Dog Bite Laws by State (2026): Strict Liability Map

The two rules

Strict liability statute (21 states). The owner is liable for injuries from a bite even if the dog never showed aggression, usually as long as you were lawfully on the property and did not provoke the dog. Some statutes also cover knockdowns and other injuries; others cover bites only.

One-bite rule (no strict liability statute) (14 states). You need proof the owner knew or should have known about the dog's dangerous tendencies, or that the owner was negligent, for example by violating a leash or dangerous dog ordinance.

Mixed (16). Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia apply strict liability only in some situations, for example to some places, victims or injuries.

Law by state

Checked November 5, 2026.
State	Rule	Details	Law
Alabama	Mixed	Strict liability applies only when the victim is on property owned or controlled by the dog's owner (or was just chased off it by the dog), was lawfully there, and did not provoke the dog. Bites elsewhere (e.g., public sidewalk) follow common law (owner knew of dangerous propensity).	Ala. Code 3-6-1
Alaska	One-bite rule	No Alaska statute imposing strict liability on dog owners for bites was identified; liability follows common law (known dangerous propensities or negligence). Some municipal codes (e.g. Anchorage) have their own animal control rules.
Arizona	Strict liability	Bites only, victim in a public place or lawfully in a private place (including owner's property). Reasonable provocation is a defense (11-1027). Exceptions for military/police dog work. Statutory claim has a 1-year limitation (12-541(5)); a common-law claim for non-bite injuries requires showing negligence or known dangerous propensity.	A.R.S. 11-1025(A); A.R.S. 11-1027
Arkansas	One-bite rule	No Arkansas statute imposing strict civil liability for dog bites was identified; liability follows common law (owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensity) or negligence.
California	Strict liability	Exception for government police/military dogs in specified circumstances (3342(b)).	Civ. Code 3342(a)
Colorado	Mixed	Strict liability only for bites causing serious bodily injury or death, and only for economic damages (medical bills, lost wages), regardless of the dog's known viciousness. Statutory exceptions exist (e.g., trespassers, provocation, veterinary/dog professionals, police/military dogs, posted warnings on owner property). Pain and suffering and minor bites require a common-law negligence or known-propensity claim.	C.R.S. 13-21-124(2)
Connecticut	Strict liability	Covers any damage, not only bites, and applies to keepers as well as owners. Exceptions: victim was committing a trespass or other tort, or teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog. Children under 7 are presumed not to have been trespassing or teasing.	Conn. Gen. Stat. 22-357(b)
Delaware	Strict liability	Covers any injury, not only bites. Exceptions: victim was trespassing or committing/attempting a criminal offense on the owner's property, committing a criminal offense against any person, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog.	16 Del. C. 3053F
District of Columbia	One-bite rule	No current strict liability statute found; liability rests on common law (scienter/negligence), and leash-law violations (8-1808) may support negligence.	D.C. Code 8-1812 (repealed 2017)
Florida	Strict liability	Covers bites only, to persons in a public place or lawfully on private property (including the owner's). Victim's own negligence reduces damages proportionally. Owner not liable if a prominent, easily readable 'Bad Dog' sign was displayed, except for victims under age 6 or where the owner was negligent.	Fla. Stat. 767.04
Georgia	Mixed	Not strict liability: owner/keeper of a 'vicious or dangerous animal' who, by careless management or letting it go at liberty, injures an unprovoking person 'may be liable'. Modified one-bite rule.	O.C.G.A. 51-2-7
Hawaii	Mixed	In practice the victim still proves negligence or causation without needing to show prior viciousness. Not pure strict liability.	HRS 663-9
Idaho	One-bite rule	No Idaho statute imposing strict civil liability for dog bites was identified. Idaho Code ch. 25-28 (Dogs) contains running-at-large infractions (25-2805) but not a bite liability rule; liability follows common law (known vicious propensity or negligence).
Illinois	Strict liability	Covers attacks and any injury (not just bites) by a dog or other animal. Defenses: provocation, victim not peaceably conducting themselves, or not lawfully present. Owner is liable 'for the full amount of the injury proximately caused thereby.' Illinois defines 'owner' broadly to include keepers/harborers.	510 ILCS 5/16
