Posted by Waste Happy
on September 10, 2026
Quick answer: Yes. Dallas requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Dallas City Code sec. 7-4.8. The fine for a first offense is at least $50. You are also required to carry a means of removal whenever you walk your dog.
What the Dallas ordinance says
| Ordinance | Dallas City Code sec. 7-4.8 (penalty: sec. 7-8.1) |
|---|---|
| Fine | At least $50 |
| Must carry a bag | Yes |
| Service animal exemption | Yes |
How the penalty works
Verified: sec. 7-8.1(e) sets a minimum fine of $50 for a first conviction under 7-4.8 (Ordinance 30901, passed June 26, 2018; the same $50 minimum appears in the city's August 24, 2023 proposed revision of Chapter 7). Not verified against the current official code: the current Dallas City Code is hosted on a site that blocks automated access. An older copy of 7-8.1 published by Michigan State University's Animal Legal and Historical Center (reflecting Ord. 27250) says the $50 minimum doubles for a second conviction within 24 months and triples for a third, and caps fines at $2,000 for provisions governing public health or sanitation or $500 otherwise. Those figures are not recorded as values because they could not be checked against the current official text. State law caps the maximum at $2,000 for public health and sanitation ordinances (Tex. Local Gov't Code 54.001).
The carry rule
Section 7-4.8(b) makes it an offense to have a dog on private property or in a public place without 'materials or implements' to immediately remove and dispose of its excreta. The current section title still reads 'Failure to carry materials and implements for the removal and disposal of dog excreta'; the subsection text was read from the older Michigan State University copy.
Service animals
Per 7-4.8(e) (text read from the older Michigan State University copy of Ord. 26024, not the current official code): the section 'does not apply to a service dog that is specially trained to assist a person with a disability' while in that person's custody or control. Subsection (d)(3) adds a defense for service dogs used in official law enforcement activities.
In practice
Because Dallas requires you to carry a way to clean up, the simplest way to stay on the right side of it is to keep bags on the leash itself, so they leave the house every time the dog does. The Walk Dispenser clips to the leash and holds a full roll.
Elsewhere in Texas
Texas dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. Nearby: Houston dog poop law · San Antonio dog poop law. All 50 states.
Source
Checked 2026-09-10 against the Dallas 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.
