10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Montgomery County, Ohio.
Verified from official government sources
The county sets no countywide chicken or livestock rule for incorporated areas. In townships, Ohio's agricultural zoning exemption (ORC 519.21) limits regulation of animal husbandry, especially on lots over five acres. Cities and villages set their own backyard-chicken rules.
ORC 519.21(B)
Division (B) of this section confers no power on any township zoning commission, board of township trustees, or board of zoning appeals to prohibit... agriculture, buildings or structures, and dairying and animal and poultry husbandry on lots greater than five acres.
Ohio law (ORC 955.22(C)) requires dogs to be kept confined on the owner's premises or under reasonable control at all times. The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center enforces at-large complaints countywide; municipalities may add stricter leash rules.
ORC 955.22(C)
no owner, keeper, or harborer of any dog shall fail at any time to do either of the following: (1) Keep the dog physically confined or restrained upon the premises... by a leash, tether, adequate fence, supervision, or secure enclosure; (2) Keep the dog under the reasonable control of some person.
Ohio no longer designates any breed as automatically vicious. Under ORC 955.11, a dog is classified as dangerous or vicious based on its behavior, not its breed. Montgomery County follows this behavior-based standard; some individual cities may still have breed rules.
The county sets no beekeeping ordinance. Ohio requires all beekeepers to register hives annually with the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ORC 909). Where hives are allowed is decided by your city, village, or township zoning, often under the ORC 519.21 agricultural exemption.
Ohio's Dangerous Wild Animal Act (ORC Chapter 935) bans private possession of dangerous wild animals - big cats, bears, primates, large constrictors and more - statewide. No new permits are issued. This state ban applies throughout Montgomery County.
ORC 935.02(A)
No person shall possess a dangerous wild animal on or after January 1, 2014.
Montgomery County has no general wildlife-feeding ban, but Ohio Division of Wildlife rules govern deer baiting and feeding, and it is unlawful to feed deer on state wildlife-division lands without permission. Cities and Five Rivers MetroParks may prohibit feeding.
The county does not set livestock limits for incorporated areas. In townships, Ohio's agricultural exemption (ORC 519.21) protects farm animal husbandry, and on lots over five acres townships cannot regulate it. Cities and villages set their own livestock rules.
ORC 519.21(A)
Sections 519.02 to 519.25 of the Revised Code confer no power... to prohibit the use of any land for agricultural purposes or the construction or use of buildings or structures incident to the use for agricultural purposes of the land on which such buildings or structures are located.
Ohio addresses hoarding through its animal-cruelty and neglect statutes (ORC Chapter 959), enforced locally by the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, humane society and law enforcement. Companion-animal neglect is a criminal offense; kennel numbers also trigger registration.
The county sets no cap on how many pets you may own. Numeric pet limits and kennel-license thresholds are set by each city, village, or township. Ohio law only requires kennels housing many dogs to register as a kennel under ORC Chapter 955.
Ohio's licensing and at-large statutes (ORC Chapter 955) apply to dogs, not cats, so the county requires no cat license. Cat-related rules - leash, roaming, feral colonies, limits - are set by individual cities and villages, not Montgomery County.
1 cities in Montgomery County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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