Animal Ordinances in Virginia (2026)

Virginia's Right to Farm Act limits how localities can restrict livestock and poultry kept as production agriculture in…

In Suffolk, chickens and other agricultural animals are allowed only in the A, RR, and RE zoning districts and are…

Fairfax County zoning allows livestock and poultry, except roosters, only as an accessory use on lots of two acres or…

Richmond allows up to six female chickens per residential lot, but only with a Director-issued permit costing $60.00 to…

Stafford County does not regulate backyard chickens through a numeric standard, but Sec. 5-4 governs swine: keeping…

Virginia Beach restricts horses, cows, goats, sheep, swine, and other livestock, plus fowl, to areas zoned agricultural…

Alexandria bans keeping fowl, including chickens, within 200 feet of any residence you don't occupy, and caps livestock…

Arlington County lets residents keep chickens and other fowl but makes it unlawful for an owner, possessor, or manager…

Chesapeake's swine-keeping rules govern any small-scale livestock operation the City still allows: swine must comply…

In Chesterfield, your property boundary line itself counts as a lawful fence for livestock and poultry: it is unlawful…

In Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, backyard chickens are allowed only in the R4 and…

Hampton allows up to six hens (no roosters) on single-family lots after obtaining a $25 permit, with sanitation…

Hanover County allows up to six hens, but no roosters, as an accessory use on single-family lots in the RS, R-1, R-2…

Henrico County Code Article V regulates swine: no hog pen may sit within 400 feet of any lot in a residential district…

Loudoun's Zoning Ordinance defines chickens and other poultry as "livestock," so keeping them as Animal Husbandry…

Outside the R-C district, Lynchburg's Exhibit VII-1 standards cap backyard hens at four on lots up to 15,000 square…

County Code § 3-3 makes it unlawful to let any fowl, poultry, or livestock run at large onto a highway, public…

Newport News prohibits letting owned livestock run loose within city limits; stray animals are impounded by animal…

Norfolk bans all livestock and poultry other than chickens citywide. Keeping chickens requires a Department of Public…

Portsmouth allows up to six backyard chickens, no roosters, on single-family lots of at least 5,000 square feet under…

Prince William County zoning caps backyard chickens, other fowl and farm animals to specific agricultural districts and…

Roanoke caps backyard poultry at 10 birds on lots under 20,000 square feet and 40 birds on larger lots, with pens kept…

Roanoke County lets residents keep hens, but not roosters, on single-family lots outside agricultural zoning under…

Spotsylvania County allows keeping domestic laying hens on R-1, R-2, R-3, R-R, V, PD-H, Ru and PRR lots under Sec…

Albemarle County's Zoning Ordinance defines "agriculture" to include the keeping of livestock or poultry, and County…

Virginia authorizes localities to prohibit dogs running at large, while imposing statewide rules on dangerous dogs that…

Hampton requires all dogs to be on a leash or under direct control of the owner when off the owner's property. Dogs…

Henrico County Code Sec. 5-29(6) prohibits any dog (except hunting dogs) from running at large countywide, year-round…

All dogs in Herndon must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet when off the owners property. Off-leash dogs are…

Newport News requires dogs to be on a leash or under the owner's control when off the owner's property. Dogs running at…

Prince William County Code Sec. 4-23 makes it unlawful to allow a dog to run at large. A dog is 'at large' when off its…

Roanoke County bans letting a dog, exotic or poisonous animal, or exotic bird or poultry run loose off its owner's…

Vienna requires all dogs to be leashed when off the owner's property, with no off-leash exceptions outside designated…

No dog may run at large anywhere in Chesterfield County at any time of year. Off county land, a leash is not always…

Hanover County bars dog owners from letting a canine run at large during April, May and June anywhere in the county…

Roanoke bans dogs and hybrid canines from running at large anywhere in the city, at any time, even if licensed and…

Albemarle County bars owners from letting a dog run at large: off its owner's property without a leash, lead, or a…

Alexandria City Code Sec. 5-7-32 prohibits any dog or exotic/poisonous animal from running at large within the city…

