Crowing Fowl County Code And Zoning Code Amendments (ZOB) PLNP2024-00226
Summary
SCH Number
2026060818
Public Agency
Sacramento County
Document Title
Crowing Fowl County Code And Zoning Code Amendments (ZOB) PLNP2024-00226
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/17/2026
Document Description
The project consists of two separate legislative actions: the addition of new sections to Title 8 of the Sacramento County Code establishing standards for the care, housing, and regulation of roosters; and a County-initiated Zoning Code Amendment to amend Chapters 3, 5, and 7 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code related to the keeping of roosters in residential and noncommercial settings.
The Zoning Code Amendment would establish numerical limits on roosters by zoning district and parcel size, and clarify general and development standards applicable to rooster keeping. The amendment would also introduce additional development standards in residential zoning districts to address nuisance concerns, consistent with existing County noise regulations, and strengthen enforcement provisions by clarifying complaint-based enforcement procedures and compliance timelines following written notification from the County.
The Zoning Code Amendment would remove the Minor Use Permit requirement for agricultural education programs and establish a no-cost registration process within Chapter 3 of the Zoning Code, allowing legitimate breeders, exhibitors, and hobbyists to exceed the standard rooster limits without requiring a use permit or public hearing.
The County Code Amendment would add definitions related to roosters and enclosure, and establish standards for the keeping of roosters, including provisions related to animal care, sanitation, enclosure requirements, and prohibition of tethering. The amendment also includes enforcement provisions and penalties to address violations and deter illegal or inhumane practices.
The proposed County Code and Zoning Code amendments do not modify regulations applicable to egg-laying hens, does not apply to commercial poultry operations, and do not authorize new development or expansion of existing uses.
Contact Information
Name
Julie Newton
Agency Name
Sacramento County, Planning & Environmental Review
Job Title
Environmental Coordinator
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
unincorporated area
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Countywide
Parcel #
Countywide
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
General Rule-15061 (b)(3) The activity will not result in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in t
Reasons for Exemption
The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the General Rule exemption (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3)), which provides that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential to result in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
The project consists of two separate legislative actions: the addition of new sections to Title 8 of the Sacramento County Code establishing standards for the care, housing, and regulation of roosters, and defines roosters and enclosures; and a County-initiated Zoning Code Amendment to amend Chapters 3, 5, and 7 of the Sacramento County Zoning Code to clarify and modify development standards for the incidental keeping of roosters, including establishing numerical limits by zoning district and parcel size, clarifying general and development standards, removing a Minor Use Permit requirement for agricultural education programs, establishing a no-cost
registration process for certain non-commercial uses, and clarifying complaint-based
enforcement procedures. The amendment does not authorize new development, expand allowable land uses, or facilitate physical construction activities.
The ordinance does not apply to commercial poultry operations, does not modify regulations applicable to egg-laying hens, and does not change agricultural production activities protected under the County's Right-to-Farm ordinance. Noise-related standards reference relies on existing County noise regulations and do not introduce new noise standards. Enforcement provisions clarify compliance timelines following written notification.
Because the project consists solely of administrative and regulatory amendments that govern the incidental keeping of animals, and does not authorize or result in any physical development or change in land use intensity, nor create a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical environmental effect, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed project may have a significant impact on the environment and is therefore exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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