Brookhaven, NY Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash requirement
- Rope, leash or similar device in public
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Town areas only
- First-offense fine
- Up to $500 (§ 23-17C)
- Repeat fine
- $750-$1,000 or 15 days jail
- Collar/tag
- Required whenever off owner's property
- Enforcement
- Dog Control Officer / peace officer
Summary
In unincorporated Brookhaven, a dog cannot run loose off its owner's property and must be fully controlled on a rope, leash or similar device on any sidewalk, street, park or public place. A collar and license tag are also required whenever the dog is off the property.
No person owning, harboring or having control or custody of a dog shall permit such dog, whether licensed or not, to: (1) Run at large in the unincorporated areas of the Town of Brookhaven elsewhere than on the premises of such person or on the premises of another person with the consent of such other person, unless such person is engaged in hunting wild birds or animals with the aid of such dog during open seasons or unless such person shall take such dog afield for training and hunting. (2) Be at any time on any sidewalk, street, highway, park or other public place in the unincorporated areas of the Town of Brookhaven unless fully controlled by the owner or some other person by means of a rope, leash or other similar device.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4966897; v79 updated 2026-05-28; through 05-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Town Code § 23-3H bars any owner or person with custody of a dog, licensed or not, from letting it run at large anywhere in the unincorporated areas of the Town outside the owner's own premises (or another's premises with consent), except while lawfully hunting with the dog. The same subsection requires that on any sidewalk, street, highway, park or other public place the dog be "fully controlled by the owner or some other person by means of a rope, leash or other similar device," and bars dogs from food-selling establishments unless restrained the same way or the entry is posted against dogs.
Separately, § 23-3G requires every licensed dog to wear a collar with its license tag attached whenever it is off the owner's property; an unlicensed collarless dog at large is presumed unlicensed under § 23-10A. The Dog Control Officer or a peace officer must seize any dog found running at large under § 23-4A(1) and issue a summons; a seized dog is held and fed at Town expense until redeemed under § 23-6A by producing proof of license and paying the redemption fee set by the Town Board. ), which enforce their own separate leash codes.
Violations & Fines
A leash/at-large violation under § 23-3H carries no chapter-specific fine, so it falls under the general penalty in § 23-17C: up to $500 for a first conviction, $500-$750 for a second within five years, and $750-$1,000 or up to 15 days' imprisonment for a third or later conviction. An appearance ticket under Article 150 of the Criminal Procedure Law is issued, answerable by certified mail within five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Brookhaven require dogs to be leashed in town parks?
Can my dog be off-leash on my own property?
What happens if the Dog Control Officer catches my dog running loose?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brookhaven
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How other cities in Suffolk County handle dog leash laws.