Animal Ordinances in Nash County, NC (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Nash County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Nash County's animal control chapter, Sec. 4-20, explicitly declines to regulate or restrict generally accepted livestock practices, so keeping chickens, goats or other farm animals is not an Animal Control matter. Zoning still applies: any structure housing livestock must sit at least 100 feet from the property line.
Nash County Backyard Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsNash County Code § 4-20; Unified Development Ordinance § 9-5.1
The intent of this chapter is not to regulate or restrict generally accepted practices related to livestock. ... 9-5.1.Setback Requirements.(A)Road. No encroachment in the road setback is permitted.(B)Side and Rear. ... Structures which house livestock shall maintain a setback of one hundred (100) feet from the property line. ... 9-5.3Accessory uses, buildings and structures—Exceptions.(A)Struc...
Dog Leash Laws
Nash County bans letting any dog run at large across the unincorporated county under Sec. 4-7(a), and separately requires a leash in every county public park under Sec. 4-7(c) unless the park is a designated dog park. Animal Control confiscates and impounds loose dogs at the county shelter.
Nash County Dog Leash and At-Large Law
Some RestrictionsNash County Code § 4-7
(a)It shall be unlawful for any owner or keeper to permit an animal to be at large. The animal control section shall confiscate any animal found to be at large and if practical, impound it at the Nash County Animal Shelter in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. ... (c)Public parks. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession, charge, custody or control of any dog...
Breed Restrictions
Nash County has no breed-specific ban; instead Sec. 4-12 lets the Health Director declare any individual dog 'dangerous' or 'potentially dangerous' based on its bite or attack history, as defined in Sec. 4-1. Once declared, the owner must keep the dog in a secure enclosure or face confiscation.
Nash County Dangerous Dog Declaration Rules
Significant RestrictionsNash County Code §§ 4-1, 4-12
Dangerous dog means a dog that, without provocation, has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person; or is determined by the health director to be potentially dangerous as defined in this article, or any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting, or any dog trained for dog fighting. ... (a)The Nash County Health Director shall have the authority to determine ...
Exotic Pets
Unincorporated Nash County bans keeping any inherently dangerous animal, defined as a non-domestic mammal that is dangerous or reasonably likely to become dangerous, under Sec. 4-11(a). Only USDA-licensed research or education institutions and traveling fairs, circuses and carnivals are exempt.
Nash County Inherently Dangerous Animal Ban
Heavy RestrictionsNash County Code §§ 4-1, 4-11
Inherently dangerous animal means any non-domestic mammal which is dangerous to persons or property or which has the reasonable potential of being dangerous to persons or property. ... (a)It shall be unlawful for any owner or keeper to ... keep an inherently dangerous animal within the county.(b)The following shall be exempt from this chapter:(1)Any nonprofit institution or exhibitor or dealer,...
Cat Rules
In unincorporated Nash County, no ordinance licenses cats, but Sec. 4-7 bans letting any cat run at large and specifically requires owners to confine a female cat in heat inside an enclosure that keeps her away from males. Animal Control can seize and impound a loose cat under Chapter 4.
Nash County Cat At-Large and Estrus Rule
Some RestrictionsNash County Code § 4-7
(d)It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession, charge, custody or control of a female dog or female cat to allow that animal to be at large during its estrous period. During the estrous period, the owner or person having possession of the animal must restrain the animal in an enclosure in such a manner that will prevent the animal from coming in contact with a male of its s...
Microchipping
Nash County does not require microchipping for pets generally; the only county-wide chip mandate applies to a dog the Health Director has declared dangerous or potentially dangerous. Sec. 4-12(g) gives that owner 30 days from notification to have the dog tattooed or microchipped by a licensed veterinarian.
Nash County Dangerous Dog Microchip Rule
Light RestrictionsNash County Code § 4-12(g)
(g)The owner shall have the animal tattooed or microchipped by a licensed veterinarian and provide animal control with documentation of said tattoo or microchip within 30 days thereafter.
Pet Groomer Rules
Unincorporated Nash County confines kennels and pet grooming businesses to the RC and GC zoning districts under the Unified Development Ordinance, and bars outdoor pens or runs entirely regardless of district. A groomer or kennel operator cannot house animals outdoors on site under any circumstance the ordinance recognizes.
Kennel & Pet Grooming Zoning, Nash County
Significant RestrictionsNash County Unified Development Ordinance § 11-4.41
11-4.41.Kennels or Pet Grooming.(A)Where Required. RC and GC districts.(B)Outside Storage. Pens and runs located outdoors are prohibited.
All Nash County ordinances
See every category we cover for Nash County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Nash County Ordinance Hub →