Licensing of residential kennels and residential catteries.
Riverside Municipal Code § 8.18.020
in effect8.18.020 - Licensing of residential kennels and residential catteries.
A. No person shall operate or maintain a residential kennel or a residential cattery as those terms are defined in Section 8.18.010 of this chapter without first obtaining an appropriate license from the Animal Control Director. Such license shall be valid for a period of either one or two years from the date of issuance, except that the Animal Control Director may, in his/her discretion, limit the duration of the license to one year when he/she deems such limitation to be appropriate. Said license shall be renewed within 30 days after the date of expiration. The residential kennel license fees, and late fees if an application for a license is made more than 30 days after the date such license is required, shall be set forth by resolution adopted by the City Council.
B. Application for a residential kennel or a residential cattery license shall be filed with the Animal Control Director on a form prescribed by him or her not later than ten days after obtaining written verification from the City of Riverside that the operation of the residential kennel or a residential cattery is in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Riverside Municipal Code including but not limited to all licensing requirements set forth in Section 8.12.010 of the Riverside Municipal Code. The application form, when completed, shall contain such information as may reasonably be required by the Animal Control Director for the purposes of enforcement of this chapter, including but not limited to the current home telephone number of the caretaker of the subject residential kennel or a residential cattery and another current telephone number for emergency use or messages when such caretaker is absent from the subject kennel or cattery. Where a residential kennel or a residential cattery is sought to be operated upon leased or rented premises, a letter of consent from the owner of the premises to the effect that the residential kennel or a residential cattery may be maintained and operated on such premises shall be submitted to the Animal Control Director at the time the application for the residential kennel or a residential cattery license is submitted.
C. After receipt of a residential kennel or a residential cattery license application, the Animal Control Director shall make an inspection of the premises of the residential kennel or a residential cattery for which a license is requested. No residential kennel or a residential cattery license shall be issued nor shall any such license be renewed, unless and until the residential kennel or a residential cattery, in the opinion of the Animal Control Director, satisfies the applicable laws and regulations of the state of California, the applicable sections of the Riverside Municipal Code and the applicable conditions set forth in the standards for kennels and catteries adopted by the City Manager.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Animal Control Director is authorized to enter upon and inspect the premises of any residential kennel or a residential cattery located in the city for the purpose of determining whether such kennel or cattery is in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and the standards for kennels and catteries referred to in subsection C of this section. As a condition of the issuance of a residential kennel or a residential cattery license, each owner and operator of a residential kennel or a residential cattery shall agree to allow such entry and inspection, and such agreement shall be made a part of the license application. Such inspections shall be made during reasonable hours at times when the owner or operator of the residential kennel or a residential cattery is present on the residential kennel or a residential cattery premises, and with such frequency as the Animal Control Director shall deem appropriate, and such inspections may, at the discretion of the Animal Control Director, be made without prior notice to the owner or operator of the subject residential kennel or a residential cattery. Willful refusal on the part of a residential kennel or a residential cattery owner or operator to allow such inspection shall be grounds for summary denial of an application for a residential kennel or a residential cattery license or for summary suspension or revocation of a residential kennel or a residential cattery license.
E. A nonprofit corporation formed pursuant to the provisions of the California Corporations Code commencing with Section 10400, for the prevention of cruelty to animals, shall not be required to pay a fee for the licenses required by subsection A of this section for a residential kennel or a residential cattery; provided, however, that all other provisions of Chapter 8.18 and this section shall be applicable to any such nonprofit corporation.
F. Any person owning, keeping or maintaining five or more dogs, or ten or more cats prior to the date of the adoption of this Code section, shall, for a period of 20 years, be allowed to own, keep or maintain those specific animals that were properly licensed pursuant to Chapter 8.12 and which were owned, kept or maintained prior to the adoption of this section be exempted from the kennel or cattery license requirements of this section.
(Ord. 7084 § 2, 2010; Ord. 4112 § 1 (part), 1974)
Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT8AN_CH8.18RECOKE_8.18.020LIREKERECAFetched: 11/1/2026