Leash, chaining and community cat laws in all 100 NC counties
North Carolina has no statewide chaining or leash law, so the rules depend on the county and town you live in. Only 12 of our 100 counties limit whether or how long a dog can be kept on a chain. Find your county's chaining and leash rules, who enforces them and how to report a concern.
- 26%
- Of North Carolinians live where chaining is limited: about 2.8 million of the state's 11 million people
- 12
- Counties that limit whether or how long a dog can be chained
- 28
- Towns with their own limit on chaining
- 36
- Counties that require a leash off your property
- 14
- Counties whose law allows TNR for community cats
County rules for areas outside town limits; towns can set their own. Read from each county's official code by NC Pet Project, checked October 23, 2026.
How to read the rules where you live
Town or county? If you live inside a town's limits, the town's rule applies, and many towns are stricter than their county. Outside town limits, the county's rule applies. Each county's page lists both.
What the rules look like. The strongest rules say a dog can be tethered only while someone is outside with it. A few set a daily time limit, such as 3 hours in 24. Most rules that exist only set equipment standards: a minimum tether length, a swivel, a collar that fits, and access to water and shelter. Those still allow a dog to live on a chain.
State law applies everywhere. Even where there is no local rule, North Carolina's cruelty laws make it a crime to neglect a dog or to restrain one cruelly (G.S. 14-360 (opens in a new tab) and G.S. 14-362.3 (opens in a new tab)). A dog without food, water or shelter can be reported in any county.
Leash laws are local too. North Carolina has no statewide leash law; state law only bars letting a dog over six months old run loose at night. 36 counties require a leash off your property, others accept voice control, and some only act on repeat roaming. Town rules apply inside town limits.
Find your county
100 of 100 counties shown
| County | County chaining rule | County leash rule | TNR in county law | Towns with their own rule | Report a concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance | No county rule; Burlington and Graham set limits | Only declared nuisance animals restricted | No | Burlington, Graham | 336-570-6302 |
| Alexander | Equipment rules, 10-foot tether, no time limit | Repeat roaming is a nuisance | No | None found | (828) 632-1199 |
| Alleghany | No rule | No general rule (nuisance dogs only) | No | None found | 336-372-8053 |
| Anson | Not confirmed; Wadesboro allows 1 hour a day | No county ordinance found | Not confirmed | Wadesboro | 704-994-2738 |
| Ashe | 10-foot tether rules, no time limit | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | None found | 336-982-4060 |
| Avery | No county ordinance | No county ordinance found | No | None found | 828-733-2071 |
| Beaufort | Equipment rules, 10-foot tether, no time limit | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Washington | 252-946-4517 |
| Bertie | No rule | Only nuisance dogs must stay home | No | None found | (252) 794-5340 |
| Bladen | 10 ft or 4x body length, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Elizabethtown | (910) 862-6918 |
| Brunswick | Pulley or cable run required, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Leland | 910-253-1738 |
| Buncombe | Equipment rules, 15-foot tether, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Asheville | 828-250-6670 |
| Burke | 14 hours in a row at most | Leash required off your property | Yes | None found | 828-764-9512 |
| Cabarrus | Not confirmed; Concord has equipment rules | Rule not verified | Not confirmed | Concord | 704-920-3000 |
| Caldwell | Equipment rules, 12-foot tether, no time limit | Roaming is a nuisance, no leash rule | No | None found | 828-572-4535 |
| Camden | No rule | Restraint required off property | No | None found | 252-331-1500 |
| Carteret | No rule | Dogs and cats must stay home | No | None found | 252-728-8585 |
| Caswell | 10-foot tether rules, no time limit | Roaming is a nuisance, no leash rule | Yes | None found | 336-694-5705 |
| Catawba | Equipment rules (10 ft, swivels), no time limit | Roaming is a nuisance, no leash rule | Yes | Hickory, Newton | 828-465-7945 |
| Chatham | 15-foot tether rules, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Pittsboro, Siler City | 919-542-2911 |
| Cherokee | No rule | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | None found | (828) 837-2589 |
| Chowan | No county rule | Restraint required off property | No | Edenton | 252-482-9807 |
| Clay | No rule | No county leash rule | No | None found | 828-389-2256 |
