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Bonneville County, ID Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Some Restrictions

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

Key Facts

Rule: No dog off-property without leash/control
Definition source: § 92.01 'AT LARGE'
Enforcement: County Sheriff and Animal Control deputies
Impound site: Idaho Falls Animal Control Shelter
Repeat offense: Notice served, then infraction on recurrence
Penalty: Infraction under Idaho Code § 18-113A

Summary

Bonneville County Code § 92.06 makes it unlawful for a dog to run at large in unincorporated areas: off the owner's property and not on a leash, cord or chain or otherwise under control. Loose dogs are a public nuisance that Animal Control or the Sheriff must capture and impound.

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

All dogs found to be running at large are declared to be a public nuisance and it will be the duty of all sworn law enforcement and/or authorized Animal Control deputies to capture and impound the dog(s). All dogs will be taken to the Idaho Falls Animal Control Shelter unless other arrangements are needed for the care of the dog.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-1: Ordinance 280-26, passed 1-20-2026).

Full Breakdown

06(A) directs the County Sheriff to enforce dog-control laws, including Idaho Code § 25-2805, in unincorporated areas and in any contract cities, against dogs that are not on the owner's property or under control. 06(B) declares every at-large dog a public nuisance and puts sworn officers and Animal Control deputies under a duty to capture and impound it, generally at the Idaho Falls Animal Control Shelter. 06(C) requires a deputy to make a reasonable attempt to serve the owner a written notice identifying the incident, the dog and the area where it was loose.

06(D) makes it an infraction for the owner to willfully or negligently let the dog run at large again, or to fail to keep it securely confined on the property when not under a competent person's immediate care. 06(E) sets the penalty as an infraction under Idaho Code § 18-113A.

Violations & Fines

A dog-at-large violation under § 92.06 is an infraction punishable as provided in Idaho Code § 18-113A, with the fine set under the state infraction fee schedule or Board of County Commissioners infraction fees per § 92.99(B). The dog itself is impounded at the Idaho Falls Animal Control Shelter, where boarding fees accrue until it is redeemed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my dog be off-leash in my own yard in Bonneville County?

Yes. Section 92.01 defines AT LARGE only as a dog 'off or away from the premises of the owner,' so a dog contained on its own property, without a leash, is not treated as at large under § 92.06.

What happens the first time my dog is caught running loose?

Under § 92.06(C), a deputy first attempts to serve you written notice describing the incident before pursuing a citation, though the dog itself can still be captured and impounded immediately under § 92.06(B) as a public nuisance.

Is a second at-large incident treated differently?

Yes. Once notice has been served under § 92.06(C), § 92.06(D) makes any further willful or negligent at-large incident, or failure to keep the dog securely confined, an infraction punishable under Idaho Code § 18-113A per § 92.06(E).

Sources & Official References

[1]Bonneville County Code of Ordinances § 92.06

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