on September 10, 2026

North Carolina Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: North Carolina 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. The highest set ticket among them is $100, in Raleigh.

Why North Carolina leaves it to cities

North Carolina has no statute requiring dog owners to pick up after their dogs; pickup rules are city or county ordinances. Cities act under G.S. 160A-186, which lets a city "regulate, restrict, or prohibit the keeping, running, or going at large of any domestic animals, including dogs and cats." The only statewide at-large rule for dogs is G.S. 67-12, which bars allowing a dog over six months old to run at large at night unaccompanied (a Class 3 misdemeanor if done intentionally, knowingly and willfully). The state littering statute's definition of litter (G.S. 14-399) lists dead animals but does not mention feces or animal waste. A distinctive state-level rule shapes enforcement: Session Law 2021-138 (SB 300), Part XIII, effective December 1, 2021, amended G.S. 160A-175(b) for cities and G.S. 153A-123(b) for counties so that an ordinance violation "may be a misdemeanor or infraction as provided by G.S. 14-4 only if the city specifies such in the ordinance," and barred enacting a criminal-penalty ordinance at the meeting where it is first introduced. It also amended G.S. 14-4 so no criminal fine for a local ordinance violation may exceed $50 unless the ordinance expressly states a higher maximum (the overall cap stays $500), and added G.S. 14-4(c), a defense for a person who shows no new violations of the ordinance (within 30 days as enacted; the current text says 12 months) or a documented good-faith effort to seek help with unemployment, homelessness, mental health or substance abuse. Charlotte and Raleigh expressly declare misdemeanor status in their animal chapters and also publish fixed civil penalties.

  • City authority to regulate or prohibit dogs running at large: N.C. Gen. Stat. 160A-186 (read it)
  • Enforcement of city ordinances; criminal penalty only if the ordinance specifies it: N.C. Gen. Stat. 160A-175(b) (read it)
  • Enforcement of county ordinances; same rule for counties: N.C. Gen. Stat. 153A-123(b) (read it)
  • Local ordinance violation as Class 3 misdemeanor; $50 default fine cap; compliance defense: N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-4 (read it)
  • Dogs running at large at night: N.C. Gen. Stat. 67-12 (read it)
  • Session Law 2021-138 (SB 300), Part XIII, Decriminalization of certain ordinances: S.L. 2021-138, s. 13 (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in North Carolina'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
Charlotte Charlotte City Code Sec. 3-69(a)(9) (Nuisance: failing to remove dog feces); penalties in Sec. 3-33 $50 No
Raleigh Raleigh City Code Sec. 12-3011(b) and (c) (Dogs at large; defecation on streets and private property); penalties in Sec. 12-3069 $100 No
Greensboro Greensboro City Code Sec. 5-5(2)b (nuisance animals: allowing an animal to defecate on the property of another), which restates Guilford County Code Sec. 5-10(b)(2); Sec. 5-2 adopts the Guilford County animal ordinance by reference $100 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in North Carolina 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 North Carolina

  • Since December 1, 2021 (S.L. 2021-138), a North Carolina city or county ordinance violation is a crime only if the ordinance itself says so, and the criminal fine defaults to a $50 maximum unless the ordinance expressly states a higher one (G.S. 160A-175(b), 153A-123(b), 14-4(a)). G.S. 14-4(c) also gives a defense to anyone who shows no new violations of the ordinance within 12 months.
  • Greensboro added Secs. 5-2 through 5-5 to its code on May 19, 2026, adopting Guilford County's animal ordinance by reference; the prior Municode version (Supp. 132, Update 2, April 2026) had only a bird-sanctuary section in Chapter 5. The only waste language is the nuisance clause "defecating upon the property of another," with no express duty to pick up and no mention of public property.
  • Guilford County's penalty section makes violations a misdemeanor "punishable as provided in G.S. 14-4" without stating a maximum, so under the 2021 amendment any criminal fine appears limited to $50, while its civil penalty schedule runs $100, $300 and $500.
  • Charlotte's exemption covers only guide dogs used by visually impaired persons and dogs used in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department activities, and unpaid civil penalties double after 30 days.
  • Raleigh's repeat-offense escalation counts violations within a twelve-month period ($100, $150, $250, then $500).

Common questions

Is it illegal to not pick up dog poop in North Carolina?

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 North Carolina?

It depends on the city. Charlotte: $50. Raleigh: $100. Greensboro: $100.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in North Carolina?

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 Charlotte, 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 South

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

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.