Arlington County requires every dog to be kept on a leash and under an owner's control, or confined to the owner's…

Chesapeake bans letting a dog roam off its owner's property without a fence, chain, or leash controlling it. Animal…

Dogs in the City of Fairfax must be on a leash or under direct physical control whenever off their owner property, per…

Fairfax County makes it unlawful for any dog to run unrestricted anywhere in the county. Under County Code § 41.1-2-4…

Frederick County prohibits allowing a dog to run at large anywhere in the unincorporated county outside Winchester…

Loudoun Chapter 612 requires dogs on leash (max 6 ft) in public areas except at designated off-leash parks (Brambleton…

Lynchburg bans dogs from running at large citywide, even if licensed and vaccinated, and any police officer must seize…

County Code § 3-36 makes it unlawful for a dog owner to let the dog run or be at large anywhere in unincorporated…

Norfolk bans letting a dog, cat, or other animal run at large anywhere in the city under Code of Ordinances Sec…

It's unlawful for any dog to run at large in Portsmouth under City Code § 4-31, meaning off its owner's property and…

Richmond bars any dog from running at large off its owner's property without a fence, tether, lead or leash; electronic…

Spotsylvania County bans letting a dog run at large off its owner's property without immediate control, with escalating…

Stafford County requires every dog to be leashed, penned, or confined from April through September under § 5-23, and…

Suffolk has a citywide leash law: a dog must be confined to the owner's premises or, on any public street, sidewalk, or…

Virginia Beach City Code requires dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet when on public property, including…

Virginia state law preempts breed-specific legislation by prohibiting any locality from declaring a dog dangerous…

Roanoke does not restrict dogs by breed, but it outright bans possessing a hybrid canine (a dog crossed with wolf or…

Vienna applies Virginia's Dangerous Dog Law (VA Code 3.2-6540.1) through Fairfax County Animal Protection Police. Dogs…

Virginia law, applied in Alexandria through City Code Sec. 5-7-36, lets a court order a dog euthanized once it is…

Chesterfield repealed its own dangerous-dog ordinance in 2007, so dangerous-dog findings run entirely on state law…

Lynchburg does not ban any dog breed outright, but it singles out wolf and coyote hybrid canines for special…

Portsmouth cannot single out or ban a dog by breed: City Code § 4-33.1(c) states no dog may be found dangerous or…

Prince William County has no breed-specific ban: Sec. 4-12(k)(1) bars a court from finding any dog dangerous 'solely…

Richmond cannot declare a dog dangerous or vicious based on breed alone. City Code § 4-241 requires a court finding…

Roanoke County has no breed ban: § 5-26.5(d) says no dog can be declared dangerous or vicious 'solely because it is a…

Arlington County has no breed-specific ban: § 2-10 expressly states no dog can be found dangerous or vicious solely…

Hampton has no breed ban. City code bars declaring a dog dangerous based on breed alone, instead requiring proof of an…

Virginia law, which Henrico's animal control enforces countywide, forbids a court from labeling any dog dangerous…

Herndon follows Virginia dangerous dog law (VA Code 3.2-6540.1 et seq.), which uses behavior-based classification…

Loudoun County does not ban specific breeds. Virginia does not preempt local BSL but Loudoun uses a behavior-based…

Montgomery County has no breed-specific ban. Article V lets a court declare an individual dog dangerous or vicious…

Spotsylvania County has no breed ban. A dog can only be declared dangerous after a court hearing based on what it…

Stafford County does not ban any dog breed. Under County Code §§ 5-56 through 5-58, an animal control officer or law…

Albemarle County will not declare a dog dangerous or vicious based on breed alone. County Code §§ 4-212(B) and 4-223(A)…

Chesapeake does not impose breed-specific restrictions. Virginia prohibits localities from adopting breed-specific bans…

The City of Fairfax does not restrict any specific breed of dog. Virginia Code 3.2-6540.1 preempts breed-specific local…

Fairfax County does not impose any breed-specific restrictions. Virginia Code §3.2-6540.1 preempts local breed bans and…

