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

Sonoma County Animal Services enforces the County's own Animal Regulation Ordinance (County Code Chapter 5) throughout the unincorporated areas of the county. Under Article X, Section 5-115, no person may allow a dog to run at large on any public street or public place, or on private property other than the owner's, and a dog in a public place must be restrained by a substantial leash held by a person able to control the animal. Notably, the County ordinance uses the term 'substantial leash' rather than setting a specific maximum length.

This differs from the incorporated cities in Sonoma County (such as Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Sebastopol), several of which cap leashes at six feet in their own municipal codes. The County ordinance lists exceptions, including dogs assisting law enforcement or in search and rescue, dogs working or herding livestock, dogs assisting in legal hunting on private property with consent, and dogs in training classes, exhibitions, or competitions under qualified supervision. A dog found at large in violation may be impounded by Animal Services. Because these are county rules, they apply only in unincorporated areas; incorporated cities enforce their own leash provisions, though Animal Services also serves Santa Rosa under contract.