Newport Beach, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Breed-specific ban
- None in Newport Beach code
- Trigger
- Reported dog bite of person or dog
- Confinement order authority
- Animal Control Officer
- Impoundment condition
- No proof of rabies vaccination
- State declaration process
- Food & Agric. Code Sec. 31601 et seq.
Summary
Newport Beach has no breed-specific ban; instead it regulates individual dogs by behavior. Under Municipal Code Sec. 7.04.100, once a dog bites a person or another dog and is reported, an Animal Control Officer can order the owner to confine and securely restrain it while the dog is evaluated as potentially dangerous.
Upon receiving a report from any person who has been bitten by a dog, or from any person who has witnessed such occurrence, or has witnessed a dog who has bitten another dog, a Newport Beach Animal Control Officer shall notify the owner, possessor or custodian of the biting dog, in writing. If the Animal Control Officer believes the dog may be potentially dangerous to the community, he/she may require the owner to keep such dog at all times on the property or premises where such owner, possessor or custodian resides, or on the property or premises of any person to whom the custody of such dog may be given, and to securely hold the dog or cause the dog to be securely held by a leash or other device or means, so as to prevent the dog from wandering, straying or getting beyond the control of its custodian.
Full Breakdown
100 applies whenever a Newport Beach Animal Control Officer receives a report, from a bite victim or a witness, that a dog has bitten a person or another dog. The officer must notify the dog's owner, possessor or custodian in writing. If the officer believes the dog may be potentially dangerous to the community, the owner can be required to keep the dog at all times on the property where the owner or custodian resides (or on the property of whoever the dog's custody is transferred to), and to securely hold it by a leash or other restraint so it cannot wander, stray, or get beyond its custodian's control.
If the possessor cannot show the Chief of Police proof of current rabies vaccination, or if the Public Health Officer decides the situation warrants it, the dog must be impounded at the City's animal shelter at the owner's expense while the City pursues a petition under California Food and Agricultural Code Sec. to have the dog formally declared potentially dangerous or vicious. The section does not apply to a dog working with a State, Federal or local law enforcement officer. This behavior-based approach is the City's only tool for restricting individual dogs after a bite; the Municipal Code contains no ordinance singling out any dog breed for restriction, ban, or heightened licensing.
Violations & Fines
A custodian who fails to keep a dog confined and restrained as ordered under Sec. 7.04.100, or who cannot produce proof of current rabies vaccination when required, faces impoundment of the dog at the owner's expense at the City animal shelter pending the State dangerous-or-vicious-dog petition process under Food and Agricultural Code Sec. 31601 et seq. Separately, failing to comply with a leash or restraint order can be charged as a Municipal Code infraction under the general enforcement provisions of Sec. 1.04.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Newport Beach ban any dog breeds?
What happens after my dog bites someone?
Can the City take my dog away after a bite?
Is a police or service dog covered by these rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newport Beach
How Newport Beach compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Newport Beach to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle breed restrictions.