Lancaster, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Lancaster Municipal Code Sec. 330(C) allows a dog in a park or public place only if it is 'kept on a leash or chain with a length not to exceed six feet and is under full control of its owner or custodian,' unless the city manager has given written authorization for an approved program. Outside designated dog parks or posted dog exercise/training areas, no dog may graze or run at large within a park's boundaries. Subsection B bars animals entirely from indoor parks, pools, preserves and the skate park, with a carve-out for service animals for blind or disabled persons.

Subsection D requires anyone in charge of a dog to remove and carry off all fecal matter before leaving the area and to have the necessary equipment on hand. Lancaster's designated off-leash areas run on their own rule set under Sec. 340: handlers must be 18 or older, dogs must be spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations and county licensing, at least four months old, capped at three dogs per handler, and even inside the off-leash enclosure a dog must be leashed at six feet maximum whenever it isn't actively inside the fenced area, per subsection N.