Posted by Waste Happy
on September 10, 2026
Quick answer: Yes. Yonkers requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs under Yonkers City Code § 65-12. The city does not publish a set fine amount.
What the Yonkers ordinance says
| Ordinance | Yonkers City Code § 65-12 (penalty class set by § 65-26(C), amended by General Ordinance GO 3-2026) |
|---|---|
| Fine | Could not verify |
| Must carry a bag | No |
| Service animal exemption | Yes |
How the penalty works
Yonkers sets penalties by offense class, and the Code's class definitions (Chapter 1, Article III, §§ 1-21 and 1-22) could not be read: ecode360 blocks automated access and those pages are not archived. Until 2026 a § 65-12 violation was a Class III offense, which the City's Dog Waste page and its 'Be a Good Neighbor' flyer describe as up to $1,500. On March 24, 2026 the City Council adopted GO 3-2026, changing § 65-26(C) so that a § 65-12 violation is a Class II offense; it takes effect on compliance with Charter § C4-6(c), and the mayor's approval date was not confirmed from an official source. The City's Property Owners Responsibility page says fines from $250 to $5,000 could be imposed for a Class II offense, but whether the $5,000 top applies to a first offense or only to repeat offenders is not verified, so no first-offense figure is recorded. Separately, state PHL § 1310 names Yonkers and caps the penalty for violating the state statute at $250. As of 2026-09-10 the City's Dog Waste page still shows the old Class III and $1,500 figures.
The carry rule
§ 65-12 requires removal only, with no bag or equipment requirement. The City's flyer tells walkers to carry a bag, but that is guidance, not code text.
Service animals
§ 65-12 excepts guide, hearing and service dogs accompanying a person with a disability as defined in PHL § 1310, mirroring the state statute.
How Yonkers compares
Unlike New York City ($250), Yonkers 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 New York
New York dog poop laws covers the state and its other large cities. Nearby: New York City dog poop law · Buffalo dog poop law. All 50 states.
Source
Checked 2026-09-10 against the Yonkers 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.