| Cleveland | Pulley system required, no time limit | Leash on roads; nuisance roaming banned | Yes | Shelby | 704-481-9884 |
| Columbus | No county rule | Leash required off your property | No | Whiteville | 910-641-3945 |
| Craven | Equipment and space rules, no time limit | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | New Bern | 252-639-4256 |
| Cumberland | Only while attended; a permit is needed to leave a dog tied | Leash required off your property | No | Fayetteville | 910-321-6852 |
| Currituck | 15-foot tether and weather limits, no time cap | Leash required off your property | Yes | None found | 252-453-8682 |
| Dare | 3 hours a day at most | No countywide rule; two leash areas | Yes | Manteo, Kill Devil Hills | (252) 475-5620 |
| Davidson | 10-foot chain on a swivel, no time limit | Only dangerous roaming is banned | No | Lexington | 336-249-0131 |
| Davie | No rule | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Mocksville | 336-750-7655 |
| Duplin | Tether must fit the animal, no time limit | Leash or owner control | No | Wallace | 910-296-2159 |
| Durham | Only while someone is with the dog | Leash required off your property | Yes | City of Durham | 919-560-0630 |
| Edgecombe | Only while attended (since Nov. 2025) | Leash required off your property | No | Tarboro | 252-641-7911 |
| Forsyth | Only while the owner is outside with the dog | Leash required off your property | No | Winston-Salem | 336-727-2112 |
| Franklin | 10-foot tether minimum, no time limit | Only untagged or stray-like roaming banned | No | None found | 919-496-3032 |
| Gaston | Guidelines only, not required | Leash required off your property | No | None found | 704-922-8677 |
| Gates | Equipment rules, no time limit | No general rule (schools only) | No | None found | 252-357-6525 |
| Graham | No rule | Leash only on county property | No | None found | 828-479-7900 |
| Granville | Equipment rules, no time limit (Oxford: 3 hours) | Leash or voice control | Yes | Oxford | 919-693-6749 |
| Greene | 10-foot equipment rules, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | None found | 252-253-2237 |
| Guilford | Only while the owner is outside with the dog | Leash required off your property | No | Greensboro, High Point | 336-641-5990 |
| Halifax | Ban on tethering an unattended dog | No leash rule (state night rule only) | No | Roanoke Rapids, Halifax (town) | 252-583-6651 |
| Harnett | Equipment rules, no time limit | Leash or voice control | No | Lillington, Dunn | 910-814-2952 |
| Haywood | 10-foot tether rules, no time limit | Leash or voice control | No | Waynesville | 828-456-5338 |
| Henderson | Chain rules, no time limit | Leash required off your property | Yes | Hendersonville | 828-697-4912 |
| Hertford | Not confirmed (Ahoskie: 15-foot tether) | County ordinance not online | Not confirmed | Ahoskie | 252-358-7841 |
| Hoke | No real limit (no-injury rule only) | Leash law in mapped areas only | No | Raeford | 910-875-4148 |
| Hyde | No rule | No general rule (nuisance pets only) | No | None found | 252-926-3171 |
| Iredell | 10-foot swivel tether and other gear rules, no time limit | Leash or voice control | Yes | Mooresville | 704-878-5335 |
| Jackson | No rule | Leash only on county park land | No | None found | 828-586-6138 |
| Johnston | Officer judges harm; equipment rules, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Clayton, Smithfield | 919-934-8474 |
| Jones | No county animal ordinance | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Maysville | 252-448-0035 |
| Lee | 10-foot tether rules, no time limit | Leash in public places | No | Sanford | 919-775-5531 |
| Lenoir | Equipment rules and 10-foot tether, no time limit | Leash required; repeat roaming fined | No | Kinston | 252-526-4200 |
| Lincoln | 12-foot tether rules, no time limit | Leash only in listed subdivisions | No | Lincolnton | 704-736-4125 |
| Macon | No real limit (anti-choking only) | Roaming pets may be impounded | No | None found | (828) 349-2106 |
| Madison | No rule | Night rule; nuisance pets stay home | No | None found | 828-649-3190 |
| Martin | 15-foot coated cable, no chains, no time limit | Roaming is a nuisance, no leash rule | No | None found | 252-789-4500 |
| McDowell | Harmful tethering banned, no time limit | Leash or voice control | No | Marion | 828-652-4000 |
| Mecklenburg | No county rule; Charlotte has equipment rules only | Leash required off your property | No | Charlotte | 704-336-7600 |
| Mitchell | No rule; no county animal ordinance at all | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | None found | 828-765-6952 |
