Long Beach, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum leash length
- Six feet
- Off-leash park hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Off-leash minimum age
- 4 months old
- Witness threshold for citation
- 3+ signed declarations within 1 year
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Care Services Bureau
Summary
LBMC § 6.16.100 requires a dog on any public street, sidewalk, park, or private property open to the public to be on a secure leash no more than six feet long, held continuously by a person capable of controlling it. Designated off-leash park areas carry their own eighteen-item rulebook.
A.No person responsible for a dog shall permit such dog to do any of the following, unless the dog is upon a secure leash not more than six feet (6') long held continuously in the hands of a responsible person capable of controlling the dog, or unless the dog is securely confined within an automobile:1.Be in or upon any public street, sidewalk, improvement, park or other public place, or private property if the private property is open or accessible to the public; or2.Enter upon another person's property without permission.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
A bars a person responsible for a dog from letting it be on a public street, sidewalk, improvement, park, or other public place, or on private property open or accessible to the public, or from entering another person's property without permission, unless the dog is on a secure leash six feet long or shorter and held continuously, or is confined in a car. The leash rule doesn't apply to permitted obedience trials or shows, or to designated off-leash dog exercise areas in City parks approved by the City Council.
250. Professional trainers cannot run classes there, and professional handlers must hold a City business license. Subsection E allows enforcement even when a violation wasn't witnessed directly by an officer, if three or more people submit signed declarations under penalty of perjury describing the violation within a one-year period, which lets the Animal Care Services Bureau act on repeated neighbor complaints about loose dogs.
Violations & Fines
Failure to leash a dog under § 6.16.100 is enforceable by the Director, Animal Care Services Bureau officers and inspectors, and, for parks and beaches specifically, designated Parks, Recreation and Marine and marine safety personnel, all with arrest and citation authority under Penal Code § 836.5. Violations draw criminal and/or administrative citations under Chapters 1.32 and 6.16, with escalating civil fines for repeat violations of the same section within twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a dog leash be in Long Beach?
Are there off-leash dog areas in Long Beach?
Can I be cited for a loose dog even if no officer saw it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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