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Palmdale · Building on your lot

Pets, chickens and bees in Palmdale

Palmdale's own rules on pets, chickens and bees, with the code text for every value.

Each rule below links to the section of the Palmdale Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Palmdale's code says

Palmdale code What Palmdale's code adds
Bees
  • Up to 1 hive per 4,000 square feet of lot area.
    Applies: Hives only in rear yards (also interior side yards in ER and LDR zones), at least 20 feet from property lines.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Beehives | Max. 1 hive for every 4,000 square feet of lot area | Max. 1 hive for every 4,000 square feet of lot area
Chickens
  • Yes; up to 3 poultry or fowl in any mix per 10,000 square feet of lot area.
    Applies: Lots of at least 20,000 square feet, for the resident family's own use; no roosters or peafowl.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Max. 3 such birds in any combination for every 10,000 square feet of lot area.
Coop setback
  • At least 20 feet from side and rear lot lines.
    Applies: Applies to barns, doghouses, hutches, coops, aviaries and similar structures.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    barns, doghouses, hutches, coops, aviaries and other similar buildings or structures shall not be located within 20 feet of any side or rear lot line.
  • At least 50 feet from any home.
    Applies: Applies to animal enclosures.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Animal enclosures shall not be located in a required front yard setback and shall not be located closer than 50 feet from any residential structure.
Large animals
  • Up to 3 large animals per 20,000 square feet of lot; up to 25% may be boarded for non-residents.
    Applies: Lots of at least 20,000 square feet; animals kept mainly for the resident family's own use.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Max. 3 for every 20,000 square feet of lot area; provided, that said animals are primarily raised and kept for the private use of members of the family residing on the premises. Up to 25 percent of the total allowed number of animals on a parcel may be boarded for persons who do not reside on the property.
Permit
  • An additional animals clearance under the city code.
    Applies: Applies to requests to keep more animals.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Any request for the keeping of additional animals shall be in compliance with PMC § 17.26.070 (Additional animals clearance).
Pet limit
  • Up to 5 cats and 4 dogs.
    Applies: Adult animals; ER, LDR, SFR 1, SFR 2 and SFR 3 zones, and RN 1 lots of 7,000 square feet or more.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Cats | 5 | 2 Dogs | 4 | 2
  • Up to 2 cats and 2 dogs.
    Applies: Adult animals; all other residential and mixed-use zones.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Cats | 5 | 2 Dogs | 4 | 2
  • Up to 1 Vietnamese pot-bellied pig per dwelling unit.
    § 17.89.030 · code text
    Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs | Max. 1 per dwelling unit | Max. 1 per dwelling unit

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep chickens or bees at my home in Palmdale?

Palmdale's code: Yes; up to 3 poultry or fowl in any mix per 10,000 square feet of lot area. (Lots of at least 20,000 square feet, for the resident family's own use; no roosters or peafowl.) (§ 17.89.030); Up to 1 hive per 4,000 square feet of lot area. (Hives only in rear yards (also interior side yards in ER and LDR zones), at least 20 feet from property lines.) (§ 17.89.030).

General information, not legal advice.

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