Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions (2026)
Where pit bulls, rottweilers, and other breeds are welcome
Where does your city rank?
Breed-specific legislation (BSL) still exists in many cities, banning or heavily restricting ownership of pit bulls, rottweilers, and other breeds. But the trend is moving away from blanket breed bans. This ranking highlights cities that evaluate dogs on behavior rather than breed, making them friendlier for owners of commonly restricted breeds.
Top 25: No Breed Bans
Based on each city's animal control ordinance. "Permissive" cities have no breed-specific bans and focus on individual dog behavior and dangerous dog designations. "Strict" cities maintain breed bans or require breed-specific insurance, muzzling, or registration.
- 1
Dallas does not have breed-specific legislation. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 822.047 prohibits cities from creating breed-specific restrictions. Dallas regulates dogs based on individual behavior under its dangerous dog provisions.
- 2Queens County, NYFew Restrictions
No breed ban in Queens. NYCHA public housing prohibits certain breeds. NY Ag & Markets Law preempts local breed-specific legislation. Dangerous dog designations by court.
- 3
Cornelius does not have breed-specific legislation. Dangerous dog determinations follow N.C.G.S. 67-4.1 behavior-based criteria. Any dog declared dangerous must be muzzled in public, securely confined, and carry 100,000 dollars liability insurance.
- 4
Colorado Springs has no breed-specific dog ban; Colorado state law C.R.S. 18-9-204.5(5)(a) prohibits municipalities from regulating dangerous dogs in a manner specific to breed, so dogs are regulated by behavior, not breed.
- 5
Erie has no breed-specific ban; Pennsylvania state law expressly prohibits any local ordinance from prohibiting or limiting a specific breed of dog, so the City regulates dangerous dogs by behavior, not breed.
- 6
NY Agriculture and Markets Law 107(5) preempts breed-specific legislation statewide, so no Dutchess County town - including Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Hyde Park, and Rhinebeck - may ban a breed. Dangerous-dog rules under Ag & Markets 123 apply based on individual behavior, not breed. Homeowners insurance carriers may still restrict breeds independently of local law.
- 7Austin, TXFew Restrictions
Austin does not have breed-specific legislation and is legally prevented from enacting one by Texas Health & Safety Code §822.047. The city instead uses a dangerous-dog designation process under §822.0421 applied based on behavior, not breed.
- 8
Mansfield does not ban any dog breed. TX Health and Safety Code 822 (Lillian's Law) preempts city breed bans and uses a behavior-based dangerous dog standard. HOAs may privately restrict breeds.
- 9
Port St. Lucie does not ban or single out any dog breed; its dangerous-dog rules in Sec. 92.02 are behavior-based, and Florida Statute 767.14 prohibits any local regulation specific to breed, weight, or size.
- 10
New York Agriculture and Markets Law section 107(5) preempts breed-specific legislation statewide. No municipality outside New York City (population over two million) may regulate dogs in a manner specific as to breed. The Town of Colonie has no breed ban, and any pit bull, Rottweiler, or other breed restriction would be unenforceable.
- 11
Bellaire does not impose breed-specific legislation (BSL) banning or restricting particular dog breeds. Texas state law under HB 4111 prohibits municipalities from enacting breed-specific bans. All dogs in Bellaire are subject to the same leash, vaccination, and dangerous dog provisions regardless of breed.
- 12
Birmingham does not impose a breed-specific ban. Alabama's dangerous-dog law (Emily's Law) is expressly breed-neutral: a dog is judged dangerous by its conduct, regardless of breed, which constrains any local breed-specific legislation.
- 13
Allentown cannot ban or restrict any dog breed. Pennsylvania's Dog Law (3 P.S. Sec. 459-507-A) expressly abrogates local dangerous-dog ordinances and forbids any municipality from prohibiting or limiting a specific breed, so breeds such as pit bulls and Rottweilers are legal citywide and are regulated only by behavior under the state dangerous-dog law.
- 14
NY Agriculture & Markets Law §107(5) preempts breed-specific legislation statewide, so Orange County NY and its municipalities (Newburgh, Middletown, Goshen) cannot ban pit bulls or any other breed. Dangerous-dog determinations are behavior-based under Ag & Markets §123.
- 15
Denton County has no breed-specific legislation. Texas state law under Health and Safety Code Chapter 822 uses a behavior-based dangerous dog approach rather than breed bans. No breed is prohibited in unincorporated Denton County.
- 16Kennewick, WAFew Restrictions
The City of Kennewick repealed its breed-specific legislation in November 2019, removing the automatic potentially-dangerous designation for pit bulls, Staffordshire terriers, and similar breeds. Dogs now qualify as dangerous or potentially dangerous only based on actual behavior under KMC 8.02. Washington State has no statewide BSL preemption.
- 17
Grapevine does not ban any specific dog breed. Texas Health and Safety Code 822 preempts breed-specific legislation statewide. Dangerous-dog classifications apply by individual behavior regardless of breed.
- 18
Newport Beach does not impose breed-specific legislation banning particular dog breeds. California state law prohibits cities from enacting breed-specific bans. However, dogs declared dangerous or vicious under state law face additional restrictions regardless of breed.
