Santa Barbara County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Santa Barbara County Animal Services enforces Chapter 7 of the County Code in unincorporated areas (and the contract cities of Goleta, Buellton, Solvang, Santa Maria, Guadalupe, and Lompoc). Article II, Section 7-11 states it is unlawful for any person owning or having custody and control of any animal to fail to keep it under restraint when it is on any public or private property without the express permission of the property owner or custodian. Chapter 7's definitions describe restraint as the animal being secured by an adequate leash or lead six feet in length or less and under immediate control of a competent person, or otherwise confined. Dogs running, straying, or being at large are addressed throughout Chapter 7 — Section 7-55 separately makes it a public offense for an owner to permit a dog to run at large on public property or another person's private property, escalating to a misdemeanor if the loose dog bites or injures a person or domestic animal. Animal Services officers may impound dogs found at large. This page covers unincorporated Santa Barbara County only; the City of Santa Barbara administers its own separate animal code.