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State Dog Laws.

Every state has some form of state legislation that regulates dogs.  In some states, such legislation is limited to a statewide rabies vaccination requirement, while other states control dogs with a specific code.  Most frequently, state dog laws cover rabies control, licensing and registration of dogs, impoundment procedures for loose dogs, and control of dangerous or vicious dogs.  For each set of states laws accessible through the Map of State Dog Laws, the statutes are divided by the topic covered (rabies provisions, licensing, or dangerous dog laws for example).  An effort has been made to include all dog laws, even those related to hunting with dogs or municipal authority to enact dog ordinances.  However, for sake of brevity, state anti-cruelty provisions have not been included with the set of dog laws.  These may be accessed separately at the State Map of Anti-Cruelty Laws.  Also, the state dog laws do not include all the laws related to guide dogs or service animals, which may be included in chapters on discrimination and/or public accommodation chapters.

For a more thorough examination of state dog laws, please see the Dog Law Topic Area.

From here, you may access essays on Dog Bite/Dangerous Dog Laws, Restrictions on the Number of Dogs, Dog Issues in Landlord/Tenant Agreements, Breed-Specific Legislation, and the coordination of State and Local Dog Laws.