Sioux Falls, SD Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Basis
- Behavior-based, not breed-based
- Declaring authority
- Chief of police
- Restricted-dog registration window
- 15 days after notice
- Required insurance (restricted)
- $100,000 liability coverage
- Vicious-dog outcome
- Unlawful to own; euthanized
Summary
Sioux Falls has no breed ban: dogs are declared "restricted" or "vicious" by the police chief based on bite or attack behavior, not breed.
(a) An animal may be declared vicious by the chief of police under the following minimum guidelines: (1) An animal that in a vicious or terrorizing manner...bites, inflicts injury to, assaults, or otherwise attacks a person or other animal...resulting in the death of the person or other animal... (c) It is unlawful for any person to own, harbor, or possess a vicious animal. (d) Any animal declared vicious shall be euthanized in a humane manner and proof of euthanasia filed with animal control.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
The city regulates dangerous dogs by conduct, not breed. The chief of police (or a bite victim's physician) can declare an animal "restricted" after an attack; a second, more severe tier, "vicious", applies to attacks causing death or serious injury, scored against a Dunbar aggression scale. Restricted-animal owners must register within 15 days, muzzle and leash the dog outdoors, keep it in an escape-proof kennel when unattended, microchip it, post a warning sign, and carry $100,000 in liability insurance. A vicious declaration is worse: owning, harboring, or possessing the animal becomes unlawful, and the animal must be euthanized.
Violations & Fines
Failing to register or comply with restricted-animal conditions: animal impounded, and it may be destroyed if unclaimed or noncompliant. A vicious declaration requires euthanasia; conviction penalties run under the general Code penalty section, § 10.999.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sioux Falls ban pit bulls or other breeds?
What must a restricted-dog owner do?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
How Sioux Falls compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Sioux Falls to another location·View the South Dakota animal ordinances overview
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