El Dorado County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash length
- 10 feet maximum
- Applies to
- Dogs, other animals, livestock, poultry
- Open range exception
- Chapter 6.36 grazing lands
- Building buffer
- 50 feet from public entrances
- First-offense fine
- $50 per animal, § 6.08.040
- Bite/injury charge
- Misdemeanor under § 6.12.070(E)
Summary
El Dorado County bans letting any dog, other animal or livestock run at large on public streets or unenclosed private land, and requires any animal removed from an enclosed lot to be confined on a leash no longer than ten feet under Code section 6.12.070.
No person owning or having control of any animal, livestock or poultry shall permit such animal, livestock or poultry to stray or run at large upon any public street or other public place, or any unenclosed private lot or other unenclosed private place in the County with the exception of livestock on open range as defined in Chapter 6.36. A. Any animal other than working animals shall be confined by the owner or his or her agent on a leash of not more than ten feet in length during any time the animal is removed from an enclosed private lot or enclosed private place.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
36. Subsection A sets the actual restraint standard: any animal other than a recognized 'working animal' must be confined by its owner on a leash no more than ten feet long any time it leaves an enclosed private lot or place. A female dog in heat has a stricter rule: she must be confined in an enclosed area so she cannot come into contact with another animal except a planned breeding. Animals, other than service dogs accompanying blind persons or law enforcement animals on duty, are also barred from County-owned or leased public buildings and within 50 feet of their entrances.
Anyone, not just Animal Control, may take up a stray animal found at large on public or their own private property and deliver it to the Animal Control Officer, who then holds and disposes of it as though it had been impounded directly. 050 dangerous-dog conditions, and a convicting court can order restitution to the investigating agency and the victim, plus destruction of the dog.
Violations & Fines
A first at-large violation is an infraction under the Section 6.08.040 schedule: $50 for a first offense per animal per incident, $100 for a second, and $250 for a third or later offense. If the loose dog bites someone, forces a defensive reaction, or kills or injures another animal, Section 6.12.070(E) elevates the charge to a misdemeanor, with restitution and possible court-ordered destruction of the dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a dog's leash be in El Dorado County?
Can my dog run loose on my own unfenced property?
Is there an exception for livestock?
What happens if my loose dog bites someone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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