James City County, VA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Code §§ 3-20, 3-21
- General rule
- No running at large except in A-1 zoning
- Seasonal leash law
- April 15 to July 15, countywide
- Pack penalty
- $100.00 civil penalty per offense
- Impoundment
- Owner billed actual holding costs
- Enforcer
- County Animal Control officer
Summary
Dogs may not run at large anywhere in James City County except in A-1 General Agricultural zoning, and even there they're barred from platted subdivisions of five or more lots and a mapped area near Lightfoot under Sec. 3-20. From April 15 through July 15 each year, Sec. 3-21 tightens that further: every dog countywide must be leashed or under the owner's direct control, with no A-1 exception.
(a)Dogs shall not run at large in the county except in those areas zoned A-l, General Agricultural; provided, however, even within A-l areas dogs shall not run at large in: (1)platted subdivisions consisting of five or more lots, of which at least three lots have occupied dwellings or in manufactured home parks, or (2) in that geographic area generally bound to the north by the Colonial Heritage and Liberty Crossing neighborhoods, to the south by Centerville Road, to the west by Jolly Pond Road, and to the east by the Liberty Crossing neighborhood and the Lightfoot Marketplace shopping center located at 6401 Richmond Road ... (a)Notwithstanding section 3-20 above, dogs are prohibited from running at large in the county in each calendar year during the period from April fifteenth to July fifteenth. During this time all dogs shall be kept on a leash or under direct control of the owner to ensure that the dog is not roaming or running off the property of the owner.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 3-20(a) makes running at large unlawful countywide except within land zoned A-1, General Agricultural, and even that exception has carve-outs: dogs still can't run at large in platted subdivisions of five or more lots where at least three have occupied homes, in manufactured home parks, or within a specifically mapped area bounded by the Colonial Heritage and Liberty Crossing neighborhoods, Centerville Road, Jolly Pond Road and the Lightfoot Marketplace shopping center. "At large" means roaming or running off the owner's property without the owner's or an agent's immediate control, per Sec.
3-20(b), though a dog on a bona fide licensed hunt or at a field trial or training session with its owner isn't considered at large. Sec. 3-21 then layers on a seasonal, countywide leash law: from April 15 through July 15 each year, every dog must be kept on a leash or under the owner's direct control regardless of zoning, with no A-1 exception during that window. A dog picked up running at large is impounded under Sections 3-45 through 3-47, and the owner is billed for the actual cost of keeping the dog impounded under Sec.
3-20(d); an owner who doesn't retrieve the dog gets a summons, and each additional day of noncompliance is charged as a separate offense. 00 per offense under Sec. 3-10(c).
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run at large outside the A-1 exception, or at all during the April 15 to July 15 seasonal leash period, draws a summons and impoundment under Sections 3-45 through 3-47, with the owner billed for the actual cost of keeping the dog. Each additional day the violation continues is a separate offense, and a dog caught running at large in a pack carries its own $100.00 civil penalty under Sec. 3-10(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my dog roam off-leash on my rural property in James City County?
Is there a special leash requirement in the spring and summer?
What happens if animal control picks up my loose dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in James City County
Compare James City County to another location·View the Virginia animal ordinances overview
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