Santa Clara County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash limit
- 6 feet maximum
- Fence alternative
- 6-foot sound fence
- Applies in
- unincorporated county only
- Exempt
- service, herding, and working dogs
Summary
Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires every dog to be on a leash no longer than six feet or fenced behind a six-foot barrier, with narrow exemptions for working and service dogs.
The owner/guardian or person with the right to control any dog shall keep such dog under his or her physical restraint by means of a leash not to exceed six feet in length, or shall keep such dog confined behind a fence of sound construction and not less than six feet high so as to prevent the animal's escape.(b)Subsection (a) shall not apply to the following:(1)Guide, signal and service dogs for the blind, deaf or disabled, respectively, while performing their duties:(2)Dogs participating in field or obedience trails or conformation exhibitions;(3)Dogs assisting their owner/guardian/handler in legal hunting activities or in the herding of livestock;(4)Dogs assisting a security guard or assisting a peace officer engaged in law enforcement activities;(5)Dogs being trained for any of the above-described purposes on private property with the permission of the landowner, so long as such dogs are under the direct control of such individuals to assure that they do not violate any other provision of law. (Ord. No. NS-300.745, § 1, 5-2-06)
Sec. B31-32. - Maximum number of dogs or litters thereof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Outside the fifteen cities, County law requires the owner/guardian or person controlling a dog to keep it under physical restraint on a leash not exceeding six feet, or confined behind a sound fence at least six feet high, so the dog cannot escape. Exemptions cover guide, signal and service dogs while working, dogs in field trials or conformation shows, dogs herding livestock or assisting a hunter, and dogs assisting security guards or peace officers. Dogs being trained for those purposes on private property with the landowner's permission are also exempt.
Violations & Fines
An unrestrained dog can trigger an impoundment hearing under Section B31-20; the animal may be seized and impounded pending that hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a leash law in unincorporated Santa Clara County?
Does this apply inside San Jose or Sunnyvale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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