Knoxville, TN Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 5-7 and 5-8
- Minimum fine
- $50.00 per violation
- Notice before court date
- At least 72 hours
- Exempt animals
- Community cats only
- Enforcing agency
- Animal shelter administrator, animal control, police
- Where cases are heard
- Knoxville municipal court
Summary
Knoxville bars any animal, except a community cat, from running loose on city streets, sidewalks, parks or someone else's property. Owners must keep the animal on their own premises unless a competent person has it on a chain, leash or other visible restraint. Animal control and police enforce it citywide.
No person owning or having possession, charge, care, custody or control of any animal (except a community cat) shall cause, permit or allow the animal to stray or in any manner to run at large in or upon any public street, sidewalk or park or upon the property of another, if such animal is not under sufficient restraint as to allow the animal to be controlled. Every person owning or having possession, charge, care, custody or control of any animal (except a community cat) shall keep such animal exclusively upon his own premises; provided, however, that such animal may be off such premises if it is under the control of a competent person and restrained by a chain, leash or other means of visible control.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Two companion sections carry the rule. Section 5-7, "Animals at large," makes it unlawful to permit an animal to stray or run at large on a public street, sidewalk, park, or the property of another unless it is under sufficient restraint to be controlled. Section 5-8, "Restraint of animals," goes further: an owner must keep the animal exclusively on the owner's own premises, and it may leave those premises only under the control of a competent person and restrained by a chain, leash, or other means of visible control.
The chapter's definitions (Sec. 5-1) describe "running at large" as any animal not confined to its owner's property, and exempt "community cats" (free-roaming cats that are ear-tipped, sterilized and rabies-vaccinated) from both sections entirely. Enforcement runs through the administrator of the animal shelter, animal control officers, and any police officer, including Knox County Sheriff's deputies and Knoxville Police Department officers, who may enter property to investigate a suspected violation under Section 5-6 if consent is given or a warrant is obtained. A person cited under Sections 5-7 or 5-8 is directed to appear in Knoxville municipal court, where the case is tried before the municipal judge.
Violations & Fines
Citations may be handed to the violator in person or sent by registered mail, and must give at least 72 hours' notice before the required court appearance. Under Section 5-3, a municipal court conviction carries a fine of not less than $50.00 per violation, and every dollar collected goes exclusively to the animal shelter's operating budget. The administrator keeps serially numbered citation records that the city comptroller periodically audits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my dog be off-leash on my own property in Knoxville?
Does the leash law apply to cats?
What happens if animal control cites me for a loose dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knoxville
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