Bellevue, WA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Max leash length
- Six feet in city parks
- Alternative
- Secure cage or restraint also satisfies the rule
- Exception
- On-duty law enforcement dogs excluded
- Seasonal beach ban
- No dogs June 1 to Sept 15 at 6 named beaches
- Cleanup duty
- Owners must carry equipment and remove feces
Summary
Bellevue requires dogs and other pets in city parks to be leashed at no more than six feet, securely caged, or otherwise restrained from running free, under BCC 3.43.145. Letting a dog run at large in a park is unlawful except for dogs used by an on-duty law enforcement officer. The rule applies parkwide unless an area is posted off-limits to animals entirely.
It is unlawful for any person to allow or permit any dog or other pet to run at large in any park, except dogs used by a public law enforcement officer; provided that, except in areas in which animals are prohibited, dogs or other pets are permitted in a park if on a leash not greater than six feet in length, or otherwise securely caged or securely restrained from running free.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
145 sets the six-foot maximum leash length and bans dogs or pets running at large in any Bellevue park, with a narrow exception for law enforcement dogs. 130 bars dogs or pets from entering posted game refuge, sanctuary or reserve areas or disturbing wildlife or nests there, and from any other area the city manager posts as prohibited to animals. 135 imposes a seasonal beach ban, prohibiting dogs and pets from June 1st through September 15th at Chesterfield Beach Park, Chism Beach Park, Clyde Beach Park, Enatai Beach Park, Meydenbauer Beach Park, Newcastle Beach Park, and the west tributary of Kelsey Creek at Kelsey Creek Community Park.
140 requires anyone with a dog or pet in a park to carry equipment for removing feces and to collect and deposit it in a proper receptacle. 150 separately makes an owner liable if their pet, leashed or not, disturbs or harasses park users, farm animals, wildlife or other pets, so a six-foot leash does not excuse a dog that harasses another park user.
Violations & Fines
Running a dog at large in a Bellevue park, or leashing it longer than six feet, violates BCC 3.43.145 and is enforceable under Chapter 3.43's general park-offense scheme. Failing to remove pet feces violates BCC 3.43.140, and letting a dog onto a seasonally closed beach between June 1 and September 15 violates BCC 3.43.135. A first offense can bring one to seven days of park expulsion under BCC 3.43.320(A); repeat or aggravated violations can extend the exclusion up to one year under BCC 3.43.320(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can my dog's leash be in a Bellevue park?
Can I bring my dog to Bellevue's lake beach parks in summer?
Do I have to pick up after my dog in a Bellevue park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
Compare Bellevue to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle dog leash laws.