on September 10, 2026

California Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: California has no statewide pooper scooper law. Picking up after your dog is regulated city by city, and all three of the largest cities we checked have an ordinance requiring it. Los Angeles publishes a set ticket of $100.

Why California leaves it to cities

California has no statewide law requiring people to pick up after their dogs. Dog waste is regulated by city and county ordinances, so the rule, the fine and any bag-carrying requirement depend on where you are. State law does limit local penalties: Government Code 36900(b) caps infraction fines for city ordinance violations at $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within one year and $500 for each further violation within one year, and Government Code 53069.4 ties local administrative fines to those same caps. California also has no general statewide leash law. The only state leash rule found is 14 CCR 4312, which requires dogs in state park units to be on a leash no longer than six feet; it has no waste pickup clause. Health and Safety Code 122335, sometimes cited online as a dog waste law, is actually the dog tethering law and says nothing about waste.

  • Infraction fine caps for city ordinance violations ($100 / $200 / $500): Cal. Gov. Code sec. 36900(b) (read it)
  • Local administrative fines limited to the infraction caps: Cal. Gov. Code sec. 53069.4(a)(1) (read it)
  • Leash rule for dogs in state park units (no waste clause): Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, sec. 4312 (read it)
  • Dog tethering law, often misattributed as a waste law: Cal. Health & Safety Code sec. 122335 (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in California's largest cities

Each row comes from the city's own municipal code. "Up to" is the most a court can impose, not a standard ticket. Where a city publishes no amount, we say so rather than estimate one.

City Ordinance Fine Must carry a bag
Los Angeles LAMC sec. 53.49 $100 No
San Diego SDMC sec. 44.0304.1 (penalty: SDMC sec. 12.0201) Up to $1,000 No
San Jose SJMC sec. 7.40.010(A)(1)-(2) (an infraction under sec. 1.08.020; penalties in sec. 1.08.010(D)) Up to $100 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in California spell out a separate duty to carry a bag, but the pickup duty applies the moment your dog goes, and "I did not have a bag" is not a defense in any of them.

A bag holder on the leash solves that for good. Ours is the Walk Dispenser, which clips on and holds a full roll.

Worth knowing about California

  • Los Angeles enforces its pickup law through administrative citations that escalate to $1,000 for repeat violations (City Attorney ACE offense list, active since 2015).
  • State law caps infraction fines for city ordinance violations at $100 / $200 / $500 (Gov. Code 36900(b)). San Jose's infraction amounts match those caps exactly, while Los Angeles and San Diego, both charter cities, publish higher amounts in their own codes.
  • San Jose requires carrying a pickup bag only inside posted off-leash dog areas, not on ordinary walks.
  • San Diego adopts the San Diego County animal control ordinance by reference (SDMC 44.0300) in addition to its own pickup rule, and treats pet waste as a storm water pollutant: SDMC 43.0304 bars non-storm-water discharges to the storm drain system, and the city's storm water flyer (02/2016) says pet waste violations can carry penalties of up to $10,000 per day per incident and estimates roughly 600,000 dogs in San Diego producing about 136 million pounds of waste a year.
  • Health and Safety Code 122335, cited on some sites as California's dog waste law, is the dog tethering statute and does not mention waste.

Common questions

Is it illegal to not pick up dog poop in California?

There is no statewide law, but every one of the largest cities we checked has a pickup rule, and most smaller towns have similar ordinances. Check your own city or county code.

How much is the fine for not picking up dog poop in California?

It depends on the city. Los Angeles: $100. San Diego: Up to $1,000. San Jose: Up to $100.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in California?

Not as a separate rule in the cities we checked. You still have to pick up, so in practice you need one.

Are service dog handlers exempt?

In Los Angeles and San Diego, the ordinance exempts handlers who have a disability and cannot physically pick up. The exemption covers the handler, not the dog.

Other states in the West

Washington · Arizona · Colorado · Oregon · Utah · Nevada · New Mexico · Idaho

See all 50 states · How scoop laws work in general

Sources

Checked 2026-09-10. Ordinances change, so if you are dealing with an actual citation, read the current code at the link rather than relying on this page.

This page is general information, not legal advice.