10 rules for unincorporated Mariposa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Mariposa County, the zoning ordinance sets no numeric limit on livestock, including chickens and horses, outside the four Town Planning Areas. Agricultural uses are allowed so long as they are not conducted as a nuisance. The county also has a Right to Agricultural Activity Ordinance.
Mariposa County Code Section 6.08.145 prohibits dogs running at large and requires dogs in public to be restrained by a substantial leash not exceeding eight feet, under the control of a competent person. Exceptions exist for working stock dogs, hunting dogs, peace-officer dogs and training events.
Mariposa County does not impose breed-specific bans. Its Vicious Dog provisions (Sec. 6.08.300, expanded by the 2025 ordinance update) regulate dogs by individual behavior, not breed. This is consistent with California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683, which bars breed-specific dog bans.
Mariposa County's Animal Control code does not specifically regulate beekeeping. Instead, beekeepers must register hives with the county Agricultural Commissioner under California's apiary laws and mark hives with required identification. Registration helps the county warn beekeepers about nearby pesticide use.
Mariposa County's Animal Control code does not contain a separate exotic-pet chapter, so possession of wild and exotic animals is governed mainly by California law. State law restricts "restricted species" under Fish & Game Code Section 671, requiring a state permit for many wild animals; common exotic pets are generally prohibited.
Mariposa County's Animal Control code does not contain a general wildlife-feeding ban. Statewide, California Fish & Game Code Section 4012 prohibits intentionally feeding big game such as deer, bears and other large wildlife. Bordering Yosemite National Park, federal rules also bar feeding wildlife in the park.
As a rural ranching county, Mariposa allows livestock broadly. The zoning ordinance sets no numeric livestock limit outside the Town Planning Areas, applying a nuisance standard. County Code Section 6.08.270 makes it an infraction to let range livestock run at large on another's private property without permission.
Mariposa County has no standalone hoarding ordinance, but its Animal Control code and the new Multiple Pet Permit give officers tools to address large numbers of dogs, while California Penal Code Section 597 governs animal cruelty and neglect. Officers can impound and inspect, and abandonment is a county violation.
Following a September 2025 update, Mariposa County requires a Multiple Pet Permit to keep more than 10 dogs over six months of age in a single dwelling or business (Sec. 6.08.265). The permit is free and renewed annually. Exemptions cover boarding kennels, vets, rescues and active livestock producers.
Mariposa County does not require cats to be licensed or leashed. The Animal Control code addresses cats mainly through shelter spay/neuter rules and impoundment. Shelters may not release a cat without a spay/neuter deposit, and impounded cats follow the code's holding and reclaim procedures.
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