Woodland, CA Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Leash limit
- 8 feet maximum, within City limits
- Exceptions
- Police dogs, training classes, off-leash parks
- Governing text
- Woodland's own § 6.04.020(A), not County text
- Enforcement
- Yolo County Animal Services (contract)
- Penalty
- Infraction under Gov't Code § 36900
Summary
Woodland requires dogs to be leashed whenever they are off the owner's private property. Municipal Code Section 6.04.020(A), Woodland's own amendment to the adopted Yolo County animal control law, bars owners from letting a dog off leash within City limits unless the property owner consents, capping the leash at eight feet, with exceptions for police dogs, training classes, and City-designated off-leash dog parks.
§ 6.04.020. City amendment to the County animal control ordinance. ... ... A. Section 6-1.401.1 Dogs on Leashes: Dog Parks. Dogs on Leashes. No owner or bailee of a dog shall permit such dog to be within the limits of the City other than on private property with the consent of the property owner, unless the dog is restrained by a leash not exceeding eight feet in length; provided, however, that this section shall not apply: (1) if the dog is assisting a peace officer in law enforcement duties, (2) if the dog is participating in a dog training class, obedience class, exhibition, or competition that is being conducted at that location with the permission of the City, or (3) the dog is in a park designated as an "Off-Leash Dog Park" by City Council. B. Section 6-1.422. Violations: Infractions. Any other provision of this Code notwithstanding, any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable as set forth in Section 36900 of the Government Code of the State.
Full Breakdown
Woodland adopts the Yolo County Animal Control Law by reference under Municipal Code Section 6.04.010, but carves out its own leash rule in Section 6.04.020(A) rather than following the county's version of Section 6-1.401.1. Under the City's amendment, no owner or bailee may let a dog be within Woodland's limits unless the dog is either on private property with the owner's consent or restrained by a leash no longer than eight feet. Three narrow exceptions apply: a dog assisting a peace officer in enforcement duties, a dog in a City-permitted training class, obedience class, exhibition, or competition at that location, and a dog inside a City Council-designated "Off-Leash Dog Park." Because Woodland substituted its own text for this one County section, the leash rule that applies inside City limits is the municipal version, not Yolo County's, even though the rest of the County's Animal Control Law still governs licensing, impoundment, and other animal-control matters in Woodland by adoption.
Yolo County Animal Services, which the City contracts with for field enforcement, carries out leash-law enforcement on the ground, and a separate section of this chapter makes any violation of the chapter, including the leash requirement, an infraction under state law rather than a misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run at large off the owner's own property without an eight-foot or shorter leash, outside the narrow police-dog, training-class, or off-leash-park exceptions, is an infraction under Section 6.04.020(B), punishable as set out in Government Code Section 36900. Yolo County Animal Services officers enforce the leash rule and may cite the owner or bailee directly for a loose dog within City limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Yolo County leash law apply in Woodland?
How long can a dog leash be in Woodland?
Can my dog be off leash at a Woodland dog park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodland
California rules heatmap·Compare Woodland to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle dog leash laws.