Westminster, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 6.12.100 sets the core leash rule: no owner or person with charge, care, custody, or control of a dog may permit it on public property unless it is restrained by a substantial chain or a leash not exceeding six feet, held by a person competent to control it, unless the property owner or operator has given written permission for the dog to be off-leash. A separate rule in subsection B covers animals other than dogs or cats: they must be securely tied and kept under control anywhere on a public street, alley, or public place.

Sections 6.12.110 through 6.12.140 build out enforcement. Letting a dog or animal onto private property without the owner's consent is independently prohibited under § 6.12.110, and § 6.12.120 declares any dog or animal running at large, whether on public places or on private property without consent, a public nuisance. Section 6.12.130 lets the city impound an animal found running at large and requires written notice to the owner if one can be identified; § 6.12.140 allows the animal control officer or a police officer to summarily destroy an animal running at large if the owner cannot be found after due diligence and the animal cannot be seized by ordinary means. A dog separately found to be potentially dangerous or vicious faces a stricter, chapter-specific restraint order under the preceding chapter, including a maximum six-foot leash on the owner's own property and a required posted warning sign.