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Ottawa County, MI Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Leash length limit
6 feet maximum when off owner's property
Enforcing agency
Ottawa County Sheriff's Animal Control Officer
First-offense fine
Not less than $100 civil infraction
Repeat-offense fine
Not less than $200 within five years
Maximum fine
$500 plus cost of prosecution
Does not apply in
Cities/townships with their own animal ordinance

Summary

Ottawa County's Animal Control Ordinance requires anyone who owns or has custody of a dog to keep it from running at large, and to restrain it with a lead or leash no longer than six feet whenever it leaves the owner's property. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Animal Control Officer enforces the rule countywide, except where a city or township runs its own animal control ordinance.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Ottawa County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

300.1.6.1 Dogs Running Stray: A person who owns or has custody or control of a dog shall prevent the dog from running at large. A person who owns or has custody or control of a dog shall, at any time the dog is off that person's property, restrain the dog with a lead or leash no greater than six (6) feet in length.

View official code

Full Breakdown

1 of the Code of Ottawa County, adopted under the county's 2018 Animal Control Ordinance (codified April 9, 2019), makes leashing mandatory the moment a dog steps off its owner's or custodian's property: the leash or lead cannot exceed six feet. The same section separately bans letting a dog run at large at any time, on or off the owner's land, so an unleashed dog in a fenced yard is not a violation but one loose in a neighbor's yard or a public right-of-way is.

9 to include anyone who lets an animal stay on their premises for seven consecutive days, so a dog-sitter or long-term guest can be cited along with the titled owner. 290, so residents of Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven and townships with their own leash rules answer to that local code instead of this county chapter. 2. 11(j), the general county-ordinance statute.

Violations & Fines

A first leash-law citation carries a municipal civil infraction fine of not less than $100; a second violation within five years runs at least $200, and fines top out at $500 plus the cost of prosecution under Section 300.1.11.1. Citations are payable within 30 days to the Ottawa County Treasurer's Office, the designated Violations Bureau; contesting one sends the matter to district court, where the court may also award costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ottawa County's leash law apply inside Holland or Grand Haven?
No. The county ordinance's Limitations clause says it does not apply within any city or township that has adopted its own animal control ordinance under MCL Section 287.290. Most Ottawa County cities and townships regulate dogs themselves, so check that municipality's own code before assuming the county's six-foot rule controls.
How long can my dog's leash be under county law?
Section 300.1.6.1 caps it at six feet whenever the dog is off the owner's property. There is no minimum length and no exemption for large or small breeds; the limit is the same for every dog covered by the county ordinance.
What happens if I get cited for an unleashed dog?
You receive a municipal civil infraction citation from the Animal Control Officer or a sheriff's deputy. The fine starts at $100 for a first offense, rises to at least $200 for a repeat offense within five years, and is capped at $500 plus prosecution costs; you have 30 days to pay the Ottawa County Treasurer's Office or contest it in district court.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Ottawa County

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsChickens & LivestockSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard FiresSome RestrictionsExotic PetsSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: CompostingLight Restrictions

All Ottawa County rules

Compare Ottawa County to another location·View the Michigan animal ordinances overview

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