Frederick County has no breed ban and no breed-specific licensing surcharge: § 48-3.1(C) of the County Code states that…

Hanover County does not ban or restrict dogs by breed. When the general district court decides whether a canine is a…

Newport News does not enforce breed-specific legislation. Virginia law regulates dogs based on behavior. Dogs declared…

Norfolk has no breed-specific legislation. VA Code 3.2-6540.1 expressly preempts localities from banning dogs by breed…

Virginia Beach does not have breed-specific legislation (BSL). No dog breeds are banned or restricted by breed alone…

Virginia regulates beekeeping at the state level via Title 3.2 Chapter 44, including voluntary registration and…

Albemarle County's Zoning Ordinance regulates beekeeping directly at Sec. 18-5.1.63, capping how many hives a lot can…

Beekeeping is allowed in the City of Fairfax subject to state registration with the Virginia State Apiarist and zoning…

Hanover County lets homeowners keep bees in the RS, R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts as an accessory use under…

Beekeeping is permitted in Herndon residential properties subject to state apiary registration and reasonable setback…

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, residential beekeeping is allowed in the R-1, R-2, R-3, TND…

Newport News allows residents to keep beehives as an accessory use on any residential lot without a permit, as long as…

Prince William County permits up to four beehives as an accessory use on any residential lot. Additional hives require…

Roanoke restricts backyard beehives with setbacks of 10 feet from property lines, 50 feet from neighboring residences…

Roanoke County lets residents keep honeybees as an accessory use, but Sec. 5-91 fixes strict spacing: hives must sit at…

Stafford County allows keeping up to four honeybee hives as an accessory use on R-1 residential lots, but only with a…

Suffolk allows beekeeping as a residential accessory use, but no hive may be within 50 feet of any dwelling, school, or…

Beekeeping is permitted in Vienna as an accessory residential use, subject to setback requirements and the Virginia…

Alexandria regulates beekeeping through local ordinance. Virginia has a State Apiarist program under VA Code §3.2-4400.

Beekeeping is allowed throughout Chesapeake subject to City Code Chapter 10 setback rules and state-level registration…

Henrico County Code has no beekeeping ordinance, so keeping honeybees is generally allowed, subject to zoning. Virginia…

Loudoun Zoning permits beekeeping in AR, TR, and most residential zones subject to setback rules. VDACS registration…

Portsmouth's Use Table lists Apiculture (Beekeeping) as a permitted, by-right use in all 19 of the city's zoning…

Beekeeping is allowed in Richmond residential zones with hives set back at least 10 feet from property lines. State…

Virginia Beach permits beekeeping in residential zones under Virginia state apiary law (VA Code §3.2-4400 through…

Virginia regulates importation, possession, and sale of nonnative exotic animals through state wildlife regulations…

Arlington County bans keeping or breeding any live wild or exotic animal, a list that covers primates, raccoons, foxes…

Chesterfield bans keeping wild or exotic animals as pets, for display or exhibition anywhere in the county. The list…

Fairfax County bans keeping any wild, exotic, or vicious animal as a pet, with narrow exceptions for a single certified…

Henrico County Code Sec. 5-199 makes it unlawful to confine or keep any fox, skunk or raccoon as a pet or otherwise…

Section 612.29 bans keeping, breeding or possessing any live wild or exotic animal in Loudoun County, with narrow…

Keeping a wild animal as a pet is illegal in Newport News; wild animals may only be kept in licensed public-display…

Portsmouth outright bans keeping specific dangerous wild animals within city limits under City Code § 4-11, naming…

Prince William County bans keeping a wild, exotic or vicious animal as a pet outright under Sec. 4-71. The prohibited…

Richmond bans owning, breeding, buying or selling monkeys, wolves, big cats, bears, venomous reptiles and crocodilians…

Spotsylvania County bans keeping any wild or exotic animal as a pet outright, and requires sellers to post a notice…

Stafford County flatly bans keeping any wild or exotic animal as a pet. Sec. 5-77 makes it unlawful to keep monkeys…

Keeping a wild, exotic, or poisonous animal as a pet anywhere in Chesapeake requires a permit from the Animal Services…

