Horse-Drawn Vehicles Regulations for Consideration by the Board of Public Service

Draft Horse-Drawn Vehicle Regulations For Consideration by the Board of Public Service

The rules and regulations for horse-drawn vehicles in the City of St. Louis have several sources. There are a number of ordinances that relate to the care and health and welfare of animals, and other ordinances that relate to the business of operating horse-drawn vehicles. These ordinances are collected and organized in the Revised Code of the City of St. Louis.

Specifically in regard to operating horse-drawn vehicles, these ordinances give the City's Board of Public Service the power to issue certificates that allow horse-drawn vehicles to operate within the City. The ordinances also give the Board of Public Service the power to adopt rules and regulations for the operation of horse-drawn vehicles (Rev. Code 8.43.020).

A public hearing on the draft rules and regulations will be considered by the Board of Public Service at its meeting on May 22 at 1:45 p.m. at City Hall. LINK TO DRAFT REGULATIONS. The public hearing follows a public comment period, in which written comments on these draft regulations were accepted by the Health Department through May 11, 2018. This draft reflects revisions made in response to the comments received.

The draft regulations do not include all rules pertaining to caring for horses and operating carriages. They are in addition to and a complement to the existing ordinances. Regulations adopted by the Board of Public Service cannot alter or supersede the ordinances of the City of St. Louis.

To help the public understand the rules that apply, and because the rules relating to operating horse-drawn vehicles and caring for the horses have multiple sources in the law, the draft regulations require the Health Department of the City of St. Louis to prepare a comprehensive guide to the laws and regulations that apply in the City of St. Louis. A draft of that guide, which includes the draft regulations to be considered by the Board of Public Service, can be found here. LINK TO DRAFT GUIDE. The guide will be updated to account for any regulatory action by the Board of Public Service or changes to the City's laws and will be available to the public going forward.

Questions about the regulations can be directed to health@stlouis-mo.gov or 314-657-1568.