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

Irvine Municipal Code Title 4 governs animal control within city limits, but it contains no provisions targeting specific dog breeds. This is fully 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 a specific breed, to be dangerous or vicious. This preemption prevents Irvine from enacting a pit bull ban, a Rottweiler restriction, or any other breed-specific measure that singles out a breed for prohibition or heightened regulation based solely on breed characteristics. California does permit one narrow exception under Health and Safety Code Section 122331, which allows cities to enact breed-specific mandatory spay/neuter ordinances, but Irvine has not adopted any such provision and all breeds are treated identically under current law.

Instead of breed-based rules, Irvine follows a behavior-based dangerous dog framework consistent with the California Food and Agricultural Code. Animal control services for Irvine are provided under contract by Orange County Animal Care (OC Animal Care). A dog of any breed may be declared potentially dangerous if it has, on two or more separate occasions within a 36-month period, bitten or attacked a person or domestic animal without provocation while off the owner's property, or if it has approached a person in a menacing fashion while unprovoked and not confined. A dog may be declared vicious if it has killed or caused severe injury to a person without provocation, or if it was previously declared potentially dangerous and the owner failed to meet the required conditions. These determinations are made on an individual animal basis following an investigation by OC Animal Care and, if requested by the owner, an administrative hearing.

Owners of dogs declared potentially dangerous or vicious must comply with all conditions imposed by OC Animal Care. Standard conditions include maintaining the dog in an escape-proof enclosure with a secure lock when the animal is not under the direct physical control of a responsible adult, posting conspicuous warning signs at all property entry points, mandatory spay or neuter of the animal, and maintaining liability insurance of at least $100,000 covering injury or damage caused by the dog. All dogs in Irvine four months of age or older must be licensed through OC Animal Care and must have a current rabies vaccination. Licensing can be completed online at ocpetinfo.com or in person. Contact Orange County Animal Care at (714) 935-6848 for licensing, dangerous dog proceedings, or general animal control inquiries.