Indiana	Mixed	Strict liability only for unprovoked bites of people acting peaceably while carrying out a legal duty (e.g., mail carriers, meter readers, police); owner liable even without prior vicious behavior. Other dog bite victims rely on common law (known dangerous propensity or negligence).	IC 15-20-1-3
Iowa	Strict liability	Exception when the injured party is doing an unlawful act directly contributing to the injury. Also covers damage to domestic animals. Hydrophobia (rabies) exception unless owner had reason to know.	Iowa Code 351.28
Kansas	One-bite rule
Kentucky	Strict liability	Covers any damage caused by the dog (not limited to bites). No statutory exceptions are listed; Kentucky courts allow the victim's comparative fault to reduce damages. 'Owner' is broadly defined in KRS 258.095 (includes harboring or permitting the dog to remain on premises).	KRS 258.235(4)
Louisiana	Mixed	Labeled strict by statute but limited: plaintiff must show the owner could have prevented the harm (courts require that the dog posed an unreasonable risk of harm, Pepper v. Triplet) and that the victim did not provoke the dog. Applies to injuries generally, not only bites. Other animals: negligence standard (art. 2321(A)).	La. Civ. Code art. 2321(B)
Maine	Mixed	Strict liability when the victim is off the owner's/keeper's premises; victim's fault reduces damages for physical injury only if it exceeded the owner's fault. On the owner's premises, liability requires negligence of the owner or keeper (subsection 1) and no fault of the injured person.	7 M.R.S. sec. 3961
Maryland	Mixed	Owner is strictly liable for injury caused while the dog is running at large, except to trespassers/persons committing crimes or teasing, tormenting, abusing or provoking the dog (sec. 3-1901(c)). Non-owners (e.g., landlords) remain under common law.	Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. sec. 3-1901
Massachusetts	Strict liability	Covers any damage (not only bites) to body or property. Exceptions: victim was committing a trespass or other tort, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog. Child under 7 presumed not to be trespassing or teasing; burden on defendant.	M.G.L. c. 140, sec. 155
Michigan	Strict liability	Applies to bites only (other dog injuries fall under common law negligence/known-propensity rules).	MCL 287.351
Minnesota	Strict liability	Covers attacks or injuries (not only bites). Requirements: no provocation, victim acting peaceably, and lawfully present. 'Owner' includes anyone harboring or keeping the dog.	Minn. Stat. 347.22
Mississippi	One-bite rule	No Mississippi statute imposing strict civil liability on dog owners was identified. Common law requires showing the owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensities (or negligence, e.g., leash ordinance violations).	No dog-bite strict liability statute; common law
Missouri	Strict liability	Strict liability for unprovoked bites where the victim is in public or lawfully on private property (including the owner's). Owners are also strictly liable for damage to property or livestock. Damages reduced by the injured party's percentage of fault. Owner also faces a $1,000 fine.	RSMo 273.036.1
Montana	Mixed		Mont. Code Ann. 27-1-715
Nebraska	Strict liability	Strict liability for bites (and for injuries from the dog killing, wounding, injuring, worrying, or chasing persons or domestic animals). Exceptions: trespassers; limited exemption for police/military dogs used under written policy.	Neb. Rev. Stat. 54-601(1)
Nevada	One-bite rule	No Nevada statute imposing strict civil liability on dog owners was identified; claims proceed under negligence or the common law known-dangerous-propensity rule.	No civil dog-bite strict liability statute; common law (NRS 202.500 dangerous/vicious dog provisions are regulatory/criminal)
New Hampshire	Strict liability	Covers any damage to a person or property caused by a dog (not limited to bites). Only exception: victim was committing a trespass or other tort. Parent or guardian liable if the owner/keeper is a minor.	RSA 466:19
New Jersey	Strict liability	Victim must be in a public place or lawfully on private property (including the owner's property). Non-bite injuries fall under common law.	N.J.S.A. 4:19-16
New Mexico	One-bite rule	No New Mexico statute imposing strict civil liability for dog bites was identified; liability follows common law scienter (known dangerous propensity) or ordinary negligence.	No civil dog-bite strict liability statute; common law (owner liable if it knew or should have known of the animal's dangerous propensity); Dangerous Dog Act, NMSA 1978, 77-1A-1 et seq. is regulatory/criminal
