Ohio Statewide Rule
Ohio Statewide Dog Confinement and Control Law
Key Facts
- Primary Statute
- ORC 955.22
- First Violation
- Minor misdemeanor
- Confinement Required
- Yes statewide
- Repeat Offense
- M4 up to 30 days
Summary
Ohio law universally requires dog owners to keep dogs confined or under reasonable control at all times, with municipalities free to add stricter local leash ordinances.
(A) Except as provided in division (F) of this section, no owner, keeper, or harborer of any dog shall fail at any time to do either of the following: (1) Keep the dog physically confined or restrained upon the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer by a leash, tether, adequate fence, supervision, or secure enclosure to prevent escape; (2) Keep the dog under the reasonable control of some person. A violation of division (A) of this section is a strict liability offense and section 2901.20 of the Revised Code does not apply.
Full Breakdown
ORC 955.22 imposes a statewide duty on every dog owner, keeper, or harborer to keep their dog physically confined on the owner's premises or under reasonable control of some person whenever off the premises. This applies uniformly across Ohio regardless of city or county. Violation is a minor misdemeanor for a first offense and rises to higher misdemeanor levels for repeat offenses. The statute also addresses running at large and pursuit of livestock. ORC 955.28 authorizes any person to kill a dog that is chasing or injuring livestock or has been designated dangerous and is at large.
Violations & Penalties
First-offense violations are minor misdemeanors with fines up to $150; subsequent offenses can be fourth-degree misdemeanors with fines up to $250 and 30 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ohio require leashes specifically?
Can Ohio cities make stricter leash rules?
Sources
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