Maricopa, AZ Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

No City of Maricopa ordinance bans pit bulls, Rottweilers, or any other breed, and none could be enforced. Arizona Revised Statutes §9-499.04, as amended by Senate Bill 1248 (2016), provides that a city or town 'may regulate the control of dogs if the regulation is not specific to any breed,' making Arizona one of the states that prohibit breed-specific legislation (BSL). The statute also bars courts and administrative decision-makers from considering a dog's breed when determining whether a dog is aggressive, vicious, or has created liability. Consistent with this, Maricopa's animal-control framework - the Pinal County Rabies and Animal Control Ordinance adopted by reference under City Code §6.05.010, plus Arizona's statewide dog laws in A.R.S. Title 11, Chapter 7 - regulates dangerous and vicious dogs based on individual behavior (attacks, bites, and aggression) rather than appearance or breed. Owners of any breed are subject to the same at-large, licensing, rabies, leash, and dangerous-dog rules. Private actors are not bound by the state preemption: landlords, homeowners insurers, and HOAs in Maricopa's communities may still impose their own breed restrictions through leases, policies, and CC&Rs, which is the most common way Maricopa residents encounter breed limits in practice.