Dogs in the City of Napa must be leashed when off the owner's property and may not be at large on any public street, highway, or place β Napa Municipal Code Section 6.04.190 makes it unlawful for any owner of a dog over four months of age to permit the dog to run at large. In City parks and on trails, dogs must be on a leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length per Section 6.04.170 except in designated off-leash areas. Every dog over four months living in the City must be vaccinated against rabies and licensed annually through Napa County Animal Services.
Napa's leash and licensing rules sit in Title 6, Chapter 6.04 (Animal Control Regulations) of the Municipal Code at https://qcode.us/codes/napa/view.php?topic=city_of_napa_municipal_code-6-6_04. Section 6.04.190 (Dogs at large prohibited) makes it unlawful for any person who owns, harbors, or keeps any dog over four months of age to permit the dog to run at large upon any public street, highway, or other place, or to permit the dog to run upon the property of another without the consent of the property owner. Section 6.04.170 (Dogs to be leashed) requires that, in any park or on any trail in the City, dogs be controlled on a leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length held by a person physically able to control the dog; off-leash exposure is permitted only in designated off-leash areas as established by the City Council or pursuant to a Park Use Permit issued by the Community Resources Director for training, exhibition, or competition. Section 6.04.100 requires every owner of a dog over four months of age in the City to obtain an annual license from the Animal Control Officer, and Section 6.04.140 requires the license tag to be attached to a substantial collar on the dog except when the dog is on the owner's premises; license fees are set by the Napa County Board of Supervisors. Rabies vaccination is required at least once every two years before a license is issued β documentation from a veterinarian must be current. The City of Napa contracts day-to-day animal control to Napa County Animal Services at 942 Hartle Court, Napa, CA 94558, (707) 253-4382 (https://www.napacounty.gov/1023/Animal-Shelter), which now uses DocuPet for online licensing (https://napahumane.org/our-work/resources-and-referrals/napa-county-animal-welfare-faqs/). California Food and Agricultural Code Sections 31601-31683 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml?tocCode=FAC&division=14.&title=&part=6.&chapter=9.&article=) provide the statewide dangerous-and-vicious-dog framework that supplements local enforcement. City park rules and the Dog Owner's Guide are at https://www.cityofnapa.org/996/Parks-Use-Rules-and-Regulations and https://www.cityofnapa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4409/Dog-Owners-Guide-to-Enjoying-Napa-City-Parks-PDF.
Off-leash and at-large violations under NMC 6.04.170 and 6.04.190 are misdemeanors or infractions under Title 6 of the Municipal Code, citable by Napa County Animal Services Officers, with statutory fines that typically run $50-$200 for a first offense plus impound, board, and reclaim fees if the dog is picked up. Failure to license a dog under NMC 6.04.100 is a separate violation with late fees and impound costs. Dogs adjudicated potentially dangerous or vicious under California Food & Ag Code Sections 31601-31683 are subject to enclosure orders, posting, microchipping, mandatory liability insurance, and, in severe cases, destruction. Repeat violators may face misdemeanor prosecution under Section 1.16 of the Municipal Code.
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