Santa Clara County does not impose breed-specific bans. California Food and Agriculture Code 31683 preempts counties from restricting dog ownership by breed, but dangerous dogs of any breed may be declared and regulated.
Santa Clara County does not ban any dog breed. California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 expressly preempts local governments from enacting breed-specific legislation that prohibits ownership of a particular breed, although localities may enact breed-specific rules about mandatory spay/neuter. The County instead uses a behavior-based approach through the County Animal Services Ordinance: any dog that bites, injures, or threatens a person or animal may be declared a Potentially Dangerous Dog or Vicious Dog under California Food and Agricultural Code sections 31601 through 31683. A Potentially Dangerous Dog declaration requires registration, confinement when unattended, and leashing when off-property. A Vicious Dog declaration may require additional insurance, warning signs, and can lead to euthanasia in severe cases. HOAs in master-planned communities (Silver Creek, Rivermark) are private and may independently restrict breeds in their CC and Rs; state preemption does not apply to private contracts.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Clara County, CA
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See how Santa Clara County's breed restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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