Los Angeles with your dog: the local guide

Los Angeles works well with a dog, as long as you know three things: a leash is the rule in public, the beaches are closed to dogs, and the only places your dog can run free are the dog parks. The rest is logistics, because public transit only takes a dog in a closed carrier and the car does most of the work. This guide uses only what the City of Los Angeles, the county, neighbouring cities, California State Parks and the National Park Service publish themselves.

Does your dog have to be on a leash in Los Angeles?

Yes, and the leash has a maximum length. Los Angeles County states its rule, taken from section 10.32.010 of its code, this way: a dog may not run at large on any public street, park or other public area, or on private property other than its owner’s, and it must be restrained by a substantial leash not exceeding six feet and be in the control of a competent person when off property.

Two more rules from the same document come up quickly on the ground. Animal defecation on public property, or on private property other than your own, is prohibited (section 10.40.060). So is animal noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of a residential neighbourhood (section 10.40.065), with complaints going to animal control.

The City of Los Angeles enforces its own articles, grouped under title 53 of its municipal code. It posts them at its dog parks, where dogs must be leashed at all times in the parking area.

Are dogs allowed on the beaches in Los Angeles?

No. Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors publishes, for the beaches it runs, a rule with no exception: no animals are allowed on the beach, no cats, no dogs, no horses. The same page bans alcohol, smoking, glass containers, fires and barbecues, and loitering on the beach between midnight and 6 a.m.

The City of Santa Monica takes the same line on its own beach. Asked whether you can bring your dog to the beach, it answers that dogs are not allowed on Santa Monica State Beach, and points to Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach as the closest beach where dogs are legally allowed.

How does Rosie’s Dog Beach work?

It is a marked zone, open every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City of Long Beach places this 4.1-acre area along Ocean Boulevard between Granada Avenue and Roycroft Avenue, with metered parking in the Granada Avenue lot.

The city notes that dogs must be on a leash on the way to the beach but do not have to be on one inside the zone. It also warns that the area is not fenced, and that dogs are not permitted outside the scheduled hours or anywhere other than the Dog Zone and its access paths.

The posted rules are specific:

• one dog per adult, under visual and voice control at all times;
• dogs older than four months, vaccinated and licensed;
• a collar with current tags, no spiked collars;
• no food of any kind, human or dog;
• drinking water provided by the owner as needed;
• no female dogs in heat, no aggressive dogs;
• children supervised, and not running towards the dogs.

Where can your dog run off leash in Los Angeles?

In the city’s dog parks, and there are thirteen of them. The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks publishes the full list with addresses: Eagle Rock, Glen Alla in Marina del Rey, Griffith Park, Hermon Park in the Arroyo Seco, Laurel Canyon, Ross Snyder, Runyon Canyon, Sepulveda Basin in Encino, Silverlake, Veterans’ Barrington Park, Westminster in Venice, Westwood and Whitnall in North Hollywood.

The posted rules are the same everywhere. Dogs under four months old are not admitted. Over four months, a dog must be fully vaccinated, licensed, and wear a collar and tags. Female dogs in heat, aggressive dogs and dogs with communicable diseases are turned away. A dog must never be left unattended, or it will be taken to the shelter. Food and treats are banned inside, the city explaining that their presence may lead to aggression. Alcohol, smoking, glass, grooming, bicycles and skateboards are also out, and only dogs are allowed inside the enclosure.

Can you hike with your dog around Los Angeles?

Sometimes, but never by default. California State Parks sets a general rule: a dog must be on a maximum six-foot leash at all times and physically under your control. Unless it is a service animal, it should not go into buildings or undeveloped areas, or onto trails, unless they are specifically designated as open to dogs on leash. The same agency adds that dogs are not permitted on most beaches, and that overnight campers must keep their dog in a tent or vehicle. It advises checking each park and calling ahead.

In the Santa Monica Mountains, the national recreation area on the western edge of the city, the National Park Service publishes a similar rule: leashes, including retractable ones, must be six feet or less. Leashed dogs are allowed on trails, roads and developed areas such as campgrounds and parking lots depending on which agency manages the site, but not inside buildings or where posted. Several state parks in the area, including Topanga, Malibu Creek, Leo Carrillo and Point Mugu, keep dogs off their backcountry trails. In practice, check the route with the managing agency before you set out.

How do you get around Los Angeles with a dog?

Mostly by car, because transit only takes a dog in a carrier. LA Metro’s customer code of conduct puts it in one line: only service animals or animals in carriers are allowed.

Two California rules matter once you are driving. The county points out that state vehicle law makes it illegal to carry a dog in the back or bed of an open truck or other open vehicle, unless each animal is cross-tethered securely or the sides are built up to a height of 46 inches. More importantly, California’s penal code prohibits leaving an animal in an unattended vehicle in conditions that endanger its health, including heat, cold, inadequate ventilation or lack of water. A first conviction without great bodily injury carries a fine of up to 100 dollars per animal, rising to 500 dollars, six months in county jail, or both, if the animal is seriously hurt.

Does your dog need a licence in Los Angeles?

Yes, once the dog is kept in the city. The city’s animal services department writes that all dogs over four months of age and kept within the City of Los Angeles must be licensed and must be spayed or neutered, and that a licence is only valid once a rabies vaccination certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian has been provided to the department, and only for as long as that vaccination remains effective. The same page caps the number of dogs over four months old at three per premises, and lists a fee of 20 dollars a year for an altered dog.

The county applies a comparable rule in the areas it serves: a licence from four months of age, valid from 1 July to 30 June, with rabies vaccination in force for the whole licensing period.

The wording the city uses covers dogs “kept within the City of Los Angeles”. Either way, carry your dog’s rabies vaccination certificate, since that is the document dog parks and animal control ask for. Getting your dog into the country is a separate matter, covered on our United States travel requirements page.

What if your dog flew to Los Angeles in the cabin?

That is possible on a private flight, where your dog stays at your feet for the whole trip. Loulou Air, a brand of AEROAFFAIRES, a private aviation broker since 1991, offers Pay-per-Seat travel on shared private jet flights from New York to Los Angeles: you pay for your seat, not the jet, and each ticket covers one person and their dog. None of the weight limit imposed by scheduled airlines applies, because the dog does not travel in the hold; capacity depends on the aircraft and on how many animals are on board, and a broker approves each dog case by case. Boarding is through a private aviation terminal, with no queues, and the crew is briefed on welcoming animals. Entry requirements still apply on every flight, private ones included, and our brokers check every dog’s file before departure.

See flights to Los Angeles or talk to a broker. Our article on flying private with your dog explains how these flights work from start to finish.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my dog to a beach in Los Angeles?

No. Los Angeles County bans all animals from its beaches, and the City of Santa Monica does not allow dogs on Santa Monica State Beach. The one option Santa Monica names is Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach, open to dogs from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Can my dog ride the metro or the bus in Los Angeles?

Only in a closed carrier. LA Metro’s customer code of conduct allows service animals and animals in carriers, and nothing else. For everything else, a car is the simpler answer.

Can I leave my dog in the car while I visit something?

Not if the conditions put its health at risk. California’s penal code prohibits leaving an animal in an unattended vehicle when heat, cold, poor ventilation or lack of water could reasonably be expected to make it suffer. The fine reaches 100 dollars per animal for a first offence without great bodily injury, and 500 dollars if the animal is seriously hurt.