Scottsdale, AZ Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Vicious animal test
- Propensity to bite without provocation
- Who declares it
- Justice of the peace or city magistrate
- Destruction requires
- Notice plus a separate hearing
- At-large violation
- Class 3 misdemeanor (§ 4-39(n)(3))
- Breed-specific bans
- None in Scottsdale's code
Summary
Scottsdale does not ban dogs by breed. Instead, § 4-31 of the Code of Ordinances defines a vicious animal as any carnivore that has a propensity to bite human beings without provocation, and that label only attaches after a hearing before a justice of the peace or city magistrate. Once declared vicious, § 4-40(g) lets the county enforcement agent destroy the animal on that judge's order after notice and a further hearing.
Vicious animal means any animal of the order carnivora that has a propensity to bite human beings without provocation, and has been so declared after a hearing before a justice of the peace or a city magistrate.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Article III, Animal Control, defines vicious animal in § 4-31 as any animal of the order carnivora that has a propensity to bite human beings without provocation, and has been so declared after a hearing before a justice of the peace or a city magistrate. That definition, adopted under Code 1972 § 4-101 and last amended by Ordinance No. 3535 on November 17, 2003, means the label is behavior-based and judicially determined rather than tied to any specific breed; Chapter 4's animal-control article contains no breed-specific prohibition.
The consequence of a vicious-animal finding appears in § 4-40(g): the county enforcement agent shall destroy a vicious animal upon an order of a justice of the peace or a city magistrate, and that order can only issue after notice to the owner, if any, and a hearing. Section 4-39(g) separately flags that any vicious dog running at large is itself a violation, layering the leash and confinement rules of § 4-39 on top of any animal already carrying the vicious designation. §§ 13-3899 and 13-3903, is responsible for both impounding a vicious animal and carrying out any court-ordered destruction.
Because destruction requires a judicial hearing and notice to the owner first, an owner has the opportunity to contest either the vicious designation or the destruction order before either takes effect.
Violations & Fines
An animal formally declared vicious after a justice-of-the-peace or city magistrate hearing can be ordered destroyed by the county enforcement agent under § 4-40(g), but only after the owner receives notice and a further hearing on the destruction itself. If a dog already carrying that designation is found at large, § 4-39(g) treats that separately as an at-large violation, a class 3 misdemeanor under § 4-39(n)(3), independent of any destruction proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Scottsdale ban specific dog breeds?
Who decides whether my dog is 'vicious'?
Can the city destroy a dog once it's declared vicious?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scottsdale
How Scottsdale compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Scottsdale to another location·View the Arizona animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle breed restrictions.