Carteret County, NC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Carteret County's at-large law, § 3-3, applies to both dogs and cats: an owner or keeper cannot let either species run loose in the county or leave the owner's premises unsupervised. County Code § 3-1(d) defines what keeps an animal compliant: being "under control" means the animal is on a leash, tied, or confined in a pen capable of holding it, so a fenced yard with an open gate does not satisfy the standard once the dog is off the property. The ordinance carves out one exception: hunting dogs are exempt from the at-large rule while they are actively engaged in a hunt, provided the owner or keeper is supervising them and the dog is trained to return on call; even exempt hunting dogs must still wear a rabies tag and identification on their collar under § 3-2.

Any dog found running at large off its owner's property can be captured and impounded by the animal control officer under § 3-5, held for 72 hours at the Humane Society's animal control shelter to give the owner a chance to reclaim it, after which it may be placed for adoption or humanely euthanized. Reclaiming a dog costs $5.00 for the first pick-up, doubling with each repeat offense to $10.00 and then $20.00, plus separate fees for a missing I.D. tag, inoculation, deworming, and boarding at $2.50 per day.

Violating the at-large law is a misdemeanor under § 3-7, carrying up to a $50.00 fine or 30 days in jail, and each day of a continuing violation is charged as a separate offense along with a $50.00-per-day civil penalty.