Do I need a dog licence? What are the leash rules?
In the Regional municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia, licence required: True; leash rule: Dog must not run at large; running at large = off owner's property without a leash, on a leash not held by a person, or on a leash not under control; fines: Owning unlicensed dog $100-$5,000; most offences $200-$5,000; animal attack $300-$5,000; dangerous-dog attack $600-$5,000. Source: By-law A-700 Respecting Animals and Responsible Pet Ownership, verified 2026-06-05.
By-law A-700 Respecting Animals and Responsible Pet Ownership
adopted bylaw
licence required
True
s. 5(1)
leash rule
Dog must not run at large; running at large = off owner's property without a leash, on a leash not held by a person, or on a leash not under control
s. 2(v); s. 11(1)(a)
fine range
Owning unlicensed dog $100-$5,000; most offences $200-$5,000; animal attack $300-$5,000; dangerous-dog attack $600-$5,000
Schedule 2
scout note
Governs licensing, leashing, running at large, and responsible ownership of dogs and other animals across HRM. Done and passed in Council Nov 10, 2015 (effective Nov 28, 2015); amended 2016 and 2020.
By-law A-700 — dedicated page
Halifax.ca landing page for By-law A-700 with overview and links to the consolidated PDF.