Nashville, TN Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Breed regulation
- None: behavior-based classification only
- Vicious dog trigger
- Unprovoked bite, injury, death, or fighting
- Required enclosure
- 6-ft fence, buried base, locked gate
- Court remedy
- Destruction, enclosure order, or ownership ban
- Jurisdiction
- Davidson County GSD; satellite cities exempt
Summary
Metro Nashville does not ban specific dog breeds: a dog becomes "vicious" under Metropolitan Code Chapter 8.08 only after it bites, seriously injures, or kills without provocation, or is kept for dogfighting, triggering mandatory confinement and court oversight.
"Vicious dog" means any dog which attacks and bites, or which seriously injures or kills, a person or animal on any public or private property without provocation; any dog previously declared vicious in a court of law; or any dog owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor a vicious dog within the area of the metropolitan government unless said dog is confined.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Metro Nashville and Davidson County does not classify dogs by breed. Metropolitan Code Chapter 8.08 declares a dog "vicious" only after it bites or seriously injures/kills a person or animal without provocation, has already been declared vicious by a court, or is kept for dogfighting (§ 8.08.010). Once declared, § 8.08.030 makes it unlawful to keep the dog unless confined in a secure enclosure at least six feet high, embedded or paved at the base, with a self-latching gate and a posted warning sign. General sessions court may then order the dog destroyed, released into a compliant enclosure, or bar the owner from future pet ownership. Applies countywide; the six satellite cities keep separate codes.
Violations & Fines
Harboring an unconfined vicious dog is unlawful under § 8.08.030; violators face impoundment fees, court-ordered secure enclosure or humane destruction of the dog, and can be barred from owning animals for a period the court sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nashville ban pit bulls or other breeds?
What happens if my dog is declared vicious?
Does this apply in Belle Meade or Nashville's other satellite cities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
How Nashville compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Nashville to another location·View the Tennessee animal ordinances overview
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