Utah County, UT Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Kennel run height
- 6 feet, secure ceiling and floor
- Hold period without court order
- 5 days minimum
- Owner contest window
- 5 days after impounding
- Penalty for injury
- Class B misdemeanor
- Penalty if death results
- Class A misdemeanor
Summary
Utah County does not ban dogs by breed. Instead, an animal control officer can declare any dog vicious, and possessing a vicious dog is unlawful unless it is muzzled, leashed, and confined in a secure run.
5.01.150 Possession Of A Vicious Dog The possession of a vicious dog is unlawful unless it is restrained, confined, or muzzled so that it cannot bite or attack any person or animal. Dogs held in violation of this section shall be deemed a public nuisance, and their continued possession or ownership shall be unlawful. The department may impound any such dog and dispose of it in any humane manner after five (5) working days to allow for legal restraining action by the owner. The following are conditions of ownership of any animal which is fierce, dangerous, or vicious: the dog must be kept in a heavy gauge wire dog run which is six (6) feet in height with a secure ceiling and floor; and the dog must be kept on a leash and properly muzzled when out of its kennel.
Full Breakdown
140 lets an animal control officer, on probable cause, demand that an owner surrender a vicious animal, and the officer may summarily impound a vicious animal that is at large or an immediate danger, or destroy it if control cannot be gained. A vicious animal impounded under a court order is disposed of as the court directs; one impounded without a court order must be held at least five days before disposal, and the owner may contest the impounding by filing notice with the court within five days.
150 makes possession of a vicious dog unlawful unless it is restrained, confined, or muzzled so it cannot bite or attack a person or animal, and declares any dog held in violation a public nuisance whose continued ownership is unlawful; the department can impound and humanely dispose of such a dog after five working days to let the owner pursue legal action. An animal deemed fierce, dangerous, or vicious must be kept in a heavy-gauge wire dog run at least six feet high with a secure ceiling and floor, and must be leashed and muzzled whenever it leaves the kennel.
160 makes it a class B misdemeanor for an owner who knows a dog's vicious propensities to let it run at large or keep it without ordinary care if it then injures a person or animal, rising to a class A misdemeanor if a human dies. 180 separately bars bringing into the county any animal already judicially declared vicious or a nuisance elsewhere.
Violations & Fines
Possessing an undeclared-compliant vicious dog is a strict-liability violation subject to impoundment. Allowing a known vicious dog to run at large and injure someone is a class B misdemeanor, or a class A misdemeanor if a death results. Impounded vicious animals held without a court order are kept a minimum of 5 days before disposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Utah County ban specific dog breeds?
What must an owner do to legally keep a declared vicious dog?
Can animal control destroy a vicious dog without a court order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Utah County
How Utah County compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Utah County to another location·View the Utah animal ordinances overview
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