Flint, MI Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Flint's Chapter 9 implements the Michigan Dog Law (1919 PA 339, MCL 287.261 to 287.290) at the local level. Under MCL 287.262, it is unlawful for any owner to allow any dog, except working dogs while engaged in their work, to stray unless held properly in leash. The City Code adds local at-large enforcement authority shared between the Flint Police Department and Genesee County Animal Control, which contracts with the City for sheltering and field response. Licensing is administered by Genesee County rather than the City: every dog four months or older must be licensed within thirty days of reaching that age or within thirty days of moving into the county, with proof of current rabies vaccination from a USDA-licensed vaccine signed by an accredited veterinarian. Genesee County fees are $10 for one year and $25 for three years for spayed or neutered dogs, and $30 for one year and $80 for three years for intact dogs, with a three-year license available only at the start of a three-year rabies cycle. Female dogs in heat must be confined on the owner's premises or restrained on a leash under MCL 287.262. Dog waste pickup, anti-tethering minimums, and rabies quarantine after a bite are handled through Genesee County Animal Control protocols.