What are the typical laws of cities around the nation that allow miniature goats in backyards?
Many cities, such as Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Austin, and Denver (including suburbs Lakewood, Thornton, Edgewater, and more) have made laws to allow keeping miniature goats in residential areas. These laws are usually designed for small and medium backyards on properties 1/4 acre or less.
Common elements of a miniature goat ordinance designed for an urban/suburban setting:
- Two miniature goats on lot sizes of 1/5th acre or 1/4th acre. Maximum number of miniature goats flexes according to lot size. A minimum of two miniature goats for well-being of animal.
- Basic aspects of miniature goat care addressed, such as minimum pen size, adequate shelter, access to food and water, and cleanliness.
- Requires males to be neutered for odor control.
- Ordinance kept simple by enforcing containment, odor, and noise through existing animal-at-large and nuisance laws. Some cities have no license or permit requirement, which reduces administrative work.
Summary of Twelve City Ordinances Designed for Keeping Miniature Goats in Residential Backyards
Twelve urban and suburban cities that created miniature goat ordinances were compared: Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Austin, Pittsburgh, Denver, Lakewood, Arvada, Edgewater, Thornton, Brighton, and Wheat Ridge. The complete chart is below, followed by a summary of the findings. (Click the link below the PDF for an enlarged view.)
Property Size
& Setbacks
No minimum lot size was specified by many cities as long as minimum setback requirements are met, typically 5 to 35 feet from property lines and/or neighbor dwellings. Of the few cities who did stipulate a minimum lot size, it was very small, ranging from 2,000 – 7,500 sq ft (Pittsburgh, Lakewood, and Brighton).
Pen Size
More than half of the cities required a minimum pen size of 260 sq ft to 400 sq ft for two miniature goats. The remaining cities did not cite a minimum pen size.
Number of Goats
On smaller properties (approximately 1/5 acre to 1/2 acre) 2 or 3 miniature goats were typically allowed. Several cities (Seattle, Portland, Austin, Pittsburgh, Lakewood, and Wheat Ridge) allowed more on larger properties, ranging typically from 5 to 9 miniature goats on properties 1/2 acre to 1 acre.
Fencing & Shelter
Two-thirds of the cities have no specific fencing requirement other than miniature goats must be contained and not at-large, but a few cities require a 4 or 5 foot minimum fence height. Many cities addressed the need for a shelter that is dry, well ventilated, and protected from predators and a few described the adequate size of the shelter as well.
Other Requirements
Permits or licenses are needed in about half of the cities to keep miniature goats, and less than half require miniature goats to be de-horned. Almost all cities allow neutered male miniature goats.
The article below from The Urban Lawyer gives background on the growing number of cities creating ordinances to facilitate urban agriculture, including keeping miniature goats, and what those ordinances often look like.
“Raising micro-livestock has instead become
an activity that many young, educated, middle-class people seek out. Ordinances that legalize such activity can actually attract a subset of the population that many communities view as desirable.” Pg. 98
“While a goat may bleat especially as it adjusts to a new environment, the sound is generally far less loud than the noise of a barking dog; and cities already have ordinances in place to address this type of noise concern.” Pgs. 104-105
(Click link for enlarged view.)
Backyard Miniature Goats 