Carroll County, GA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governs
- Unincorporated Carroll County only
- Standard
- Confined to property or on leash/chain/lead
- Residential districts
- Active restraint required unless directly supervised
- Tether length
- At least 4x dog's body length
- Banned tether
- Logging chains; anchoring to vehicle, tree, pole
- Penalty
- Fine and/or up to 100 hrs public service
Summary
In unincorporated Carroll County, Georgia every dog must be confined to its owner's property or kept on a leash, chain or lead strong enough to prevent escape; in residentially zoned districts, dogs must be actively restrained under Code §§ 14-51 and 14-53(c)(2).
Under control. Any animal shall be considered under control if it is confined to the premises of its owner, or is secured by a leash, chain or lead of sufficient strength to prevent it from escaping from its owner when away from the premises of the owner. ... (2)Dogs and cats. An owner of a dog, cat, or any animal shall restrain the animal in such a manner, whether by leash, fence or other appropriate enclosure (fence, pen, etc.), which will ensure that the animal is contained within the boundaries of the property owned or leased by the owner of the animal. In all residentially zoned districts (including subdivisions and mobile home parks and/or subdivisions) dogs, cats or any other animal shall be actively restrained as provided for in this article in order to prevent their leaving the property of their owner, unless the animal is under the direct supervision and control of the owner of the animal or his designee.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 14, Article III of the Carroll County, Georgia Code of Ordinances requires owners to keep dogs 'under control' in the unincorporated county; the rule does not reach Carrollton, Villa Rica, Temple, Bowdon, Whitesburg, Mount Zion or Roopville, which enforce their own leash ordinances. ' Section 14-53(c)(2) applies that standard specifically to dogs and cats: an owner must restrain the animal 'whether by leash, fence or other appropriate enclosure' so it stays within the owner's property, and in 'all residentially zoned districts (including subdivisions and mobile home parks and/or subdivisions)' the animal must be 'actively restrained' unless it is under the owner's direct supervision.
A dog may leave the owner's property only on a leash and only if it cannot reach another person's property without permission or attack, threaten or harass anyone, per § 14-53(c)(1) and (3). Owners who choose to tether rather than fence must follow § 14-53(c)(4): the tether must be at least four times the dog's body length, attached with a swivel to a well-fitted collar or harness, kept clear of entanglement hazards, and never anchored to a vehicle, doghouse, tree or pole; logging chains are banned outright. A dog found at large may be impounded under § 14-54 and held a minimum of three days before it becomes county property.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run at large, or restraining it with a prohibited device such as a logging chain, is punished under § 14-64: a fine and/or up to 100 hours of public service, with each day of continued violation a separate offense; an at-large dog is also subject to impoundment under § 14-54.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I let my dog off-leash in my yard in unincorporated Carroll County?
What kind of chain can I use to tether my dog?
What happens if my dog gets loose and is picked up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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