Oxnard Breed Restrictions Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Oxnard Municipal Code Chapter 5 governs the keeping of animals within city limits, but it contains no provisions targeting specific dog breeds. This is consistent with California state law: Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 explicitly prohibits any city or county from enacting or enforcing an ordinance that deems any specific dog breed, or dogs of any specific breed, to be dangerous or vicious. This preemption prevents Oxnard from enacting a pit bull ban, a Rottweiler restriction, or any other breed-specific measure that singles out a breed for prohibition or special treatment based solely on breed characteristics. California does permit one narrow exception — Health and Safety Code Section 122331 allows localities to enact breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter ordinances — but Oxnard has not enacted such an ordinance and all breeds are treated identically under current law.

Instead of breed-based rules, Oxnard's dangerous and vicious animal provisions follow a behavior-based model consistent with the state framework. A dog may be declared potentially dangerous by Ventura County Animal Services (which provides contract animal control services for Oxnard) if it has bitten, attacked, or caused physical injury to a person or domestic animal without provocation on at least two separate occasions within a 36-month period, or if it has approached a person off its owner's property in a threatening manner while unprovoked. A dog may be declared vicious if it killed or caused severe injury to a person without provocation, or if it was previously declared potentially dangerous and the owner failed to comply with required conditions. These determinations are made on an individual animal basis following an investigation and, if requested, an administrative hearing. The standards apply equally to all breeds — a small dog of any breed is subject to the same evaluation framework as a large one.

Owners of dogs declared potentially dangerous or vicious must comply with conditions imposed by Ventura County Animal Services, which typically include secure confinement in an escape-proof enclosure, posting of warning signs at the property, mandatory spay or neuter of the animal, and maintaining a minimum of $100,000 in liability insurance covering damage or injury caused by the dog. All dogs in Oxnard four months of age and older must be licensed through Ventura County Animal Services and must have a current rabies vaccination. Unlicensed or unvaccinated dogs are subject to citation. Contact Ventura County Animal Services at (805) 388-4341 for licensing, dangerous dog proceedings, and animal control inquiries.