Lynwood, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash length
- 8 feet or less, off owner's property
- Governing section
- Lynwood Municipal Code § 8-1.22(a)
- Owner liability
- Strict liability for bites/attacks by loose animal
- Repeat offense bar
- 3-year ownership ban after related misdemeanor conviction
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor: up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
In the City of Lynwood, Municipal Code section 8-1.22(a) prohibits letting any animal run or remain at large on a public street, alley, park, school, or private property without the owner's consent; off the owner's own property, an animal must be restrained by a leash, strap, or chain no longer than eight feet (8') and held by a responsible person.
8-1.22 Animals At Large: a. Prohibition: No person owning or having the care, custody, control or possession of any animal shall allow or permit such animal to run, be or remain at large within the corporate limits of the city upon any public street, alley, park, school or other public place or upon any private property without the consent of the owner of such property. Such animal shall be presumed to be running at large within the meaning of this section unless: ... ... 2. If not on the animal owner's or custodian's property, effectively tied and restrained by chain, strap or chord, eight feet (8') or less in length, attached around such animal's neck or to the animal's collar or other device worn by the animal and held by a responsible person. Any such restraining device shall be of sufficient strength as to prevent being broken.
Full Breakdown
Subsection a's at-large presumption has three narrow escapes: an animal confined on its own property by a suitable enclosure or a tie that keeps it off the sidewalk, side and rear lot lines, and rear alley; an animal off its own property restrained by a leash, strap, or chain no more than eight feet long and held by a responsible person, using a device strong enough not to break; or an animal secured inside a vehicle or a cross-tethered load. Subsection b makes an owner strictly liable if a loose animal bites, attacks, or injures a person or another animal, and bars anyone convicted of a related misdemeanor from owning, possessing, or being in charge of that type of animal for three years, during which the city will not issue or renew a license or permit for it.
Subsection c lets any person humanely pick up a loose animal and deliver it to the animal control officer. A related provision, section 8-1.23, separately bars dogs and other domestic animals from running at large inside any mobile home park. Because 8-1.22 does not set its own fine, an at-large violation defaults to the misdemeanor penalty in section 1-5, punishable by up to $1,000 in fines or up to six months in the Los Angeles County jail, or both, unless the animal control officer instead issues an infraction citation.
Violations & Fines
An at-large violation defaults to a misdemeanor under section 1-5 since 8-1.22 sets no separate fine: up to $1,000, up to six months in the Los Angeles County jail, or both. A loose animal may also be impounded, and an owner convicted of a bite- or attack-related misdemeanor is barred from owning that type of animal again for three years under subsection 8-1.22(b)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to leash my dog in Lynwood?
What if my dog is in my own yard?
What happens if my loose dog bites someone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynwood
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