Madison County, IL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage
- Unincorporated Madison County only
- At-large test
- Off owner's property, no leash/control method
- Exception 1
- Private premises, occupant consent, owner present
- Exception 2
- Designated off-leash public area, owner supervising
- Enforcement
- Impoundment by Administrator/animal control warden
Summary
In unincorporated Madison County it is a public nuisance under Code § 50.205(A) for an owner to let a dog run at large, meaning off its own property and not under leash or another recognized control method. Owners inside Alton, Edwardsville, Collinsville and other cities follow that city's own leash law instead.
(A) It shall be a public nuisance for any owner of a dog to permit said dog to run at large in any unincorporated area of the county. A dog is deemed to be running at large if it is on any public way or public place, or upon the private premises of any person other than those of the keeper of the dog, unless the dog is under control by leash or other recognized control methods,
Full Breakdown
205(A) makes it a public nuisance for a dog's owner to permit the dog to run at large anywhere in the unincorporated area of the county. A dog is at large if it is on a public way or public place, or on the private premises of anyone other than its keeper, unless it is under control by leash or another recognized control method. The section carves out two exceptions: a dog on private premises in its owner's presence and company, with the consent of an adult who has an ownership or possessory interest in that property, is not at large; neither is a dog on public premises that specifically allows off-leash dogs, so long as the owner is present and supervising.
Division (D) extends the same at-large nuisance rule to any dog or other dangerous animal that leaves its owner's premises without a recognized control method. 082: a leash, muzzle, secure enclosure or a properly labeled and constructed shipping container. 049, which include notice, a holding period and redemption fees before the owner gets the dog back.
Violations & Fines
A dog running at large in unincorporated Madison County is a public nuisance under § 50.205(A) and subject to impoundment by the Administrator or an animal control warden. Violations carry the general Chapter 50 penalty in § 50.999: a $25 to $200 fine for a first or second offense, rising to a Class C misdemeanor prosecuted by the State's Attorney for a third.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a leash law in unincorporated Madison County?
Does this leash rule apply inside Alton, Edwardsville or Collinsville?
Can my dog be off-leash on my own property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison County
Compare Madison County to another location·View the Illinois animal ordinances overview
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