Bessemer, AL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash requirement
- Bessemer Code § 14-60
- At-large ban
- Bessemer Code § 14-58
- Fenced-yard exception
- Allowed if enclosed, per § 14-59
- Warning notice
- Required at unlocked gates, § 14-59
- Impoundment
- At owner's expense, § 14-81
- Citation payment window
- Five days (§ 14-3)
Summary
Bessemer requires every dog on a street, sidewalk or public place to be on a leash held by its owner, under City Code Section 14-60. Section 14-58 separately makes it unlawful for any owner to knowingly let a dog run at large anywhere within the city limits.
No owner or custodian of any dog shall knowingly allow such dog to run at large within the corporate limits of the city. ... No owner or person in charge of a dog shall cause or permit such dog to run or be ... upon a street, sidewalk, thoroughfare or public place, within the corporate limits of the city, unless the dog is attached to a leash in the hands of the owner or person in charge.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-58 of Chapter 14, Article II (Dogs), bars an owner or custodian from knowingly allowing a dog to run at large within Bessemer's corporate limits, full stop, with no distance or location qualifier. Section 14-59 carves out a narrow exception: a dog can run loose on its owner's own lot or premises if it's securely and effectively confined there by a wall, fence or other enclosure, and the owner posts a conspicuous warning at every unlocked entrance stating the dog is loose inside. Once a dog leaves that enclosed property, Section 14-60 takes over: no owner or person in charge may permit a dog to run or be upon a street, sidewalk, thoroughfare or public place unless it's attached to a leash held in the hand of the owner or the person in charge.
There's no size, breed or muzzle exception written into Section 14-60 itself; the leash requirement applies to every dog in every public space in the city. Sections 14-51 through 14-55 layer on a separate annual license-tag requirement, due each February, with a vaccination certificate required before the tag issues, so an unleashed dog picked up in public can also be checked for a missing license tag.
Violations & Fines
Both the at-large ban in Section 14-58 and the leash requirement in Section 14-60 are enforced under Chapter 14's citation process: Section 14-3 gives the owner five days after a citation to pay the fine set under Section 14-4's city fee schedule before a warrant issues for arrest and a municipal court appearance. The rabies control officer and Bessemer police jointly enforce Chapter 14 under Section 14-5, and any dog found running at large or off-leash can be impounded at the owner's expense under Article III, Section 14-81, until the fine is paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I walk my dog in Bessemer without a leash?
Can my dog run loose in my own fenced backyard?
What happens if animal control picks up my dog running loose?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bessemer
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle dog leash laws.