Sonoma County, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Sonoma County does not maintain a list of restricted, banned, or prohibited dog breeds. California law preempts local breed-specific bans: California Food & Agricultural Code §31683 expressly bars cities and counties from adopting any program that declares a dog potentially dangerous or vicious based solely on its breed. Local agencies may adopt sterilization and registration requirements that target specific breeds, but they cannot ban ownership of any breed outright. Sonoma County instead regulates dogs individually under Chapter 5 of the County Code. A 'potentially dangerous dog' is one that, on two separate occasions within the preceding 36-month period, has engaged in behavior without provocation that required defensive action to prevent bodily injury, or has killed or seriously injured a domestic animal off the owner's property. A 'vicious dog' is one that, in a single unprovoked incident, inflicts severe injury or death on a person, or that has been previously declared potentially dangerous and again engages in dangerous behavior. After a written complaint, Sonoma County Animal Services investigates and may hold an administrative hearing under California Food & Agricultural Code §31621. Potentially dangerous dogs face enclosure, leash/muzzle, posting, and re-registration requirements; vicious-dog determinations can result in mandatory euthanasia under §31645. Section 5-126 of the County Code separately prohibits keeping any dog as a public nuisance.