Falls Church Virginia Chicken Ordinance

Are Chickens Allowed in this locationYes
Max Chickens Allowed7 Companion animals, TOTAL
Roosters AllowedNo
Permit RequiredNo
Coop RestrictionsNOISE ORDINANCES APPLY.
City/Organization Contact name
Additional InformationNOT EXCLUSIVELY PROHIBITED. CODE ALLOWS FOR DISPOSAL OF DEAD FOWL, SO \"YES\" on KEEPING CHICKENS. Sec. 4-2. Limitations on companion animals and pets allowed per dwelling unit. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep more than three dogs over four months of age or four cats over four months of age or a total of seven companion animals per dwelling unit in the city. (b) Companion animals for which the animal control officer, prior to January 1, 2005, has issued a permit shall be exempt from the limitation of the number of companion animal pets stated in subsection (a) of this section. (c) Any person, on February 1, 1998, being the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived, who is lawfully keeping more than the number of dogs and cats permitted by this section shall be entitled to continue to keep all such dogs and cats, so long as they are duly licensed and inoculated in accordance with this chapter. However, it shall be unlawful for any such person to replace such dog or cat unless the total number dogs and cats kept by the person does not exceed the number of dogs and cats permitted by subsection (a) of this section. (d) This limitation shall not apply to any person authorized to operate a kennel, being any establishment in which five or more canines, felines, or hybrids of either are kept for the purpose of breeding, hunting, training, renting, buying, boarding, selling or showing. (Code 1982, § 4-1.1; Ord. No. 1595, 1-12-1998; Ord. No. 1768, 9-27-2004) Sec. 4-3. Keeping of wild or exotic animals. (a) Prohibition; exception. No person shall keep or permit to be kept on the premises of such person any live wild or exotic animal. This section shall not be construed to apply to zoological parks, performing animal exhibitions, circuses or veterinary clinics which are properly licensed by the federal government or Commonwealth of Virginia. In no case, however, shall such wild or exotic animals be exhibited or displayed in such a manner that persons other than the handler of such animal can pet, fondle or otherwise come in direct physical contact with such animals. (b) Applicability. The term \"wild or exotic animals\" means any animal except: (1) Dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, and birds which are normally purchased through a pet store; (2) Gold fish and aquarium fish; (3) Nonpoisonous snakes, less than eight feet in length; and (4) Domestic rabbits, mice and rats which have been bred in captivity and which never have known the wild. (Code 1982, § 4-1.2; Ord. No. 1595, 1-12-1998) Sec. 4-4. At large animals or fowl. (a) No person shall fasten, turn at large or permit to graze or roam about on any street within the city any animal except as provided in this chapter. (b) No person residing within the city shall permit fowl of any kind, being on such person\'s property or being under such person\'s charge, to run at large upon any street or other public place or to trespass upon the land or property of another against such person\'s will or consent. (Code 1973, § 4-2; Code 1982, § 4-2; Ord. No. 1595, 1-12-1998) Charter references: Authority of city to prohibit the running at large of animals, § 2.04. State law references: Authority of city to regulate running at large and keeping of animals, Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6543. Sec. 4-7. Burial or cremation of dead animals and fowl. The owner of any animal or fowl which has died, when said owner knows of such death, shall forthwith have its body cremated, buried or otherwise disposed of in a manner acceptable to the city animal control officer. Should the owner of any dead animal or dead fowl fail to comply with the provisions of this section within 48 hours following receipt of the written notice to such owner by the city animal control officer, said city animal control officer shall be authorized to cause any such dead animal or fowl to be cremated, buried or disposed of at the expense of said owner. (Code 1973, § 4-5; Code 1982, § 4-5; Ord. No. 1595, 1-12-1998; Ord. No. 1660, 11-8-1999) State law references: Disposal of dead companion animals, Code of Virginia, § 3.2-6554. Secs. 4-8--4-36. Reserved.
Link for more Informationhttp://library1.municode.com/default-test/home.htm?infobase=14329&doc_action=whatsnew
Information Last Updated2010-03-23 00:00:00


NOTE: This information was submitted by a member of our chicken forum. Please make sure to double check that this information is accurate before you proceed with raising chickens. Learn more about local chicken laws and ordinances.