Linden, NJ Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash length limit
- 6 feet
- Dog park exemption
- Applies where City-designated
- Posted parks
- Dogs barred even on leash
- License expiration
- May 31, renew in June
- Late license fee
- $5 after July 1
Summary
Linden bars dogs from running at large on any public street, place or building, or on property other than the owner's, unless securely confined on a leash no longer than six feet. Dog parks are exempt, and posted parks can bar dogs entirely.
No person owning or keeping any dog shall permit it to be or to run at-large upon any public street, place or building or upon premises other than those of the owner of such dog within the City, unless such dog shall be securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six (6) feet long. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any property or park designated as a "dog park" by the City of Linden Department of Public Property and Community Services. ... No person owning or keeping any dog shall permit it to be or to run at-large in any public park, nor shall any person owning or keeping a dog permit it, whether on leash or running at-large, in any public park in the City where the Department of Public Property and Community Services has posted signs prohibiting dogs in such park.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4586096; v16 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
9(a) prohibits any owner or keeper from permitting a dog to run at large upon a public street, place or building, or upon premises other than the owner's own, within the City, unless the dog is securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long. Property or parks the Department of Public Property and Community Services has designated as a dog park are exempt from that leash rule. 9(b) goes further for public parks specifically: no owner may permit a dog at large in any public park, and where the Department has posted signs prohibiting dogs, the dog cannot be there at all, even on a leash, unless the location is a designated dog park.
2 requires every dog of licensing age, six months or with a full adult set of teeth, to carry an annual license and metal tag, expiring May 31 and renewable in June, with a $5 late fee after July 1. 11 authorizes the Chief of Police, any officer under his direction, or the Animal Control Officer or Humane Society to seize and impound any dog found off its owner's premises or believed to be a stray. 15 does not discharge the owner from the penalties set out in Section 5-4 for the underlying violation.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run at large off a leash longer than six feet on a public street or on someone else's property, or bringing any dog, leashed or not, into a public park posted against dogs outside a designated dog park, violates Section 5-1.9 and exposes the owner to seizure and impoundment of the dog under Section 5-1.11, plus the penalty set at Section 5-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a dog leash be under Linden's leash law?
Can Linden ban dogs from certain public parks entirely?
What happens if Linden Animal Control seizes a stray dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linden
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Union County handle dog leash laws.