Can I keep backyard chickens in Morro Bay, California?
Yes. Morro Bay's code doesn't ban backyard hens. It says no one may keep more than 12 poultry, rabbits or other fowl within 50 feet of any dwelling (awkward wording; safest to plan on 12 total), requires clean coops with board or cement floors, and bans roosters over 4 months old on residential lots.
| Max poultry/rabbits/fowl within 50 ft of a dwelling | 12 [1] |
| Coop floors | Board or cement; kept clean at all times [2] |
| Roosters | Not allowed over 4 months old (except commercial or agricultural-zoned parcels) [3] |
| Livestock (cattle, horses, goats, etc.) | Lots of 1 acre or more in RL or AG districts only [5] |
| Pygmy livestock | Max 2 per dwelling [6] |
| Beehives | Max 2 per parcel outside the agriculture district [7] |
Hens and other fowl
Morro Bay's animal code (Title 7, rewritten by Ord. 669 in May 2025) doesn't ban chickens. It caps the flock: no one may keep more than twelve poultry, rabbits or other fowl within fifty feet of any dwelling [1]. The wording is awkward: the 50-foot clause is drafted as item 1 of a list whose item 2 is the coop rule. It reads most naturally as a 12-animal limit for animals kept within 50 feet of a home, which covers most backyards. It could also be read as allowing more than 12 if they are kept more than 50 feet from every dwelling, and it doesn't say whether your own house counts. Unless the city tells you otherwise, plan on 12 total. Rabbits count toward the same limit.
Coops
You must provide houses or cotes with board or cement floors, and keep houses, cotes and pens clean at all times [2]. The code sets no specific coop setback from property lines. The zoning code adds that animal keeping is subject to Title 7 and the standards in Section 17.30.060 [4]. Residential use tables point to that section for animal keeping rather than requiring a use permit.
Roosters
No rooster over four months old may be kept anywhere in the city unless the property operates on a commercial basis or is an agricultural-zoned parcel that meets zoning rules and state law [3].
Other animals
- Livestock (cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine): the zoning code limits them to lots of one acre or more in the RL or AG district [5]. The animal code sets a lower bar of 20,000 sq ft or an agricultural district [9]; confirm with the city which applies. In RL the density cap is two cattle or horses, or four sheep or goats, per acre. One animal may be kept for a temporary FFA, 4-H or school project on a lot that otherwise doesn't allow livestock.
- Pygmy livestock (such as pygmy goats): no more than two per dwelling, males must be neutered, and they're subject to the leash law [6].
- Bees: up to two hives per parcel outside the agriculture district (more with a minor use permit), at least five feet from all property lines [7].
Enforcement
Morro Bay adopts the San Luis Obispo County Animal Control Code by reference. County Animal Services, City Code Enforcement and the Police Department enforce it [8]. We haven't reviewed the county code; where it conflicts, the city code controls.
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Next steps
- Count your planned flock (hens plus any rabbits or other fowl); stay at 12 or fewer and don't keep a rooster older than 4 months.
- Build a coop with a board or cement floor and keep it and the run clean to avoid nuisance complaints.
- If you want livestock, pygmy goats or beehives, check the lot size, zone and placement limits with the Community Development Department (955 Shasta Avenue, 805-772-6267).
- For animal-control questions, contact San Luis Obispo County Animal Services, which enforces the code in Morro Bay under contract.
Common questions
- Can I have backyard chickens in Morro Bay, California?
- Yes. Morro Bay's code doesn't ban backyard hens. It caps poultry, rabbits and other fowl kept within 50 feet of any dwelling at 12, and requires clean coops with board or cement floors.
- How many chickens can I have in Morro Bay, California?
- The code says no one may keep more than 12 poultry, rabbits or other fowl within 50 feet of any dwelling. The wording is awkward, so unless the city tells you otherwise, plan on 12 total, with rabbits counting toward the limit.
- Are roosters allowed in Morro Bay, California?
- No rooster over 4 months old may be kept anywhere in the city unless the property operates on a commercial basis or is an agricultural-zoned parcel that meets zoning rules and state law.
- What are the chicken coop requirements in Morro Bay, California?
- Coops must have board or cement floors, and houses, cotes and pens must be kept clean at all times. The code sets no specific coop setback from property lines.
- Can I keep goats or bees in Morro Bay, California?
- Pygmy livestock such as pygmy goats are limited to two per dwelling, with males neutered. Up to two beehives per parcel are allowed outside the agriculture district, at least five feet from all property lines.
California state rules on backyard chickens
California has no statewide right to keep backyard chickens, and no state law sets hen limits, rooster bans or coop setbacks for homes. Those rules come from your city or county, usually in the zoning code, the animal-control ordinance or both. Some cities allow a few hens by right, some require a permit, some ban poultry in residential zones, and many ban roosters.
