Atlanta, Georgia Dog Poop Law

Quick answer: Yes. Atlanta requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Atlanta Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-9. A court can impose up to $1,000.

What the Atlanta ordinance says

How the penalty works

Sec. 18-9(b) sets no amount of its own and points to Sec. 1-8, the general penalty: on conviction, a fine not exceeding $1,000.00, imprisonment up to six months, work on public works up to six months, supervised home confinement up to six months, or any combination. No separate repeat-offense tier. No published Atlanta Municipal Court fine amount for Sec. 18-9 was found (atlantaga.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated requests). In the part of Atlanta inside DeKalb County, Sec. 18-61 also incorporates DeKalb County Code Chapter 5, whose Sec. 5-2(c) requires owners to immediately remove excrement on any street or right-of-way.

The carry rule

Sec. 18-9(a) says dog waste shall be immediately removed by placing it in a closed or sealed container, but it does not require carrying a bag in advance.

Service animals

Sec. 18-9(c) exempts only visually impaired persons who have the charge, control or use of a guide dog. Other service dogs are not mentioned. In the DeKalb portion of the city, DeKalb Sec. 5-2(c) exempts any animal aiding the handicapped (e.g., guide dog) and law enforcement animals.

In practice

Pick up every time, bag it, and put it in a trash can. That is the one method that satisfies every ordinance in the country. The Walk Dispenser clips to the leash and holds a full roll.

Elsewhere in Georgia

Georgia dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. Nearby: Columbus dog poop law · Augusta dog poop law. All 50 states.

Source

Checked 2026-09-10 against the Atlanta municipal code. Codes change, so read the current version before relying on this for an actual citation.

This page is general information, not legal advice.