6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in New Castle County, Delaware.
Verified from official government sources
New Castle County permits backyard chickens in most residential zones under the UDC with limits on flock size, coop setbacks, and no roosters. Larger livestock (goats, pigs, horses) are restricted to Suburban Reserve (SR) and Conservation Reserve (CR) agricultural districts with minimum 10-acre lot sizes. Delaware Department of Agriculture regulates commercial poultry under 3 Del.C. §7301 et seq.
New Castle County requires dogs to be under control at all times in public areas. Delaware Code Title 9 §911 governs county animal control. Dogs running at large in unincorporated areas may be impounded.
New Castle County does not have breed-specific legislation. Dangerous dogs are addressed through behavior-based proceedings under Delaware Code Title 3 §§7901–7951 and NCC Code Ch. 4.
Beekeeping in New Castle County is permitted in residential areas with proper management. Delaware Dept. of Agriculture registration is required for all apiaries.
Exotic and wild animals require state permits in Delaware (Del. Code Title 3 §7201 et seq.). New Castle County Code Ch. 4 may further restrict keeping dangerous animals in residential areas.
Delaware law (7 Del. C. §704) prohibits baiting deer. New Castle County discourages intentional wildlife feeding that creates nuisance. Unsecured pet food and trash that attract wildlife may violate county property maintenance rules.
1 cities in New Castle County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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New Castle County Ordinance Hub →