Anyone in Hanover County outside the Town of Ashland who wants to keep a wild, exotic or vicious animal on their…

County Code § 3-6 bars residents from importing, keeping, or releasing any predatory animal or one that may endanger…

Norfolk requires a permit from the animal control officer to keep or exhibit any wild, exotic, or poisonous animal…

Hampton does not ban owning exotic reptiles, but City Code Section 5-11 makes it unlawful to keep a non-native reptile…

Suffolk's code recognizes which small animals may be kept in a residence, including fish, cats, small birds, rodents…

Virginia prohibits baiting wildlife for hunting and lets localities ban deer feeding, while bear feeding bans are…

Norfolk makes it unlawful to feed native Virginia wildlife anywhere in the city except in areas the city designates for…

Feeding birds, animals or aquatic life anywhere in Richmond's Downtown Riverfront Canal Area, the leased canal property…

Virginia bans feeding bear at any time and feeding that attracts nuisance wildlife. Deer feeding is prohibited…

Feeding wildlife on city-owned property is unlawful in Virginia Beach once posted signs and a police warning are in…

Fairfax County Code Section 41.1-2-19 prohibits feeding mallard ducks and Canada geese, including any crossbreeds or…

Virginia Code Section 3.2-6503 requires every owner to provide adequate care for companion animals, with criminal…

City Code Sec. 5-7-57 caps household pets at five dogs over four months old or four cats over four months old per…

Fairfax County zoning caps the number of dogs per lot, from two dogs with no lot-size minimum up to 25,000 square feet…

Hanover County caps dog ownership at five adult dogs per tax parcel in every residential zoning district, from AR-1…

Henrico County Code has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but Sec. 5-5 establishes a public county animal-cruelty…

Norfolk limits any dwelling unit or premises to four adult dogs and four adult cats. A narrow grandfather clause…

Portsmouth caps dogs at five per dwelling unit or premises for any dog older than six months, under City Code §…

Prince William County zoning allows no more than four dogs six months or older on any agricultural or residential lot…

Roanoke caps most residential parcels at four dogs and four cats, though a household may keep up to six cats if all six…

Roanoke County caps ordinary households at three dogs and six cats over four months old per dwelling under County Code…

Stafford County sets no blanket cap on pets, but County Code Sec. 5-1 draws a line: a place keeping five or more dogs…

Virginia Beach zoning treats any home with more than four dogs over six months old as a 'residential kennel,' requiring…

Montgomery County sets no numeric cap on dogs or cats kept in a single home, but County Code § 3-1 defines a "kennel"…

Spotsylvania County caps dog ownership at 50 dogs four months or older per person or entity, no matter how many parcels…

Every cat four months or older in Alexandria must carry an individual license and current rabies vaccination under City…

Arlington County makes it unlawful to keep a cat six months or older for more than 14 days without a USDA-licensed…

Every cat four months or older in Chesapeake must carry a City license, renewed each calendar year through Chesapeake…

Chesterfield County requires every dog and cat four months or older to carry a current rabies vaccination administered…

Fairfax County requires every cat 4 months or older to be currently vaccinated against rabies; unlike dogs, cats need…

Hampton cats must be spayed or neutered and licensed before running loose; unlicensed at-large cats can be impounded…

In Hanover County outside the Town of Ashland, every cat four months or older must carry a current rabies vaccination…

Henrico County does not license or leash cats, but Sec. 5-90 makes it unlawful to keep any dog or cat four months or…

Lynchburg does not license cats or restrict them from roaming at large the way it does dogs, but a cat that is…

Montgomery County requires every cat over four months old to carry a current rabies vaccination under Code Section…

Newport News requires every cat four months or older to carry a city license, with taxes from $5 to $10 collected each…

Norfolk regulates free-roaming cat colonies through a caregiver program under Code of Ordinances Sec. 6.1-101 rather…

Portsmouth requires every cat four months or older to carry current rabies vaccination under City Code § 4-96, with the…

Prince William County requires cats over four months old to have a current rabies vaccination (Code Sec. 4-62). There…

