State rankings

Dog Limit Per Household by State

Washington has the highest Max. Dogs Allowed per Household (50), followed by Louisiana (12) and Tennessee (10). Montana has the lowest (2).

Law51 states · 2 metricsUpdated Aug 18, 2024Original page
16 sources
Max. Dogs Allowed per HouseholdBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
14 of 51 states
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Max. Dogs Allowed per Household

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All 14 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
4
Middle half 3 – 6
Average
8.29
14 states
Highest
50
Washington
Lowest
2
Montana

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Max. Dogs Allowed per Household
#
1Washington50Kennel classification threshold
2Louisiana12Per-enclosure limit
3Tennessee10Limits are dicated by yard size:, - 2 dogs on one-quarter acre or less+6
4Connecticut6No more than 6 adult (age 6 months or more) dogs in a single residence.
4Iowa6Combined pet limit
4District of Columbia6Animal owners are not allowed to own seven or more animals.
7California4Each household limited to 3 or 4 dogs over four months old., Owners who obtain a kennel permit are allowed to exceed the limit.
7Oklahoma4Tulsa allows up to 6 dogs with permit
7Arkansas4Includes cats in total pet count
10Wisconsin3Milwaukee allows up to 6 dogs with permit
10Minnesota3A multiple animal permit is required if a person owns 4 or more dogs.
10Rhode Island33 adult dogs
10Delaware3Excludes service animals
14Montana2Multiple animal permits are available
—Texas—No statewide law but urban areas typically restrict the number of dogs to 3-6 per household
—Florida—No statewide law but urban areas typically restrict the number of dogs to 2-3 per household.
—New York—No statewide law. NYC allows 3 with permit
—Pennsylvania—No statewide law. Philadelphia allows 12 dogs
—Illinois—No statewide law but urban areas typically restrict the number of dogs to 4 per household.
—Ohio—No statewide law, but many municipalities an counties limit each household to 3 dogs each
—Georgia—No statewide law. Most municipalities in Georgia restrict households in residential districts to three or five dogs/cats, not counting puppies and kittens under a certain age
—North Carolina—No statewide law, but many municipalities an counties limit each household to 1-3 dogs each
—Michigan—No statewide law. Detroit allows 4 dogs
—New Jersey—No statewide law but counties, cities, and even some neighborhoods can place restrictions, often to no more than 3 dogs.
—Virginia—No statewide law but many counties typically restrict the number of dogs to 3 or 4 per household
—Arizona—No statewide law. Phoenix restricts to 6 dogs
—Massachusetts—No statewide law but some cities will limit owners to 3 or 4 dogs.
—Indiana—No statewide laws but some cities will limit owners to 3 dogs.
—Missouri—No statewide law but most municipalities and counties limit each household to 4 dogs each.
—Maryland—No statewide law. Baltimore 4-dog limit
—Colorado—No statewide law but most counties and cities limit each household to 4 adult dogs each
—South Carolina—No statewide law. Charleston allows 5 dogs
—Alabama—No limit in the number of dogs owned but owner may not keep more than 3 dogs outside at one time.
—Kentucky—No statewide law. Louisville permits 4 dogs
—Oregon—No statewide law, but many municipalities an counties limit each household to 3 dogs each
—Utah—No statewide law but urban areas typically restrict the number of dogs to 4-6 per household
—Nevada—No statewide law, but common limit is three dogs over three months of age per household
—Kansas—No statewide law. Wichita: 4 dogs
—Mississippi—No statewide law. Jackson restricts to 4 dogs
—New Mexico—No statewide law, but many municipalities and counties limit each household to 3-5 dogs each
—Idaho—No statewide law, but some cities will limit you to 2-4 dogs.
—Nebraska—No statewide law but most municipalities and counties limit each household to 3 dogs each.
—West Virginia—No statewide law. Huntington allows 6 dogs
—Hawaii—No statewide law. Honolulu requires registration for 5+ dogs
—New Hampshire—No statewide law. Manchester permits 4 dogs
—Maine—No statewide law but some cities will limit owners to 3 or 4 dogs.
—South Dakota—No statewide law. Sioux Falls restricts to 4 dogs
—North Dakota—No statewide law, but many municipalities an counties limit each household to 3 dogs each
—Alaska—No statewide law. Anchorage enforces 4-dog limit
—Vermont—No statewide law but urban areas typically restrict the number of dogs to 2 or 3 per household
—Wyoming—No statewide law but many cities typically restrict the number of dogs to 3 or 4 per household

What correlates with Max. Dogs Allowed per Household?

Pearson r against 2,030 other state metrics sharing at least 10 states. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Max. Dogs Allowed per Household tend to score higher on these

  1. Apple Production (Bearing Acres)Apple Production by State
    r = +0.97 · very strong · n = 12
    Plot
  2. RE Exam # of National QuestionsHardest Real Estate Exams by State
    r = +0.90 · very strong · n = 10
    Plot
  3. Spirits TaxAlcohol Tax by State
    r = +0.88 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  4. Est. Ex-Californians Moving to StatePeople Leaving California by State
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  5. % of Total Ex-Californians Who've Moved This YearPeople Leaving California by State
    r = +0.87 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot
  6. Pear Acres BearingPear Production by State
    r = +0.85 · very strong · n = 13
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Max. Dogs Allowed per Household tend to score lower on these

  1. Year JoinedMega Millions States
    r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 14
    Plot
  2. Overall ScorePension-Friendly States
    r = −0.69 · strong · n = 12
    Plot
  3. Circumcision Rates Among Newborn Males (MGMbill)Circumcision Rates by State
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 12
    Plot
  4. Annual Sunlight PercentageSunniest States in the U.S.
    r = −0.66 · strong · n = 12
    Plot
  5. Average # of Sunny Hours per YearSunniest States in the U.S.
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 12
    Plot
  6. Time In MonthsDating to Engagement Time by State
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 12
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Max. Dogs Allowed per Household?
Washington has the highest Max. Dogs Allowed per Household, at 50, followed by Louisiana (12) and Tennessee (10).
Which state has the lowest Max. Dogs Allowed per Household?
Montana has the lowest Max. Dogs Allowed per Household, at 2.
What is the median Max. Dogs Allowed per Household across US states?
The median is 4 across the 14 US states with data.
Where does this dog limit per household by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: These U.S. States Limit How Many Dogs You Can Own - Animalko; Dog Ownership Laws - USA Data Hub; Three dogs per household still the rule in Delaware - The Columbus Dispatch; § 91.21 Prohibition of Domestic Animals at Large - American Legal Publishing.