First walks in Las Vegas.
In Las Vegas, your dog stays on a leash any time it is off your property - in city parks, a leash no longer than eight feet. Off-leash play is for the city’s 12 listed dog parks. The city’s own rules and how we suggest starting a new dog’s first week.
The rules, in short
From the Las Vegas Municipal Code and the city’s own pages.
- 1Off your property: leashed - in parks, eight feet at most
- 2Off-leash play: the city’s 12 listed dog parks
- 3Microchip and rabies shot, then a city license
- 4Pick up promptly - and carry the bag in parks
- 5Dog parks open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- 6The license tag stays on the collar
Hours, exceptions & the fine print
A dog is "at large" any time it is not secured by a leash or lead, or confined on your property (7.04.090), and letting it run at large is unlawful - the only exception written into the code is for cats (7.36.030). In city parks dogs must be on a leash of eight feet or less outside the designated dog-park areas, and they stay out of children’s play areas and athletic events (13.36.130). Violations of the animal code are misdemeanors (7.44.040).
The first week
The same calm start we suggest everywhere - on Las Vegas’s streets.
- 1Leash, quiet streets, short and sniffy - calm hours, near home, ending before your dog is wound up. An off-leash area is not day-one material for a brand-new dog.
- 2Sniffing is the point - let your dog pause and sniff instead of focusing on distance. More on the sniff walk.
- 3Settle first, explore later - more on the first days: a routine for a newly adopted dog and a calm start to every walk.
The dog parks, for later
Once your dog has settled. The city lists 12 dog parks:
- 1All American Park - 1551 S Buffalo Dr - one dog run
- 2Barkin’ Basin Park - 7351 W Alexander Rd - a park designed for dogs, three separate areas
- 3Centennial Hills Park - 7207 N Buffalo Dr - dog park in a 120-acre regional park
- 4Kellogg Zaher Sports Complex - 7901 W Washington Ave - three dog runs
- 5Children’s Memorial Park - 6601 W Gowan Rd - dog runs
- 6Douglas A. Selby Park - 1293 N Sandhill Rd - large and small dog runs
- 7East Las Vegas Family Park - 4480 E Washington Ave - dog park
- 8Gary Dexter Park - 800 Upland Blvd - two dog runs
- 9Justice Leavitt & Jaycee Park - 2100 E St Louis Ave - dog runs
- 10Police Memorial Park - 3250 Metro Academy Way - three dog runs
- 11Winding Trails Park - 7250 N Fort Apache Rd - dog park
- 12Woofter Park - 1600 Rock Springs Dr - two dog runs
Every one of the 12 posts hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Each park also closes its dog areas for a few midday hours one or two weekdays a week for maintenance - the day varies by park, so check the park’s page before you go. Outside the fenced areas the eight-foot leash rule applies, and the city’s posted park rules require picking up after your dog everywhere.
Pins mark the park or its listed access point, not the exact off-leash boundary.
Good to know
Worth knowing
Las Vegas requires a microchip for every dog over four months (7.15.010) and a rabies vaccination within 30 days of three months (7.12.010); the city license follows - due within 30 days of your dog turning four months or moving to the city, $10 a year spayed or neutered, $25 intact, reduced rates for owners 65 and up (7.08). This page covers the City of Las Vegas - much of the Strip is unincorporated Clark County, which has its own rules.
Sources
Sources: Las Vegas Municipal Code 7.04.090 (at-large definition), 7.36.030 (at-large prohibition), 7.36.040 (waste), 13.36.130 (animals in parks), 7.08.010-7.08.090 (licenses and fees), 7.15.010 (microchips), 7.12.010 (rabies), 7.44.040 (penalty): library.municode.com Title 7. City pages: lasvegasnevada.gov dog parks, park rules (PDF), pet licensing. All verified November 2, 2026.
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