4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Wake County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Wake County itself imposes essentially no numerical or zoning limits on backyard chickens or livestock in unincorporated areas. Wake County Code Chapter 91 (Animals) regulates welfare, at-large, nuisance, and dangerous-animal conduct — it does not cap poultry or restrict species. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 153A-340, county zoning may not regulate property used for bona fide farm purposes. The 17 incorporated municipalities inside Wake County (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Garner, Knightdale, etc.) each set their own much stricter rules, so a property's rules depend on whether it is inside or outside city limits.
In unincorporated Wake County, NC, § 91.07(A)(1) of the Wake County Code makes it unlawful for any owner to permit an animal to be at large. Section 91.07(C) goes further for dogs in any public park: a dog must be under leash restraint at all times unless the park is specifically designated as a dog park. Civil penalties under § 91.99 start at $100 for a first violation and escalate. Animal Services may impound an at-large animal under §§ 91.50–91.58. State law N.C. Gen. Stat. § 67-12 separately bans dogs over six months old from running at large at night. The county code does not apply inside incorporated cities (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, etc.), which each have their own leash codes.
Wake County, NC has no breed-specific dog ban. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, and all other breeds are legal in the unincorporated county. Wake County Code § 91.13 regulates "potentially dangerous" and "dangerous" dogs entirely by individual behavior, not breed. State law N.C. Gen. Stat. § 67-4.1 is similarly breed-neutral. Important caveat: § 67-4.5 of the state statute does NOT preempt local breed-specific ordinances — North Carolina counties and cities CAN legally pass breed bans — but Wake County has chosen not to.
Beekeeping in Wake County is governed primarily by North Carolina state law, not by Wake County. NCGS Chapter 106, Article 55 (Bees and Honey) is administered by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Plant Industry Division Apiary Services program. NC does not require every hobby beekeeper to register, but the NCDA&CS offers a free Apiary Registration Form so inspectors can coordinate disease inspections and notify beekeepers of nearby pesticide spraying. Anyone who sells bees in NC must obtain a state permit ($25) under § 106-639.1, and hives must be kept in movable-frame, inspectable condition under § 106-641.
NC General Statutes Chapter 106, Article 55 (§§ 106-634 et seq.)
It is in the public interest to promote and protect the bee and honey industry in North Carolina (§ 106-634). Prior to selling bees in North Carolina, a person shall obtain a permit from the Commissioner (§ 106-639.1), with a $25 fee; exemptions include sales under 10 hives annually and pollination rentals. Counties cannot prohibit ownership of five or fewer hives, and cities may regulate place...
3 cities in Wake County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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