New York	Mixed	Strict liability is limited to medical costs and only for a dog already found to be a 'dangerous dog'. Other damages require the common law showing that the owner knew or should have known of the dog's vicious propensities (one-bite style); sec. 123(12) preserves common law claims.	N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law sec. 123(10)-(12); common law vicious propensity rule
North Carolina	Mixed	Strict liability only for dogs meeting the statutory 'dangerous dog' definition (G.S. 67-4.1). Other dogs: common law (owner knew or should have known of vicious propensity).	N.C. Gen. Stat. 67-4.4 (dangerous dogs); common law for other dogs
North Dakota	One-bite rule	No dog bite strict liability statute found; N.D.C.C. ch. 42-03 only treats dogs that habitually molest travelers as a public nuisance.
Ohio	Strict liability	Covers any injury caused by the dog, not only bites. Exceptions: victim committing or attempting criminal trespass or another non-minor criminal offense on the owner's property or against any person, or teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog on the owner's property. Common law claim also remains available.	R.C. 955.28(B)
Oklahoma	Strict liability	Applies to bites or injuries without provocation where the victim is lawfully present (4 O.S. 42.2 defines lawful presence).	4 O.S. 42.1
Oregon	Mixed		ORS 31.360
Pennsylvania	Mixed		Dog Law, Act of Dec. 7, 1982, P.L. 784, No. 225, sec. 502(b) (3 P.S. 459-502)
Rhode Island	Mixed		R.I. Gen. Laws 4-13-16
South Carolina	Strict liability	Covers bites and other attacks. Exceptions: victim provoked or harassed the dog and that was the proximate cause, or a qualifying law enforcement dog acting under lawful command.	S.C. Code 47-3-110
South Dakota	One-bite rule
Tennessee	Mixed	Owner who fails to keep the dog under reasonable control or lets it run at large is liable to a person injured in a public place or lawfully on another's private property, without proof of dangerous propensity (44-8-413(a)). Exceptions include police or military dogs, trespassers and provocation. If the injury occurs on the owner's residential, farm or other noncommercial property, the claimant must prove the owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensities (44-8-413(c)).	Tenn. Code Ann. 44-8-413
Texas	One-bite rule	No civil dog bite strict liability statute (Health and Safety Code ch. 822 addresses dangerous dogs and criminal attacks). Common law strict liability only for known vicious propensity, plus negligence.
Utah	Strict liability	Covers any injury caused by the dog; damages apportioned under comparative fault (78B-5-818). Exceptions for certified law enforcement dogs and certain other situations in 18-1-1(2)-(3).	Utah Code 18-1-1
Vermont	One-bite rule
Virginia	One-bite rule
Washington	Strict liability	Bites only; victim must be in a public place or lawfully in a private place (including the owner's property). Does not apply to lawful use of a police dog. Provocation is a defense under RCW 16.08.060.	RCW 16.08.040
West Virginia	Mixed		W. Va. Code 19-20-13
Wisconsin	Strict liability	Covers any injury, not only bites; reduced by the victim's comparative negligence (895.045). Double damages after prior notice of a skin-breaking bite (174.02(1)(b)). 895.57(4) excludes trespassers in certain cases.	Wis. Stat. 174.02(1)
Wyoming	One-bite rule	No dog bite strict liability statute identified in Wyoming statutes; common law rule presumed.

Common defenses

Provocation: teasing, hitting or startling the dog.
Trespassing: most statutes protect only people lawfully on the property.
Comparative fault: your damages can be reduced if you were partly to blame, under the state's comparative negligence rule.

Frequently asked questions

Which states have strict liability for dog bites?

21 states have a statute making owners liable for bites even without a history of aggression: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin. Most exclude trespassers and people who provoked the dog.

What does the one-bite rule mean?

Without a strict liability statute, an owner is generally liable if they knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, for example from an earlier bite or attack, or if they were negligent. The name is misleading: a first bite can still lead to liability if the owner was careless or broke a leash law.

Does the dog owner's insurance pay for a bite?

Usually the owner's homeowners or renters liability coverage pays, up to its limit, unless the policy excludes the dog. Estimate a claim with the dog bite settlement calculator.

How long do I have to sue for a dog bite?

The personal injury statute of limitations usually applies. See the statute of limitations by state.

Sources

Checked November 5, 2026.