Dog Breed Rules

All places · Virginia

Dog breed rules in Virginia (state law)

No breed bans allowed: no locality shall prohibit the ownership of a particular breed of dogBreed rules

1

The details

What the rule requires
A locality may not ban owning a particular breed. A court may not find a dog dangerous solely because it is a particular breed.12
Law
Code of Virginia Section 3.2-6541.1, added in 2021, and Section 3.2-6540 K.12

The sources we read do not say: breeds named, penalty, service dog exception.

Section 3.2-6541.1 speaks only to bans on ownership. It does not address other breed rules.

Sources

  1. Code of Virginia 3.2-6541.1, Authority to prohibit ownership of particular breed, Virginia General Assembly, checked 1 November 2026
  2. Code of Virginia 3.2-6540, Control of dangerous dogs, Virginia General Assembly, checked 1 November 2026

Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source used only because the official page could not be read.