A few state laws still matter:
- Right-to-farm protection is for commercial farms: Civil Code §3482.5 shields commercial agricultural operations that have run for more than three years from new nuisance claims. It doesn't protect a backyard flock from local rules or neighbor complaints.
- Cockfighting is a crime: under Penal Code §597b, making roosters fight for amusement or gain, or allowing it on your property, is a criminal offense. That's one reason some cities limit roosters.
- Bird flu (H5N1): the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) asks all poultry and livestock owners to practice biosecurity (limit contact with wild birds, monitor flock health) and to report sick birds. The CDFA bird flu line is 1-866-922-2473.
- Hen housing standards (Prop 2 / Prop 12, Health & Safety Code §25990 et seq.) set minimum space for egg-laying hens. They're aimed at commercial egg production and sales, not typical backyard flocks.
- Nuisance and health rules still apply: cities and counties can address odor, noise, flies and rodents under local nuisance and health ordinances.
Check your city's municipal code, and any HOA rules, before getting birds.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 7.08.020(A)(1), Municipal Code Title 7 Ch. 7.08 Other Animals, Poultry and Birds (7.08.020 poultry, rabbits and other fowl), p. 1
No person shall keep upon any premises in the city more than twelve of any poultry, rabbits, or other fowl: 1. Within fifty feet of any dwelling; and
- Sec. 7.08.020(A)(2), Municipal Code Title 7 Ch. 7.08 Other Animals, Poultry and Birds (7.08.020 poultry, rabbits and other fowl), p. 1
The owner or person in charge of such rabbits, poultry or other fowl kept in the city shall provide suitable houses or cotes with board or cement floors in each and every house and cote and such houses, cotes or pens shall at all times be kept clean.
- Sec. 7.08.020(B), Municipal Code Title 7 Ch. 7.08 Other Animals, Poultry and Birds (7.08.020 poultry, rabbits and other fowl), p. 1
No rooster over four months old shall be kept on any premises in the city, unless the premises involved is operating on a commercial basis or is on an agricultural zoned parcel in conformance with existing zoning regulations and state statutes governing such commercial operation.
- Sec. 17.30.060, Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.30 Standards for Specific Uses (17.30.040 ADUs; 17.30.060 animal keeping; 17.30.130 home occupations; 17.30.220 short-term vacation rentals; 17.30.270 urban agriculture), p. 1
The keeping of animals, including dogs, cats, poultry, rabbits, and other fowl, livestock, and pygmy livestock are subject to the provisions of Title 7, Animals, of the Morro Bay Municipal Code.
- Sec. 17.30.060(B), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.30 Standards for Specific Uses (17.30.040 ADUs; 17.30.060 animal keeping; 17.30.130 home occupations; 17.30.220 short-term vacation rentals; 17.30.270 urban agriculture), p. 1
Livestock. The keeping of livestock is limited to lots one acre or larger in size in the RL or AG district.
- Sec. 7.08.030(C), Municipal Code Title 7 Ch. 7.08 Other Animals, Poultry and Birds (7.08.020 poultry, rabbits and other fowl), p. 1
No person or persons may own, harbor, or maintain or cause to be maintained more than two pygmy animals at any dwelling within the city, unless such dwelling is on a parcel that meets the size and zoning criteria as contained in section 7.16.040 in which case the number of animals shall be limited to the maximum listed density allowed as codified.
- Sec. 17.30.060(A), Municipal Code Title 17 Ch. 17.30 Standards for Specific Uses (17.30.040 ADUs; 17.30.060 animal keeping; 17.30.130 home occupations; 17.30.220 short-term vacation rentals; 17.30.270 urban agriculture), p. 1
In all districts except the agriculture district, maximum of two hives per parcel unless otherwise approved with a minor use permit. No limit in the agriculture district.
- Sec. 7.04.010, Municipal Code Title 7 Ch. 7.08 Other Animals, Poultry and Birds (7.08.020 poultry, rabbits and other fowl), p. 1
The provisions of San Luis Obispo County Animal Control Code, Title 9, as amended from time to time, are adopted by reference and incorporated in their entirety as equivalent provisions of the Morro Bay Municipal Code.
- Sec. 7.08.025(A), Municipal Code Title 7 Ch. 7.08 Other Animals, Poultry and Birds (7.08.020 poultry, rabbits and other fowl), p. 1
Except as otherwise permitted in this chapter, no person shall own, keep, maintain, stake or pasture any bovine, swine, sheep, goat, horse or other livestock upon any premises in the city unless the lot or parcel size is a minimum twenty thousand square feet or, the parcel is in a properly zoned agricultural district in which case the number of animals shall not exceed the maximum density allowed for such animals pursuant to section 17.30.060 of this code.