Do I need a dog licence? What are the leash rules?
In the City of Kingston, Ontario, dogs & animal control rules are set by Animal Control By-law 2021-166 and 1 other bylaw, verified 2026-08-28. Fines: not more than $100,000. A licence is required. Leash rule: Dogs must not be off-leash in any public park or recreational area, except at a designated off-leash dog area.
| licence required | yes | s. 5.1 |
| leash rule | Dogs must not be off-leash in any public park or recreational area, except at a designated off-leash dog area. | s. 12.3(f) |
| fine range | not more than $100,000 | s. 20.1 |
City of Kingston By-law 2021-166 regulating the keeping, registration, licensing, control and welfare of certain classes of animals; in force January 1, 2022.
Requires dog/cat licensing in urban areas, prohibits unleashed dogs outside designated off-leash parks, requires muzzling under control orders for dangerous dogs, and sets permit requirements for kennels, breeders, hen coops and pigeon lofts. (Bylaw Library's own 'pdf format' link is broken sitewide -> jotform request form, not bytes; see notes -- document_url is the city's descriptive page instead.)