Animal Ordinances in New Hampshire (2026)
13 rules on the books across New Hampshire, 3 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Chickens & Livestock
Combined rules for keeping chickens and other livestock such as goats, rabbits, and ducks on residential property, including lot size requirements.
New Hampshire: statewide
StatewideLight RestrictionsNew Hampshire makes it a violation to knowingly, recklessly, or negligently let your sheep, goats, cattle, horses…
Read full rule →Nashua
Some RestrictionsNashua allows up to six female chickens per lot in a coop, but bans roosters, egg sales, and free-roaming birds outside…
Read full rule →Dog Leash Laws
When and where dogs must be on a leash, off-leash park rules, leash length limits, and penalties for dogs running loose.
Hudson
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Hudson, New Hampshire, Town Code Section 188-1.1 bars any dog from running at large: it must stay on its…
Read full rule →Manchester
Some RestrictionsManchester bans letting any dog run at large citywide at any time, and a dog on a public street, sidewalk, or lot…
Read full rule →Nashua
Some RestrictionsNashua dogs must be leashed or physically restrained whenever they leave their owner's property; the only exception is…
Read full rule →Breed Restrictions
Bans or special requirements for specific dog breeds, including breed-specific legislation, muzzle requirements, and insurance mandates.
Beekeeping
Rules for keeping bees in residential areas, including hive placement, number of colonies allowed, and registration requirements.
Exotic Pets
Which non-traditional pets are allowed or banned, such as reptiles, ferrets, potbelly pigs, and other exotic animals.
Wildlife Feeding
Rules about feeding wild animals like deer, coyotes, or feral cats, and requirements for securing trash to prevent wildlife encounters.
Pet Limits
Maximum number of cats, dogs, or other companion animals allowed per household, including counts that trigger kennel-license requirements.
New Hampshire: statewide
StatewideHeavy RestrictionsNew Hampshire RSA 644:8 criminalizes animal cruelty including hoarding-type neglect statewide. The statute applies…
Read full rule →Nashua
Some RestrictionsNashua bans keeping animals in an accessory structure in a manner so unsanitary it creates an imminent hazard to public…
Read full rule →Cat Rules
Rules specific to cats, outdoor roaming, feral cat colonies, leash laws (yes, some cities require them), and licensing requirements.
Nashua
Some RestrictionsNashua doesn't license cats, but any cat off its owner's property that's a stray, nuisance, or diseased or injured can…
Read full rule →Hudson
Few RestrictionsHudson, New Hampshire, does not license cats or apply its at-large animal rule to them; Chapter 188 defines 'animal' to…
Read full rule →