6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Madison County, Alabama.
Verified from official government sources
Backyard chickens and livestock are common in unincorporated Madison County, though the county zoning resolution governs where they are kept. Alabama abolished open range: Ala. Code §3-5-2 bars letting any animal run at large and makes the owner liable.
Ala. Code §3-5-2
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any livestock or animal, as defined in Section 3-5-1, to knowingly, voluntarily, negligently, or wilfully permit any such livestock or animal to run at large in the State of Alabama either upon the premises of another or upon the public lands, highways, roads, or streets in the State of Alabama.
Alabama law requires dogs be confined to the owner's premises. Ala. Code §3-1-5 orders every owner to keep dogs on their own land, and Madison County enforces at-large and rabies rules.
Ala. Code §3-1-5
Every person owning or having in charge any dog or dogs shall at all times confine such dog or dogs to the limits of his own premises or the premises on which such dog or dogs is or are regularly kept.
Alabama has no statewide breed ban and no law barring cities from adopting one; the state is silent. Unincorporated Madison County restricts no breed. Emily's Law targets dangerous dogs by behavior, expressly regardless of breed.
Ala. Code §3-6A-3
A dog, regardless of its breed, that has bitten, attacked, or caused physical injury, serious physical injury, or death to a person without justification, except a dog that is a police animal as defined by Section 13A-11-260, used by law enforcement officials for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Beekeeping is legal across unincorporated Madison County and treated as agriculture. Ala. Code §2-14-3 requires every beekeeper to register their colonies each year by October 1 with the state Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.
Ala. Code §2-14-3
Every beekeeper, owner or others in possession of any honeybees shall, on or before October 1 of each year, register with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries every colony of honeybees, bee yards or apiaries in their possession or under their control.
Alabama bans possessing many exotic and wild animals. ADCNR regulation 220-2-.26 prohibits possessing or importing listed species, including foxes, raccoons, coyotes, venomous reptiles, and piranha. Unincorporated Madison County cannot override the state ban.
Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.26
No person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association shall possess, sell, offer for sale, import, bring, release, or cause to be brought or imported into the State of Alabama any of the following live fish or animals:
No Alabama statute and no Madison County ordinance ban feeding wildlife generally. But state game rules restrict baiting deer, and feeding that draws nuisance or rabies-vector animals near homes creates liability.
2 cities in Madison County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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