New York, NY Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York (the NYC Health Code), Article 161, governs animals in the City. Section 161.05 ("Dogs to be Restrained") states that a person who owns, possesses, or controls a dog shall not permit it to be in any public place, or in any open or unfenced area abutting a public place, unless the dog is effectively restrained by a leash or other restraint not more than 6 feet long. The rule applies on every sidewalk, street, and unfenced public area in all five boroughs. NYC Parks regulations (Title 56 RCNY §1-04) defer to §161.05 but allow a courtesy off-leash policy: dogs may be unrestrained in unenclosed Parks-controlled areas only during a window beginning no earlier than 9:00 p.m. and ending no later than 9:00 a.m., where signage permits. Dogs are never allowed in playgrounds, ball fields, basketball or tennis courts, fountains, swimming pools, bathing areas, or on City beaches. Dog-run areas have their own posted rules. Owners must also carry proof of a current rabies vaccination (Health Code §161.04) and a NYC dog license (§161.04). Section 161.03 requires owners to remove and dispose of their dog's feces (the "Pooper Scooper Law" under New York State Public Health Law §1310 is enforced parallel to City rules).