Berkeley, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

090 makes it unlawful for any owner, guardian or keeper to allow a dog, licensed or not, to run at large in any public place or on private property other than the keeper's own without the consent of whoever is in charge of that property, except inside an area the City Council has specifically designated a dog park or off-leash area. Outside those designated zones, a dog must be securely restrained by a substantial leash not exceeding six feet in length and kept in the handler's charge and control.

The ordinance builds in one narrow accommodation for trained animals: an obedience-trained dog under effective charge and control within six feet of its owner is deemed to be on a leash even without a physical line. The section also extends the concept of "premises" to vehicles, treating any dog in or on a motor vehicle as being on the premises of that vehicle's operator, which matters for the private-property consent exception. 100 requires a leash at the Berkeley Marina outside the fishing pier and Shorebird Park beach, where dogs are barred outright. Off-leash areas cap attendance at four dogs per handler, and the handler must stay physically present the entire time.