Leash Laws in the Sacramento Area

​Updated August 2012

City of Sacramento

9.44.220 Prohibited conduct.

No owner of any animal, wild or domestic, except the domestic cat, shall permit or suffer such animal to do any of the following things:

A. Be at large. The definition of "at large" is set forth in Section 9.44.020 of this chapter.

B. Trespass unlawfully on public property closed to the public at large, or upon any private property without consent of the owner of the property.

C. Habitually make loud noise or act in such other manner as to constitute a public nuisance.

D. Defecate upon public property, or upon the private property of another, unless the owner immediately removes the feces and properly disposes of the feces by placing it in a closed or sealed container and depositing it in a trash receptacle. This subsection shall not apply to guide dogs, service dogs or signal dogs as defined in Section 54.1 of the California Civil Code. This subsection does not authorize any person to enter upon the private property of another without permission. (Prior code § 6.04.040) 

At Large. An animal is "at large" in the following situations:

  1.  When it is off the premises of its owner, and not under restraint by leash, tether or adequate enclosure.
  2.  When it is on the premises of its owner and not restrained by leash, tether, fence or adequate enclosure, or not under the control and in the immediate presence of the owner.
  3.  The leash or tether required under subsections 1 and 2 of this definition shall not exceed eight feet in length and shall be of sufficient strength to restrain the animal should it try to run from the owner or keeper.
  4.  The following exceptions shall apply to the provisions of subsections 1, 2 and 3 of this definition:

a. A dog shall not be considered to be at large if it is enrolled in and actually participating in a dog training or obedience class, exhibition or competition conducted by an organization on private or public property with the permission of the owner or operator of the grounds or facilit​y.

 b. A dog shall not be considered at large if it is assisting a peace officer who is engaged in law enforcement duties.

 c. A dog or swine shall not be considered at large if the dog or swine is unleashed but has not strayed from and is upon private property of the owner or keep​er. 

​​County of Sacramento​​

8.08.056 Dogs at Large.*​

No person shall permit ​or suffer a dog to stray from private property owned or legally possessed by the dog owner or the person who has a right to control the dog unless the dog is restrained by a leash or lead not exceeding eight feet in length, except in the following situations:

  1. When the dog is assisting a peace officer who is engaged in law enforcement duties or when the dog is participating in a search and rescue effort at the specific request of a law enforcement authority;
  2. When the dog is enrolled in and actually participating in a dog training or obedience course, exhibition, or competition conducted by an organization or private or public property with the permission of the owner or operator of the grounds or facilities;
  3. When the dog is assisting the owner of person in charge of livestock in the herding or control of such livestock; or
  4. When the dog is accompanying and under the direction of a person engaged in hunting on land which is within a restricted shooting district as defined in Section 9.40.060 of the Sacramento County Code.

*An animal at large refers to a domestic animal which is free, unrestrained or not under control. (SCC 0815 § 2, 1990; SCC 304 § 4, 1977; Ord. 1053 § 7, 1969).

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If you get a citation for having your dog off-leash in a county park you'll be written up for violating ordinance 9.36.061:
9.36.061 - Animals.
No person sh​all:

a. Hunt, molest, harm, poison, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot, or throw missiles at any animal within the boundaries of any park facility, nor remove nor have in his possession the young, eggs, or nest of any such creature.

b. Abandon any animal, dead or alive, within any park facility.

c. Remove any animal not his/her own within any park facility.

d. Bring into any park facility any dog, cat, or other animal except a horse, unless such an animal at all times is kept on a leash of sufficient strength and durability that it cannot be broken by the animal so leashed, and no longer than six feet in length, except that all dogs, cats, or other animals shall be prohibited at all times in or upon any area designated as a nature study area, horse trail, or bicycle trail.

e. Permit cattle, sheep, goats, horses, or other domestic animals to graze within park boundaries.

f. A violation of any of these provisions is punishable as follows:

  1. A first violation is an infraction.
  2.  A second or subsequent violation of the same provisions committed within thirty days of the previous violation shall be a misdemeanor.