| Montgomery | No rule | Roaming is a nuisance, no leash rule | No | None found | 910-572-3067 |
| Moore | Collar, swivel and access rules, no time limit | Leash or voice control | Yes | Southern Pines, Pinehurst | 910-947-2858 |
| Nash | Equipment rules and 12-foot tether, no time limit | Owner control required off property | No | None found | 252-459-9855 |
| New Hanover | Tethering banned | Leash required off your property | No | None found | 910-798-7500 |
| Northampton | Not confirmed; no chaining rule adopted as of June 2026 | No county ordinance found | Not confirmed | None found | 252-534-2611 |
| Onslow | No rule | Leash required off your property | No | None found | 910-455-0182 |
| Orange | 3 hours a day at most; attended only in Chapel Hill, Carrboro | Leash required off your property | No | Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough | 919-942-7387 |
| Pamlico | No rule | No county leash rule | No | None found | 252-745-3101 |
| Pasquotank | Collar, swivel and weight rules, no time limit | Leash in some subdivisions only | Yes | Elizabeth City | (252) 335-2848 |
| Pender | 10-foot tether and care rules, no time limit | Leash or voice control | No | Burgaw | 910-259-1349 |
| Perquimans | No tethering rule; outdoor shelter required | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Hertford | 252-426-5615 |
| Person | Tether 3x body length, no time limit | Keep on property, under control | No | Roxboro | (336) 597-1741 |
| Pitt | No rule; Greenville has equipment rules | Leash required off your property | No | Greenville | 252-902-1725 |
| Polk | Tether 4 times the dog's length, no time limit | Leash or voice control | No | Columbus | 828-894-3001 |
| Randolph | Short-term tethering only, never as main confinement | Leash required off your property | No | Asheboro | 336-683-8235 |
| Richmond | 8 ft tether and swivels, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Rockingham, Hamlet | 910-895-3232 |
| Robeson | No rule; dangerous dogs only | Leash required off your property | No | None found | 910-865-2200 |
| Rockingham | Equipment rules, no time limit (10-foot tether) | Leash rule on lots under one acre | No | Reidsville, Eden | 336-634-3300 |
| Rowan | Equipment rules, 10 ft of travel, no time limit | Leash required off your property | Yes | Salisbury | 704-216-7768 |
| Rutherford | Room-to-move rule, no time limit | Repeat roaming only, after a warning | No | Forest City | 828-980-0016 |
| Sampson | Equipment rules, no time limit | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Clinton | 910-592-4141 |
| Scotland | Equipment rules; county time limit not confirmed | Leash required off your property | No | Laurinburg | 910-277-2440 |
| Stanly | Equipment rules and 8-foot tether, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | None found | 704-986-3881 |
| Stokes | 10-foot minimum tether, no time limit | Repeat roaming can be a nuisance | No | King | 336-994-6805 |
| Surry | Banned unless the owner is with the dog | Only nuisance roaming banned | No | Mount Airy | 336-401-8481 |
| Swain | No rule | Roaming is a nuisance, no leash rule | No | None found | 828-538-4005 |
| Transylvania | No rule; Brevard has a 10 ft minimum | Repeat roaming is a nuisance | No | Brevard | 828-883-3713 |
| Tyrrell | Not confirmed | Ordinance not online | Not confirmed | None found | 252-766-0033 |
| Union | No county rule (Monroe: only while attended) | Only young pets must be confined | No | Monroe | See county page |
| Vance | Chain weight limit only, no time limit | Leash or voice control | No | None found | 252-492-3136 |
| Wake | No county rule; Raleigh, Cary and Garner limit chaining | Leash required off your property | Yes | Raleigh, Cary, Garner | 919-856-6911 |
| Warren | No rule; Warrenton allows 3 hours a day | Restraint required off your property | No | Warrenton | 252-257-6137 |
| Washington | No rule | Leash off property; repeat roaming banned | No | None found | 252-793-2422 |
| Watauga | 8 ft chain with a swivel, no time limit | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Boone | 828-262-1672 |
| Wayne | No county rule (Goldsboro: 2 hours a day at most) | Leash required off your property | No | Goldsboro | 919-731-1439 |
| Wilkes | No rule | Only nuisance roaming banned | No | None found | 336-903-7688 |
| Wilson | 15 ft coated cable required, no time limit | Leash required off your property | No | Wilson (city) | 252-265-5971 |
| Yadkin | No rule | No local rule (state night rule only) | No | Yadkinville | (336) 849-7808 |
| Yancey | Not confirmed; no county ordinance found | No county ordinance found | Not confirmed | None found | (828) 682-2124 |
No county or town matches. Clear the search or the filters.
