Stanislaus County, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash length limit
- 8 feet maximum
- Applies to
- Any animal except domestic cats
- Exemption
- Owner's property or occupant consent
- Max fine
- $300 infraction (§ 7.48)
- Enforcing agency
- Stanislaus Animal Services Agency
- Appeal path
- Animal Court, 30-day window
Summary
County code caps every leash at eight feet and bars letting an animal roam off-lead, trespass onto private property, make habitual noise, or become a public nuisance. Section 7.16.010 exempts only animals confined on their owner's own property, on private land with the occupant's consent, secured school programs, or animals restrained in a vehicle or cage.
No owner of any animal, wild or domestic, except the domestic cat, shall permit or suffer the animal to: 1. Be off a leash or to be restrained by a leash which is more than eight feet in length, except that an animal need not be on a leash while it is on the premises of its owner nor while on other private property with consent of that owner or lessee or tenant. 2. Enter upon private property without consent of the owner, lessee and/or tenant of the private property; 3. Habitually make loud noises; 4. Act in such other manner so as to constitute a public nuisance. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of animals on school property for teaching... or require a person to keep any animal in his or her possession on a leash if, at the time, the animal is restrained in a vehicle or cage.
Full Breakdown
010(A) applies to any animal, wild or domestic, except the domestic cat, and bars four things: running loose or on a leash longer than eight feet, entering private property without the owner's, lessee's, or tenant's consent, habitually making loud noises, and any other conduct amounting to a public nuisance. " The restraint requirement lifts only while the animal stays on its owner's own premises or on someone else's property with that occupant's permission. Subsection B carves out two more exceptions: school programs that use animals for teaching or for students with disabilities when school officials allow it, and any animal confined in a vehicle or cage rather than physically held on a leash. 32. 030, which meets on the first Wednesday of each month and gives the cited owner thirty days to request a hearing.
Violations & Fines
Letting an animal run loose, tethering it on a leash over eight feet, trespass, or repeated nuisance conduct is an infraction under Chapter 7.48, capped at a $300 fine, enforced by SASA officers who may impound the animal under Chapter 7.32 and refer the owner to Animal Court under Section 7.12.030 for citation review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a dog's leash be in Stanislaus County?
Does the leash law apply to cats?
What happens if my dog gets loose and is picked up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stanislaus County
California rules heatmap·Compare Stanislaus County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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