Bartow County, GA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Breed ban
- None; classification is behavior-based
- Dangerous dog
- Bite or threatening attack, no serious injury
- Vicious dog
- Causes serious injury to a person
- Registration fee
- $100.00 annual
- Vicious dog insurance
- $50,000.00 minimum liability
- School setback for enclosure
- 300 feet
- Vicious dogs per owner
- One maximum
Summary
Bartow County has no breed-specific ban; instead it classifies individual dogs as "dangerous" or "vicious" based on documented bites or attacks under Bartow County Code § 14-66. A classified dog must be registered and confined in a secure enclosure, and a vicious dog must be muzzled and insured whenever off the owner's property.
(a)Classification levels. "Classified dog" means any dog that has been classified as either a dangerous or vicious dog pursuant to this article. Classifications are as follows:(1)Dangerous dog. Any dog that:a.Causes a substantial puncture of a person's skin by teeth without causing serious injury (see section 14-13); provided, however, that a nip, scratch, or abrasion shall not be sufficient to classify a dog as dangerous under this subparagraph;b.Aggressively attacks in a manner that causes a person to reasonably believe that the dog posed an imminent threat of serious injury (see section 14-13) to such a person or another person although no such injury occurs; provided, however, that the acts of barking, growling, or showing of teeth by a dog shall not be sufficient to classify a dog as dangerous under this subparagraph; ... (2)Vicious dog. Any dog that inflicts a serious injury on a person or causes serious injury (see section 14-13) to a person resulting from reasonable attempts to escape the dog's attack.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 14-66(a)(1) classifies a dog as "dangerous" if it causes a substantial skin puncture without serious injury, aggressively attacks in a way that creates a reasonable belief of imminent serious injury even without contact, or kills a pet off the owner's property, while a mere nip, scratch, bark or growl is not enough. Sec. 14-66(a)(2) classifies a dog as "vicious" if it inflicts serious injury on a person or causes serious injury during a reasonable attempt to escape its attack. Exceptions under Sec. 14-66(c) exclude law enforcement or military dogs, and no dog is classified if the injured person was trespassing, abusing the dog, or committing an offense under Title 16, Chapter 5.
An owner has 15 days after written notice to request a hearing before the Bartow County Animal Control Board, held within 30 days of the request. Sec. 00 annual fee, and no enclosure within 300 feet of a school. 00 in liability insurance, may not be transferred except to a shelter or veterinarian for euthanasia, and an owner may keep only one vicious dog at a time. Off the owner's property, a classified dog must be muzzled and leashed with a chain or leash no longer than six feet, or contained in a locked cage or crate.
Violations & Fines
Possessing a classified dog without a certificate of registration is unlawful under Sec. 14-67(a). Recovering a confiscated classified dog requires payment of a $100.00 impoundment fee plus $15.00 per day boarding and veterinary costs, and if the owner has not complied within ten to 20 days the dog is destroyed under O.C.G.A. § 4-11-5.1. Sec. 14-66(d) notes that under O.C.G.A. § 4-8-29, a violation involving a vicious dog is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, and repeated violations can be referred to the district attorney as a felony under O.C.G.A. § 4-8-29(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bartow County ban specific dog breeds like pit bulls?
What has to happen before my dog is officially classified as dangerous?
What does owning a classified vicious dog require?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
How Bartow County compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Bartow County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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