10 rules for unincorporated Merced County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Merced County, keeping chickens and other fowl is governed by zoning (Title 18 Unified Development Ordinance) and County Code Chapter 7.08. In rural residential (R-R) zones up to five birds other than household pets are allowed per parcel; fowl keeping is not permitted as an accessory residential use in the R-1 and R-1-5000 zones.
Merced County requires that dogs off their owner's property be on a leash or otherwise physically restrained, enforced by Merced County Animal Services under Chapter 7.04 of the County Code (Dogs, Cats, and Other Domesticated Animals). The rule applies throughout the unincorporated county.
Merced County does not impose breed-specific bans. Instead, dangerous and vicious dogs are regulated by behavior under Chapter 7.04 of the County Code (Sections 7.04.290 and 7.04.292). California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683 also prohibits local breed-specific legislation that declares a dog dangerous or vicious based solely on breed.
Beekeeping is well-established in agricultural Merced County. Under the Unified Development Ordinance, a Commercial Apiary (bees) is an allowed use in agricultural zones with an Administrative Permit. All beekeepers in California must register their apiaries annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner under Food & Agricultural Code Section 29040.
Keeping wild or exotic animals in unincorporated Merced County is tightly restricted. Under Chapter 7.04 of the County Code, a wild animal generally cannot be kept without proper zoning, any required Conditional Use Permit, and an annual administrative permit from the animal control manager. California state law separately bans many 'restricted species' without a state permit.
No Merced County ordinance fetched for this summary specifically bans feeding wildlife in unincorporated areas. California state law, however, makes it unlawful to intentionally feed big game such as deer, bears, and other large wild mammals (Title 14, California Code of Regulations Section 251.3).
Merced County is a major agricultural county (dairy, poultry, livestock). Livestock keeping is broadly allowed in the agricultural zones (A-1, A-1-40, A-2). In residential zones, the Unified Development Ordinance limits farm-animal keeping to two large animals or five birds per parcel, and prohibits it as a residential accessory use in R-1 and R-1-5000.
Merced County does not use a dedicated 'hoarding' ordinance; excessive accumulation of animals is addressed through the pet-limit and permit rules (four dogs/cats per household, permit at five-plus) and through state animal-cruelty and neglect law (California Penal Code Section 597). Merced County Animal Services enforces these in unincorporated areas.
In unincorporated Merced County, a household may keep up to four (4) dogs or cats over the age of four months; five or more requires a special permit. The zoning code treats a kennel of 5 dogs or fewer as an Administrative Permit use and 6 or more dogs as a Conditional Use Permit, referencing County Code Chapter 7.
Merced County does not impose a leash requirement on cats, but cats are covered by the County's rabies-vaccination and pet-limit rules. In unincorporated Merced County, owned cats over three months of age must be vaccinated for rabies, and the four-pet-per-household limit counts cats along with dogs.
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