Leon County, FL Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Where prohibited
- any street, park, public place
- Private property rule
- trespass violation even if leashed
- 1st/2nd/3rd fine
- $50 / $100 / $250
- Bite enhancement
- up to $500 plus court appearance
- Heat exception
- females in estrus must be confined
Summary
Leon County makes it unlawful for any dog or cat to run loose on a street, park or other public place, or to be on someone else's private property without consent, even under an owner's voice control. Tethering an animal so it can reach public property or a neighbor's yard is also a violation.
(a)Generally prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any animal to run or remain at large on any street, road, alley, park or other public place. A street, road, alley, or other place shall be considered a public place, without respect to maintenance authority or ownership, if the area is under common ownership or control, or is generally accessible to the public.(b)Private property. It shall be unlawful for any animal to be on private property without the consent of the property owner whether or not the animal is under direct control.(c)Tethering. It shall be a violation of this article for the owner or keeper of any animal to tie, chain or otherwise tether such animal in such a manner that it has access to public property or the property of another without consent of that property owner.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-35 of the county's animal control article prohibits animals running or remaining at large on any street, road, alley, park or other public place, defining a public place broadly as any area under common ownership or control, or generally accessible to the public, regardless of who maintains or owns it. Separately, subsection (b) bars any animal from being on private property without the owner's consent, whether or not the animal is under direct control at the time, meaning a leashed dog wandering into a neighbor's yard without permission is still a violation.
Subsection (c) extends the rule to tethering: it is a violation to chain or tether an animal so that it can reach public property or another person's property without that owner's consent. Female dogs and cats in heat must be confined in a building, secure enclosure, veterinary hospital or boarding kennel away from male animals except for intentional breeding, per subsection (e). Limited exceptions exist for supervised hunting dogs, show or training dogs, ADA service animals, law enforcement and rescue dogs on duty, designated off-leash dog parks, and community cats or spayed/neutered, microchipped owned cats.
Penalties under Sec. 4-29 are enhanced when a violation causes property destruction or an unprovoked bite, wound or attack on a person or domestic animal.
Violations & Fines
The base fine schedule under Sec. 4-29(i) for running at large is $50 for a first violation, $100 for a second, and $250 for a third and each violation after that. If the animal destroys or causes loss of personal property, fines jump to $100, $250, then $500 plus a mandatory court appearance. If an at-large animal unprovoked bites, wounds or attacks a person or domestic animal, the fine is $450 for a bite on a person or $250 for an animal on the first offense, rising to $500 and a mandatory county court appearance thereafter. A $5.00 surcharge is added to every civil penalty to fund animal control officer training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to let my dog roam off-leash in Leon County if it's trained?
Can my dog be cited for entering a neighbor's yard on a leash?
What's the fine for a first at-large violation in Leon County?
Are there any exceptions to the leash requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Leon County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Leon County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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