Texas dog laws: leash, licensing, bites and breed rules

This is a general summary of Texas state law about dogs. It is information, not legal advice. Reviewed November 2026.

Leashes and licensing

Texas has no statewide leash law. The state dog statute says plainly that a city or county may adopt leash or registration requirements for dogs, so most of those rules are local. At the state level, the owner, keeper or person in control of a dog that they know is accustomed to run, worry or kill livestock, domestic animals or fowl may not let it run at large, and each time the dog runs loose is a separate offense with a fine of up to $100.

Licensing is also local. A county or municipality may not register or license a dog that has not been vaccinated against rabies.

Rabies vaccination

The owner of a dog or cat must have it vaccinated against rabies by the time it is four months old and at regular intervals after that, as set by state health department rule. Anyone who knows of an animal bite or scratch that could transmit rabies, or who suspects an animal is rabid, must report it to the local rabies control authority, which investigates. The authority or a veterinarian quarantines an animal that may have exposed a person.

Dangerous dogs and bites

Texas law defines a "dangerous dog" as one that makes an unprovoked attack on a person causing bodily injury outside the enclosure where it is kept, or commits unprovoked acts outside that enclosure that make a person reasonably believe it will attack and injure them. The animal control authority can determine a dog is dangerous, and the owner can appeal to a court within 15 days. Within 30 days of learning it, the owner must register the dog with animal control (a $50 annual fee with proof of rabies vaccination and a secure enclosure), keep it leashed under a person's immediate control or in a secure enclosure, and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance or financial responsibility.

An owner who with criminal negligence fails to secure a dog that makes an unprovoked attack away from the owner's property and causes serious bodily injury or death commits a third-degree felony, or a second-degree felony if the attack kills. If the owner knows the dog is dangerous, the same felony applies to a serious-injury attack, while an injury attack outside its enclosure is a Class C misdemeanor.

For civil claims, Texas has no dog-bite statute. Courts apply common-law rules: a victim can sue for negligence or on the theory that the owner knew of the dog's dangerous tendencies.

Breed-specific rules

A county or municipality may add requirements for dangerous dogs that are more stringent than the state's, but they cannot be specific to one breed or several breeds of dogs.

Tethering and hot cars

Texas bans chain tethering of dogs left outside and unattended. An owner may not leave a dog outside and unattended on a restraint that is a chain, carries weights, is shorter than the greater of 10 feet or five times the dog's length, or is on an ill-fitted collar or harness, and must give the dog adequate shelter, shade and potable water. A violation is a Class C misdemeanor, Class B for a repeat. Hunting dogs, herding dogs and camping areas are among the exceptions. Torturing an animal, or killing it or seriously injuring it in a cruel manner, is a third-degree felony.

Where to check your local rule

Cities and counties often have stricter leash, licence, number-of-dogs and dangerous-dog rules. Check your city or county animal control website or ordinance code. If your dog has bitten someone or been reported, talk to a lawyer or the animal-control office.