Richmond cats over six months old cannot be in a public place unsupervised unless they are sterilized. City Code §…

Roanoke limits any residential parcel to four cats, or six if every cat is spayed or neutered and the owner holds a…

Roanoke County requires every cat over four months old to carry a current license tied to rabies vaccination, caps…

Stafford County requires every cat over four months old to carry a current rabies vaccination administered by a…

Virginia Beach requires every cat four months or older to carry a city license tag and bars cats from running loose off…

Frederick County does not license cats or regulate them for running at large: the only rule in the County Code that…

Loudoun County doesn't license or leash cats the way it does dogs, but Section 612.18(f) requires every domesticated…

Hanover County requires dogs and cats adopted from a releasing agency to be sterilized. If the animal isn't already…

Prince William County has no county-wide spay/neuter mandate for pets generally, but Sec. 4-13(b)(1) forces the owner…

Richmond bars owning an unspayed or unneutered dog or cat over six months old unless the owner holds an annual $200…

Albemarle County does not mandate spay or neuter for pets generally, but a dog judicially declared dangerous cannot be…

Chesapeake does not require sterilizing every dog or cat, but a court can order it. If a dog or cat is found in general…

Hampton does not require spaying or neutering every pet, but any dog or cat adopted from a city-funded releasing agency…

Henrico only requires spaying or neutering when a dog or cat comes from a releasing agency, such as the county shelter…

County Code § 3-28.1 requires every new owner who adopts a dog or cat from a releasing agency, including the county…

Newport News requires anyone who takes a dog or cat from a city or city-funded animal shelter to have it spayed or…

Norfolk does not require every pet owner to spay or neuter, but Code of Ordinances Sec. 6.1-86 bars the SPCA, the…

Portsmouth does not require every pet to be sterilized, but any dog a court has found dangerous cannot get a…

Dogs and cats adopted from Virginia Beach's Bureau of Animal Control must be sterilized within 30 days, or the new…

Roanoke County does not require spaying or neutering pets generally. The only mandatory spay/neuter rule in the code…

Prince William County does not require ordinary pets to be microchipped, but Sec. 4-13(b)(2) forces owners of a dog…

Albemarle County requires permanent electronic implantation for any dog a court finds to be dangerous. County Code §…

Every dog or cat adopted from Chesapeake Animal Services must be sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, and implanted…

Virginia Beach only mandates microchipping for dogs a court has found to be dangerous: the owner must implant…

Alexandria doesn't require microchipping for pets generally, but once a court declares a dog 'dangerous' under City…

Arlington County requires every constricting snake weighing more than 25 pounds to carry an ISO-standard microchip…

Montgomery County has no general microchipping mandate for pets, but County Code § 3-30(c) lets a district court order…

Chesapeake requires every pet shop selling dogs or cats to hold an annual $50 license from Chesapeake Animal Services…

Loudoun County doesn't ban retail pet sales outright, but Section 612.27 requires every pet shop or companion-animal…

Lynchburg does not ban pet shops from selling dogs and cats, but every pet shop and companion-animal dealer has needed…

No one may offer a dog or cat for sale, adoption, barter or exchange in a public place in Richmond without a breeding…

Virginia Beach doesn't ban pet-shop dog sales outright, but City Code § 5-549 limits pet shops to dogs from humane…

Fairfax County regulates pet shops through Health Department oversight rather than sales restrictions. Chapter 41.1…

Hampton allows pet shops to sell dogs and cats under a $50 annual permit with mandatory inspection; dog sales must meet…

Stafford County does not ban retail pet stores from selling dogs and cats, but Sec. 5-40 requires any pet shop…

Albemarle County defines a groomer under Code § 4-103 as anyone who cleans, trims, or treats an animal for a fee, and…

Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance classifies a pet-grooming business as a "personal service" use under Section 2-183.1…

Hampton pet groomers, animal hospitals, kennels and stables are taxed as a business service under § 18.1-43, paying 36…

Hanover County zoning defines a 'pet shop or animal grooming establishment' as any business that bathes, clips, or…