Download all 100 counties as a spreadsheet (CSV) for reporting, research or a commissioners' meeting. Please credit NC Pet Project.
Recently changed and under debate
These rules are moving. Each entry links to the official record.
- Under debate Oct 2026
Pender County: Commissioners have discussed feral cat management and trap-neuter-return policies at meetings since September 2026. No draft has been posted. Pender County BOCC agendas, Sept. 8 and Oct. 19, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Jul 2026
Henderson County: Adopted a Community Cat Initiative for cats that are trapped, vaccinated, sterilized and ear-tipped or chipped, working with nonprofit sponsors. Henderson County BOC minutes, July 15, 2026, item 2026.074 (new Sec. 16-30) (opens in a new tab)
- Under debate Mar 2026
Northampton County: An advocacy group gave commissioners a presentation on protecting animals in extreme heat and cold on Mar. 2, 2026, and a commissioner raised tethering Mar. 18. No action was taken. Northampton County BOC minutes, Mar. 2 and Mar. 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Mar 2026
Goldsboro: Amended its animal code to define trap-neuter-return and to address community cats in an approved TNR program under its at-large rule. Goldsboro Code Sec. 91.18(C), Am. Ord. 2026-7, 3-16-26 (opens in a new tab)
- Under debate Mar 2026
Bertie County: Commissioners voted to ask voters in a November referendum whether to ban tethering. County records do not show if it reached the ballot. Bertie County BOC minutes, Mar. 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Jan 2026
Tarboro: Town council adopted a tethering rule matching the county's attended-only limit, with enforcement stayed for one year. Tarboro Town Council minutes, Jan. 12, 2026 (Ord. No. 26-01) (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Dec 2025
Burke County: Adopted a community cat program: healthy community cats entering the county shelter are to be sterilized and returned to where they were found. Burke County Ord. No. 2025-13, new Sec. 6-116 (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Nov 2025
Edgecombe County: Adopted a rule that animals may be tethered or chained only while a person is outside and within sight, with a few listed exceptions. Edgecombe County Code Sec. 4-41(14), amendments effective Nov. 3, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Aug 2025
Currituck County: Amended its tethering rules: tethers must be at least 15 feet, and tethering is limited during hurricanes, heat advisories and extreme heat or cold. Currituck County Code Sec. 3-64 (Ord. of 8-4-2025, pt. I) (opens in a new tab)
- Adopted Aug 2025
Wallace: Adopted a town rule against tethering an animal for more than four hours in a row unless the owner is present. Wallace Code Sec. 90.07(C) (Ord. 25-03, passed 8-11-2025) (opens in a new tab)
Towns with the strongest chaining rules (28)
Of the 77 town rules we found, these limit whether or how long a dog can be chained. Inside these towns, the town's rule applies even where the county has none.
