Animal Ordinances in Cecil County, MD (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Cecil County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Dog Leash Laws
Cecil County requires every dog to be kept under restraint or effective control at all times, unless it is engaged in supervised hunting or another activity where restraint would endanger it. Section 142-20 lists leash, chain, kennel or fence as acceptable restraint, and both a lack of restraint and a dog found at large carry a fine of up to $500 each.
Cecil County Dog Restraint and Leash Rule
Some RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-20
A. Dogs shall be kept under restraint or effective control at all times, unless the animal is engaged in supervised hunting or another activity where restraint might endanger the animal's life or safety. B. All dogs shall be restrained by leash, chain, kennel or fence. ... G. ... Violations of this § 142-20 shall result in the assessment of fines as follows: (1) Lack of restraint: up to $500. (...
Breed Restrictions
Cecil County has no breed-specific dog ordinance. Section 142-12 of the County Code adopts Maryland's dangerous-dog standard, Criminal Law Article §10-619, word for word: a dog becomes "dangerous" only after it kills or severely injures a person, or is first declared potentially dangerous and then bites, kills, or severely injures an animal off its own property, entirely without regard to breed.
Cecil County Has No Breed-Specific Dog Law
Few RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-12
"Dangerous dog" means a dog that: (i) without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person; or (ii) is determined by the appropriate unit of a County or municipal corporation to be a potentially dangerous dog and, after the determination is made: 1. bites a person; ... A dog owner shall not: (1) leave a dangerous dog unattended on the owner's real property unless the dog is: (i...
Exotic Pets
Cecil County Code § 142-37 makes it illegal for any private citizen to possess or harbor a dangerous or vicious wild animal in unincorporated Cecil County, listing prohibited species drawn from Maryland's Criminal Law Article: bears, foxes, big cats, non-domestic canines, primates and venomous snakes. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 for an individual or $10,000 for a business, enforced through the county's Animal Care and Control Authority.
Cecil County Bans Dangerous Wild Animals
Heavy RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-37
No private citizen shall possess or harbor a dangerous or vicious wild animal within the geographic boundaries of Cecil County. ... Prohibited A person may not import into the State, offer for sale, trade, barter, possess, breed, or exchange a live: (1) fox, skunk, raccoon, or bear; (2) caiman, alligator, or crocodile; (3) member of the cat family other than the domestic cat; ... (7) nonhuman p...
Pet Limits
Cecil County sets no flat cap on the number of dogs or cats a household may keep, but once a household owns or houses 10 or more dogs it meets the County's definition of a "hobby kennel" and must obtain a hobby kennel license and pass an annual inspection under §142-25, even for noncommercial hunting or tracking dogs.
Cecil County Hobby Kennel Dog Threshold
Some RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-1
KENNEL, HOBBY An organization or individual which or who owns or houses no less than 10 dogs and no more than 20 dogs, over the age of four months, kept for practical purposes, including, but not limited to, hunting and tracking. A hobby kennel does not meet the definition of a "commercial kennel" and no more than two litters shall be bred and sold within a twelve-month period.
Cat Rules
Cecil County exempts cats from the leash and restraint law that governs dogs: §142-20 requires owners to prevent "any animal, other than a cat," from leaving the property unattended or unrestrained. Cats also do not need the dog license created by §142-30, though they still must be vaccinated against rabies once they pass four months old.
Cecil County Cat Restraint and Licensing Rules
Light RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-20, Subsection C
The owner of an animal, other than a cat, shall prevent the animal from leaving the owner's property unattended or unrestrained.
Microchipping
Cecil County does not require microchips for pets in general, but once the Animal Care and Control Authority declares a dog dangerous, §142-13 requires the owner to have the dog implanted with a microchip by a licensed veterinarian within 90 days, register it with the microchip company, and provide the microchip number to the Authority.
Cecil County Dangerous Dog Microchip Rule
Light RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-13, Subsection A
Within 90 days of the dangerous dog declaration, the owner shall have the animal implanted with a microchip by a licensed veterinarian for permanent identification and register with the microchip company, and shall provide the corresponding microchip to the Animal Care and Control Authority.
Pet Store Rules
Cecil County does not ban retail pet stores from selling dogs and cats. Section 142-28 instead lets a licensed pet shop sell animals as long as it passes Animal Care and Control inspections and meets sanitary, feeding, and housing standards; failing an inspection suspends all sales and adoptions until the shop is back in compliance.
Cecil County Pet Shop Sale Standards
Some RestrictionsCecil County Code § 142-28
A. Failure to pass an inspection will result in suspension of the sale and adoption of animals until the pet shop comes into compliance upon reinspection. ... C. ... All pet shops, including pet shops run in conjunction with any other business, shall, in addition to all other requirements of law, comply with the minimum standards for maintaining satisfactory sanitary and housing requirements es...
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