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

Nevada County's Title 8 Animal Regulation prohibits animals running at large in the unincorporated areas of the county. Under Section 8.01.470, no person owning or having possession, charge, custody, or control of any animal shall cause, permit, or allow the animal to stray, run, or otherwise be at large in or upon any public street, sidewalk, park, school ground, or other public place, or upon private property without the owner's permission. The County defines 'at large' broadly: an animal is deemed at large any time it is off the premises of its owner or custodian and not under the direct control of that person by means of a leash, chain, tether, adequate fence, or other effective device. The County Code as published does not set a specific maximum leash length for the unincorporated area (the six-foot leash limit cited by some sources applies to the incorporated cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City, not the county). Nevada County Animal Control enforces these rules in unincorporated areas and operates the county shelter. Owners should keep dogs leashed or securely confined whenever off their own property to avoid impound and citation.