Waco, TX Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ch. 822, Subch. D, Tex. Health & Safety Code, adopted by reference
- Muzzle requirement
- Required outside a secure enclosure at all times
- Sterilization
- Dangerous dog must be spayed or neutered
- Liability insurance (non-dog animals)
- $100,000 minimum coverage or financial responsibility
- Registration fee
- $50 annually; $25 to re-register after a move
- Neighbor notice
- Households within 200 feet notified in writing
- First offense penalty
- Class C misdemeanor; Class B if repeated
Summary
Waco classifies a dog as dangerous using the state definition in Texas Health and Safety Code § 822.041, and Sec. 5-152.1 folds all of Chapter 822, Subchapter D into city law. Once Animal Control (ACO) declares a dog dangerous, the owner must muzzle it outside a secure enclosure, have it spayed or neutered, and satisfy every state ownership condition before an impounded dog is released.
(a)Dangerous dog has the meaning in § 822.041 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.(b)Dangerous animal means an animal other than a dog that:(1)Makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the animal was being kept...(3)Is trained or harbored for fighting. ... There is hereby adopted as part of this article all of the provisions of Title 10, Chapter 822, Subchapter D, as amended, of the Texas Health and Safety Code except section 822.0422 and with the following additional requirements: (1)When the dangerous dog is not in a secure enclosure for any reason, secure the dangerous dog with a muzzle that will not cause injury to the dog nor interfere with its vision or respiration but will prevent it from biting any person.(2)Spay or neuter the dangerous dog.(3)An impounded dog classified by ACO as dangerous must remain impounded and will not be released to the owner until the owner pays all fees incurred for impoundment of the dog and complies with all requirements for ownership set forth in this article and Subchapter D, Chapter 822 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, as amended from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Waco's dangerous-dog framework lives in Chapter 5, Article VI of the city code. Sec. 041, and separately defines a "dangerous animal" (any non-dog animal) as one that attacks or menaces a person outside a secure enclosure, or is trained or harbored for fighting. Sec. 0422) as part of the city's own ordinance, then layers on three additional local duties: the dog must be muzzled with a bite-proof, non-injurious muzzle any time it is outside a secure enclosure, it must be spayed or neutered, and an impounded dangerous dog stays in custody until the owner pays all impoundment fees and meets every requirement of the article and Subchapter D.
Sec. 00 within 14 days of any address change. 0424). Once a designation becomes final, Sec. 5-153 requires the ACO to notify, in writing, every household within 200 feet of the animal's residence within ten working days after the appeal period closes.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with § 822.042 or § 822.0422(b) of the state code, or any related city or county dangerous-animal regulation, is an offense under Sec. 5-156: a Class C misdemeanor for a first violation and a Class B misdemeanor for any repeat conviction. Under Sec. 5-155, an owner whose dangerous dog or animal attacks and injures a person outside its enclosure commits a separate Class C misdemeanor, and a court granting deferred adjudication may order the animal humanely destroyed under § 822.004.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Waco decide a dog is dangerous?
What must I do once my dog is declared dangerous?
Do the same rules apply to dangerous animals that aren't dogs?
Can I appeal a dangerous-dog classification?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
How Waco compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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