on September 10, 2026

Kansas Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: Kansas 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. Kansas City publishes a set ticket of $100.

Why Kansas leaves it to cities

Kansas has no statewide statute requiring dog-waste pickup; Kansas cities regulate animals in their own codes. State animal law mainly governs pounds and shelters, such as the minimum three-business-day hold before an impounded animal can be disposed of (K.S.A. 47-1710), which Wichita's at-large rule incorporates.

  • Pound and shelter holding period for impounded animals: K.S.A. 47-1710 (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in Kansas'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
Wichita Wichita Code Sec. 6.04.040(f)(12) (permitting an animal to be a public nuisance) with the 'Nuisance' definition in Sec. 6.04.010, item 3; parks Sec. 9.03.390(a); dog parks Sec. 6.04.218 Up to $2,500 No
Overland Park Overland Park Municipal Code 6.08.080 (Damage to property); penalty 6.16.020 and 1.12.010 Up to $500 No
Kansas City Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Code Sec. 7-215(b) (Nuisance animals: property damage); fines Sec. 7-2(e) $100 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in Kansas 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 Kansas

  • Wichita's maximum for animal-code violations is unusually high, up to $2,500 and a year in jail (6.04.190), but its waste rule outside parks only reaches an animal that 'repeatedly' defecates on public or others' property and is excused if the waste is picked up immediately.
  • Overland Park writes its cleanup safe harbor for public property only; as drafted, 6.08.080 does not excuse a dog defecating on a neighbor's private property even if the owner cleans it up.
  • Kansas City, Kansas treats a dog defecating on sidewalks, parkways or others' land as property damage under its nuisance-animal section, with scheduled fines of $100, $200 and $500.

Common questions

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

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 Kansas?

It depends on the city. Wichita: Up to $2,500. Overland Park: Up to $500. Kansas City: $100.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in Kansas?

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

Other states in the Midwest

Illinois · Ohio · Michigan · Indiana · Missouri · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Iowa

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.