Del Norte County, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

We reviewed Del Norte County Code Title 8 (the 2019 Revised Animal Control Ordinance) and found no breed-specific dog ban, and no breed-based license fee or insurance requirement. The County's dog rules in Title 8, Chapter 2 are conduct-based: they address leashing, running at large, trespass, dog bites, and dangerous behavior, regardless of breed. The ordinance's 'Potentially Dangerous and Vicious Dogs Defined' section adopts the California Food and Agricultural Code framework (Section 31601 et seq.): a 'potentially dangerous dog' is defined by unprovoked bites or aggressive behavior, and a 'vicious dog' by serious injury, killing, or prior potentially-dangerous determinations followed by further violations - all behavior-based, not breed-based. When an animal control officer believes a dog may be potentially dangerous or vicious, the matter is determined through the judicial process in the Food and Agricultural Code (commencing at Section 31601) or, as an alternative, the county's administrative hearing process. This conduct-based approach is consistent with California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683, which provides that, except for spay/neuter programs, 'no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed.' Del Norte County has not adopted any breed-specific sterilization ordinance in its code.