Article 4 — Chapter 17.42
Tuolumne County Zoning Code · 2026-07 edition · ingested 2026-07-07 · Tuolumne County
ANIMAL KEEPING
Sections:
17.42.010 Purpose. 17.42.020 Applicability. ¶
17.42.030 Permit Required. 17.42.040 Development and Operational Standards. ¶
17.42.010 Purpose. The purpose of this Chapter is to establish standards for the location, site planning, development, and operations of certain land uses that are allowed by Article 2, Zoning Districts and Allowable Land Uses, within individual or multiple districts, and for activities that require special standards to minimize the impacts of these uses and activities on surrounding properties and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their occupants and of the general public.
17.42.020 Applicability. The requirements contained in this Chapter shall apply to all animal keeping uses. Minimum standards for any type of animal or fowl not addressed or not similar to those listed in this Chapter as determined by the Community Development Director shall be established by the Planning Commission.
Household pets such as domestic dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, or other small animals ordinarily permitted inside of a dwelling and kept only for the company and pleasure provided to the occupants shall be permitted and not subject to the animal keeping development and operational standards below. Household pets shall not include horses, cows, goats, sheep or other equine, bovine, ovine or ruminant animals, pigs, chickens, ducks, pigeons, geese, turkeys, game birds or fowl which normally constitute an agricultural use.
17.42.030 Permit Required. All animal ¶
the specified permit as detailed in the use tables in Article 2.
17.42.040 Development and Operational Standards. ¶
A. General Standards. All animal keeping in all districts outside of the Agricultural Districts shall meet the following requirements:
Animals shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary manner and shall not pose a threat to public health.
Animals shall not cause fouling of the air off the parcel by unpleasant odor.
Animals shall not create a nuisance to residents of adjacent parcels.
Feed shall be stored in rodentproof containers.
B. Standards for keeping poultry in the R-
1 District. Poultry may be kept in any R-1 district as an accessory use to a dwelling located on the parcel where the poultry is kept, subject to the following standards:
Poultry shall be kept in fully enclosed coops or cages having a roof so the poultry cannot leave the enclosure.
Coops and cages shall not be located within required building setbacks.
Slaughtering of poultry shall occur indoors only.
Roosters and tom turkeys are prohibited.
keeping uses shall be subject to approval of
17-200
| 5. | The maximum allowable | living space for their | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| poultry per parcel shall be as | resident bees to | |||
| follows: | prevent swarming. | |||
| a. Less than 0.5 net acre |
b. | Hives shall be | ||
| parcel = 4 birds | requeened at least | |||
| b. 0.5 but less than 1.0 |
once every two years | |||
| net acre parcel = 8 | to prevent swarming. | |||
| birds | c. | A water source for | ||
| c. 1.0 net acre parcel or |
bees shall be provided | |||
| larger = 12 birds. | at all times on the | |||
| d. Chicks in excess of |
property where the | |||
| these limits shall be | bees are kept in order | |||
| removed from the | to discourage bee | |||
| parcel within 21 days | visitation at swimming | |||
| following hatching. | pools, hose bibs, and | |||
| 6. | No turkeys may be kept on | other water sources | ||
| any parcel that is less than 1.0 | on adjacent public or | |||
| net acre in area. | private property. | |||
| C. Standards for keeping bees. | d. | Hive maintenance | ||
| 1. | Number of Hives. In all | materials or | ||
| districts except the | equipment must be | |||
| Agricultural Districts and | stored in a sealed | |||
| Residential Estate Districts, | container or placed | |||
| maximum of two hives per | within a building or | |||
| parcel unless otherwise | other bee-proof | |||
| approved with a Minor Use | enclosure. | |||
| Permit. No limit in the | 4. | Bees or hives shall be | ||
| Agriculture District. | considered a public nuisance | |||
| 2. | Hive Placement | and subject toChapter 17.104, | ||
| Requirements. | Administration and | |||
| a. Hives shall be located |
Enforcement, when any of the | |||
| at least five feet from | following occurs: | |||
| all property lines. | a. | Colonies of bees | ||
| b. Hive entrances shall |
exhibit defensive or | |||
| face away from or | objectionable | |||
| parallel to the nearest | behavior or interfere | |||
| property line(s). | with the normal use of | |||
| c. Hives must either be |
neighboring | |||
| screened so that the | properties. | |||
| bees must fly over a | b. | Colonies of bees | ||
| six-foot barrier, which | swarm. | |||
| may be vegetative, | c. | Bees or hives do not | ||
| before leaving the | conform to this Code. | |||
| property, or be placed | d. | Hives become | ||
| at least eight feet | abandoned by | |||
| above the adjacent | resident bees or by | |||
| ground level. | the owner. | |||
| 3. | Hive Management | D. Standards for the keeping of livestock | ||
| Requirements. | in the R-1 | District. The keeping of livestock is | ||
| a. Hives shall be |
limited to | lots/parcels one acre or larger in | ||
| continually managed | size in the | Single-Family Residential (R-1) | ||
| to provide adequate | District. |
17-201
Livestock Density in the R-1 District. The maximum allowed livestock density in the R-1 District is two cattle or horses or four sheep or goats per acre. Where there is a combination of cattle or horses and sheep or goats, one bovine animal or horse is the equivalent of two sheep or goats.
Exception. Livestock may be kept for temporary education projects such as FFA, 4-H, and school projects, on a lot that does not otherwise permit the keeping of livestock.
17-202