock can outlaw pit bulls or any other breed. Dangerous-dog rules apply case-by-case based on a dog's behavior, not its breed.
Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.047
A county or municipality may place additional requirements or restrictions on dangerous dogs if the requirements or restrictions: (1) are not specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs; and (2) are more stringent than restrictions provided by this subchapter.
Unincorporated Lubbock County has no beekeeping ordinance, so hives are broadly allowed on rural land. The City of Lubbock permits hives only 30 feet from any property line, inside a fenced area, and with written permission from adjoining property owners.
City of Lubbock Code ch. 4 (livestock and other animals)
All hives shall be located a minimum of thirty (30) feet from any property line and enclosed in a fenced area, and all hives shall require written permission from the majority of owners of all adjoining property.
Lubbock County cannot zone, but Texas restricts dangerous wild animals statewide, and the City of Lubbock bans keeping wild animals within city limits. Big cats, wolves, bears, primates, and other listed species are prohibited absent a special permit.
City of Lubbock Code ch. 4 (dangerous animals)
It shall be unlawful to keep any wild animal within the corporate city limits.
Lubbock County has no wildlife-feeding ordinance. The City of Lubbock prohibits intentionally feeding wildlife or stray animals when it creates a nuisance, though bird feeders and registered managed feral-cat colonies are allowed.
Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone, so livestock is broadly allowed on rural property, subject to Texas stock laws and nuisance rules. Inside the City of Lubbock, livestock may be kept only where the zoning ordinance permits it.
City of Lubbock Code ch. 4 (livestock and other animals)
No person shall engage in keeping livestock within the corporate limits of the city, except in conformance with and only to the extent so permitted by this section and the zoning ordinances of the city.
Texas has no standalone hoarding law, but state cruelty statutes reach it: failing to provide food, water, care, or shelter is a crime. The City of Lubbock's four-pet limit and multipet-permit review also curb hoarding.
Tex. Penal Code § 42.092
A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence... fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody.
Lubbock County sets no pet-number limit for unincorporated homes. The City of Lubbock caps a residence at four adult dogs and four adult cats over sixteen weeks; keeping more requires a multipet permit valid up to two years.
City of Lubbock Code § 4.01.003
No residence within the city shall harbor more than four (4) adult dogs and/or four (4) adult cats, over the age of sixteen (16) weeks.
Lubbock County has no cat ordinance. In the City of Lubbock, cats over four months must be rabies-vaccinated and wear a registration tag; the four-cat residence limit and at-large rules apply, and managed feral colonies must be registered.
City of Lubbock Code ch. 4 (rabies and zoonosis control)
Identification tags shall be issued annually to all dogs and cats over the age of four (4) months. Identification tags shall only be issued to animals that are currently vaccinated against rabies.
1 cities in Lubbock County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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