Shasta County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Who designates zones
- Board of Supervisors, after public hearing
- Rule inside a zone
- Dog must be leashed and controlled
- Vehicle exception
- Dogs lawfully transported in a car
- Premises exception
- Dogs on owner's own property
- Signage
- Posted by County Public Works
- Missing sign defense
- Not a defense to a violation
Summary
The Board of Supervisors can designate specific areas of unincorporated Shasta County as dog leash zones after a public hearing, and inside those zones every dog must be on a leash and under its owner's control. Zones are marked by county Public Works signage, though missing signs are not a defense to a violation.
A. By ordinance or resolution adopted after a public hearing, the Board of Supervisors may designate areas of the county as dog leash zones. All dog leash zones in existence prior to the enactment of the ordinance codified in this section shall remain in effect. B. It is unlawful for the owner or possessor of a dog to allow it to be at any place in a dog leash zone unless it is on a leash and under the control of the owner or possessor. This subsection shall not apply to dogs which are on the premises of the owner or possessor or being lawfully transported in a motor vehicle. C. Each dog leash zone shall be identified by signs placed by the Shasta County Department of Public Works and declaring that within the zone, no dog is allowed to run at large. The failure to post signs shall not be a defense to a violation of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
055 lets the Board of Supervisors, by ordinance or resolution adopted after a public hearing, designate dog leash zones anywhere in the unincorporated county, and any leash zones already in place when the section was enacted stay in effect. Inside a designated zone, it is unlawful for a dog's owner or possessor to allow it to be anywhere in the zone unless it is on a leash and under the owner's or possessor's control; the requirement does not apply to a dog on its owner's own premises or being lawfully transported inside a vehicle.
Each leash zone is supposed to be identified with signs placed by the Shasta County Department of Public Works stating that no dog may run at large within the zone, but the code specifically states that a failure to post those signs is not a defense if a dog is found off-leash in the zone. Outside a designated leash zone, dogs and other animals are still separately barred from straying off their owner's premises or trespassing on someone else's land under the county's general animal regulations in the same chapter.
Violations & Fines
Allowing a dog to be off-leash and outside its owner's control anywhere inside a designated leash zone is a violation under Section 6.04.055, punishable as set out in Chapter 6.04's general penalty section, and enforcement does not require proof that zone signage was actually posted at the location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all dogs required to be leashed everywhere in Shasta County?
Is it a defense that a leash zone had no posted sign?
Can I let my dog off-leash in a leash zone if I'm right next to my car?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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