Trinity County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Trinity County is entirely unincorporated, and animal regulations come from the County Code enforced by Trinity County Animal Control. There is no single 'on-leash everywhere' rule for the whole county. Instead, Trinity County Code Section 6.04.050 (Animal regulations) requires that a dog on the grounds of any school or any park be secured by a leash and under the control of its possessor, or securely fastened by a leash to a fixture, unless permission is given by the school's chief administrative officer or designee. The same section makes it unlawful to permit any dog to be at large that attacks or worries pedestrians, vehicles, bicycles, or other users of public areas, roads, streets, or highways. Beyond those rules, the County's animal control ordinance authorizes the Board of Supervisors to establish dog leash zones anywhere in the county by resolution or ordinance following a public hearing. To date the Board has applied leash zones to the Weaverville and Lewiston areas, where dogs must be leashed and under control when off the owner's premises. In those zones the requirement does not apply to a dog being transported in a motor vehicle or actively herding livestock under the owner's control. Because rules vary by community, owners should confirm their specific area with Trinity County Animal Control before assuming a dog may be off-leash.