Kings County Dog Leash Laws Rules (2026) — What You Need to Know

Under Section 161.05(a) of the NYC Health Code, every person who owns, possesses, or controls a dog must keep it effectively restrained by a leash or other restraint no longer than 6 feet when in any public place or any open or unfenced area abutting a public place. This applies citywide to all dogs regardless of size, breed, or temperament and covers sidewalks, streets, parks, plazas, apartment building common areas, and all other public spaces in Brooklyn.

The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation provides two forms of off-leash exception. Fenced dog runs — Brooklyn has dozens spread across Prospect Park, Fort Greene Park, McCarren Park, and many other locations — allow dogs off-leash at all hours during park operating times. In unfenced park areas, the Parks Department permits off-leash activity during designated hours that begin no earlier than 9 PM and extend no later than 9 AM. During off-leash hours, owners must maintain control of their dogs and carry proof of current dog licensing and rabies vaccination.

Enforcement is shared among the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the NYPD. The DOHMH may, based on epidemiological evidence of increased preventable off-leash dog bites, limit or eliminate off-leash use in specific areas. All dogs in NYC must be licensed through the DOHMH, and rabies vaccinations must be current — both requirements are checked during off-leash enforcement.