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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing law
Calaveras County Code § 6.10.010
'At large' defined
§ 6.04.030: off-property, unrestrained
1st/2nd violation
Infraction, up to $50/$100
3rd violation (24 mo.)
Misdemeanor, up to $500/6 mo.
Enforcement
County animal services director
Loose dogs
May be impounded, § 6.08.010

Summary

Calaveras County bars owners from letting a dog run at large: off the owner's property and not on a leash or under immediate control. Section 6.10.010 makes a first and second violation an infraction, but a third violation of this control law within twenty-four months becomes a misdemeanor.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Calaveras County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

"At large" means an animal off the premises of its owner, and not under restraint by means of a leash or otherwise under the immediate control of the owner. ... No person owning or having charge, care or custody of any dog shall cause or permit such dog, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, to be at large as defined in Section 6.04.030. A third violation of this section within a twenty-four month period is a misdemeanor.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).

Full Breakdown

030 defines 'at large' for the whole animal-control title as an animal off the premises of its owner and not under restraint by a leash or otherwise under the owner's immediate control. 010, the county's core control law, forbids any owner or custodian from causing or permitting a dog to be at large, whether that happens willfully or just through failing to exercise due care or control. 030, punishable by a fine not exceeding fifty dollars for a first offense and not exceeding one hundred dollars for a second offense of the same ordinance within one year.

020 carries a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to six months in county jail, or both. 010(B). 060 requires female dogs in heat to be strictly confined.

Violations & Fines

A first at-large violation of Section 6.10.010 is an infraction, fined up to fifty dollars; a second within a year is up to one hundred dollars under Section 1.24.030. A third violation within twenty-four months becomes a misdemeanor, punishable under Section 1.24.020 by a fine of up to five hundred dollars, up to six months in jail, or both, and the loose dog may be impounded under Section 6.08.010.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Calaveras County require dogs to be leashed?
The code doesn't use the word 'leash' as a blanket mandate, but Section 6.10.010 bars letting a dog be 'at large,' and Section 6.04.030 defines that as off the owner's property and not restrained by a leash or otherwise under the owner's immediate control, so an unleashed dog off your property is at large.
What's the penalty for a loose dog in Calaveras County?
The first and second violations within a year are infractions, fined up to fifty and one hundred dollars respectively under Section 1.24.030. A third violation of Section 6.10.010 within twenty-four months becomes a misdemeanor, carrying up to a five-hundred-dollar fine or six months in jail.
Are dogs allowed in county parks?
Only under specific conditions. Section 6.10.050 bars dogs from public school property, parks and cemeteries unless they're in an approved obedience class or training program, participating in a park-authorized event, or the area is posted to allow dogs on a leash.
Can animal control seize my dog for being loose?
Yes. Section 6.08.010(B) authorizes the county's animal services director to take into custody and impound any dog running at large in the county, on top of whatever infraction or misdemeanor citation applies to the owner under Section 6.10.010's at-large control law.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Calaveras County

Chickens & LivestockSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Water RestrictionsSome RestrictionsBeekeepingSome RestrictionsBreed RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsPet LimitsSome RestrictionsMandatory Spay/NeuterSome RestrictionsExotic PetsSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsHome Business: Signage RulesSome RestrictionsSign Regulations: Digital BillboardsSignificant RestrictionsSign Regulations: Window SignsLight RestrictionsSign Regulations: Garage Sale SignsLight Restrictions

All Calaveras County rules

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