8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Yolo County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Yolo County Zoning Code § 8-2.506 lets all residential zones keep up to four small domestic animals (dogs, cats, rabbits, certain parrots) without a kennel permit; larger numbers and chickens/poultry are tied to parcel size, and large livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, fowl) require half an acre or more in the A-R, RR-5, RR-2, and R-L zones with allocations under an Animal Density Point system.
Yolo County Code § 8-2.506 (Specific Use Requirements or Performance Standards)
The keeping of up to four (4) small domestic animals is allowed in all residential zones, except for the RR-2 and RR-5 zones, where up to nine (9) small domestic animals may be kept without need for a kennel permit. For parcels that exceed ten thousand (10,000) square feet, up to six (6) small domestic animals and up to seven (7) domestic fowl or poultry may be kept.
Yolo County Code Sec. 6-1.401.1 requires that any dog off its owner's private property be restrained by a leash no longer than 8 feet. Limited exceptions cover law-enforcement dogs, licensed hunting dogs, organized training/obedience activities, and dogs actively herding on agriculturally zoned parcels. Yolo County Animal Services (operated through the Sheriff's Office) enforces the leash law countywide.
Yolo County does not ban or restrict any specific dog breed. California Food & Agricultural Code § 31683 preempts local breed-specific dog regulations, allowing only individualized 'vicious animal' designations and (under HSC § 122331) breed-specific spay/neuter programs.
California Food & Agricultural Code § 31683
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or enforcing its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs that may incorporate all, part, or none of this chapter, or that may punish a violation of this chapter as a misdemeanor or may impose a more restrictive program to control potentially dangerous or vicious dogs. Except as prov...
Yolo County is in the heart of California's almond, sunflower, and seed-crop belt and is a major beekeeping county. State law (California Food & Agricultural Code Sec. 29040) requires every beekeeper to register every apiary annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner via the statewide BeeWhere system. Beekeeping in agricultural zones is allowed by right; residential beekeeping is governed by general nuisance and setback principles in the County Code.
California restricts exotic pets through the Fish & Game Code and CDFW regulations — ferrets and hedgehogs are illegal statewide, and many wild/exotic species are prohibited. These restrictions apply in unincorporated Yolo County.
Yolo County Title 6 does not set a numeric household limit on dogs or cats, but anyone operating a kennel must obtain an annual kennel license under § 6-1.701, and the kennel use itself must comply with Title 8 zoning. State Health and Safety Code requirements for rabies vaccination also apply.
Yolo County Code § 6-1.601 (Dog Licenses)
Every owner of a dog required to be licensed shall procure an annual license for such dog in accordance with the procedure set forth in this chapter.
1 cities in Yolo County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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