- Burlington (Alamance County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Graham (Alamance County): 2 hours a day at most
- Wadesboro (Anson County): 1 hour a day at most, plus weather rules
- Asheville (Buncombe County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Edenton (Chowan County): Only while someone holds the leash
- New Bern (Craven County): Banned except listed activities
- Wallace (Duplin County): 4 hours at most unless owner is present
- Tarboro (Edgecombe County): Only while attended, not enforced yet
- Winston-Salem (Forsyth County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Oxford (Granville County): 3 hours a day at most
- High Point (Guilford County): Only while attended
- Roanoke Rapids (Halifax County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Hendersonville (Henderson County): Only while an adult is with the dog
- Clayton (Johnston County): Tethering banned
- Smithfield (Johnston County): No unattended tether overnight or in bad weather
- Maysville (Jones County): 10 hours a day at most
- Chapel Hill (Orange County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Carrboro (Orange County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Elizabeth City (Pasquotank County): Only while someone holds the leash
- Hertford (Perquimans County): Only while someone holds the leash
- Forest City (Rutherford County): 2 hours in 12 at most
- Laurinburg (Scotland County): 1 hour per 24 hours at most
- Monroe (Union County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Raleigh (Wake County): 3 hours a day at most
- Cary (Wake County): Only while someone is with the dog
- Garner (Wake County): Only while attended, 3 hours at most
- Warrenton (Warren County): 3 hours a day at most
- Goldsboro (Wayne County): 2 hours a day at most
Community cats and TNR
Trap-neuter-return (TNR) means trapping outdoor cats, spaying or neutering and vaccinating them, ear-tipping them and returning them to where they live. 14 counties write TNR or community cats into county law, through a caregiver or sponsor program, an exemption, or a shelter return-to-field rule. In most other counties, someone who feeds an outdoor cat can count as its owner under the code, which makes caregivers legally responsible for cats they did not choose. Each county page lists what its code says and who helps with cats nearby.
A statewide fix has come close. Shelter return-to-field passed the NC House in 2019 and again in 2023, and both times it did not survive the Senate.
What you can do
- Report a dog in trouble. Call the number for your county in the table above. If a dog is in danger right now, call 911.
- Ask your commissioners or town council. Strong local rules usually start with residents asking. Point them to the county's page so they can see what their neighbors have done.
- Help a chained dog's owner. Many owners chain a dog because they cannot afford a fence or a vet. Low-cost spay/neuter is often the first step; find help near you.
- Push for a statewide standard. Sign the petition and email your legislators.
Common questions
Not statewide. North Carolina has no law that limits how long a dog can be chained, so it depends on where you live. 12 of the 100 counties, and at least 28 towns, limit whether or how long a dog can be kept on a chain. Everywhere in the state, cruelty laws still make it a crime to neglect a dog or to restrain one cruelly (G.S. 14-360 and 14-362.3). Our guide Is It Illegal to Chain a Dog in NC? explains the rules and what you can do.
Not statewide. The only general state rule is that a dog over six months old may not run loose at night unless its owner, a family member or someone the owner allows is with it (G.S. 67-12); a 1986 local law exempts Yancey County from even that. Every other leash or roaming rule is set by your county or town. 36 counties require a leash off your property, and many towns do too, including most cities. Find yours in the table on this page, and read our guide to North Carolina leash laws.
It depends on the county and town. The strongest rules allow tethering only while someone is outside with the dog. A few set a daily limit, such as 3 hours in 24 in Dare and Orange counties and in Raleigh. Most counties have no time limit at all. Find yours in the table on this page.
Call your county's animal control or sheriff's office; the number for every county is in the table on this page, and each county page lists town numbers too. If a dog is in danger right now, call 911.
Usually not. Inside town limits the town's own rule applies, and many towns are stricter than their county. Some towns adopt the county's rule instead. Each county page lists the towns and their rules.
No state law covers it either way. 14 counties write trap-neuter-return or community cats into county law. In many others, feeding an outdoor cat for a set number of days makes you its legal owner, which can put caregivers at risk. A bill to let shelters return community cats passed the NC House in 2019 and 2023 but did not pass the Senate.
How we checked
- Every rule was read from the official code of each county and town (Municode, American Legal, eCode and county websites) and cited to the section on that county's page. We did not rely on summaries, news stories or other directories.
- Checked October 23, 2026. Codes change. Each county page shows its citation so you can confirm the current text.
- The share of North Carolinians who live where chaining is limited uses U.S. Census Bureau 2024 population estimates. It counts each county's rule for people outside town limits and each town with its own or the county's limit. It is a floor: towns where we found no rule are not counted.
- "Not confirmed" means we could not read the text. 6 counties keep their animal ordinance offline or may not have one; we are asking them directly and will update these pages.
- Plain summaries, not legal advice. For a legal question, read the ordinance itself or ask your county attorney.
Something out of date, or know a rule we missed? Email info@ncpetproject.org and we will check it and update the page.