Posted by Waste Happy
on September 10, 2026
Quick answer: Yes. Indianapolis requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County. A court can impose up to $2,500.
What the Indianapolis ordinance says
| Ordinance | Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County (Indianapolis-Marion County) § 531-203, Dog and cat curbing requirements; penalty under § 531-203(d) and § 103-3 |
|---|---|
| Fine | Up to $2,500 |
| Must carry a bag | No |
| Service animal exemption | Yes |
How the penalty works
§ 531-203(d): a violation is punishable under § 103-3, 'provided, however, a fine imposed for any such violation shall not be less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).' § 103-3 allows a fine up to the state limit in IC 36-1-3-8: $2,500 for a first violation and $7,500 for a second or subsequent one. The pick-up rule is not on the Ordinance Violations Bureau's fixed-payment schedule (§ 103-52), so no set ticket amount is published. Realistically: at least $25, with a statutory ceiling of $2,500.
The carry rule
No bag-carry requirement. If a dog or cat defecates on public property or on private property without the owner's permission, 'the animal's owner or keeper promptly shall remove any feces to a waste container, or otherwise dispose of such material in a manner inoffensive to reasonable public sensibilities' (§ 531-203(a)). The rule covers cats too.
Service animals
Conditional. § 531-203(b): the owner of a dog serving a vision-impaired person, or assisting a person with a physical impairment, may let the dog relieve itself off pedestrian and vehicle traffic ways and is relieved of the removal requirement 'to the extent such requirement is impractical for a person of such impairment.'
How Indianapolis compares
Unlike Evansville ($40), Indianapolis has no set ticket, so the amount is decided when a citation is heard.
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 Indiana
Indiana dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. Nearby: Fort Wayne dog poop law · Evansville dog poop law. All 50 states.
Source
Checked 2026-09-10 against the Indianapolis 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.