- 19
No breed-specific legislation. NY Agriculture & Markets Law 123 is behavior-based and NYC Health Code 161.02 governs dangerous dogs by conduct, not breed.
- 20
Wayne County does not impose breed-specific legislation. Detroit lifted its pit bull restrictions years ago. Michigan MCL 287.321 regulates dangerous dogs by behavior, not breed.
- 21
Baytown does not have breed-specific legislation (BSL). No dog breeds are banned or subject to special restrictions within the city. Texas state law does not ban specific breeds and generally preempts local breed bans. Baytown enforces dangerous dog laws based on individual dog behavior rather than breed under Chapter 14 and Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 822.
- 22
La Porte does not have breed-specific legislation (BSL) banning any particular dog breeds. Texas state law prohibits cities from enacting breed-specific bans. However, La Porte has dangerous dog regulations that apply to any dog of any breed that has attacked or bitten a person or animal. Owners of dogs declared dangerous face additional requirements.
- 23
West Jordan does not enforce breed-specific legislation. Dangerous-dog designation is behavior-based under Utah Code 18-1-3. Pit bulls and other breeds are legal citywide.
- 24
Matthews has no breed-specific legislation; dangerous dog determinations follow behavior-based standards under N.C.G.S. 67-4.1 and the Mecklenburg County dangerous-dog process.
- 25
The City of Flint has no breed-specific ban. Michigan has no statewide preemption of breed-specific legislation, but Flint's Section 9-14.6 regulates vicious dogs by behavior, not by breed. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, and other breeds are lawful in Flint so long as the individual dog has not been declared vicious.
State-by-State Breakdown
How each state leans overall, based on the cities and counties we have data for in that state.
| State | Total | Strict | Moderate | Permissive | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 163 | 9 | 25 | 129 | Few Restrictions |
| Florida | 74 | 2 | 8 | 64 | Few Restrictions |
| Texas | 69 | - | 13 | 56 | Few Restrictions |
| New York | 33 | - | - | 33 | Few Restrictions |
| Wisconsin | 31 | - | 29 | 2 | Some Restrictions |
| New Jersey | 29 | 3 | 8 | 18 | Few Restrictions |
| Illinois | 26 | 2 | 13 | 11 | Some Restrictions |
| Massachusetts | 25 | - | 13 | 12 | Some Restrictions |
| Colorado | 23 | - | 9 | 14 | Few Restrictions |
| Georgia | 23 | - | 2 | 21 | Few Restrictions |
| Mississippi | 21 | - | 21 | - | Some Restrictions |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | - | 5 | 14 | Few Restrictions |
| Arizona | 19 | 1 | 7 | 11 | Few Restrictions |
| Ohio | 18 | - | 8 | 10 | Few Restrictions |
| Washington | 17 | - | 3 | 14 | Few Restrictions |
| Michigan | 16 | 1 | 6 | 9 | Few Restrictions |
| North Carolina | 15 | - | 4 | 11 | Few Restrictions |
| Utah | 13 | 1 | - | 12 | Few Restrictions |
| Hawaii | 12 | - | 3 | 9 | Few Restrictions |
| Virginia | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | Few Restrictions |
| Oregon | 11 | - | - | 11 | Few Restrictions |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 5 | - | 5 | Heavy Restrictions |
| Tennessee | 9 | - | - | 9 | Few Restrictions |
| Maryland | 9 | - | 2 | 7 | Few Restrictions |
| Alabama | 8 | - | 1 | 7 | Few Restrictions |
| Missouri | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | Some Restrictions |
| Kansas | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Some Restrictions |
| Minnesota | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | Some Restrictions |
| Nevada | 6 | - | 1 | 5 | Few Restrictions |
| Connecticut | 6 | - | 4 | 2 | Some Restrictions |
| Indiana | 6 | - | 3 | 3 | Some Restrictions |
| South Carolina | 5 | - | 1 | 4 | Few Restrictions |
| Louisiana | 5 | - | 2 | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| Rhode Island | 5 | - | 1 | 4 | Few Restrictions |
| Iowa | 4 | - | 2 | 2 | Some Restrictions |
| New Mexico | 4 | 1 | - | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| Kentucky | 4 | - | 1 | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| Arkansas | 3 | - | 1 | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| Nebraska | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Heavy Restrictions |
| North Dakota | 3 | - | - | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| New Hampshire | 2 | - | - | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| Maine | 2 | - | - | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| South Dakota | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | Some Restrictions |
| District of Columbia | 2 | - | - | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| Delaware | 2 | - | 2 | - | Some Restrictions |
| Alaska | 1 | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
| Idaho | 1 | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
| Vermont | 1 | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
| Montana | 1 | - | 1 | - | Some Restrictions |
| Wyoming | 1 | - | 1 | - | Some Restrictions |
| West Virginia | 1 | - | 1 | - | Some Restrictions |
Complete List
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dallas ban pit bulls or any dog breeds?
What makes a dog 'dangerous' in Dallas?
Can I own a pit bull in Cornelius?
How is a dog declared dangerous?
Are pit bulls legal in Colorado Springs?
Can Colorado Springs still regulate dangerous dogs?
Could Colorado Springs pass a pit bull ban in the future?
Are pit bulls or other breeds banned in Erie, PA?
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