on September 10, 2026

Mississippi Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: Mississippi 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. None of them uses a set ticket amount. Fines are set by a judge within a range the code allows.

Why Mississippi leaves it to cities

Mississippi has no statewide statute requiring dog-waste pickup; each city writes its own rule. Gulfport's general penalty (up to $1,000 and/or 90 days) cites Miss. Code Ann. 21-13-1 as the state authority for ordinance penalties, and Southaven's animal-code maximum is the same $1,000 and/or 90 days.

  • Penalty for violation of municipal ordinances (as cited in Gulfport Code 1-9): Miss. Code Ann. 21-13-1 (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in Mississippi'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
Jackson Jackson Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-14 (Removal of wastes); parks and trails Sec. 90-2; penalty Sec. 18-3 $25 to $500 No
Gulfport Gulfport Code of Ordinances Sec. 7-113(b) (Dogs, disturbing the peace); general penalty Sec. 1-9; marina Sec. 2-109.8 Up to $1,000 No
Southaven Southaven Code of Ordinances Sec. 3-15(c) (Responsibility of owner generally); nuisance definition Sec. 3-1; penalty Sec. 3-3 $25 to $1,000 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in Mississippi 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 Mississippi

  • Gulfport, the state's second-largest city, has no explicit 'pick it up' duty for dog owners on streets or lawns; its only general rule treats defecating on someone else's property as a dog nuisance. Its marina rule is stricter, banning pet waste from being washed or thrown into the Mississippi Sound.
  • Jackson extended its park rule in 2018 to cover public walking trails even outside city parks (Sec. 90-2).

Common questions

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

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 Mississippi?

It depends on the city. Jackson: $25 to $500. Gulfport: Up to $1,000. Southaven: $25 to $1,000.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in Mississippi?

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 South

Texas · Florida · Georgia · North Carolina · Virginia · Tennessee · Maryland · South Carolina

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.