Provo, UT Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Utah Code 18-2-101 (Regulation of dogs by a municipality)
- Breed-Specific Bans
- Prohibited and void statewide
- Effective Date
- January 1, 2015 (H.B. 97, 2014)
- Local Approach
- Behavior-based, breed-neutral (Provo City Code Title 8)
- Vicious-Dog Authority
- Provo City Code 8.02.090 (breed-neutral)
Summary
Provo cannot ban or restrict any dog by breed. Utah Code 18-2-101 prohibits a municipality from adopting or enforcing any breed-specific rule, regulation, policy, or ordinance regarding dogs and voids any such measure, so no breed restrictions apply in Provo.
(1) A municipality may not adopt or enforce a breed-specific rule, regulation, policy, or ordinance regarding dogs. (2) Any breed-specific rule, regulation, policy, or ordinance regarding dogs is void.
Full Breakdown
There is no breed-specific dog ban in Provo, and the City is legally barred from enacting one. Utah Code 18-2-101 (Regulation of dogs by a municipality), enacted by House Bill 97 (2014) and effective January 1, 2015, provides: '(1) A municipality may not adopt or enforce a breed-specific rule, regulation, policy, or ordinance regarding dogs. ' This statewide preemption invalidated breed bans (including pit bull restrictions) that several Utah cities had on the books and prevents Provo from targeting any breed by name. 090), which apply to any dog regardless of breed.
A municipality retains general authority to license, tax, and regulate the keeping of dogs and to deal with dogs running at large, but that authority may not be exercised in a breed-specific way.
Violations & Fines
Because breed-specific local rules are void under Utah Code 18-2-101, Provo enforces dangerous-dog and at-large matters individually based on a dog's behavior, not its breed. A dog that is at large, a nuisance, or vicious is handled under the breed-neutral provisions of Provo City Code Title 8 (e.g., 8.02.090, 8.02.100, 8.02.110), with citations and, for vicious animals, impoundment and possible court-ordered disposition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pit bulls or any other breed banned in Provo?
Can Provo still regulate a dog that bites or is dangerous?
What happened to older Utah breed bans?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Provo
How Provo compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Provo to another location·View the Utah animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle breed restrictions.