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Winston-Salem, NC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

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

Key Facts

Off-property control
Leash, chain, rope, or physical control
On-property restraint
Tether, fence, or secure enclosure
First violation fine
$50.00
Third+ violation fine
$100.00
Enforcing agency
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Animal Services

Summary

Winston-Salem requires dogs off the owner's property to be leashed, chained, or otherwise under a competent person's physical control, while dogs left unattended outdoors on the owner's property must be tethered, fenced, or secured in an enclosure; violators face escalating fines and impoundment.

In addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, a dog is subject to impoundment and all other applicable provisions of the county animals ordinance if the dog is found off the premises of the person owning or having possession, charge, care, custody or control of such dog and is not under the control of a competent person and restrained by a leash, chain, rope or other means of adequate physical control.

Source: Forsyth County Animal ControlView 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 102 | Personnel: Supplement 96 | Water and Sewer: Supplement 56 | Solid Waste: Supplement 15).

Full Breakdown

Winston-Salem Code § 6-17 requires dogs off the owner's property to be restrained by a leash, chain, rope, or other adequate physical control, or the dog is subject to impoundment under the county animals ordinance. On the owner's property, an unattended dog must be tethered, fenced (above-ground or underground electric), or kept in a secure enclosure with gates that keep the dog in and other animals or children out. Violations escalate: $50 first offense, $75 second, $100 third and subsequent, tracked for three years by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Animal Services Division.

Violations & Fines

First violation $50, second $75, third and subsequent $100; penalties collected by Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Animal Services Division at redemption, with offenses tracked for three years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my dog need to be on a leash in Winston-Salem?
Yes: off your property, a dog must be leashed, chained, or otherwise under a competent person's physical control, per City Code § 6-17(b), or it can be impounded.
What if my dog is loose in my own yard?
It must be tethered, fenced, or kept in a secure enclosure: an unattended dog cannot simply run free, even on the owner's own property, under § 6-17(a).
What happens if I keep violating the leash rule?
Fines escalate: $50 for a first violation, $75 for a second, and $100 for a third or subsequent violation within three years, per § 6-17(c).

Sources & Official References

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All Winston-Salem rules

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