Lynchburg requires every grooming table, bathing tub and grooming tool used on animals to be kept clean and sanitized…

Anyone running a grooming salon, pet shop, or companion-animal dealership in Norfolk must hold a $50 annual permit from…

Portsmouth's zoning ordinance treats commercial pet grooming as a distinct land use that is off-limits in the city's…

Prince William County allows a home-based pet grooming service to use part of a rear or side yard for up to three pets…

Roanoke County allows pet grooming as a home occupation under its zoning ordinance, but caps it at one customer at a…

Stafford County has no standalone pet-groomer license, but Sec. 5-1 defines a "groomer" as anyone who cleans, trims…

Virginia Beach taxes dog grooming shops as agricultural service businesses, requiring an annual business license and a…

Lynchburg zones veterinary hospitals as a conditional use, not a permitted use, inside the B-3 Community Business…

Veterinary clinics in Portsmouth need a discretionary Use Permit in the Urban Residential and Urban Residential-Mixed…

Animal hospitals need a conditional use permit in Virginia Beach and must sit at least 100 feet from any adjacent…

A veterinary service, office or hospital, animal hospital or animal shelter in Albemarle County outside Charlottesville…

Alexandria's Zoning Ordinance treats a veterinary hospital as an 'animal care facility' (Sec. 2-110), and whether it…

Fairfax County allows veterinary hospitals only where the Zoning Ordinance permits them by right or special exception…

Hampton allows veterinary offices and hospitals only in specific zoning districts and requires the use to be wholly…

In Loudoun County's Agricultural Rural (AR) zoning districts, veterinary services cannot locate on Residential Cluster…

Prince William County requires a Special Use Permit before a veterinary hospital can open in the rural A-1 Agricultural…

Roanoke allows an animal hospital or veterinary clinic with no outdoor pens or runs by right in the CN, CG, CLS, D, UF…

Spotsylvania County regulates veterinary practices through its zoning code rather than a separate animal-business…

Stafford County's Table 3.1 permits a veterinary clinic without boarding facilities by right in the A-1 Agricultural…

In Hanover County's B-1 Neighborhood Business District outside Ashland, Hanover County Code § 26-107(1) permits an…

A veterinary practice or animal hospital is a by-right use in Montgomery County's A-1 Agricultural District, meaning it…

Norfolk designates its entire corporate area a bird sanctuary and makes it unlawful to kill or injure any bird, or…

Roanoke has designated its entire corporate limits a bird sanctuary, and it is unlawful to intentionally kill, injure…

Hampton's city manager can post nesting areas -- expressly covering birds -- as closed, and entering a posted zone or…

Virginia Beach designates a bird sanctuary across the rural northern and Sandbridge-area landscape, making it unlawful…

Chesapeake declares concentrated pigeons a public nuisance and lets a property owner ask the Chief of Police, in…

Henrico designates three specific neighborhoods, Lakeside, Three Chopt Elementary's grounds, and Old Westham, as bird…

Lynchburg makes it unlawful to kill any sparrow, martin, wren or other bird within the city, though the ban does not…

Newport News bans injuring, molesting, or disturbing birds and animals, or their homes and young, anywhere on city park…

Portsmouth designates its entire corporate limits a bird sanctuary under City Code § 4-3, protecting every species…

Roanoke County has designated one platted wild bird sanctuary, the La Bellevue Subdivision tract, under County Code §…

Roanoke's zoning code allows a wildlife rescue shelter or refuge area as a permitted use only in the RA (Residential…

Virginia Beach allows home-based wildlife rehabilitation facilities by right only in AG-1/AG-2 districts; elsewhere a…

Arlington County bans transporting, harboring, or selling foxes, skunks, and raccoons during a declared rabies…

State-licensed wildlife rehabilitators may keep up to four wild animals at a time in Newport News, for no more than 120…

Hanover County's wild-animal permit rule in section 4-80 does not apply to state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators…

City Code § 4-33(m) excludes wildlife rehabilitators from Portsmouth's exotic-animal permit system, so long as they are…