Dog Bite Quarantine Rules by State (2026)

A dog that bites a person is usually confined and watched for 10 days so health officials can rule out rabies. The CDC tells veterinarians to confine and observe a healthy biting dog for 10 days ¹, and 49 states and D.C. set that same period in their own law or official guidance.

The quarantine is a public health measure, not a punishment and not a finding that the dog is dangerous. This guide explains why it lasts 10 days, who decides whether the dog stays home, what changes for an unvaccinated dog, who pays, and what each state requires. It is general information, not legal or veterinary advice.

Why the quarantine lasts 10 days

The 10 days come from how rabies spreads. CDC’s immunization advisers wrote in 2008 that a healthy dog, cat or ferret that bites a person “should be confined and observed for 10 days,” because an animal still alive and healthy 10 days after the bite was not shedding rabies virus in its saliva when it bit ². A clean result at day 10 therefore tells the bitten person’s doctor that the bite did not carry rabies.

That is why the clock runs from the day of the bite, not the day the report is filed. The CDC’s guidance for veterinarians adds three rules that most states follow ¹:

No rabies shot during observation. The dog is not vaccinated in those 10 days, so a vaccine reaction cannot be mistaken for signs of rabies.
Illness is reported at once. If the dog falls ill, the local health department is told right away.
Signs of rabies mean testing. An animal that shows signs consistent with rabies is euthanized and tested.

The CDC points veterinarians to the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control for the details ¹. Its 2016 edition was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (2016;248:505–17) ³. Several states, including Michigan and Rhode Island, adopt the Compendium by reference; see their pages, Michigan and Rhode Island.

What the quarantine means for the person bitten

For the person bitten, the observation can spare them rabies shots. CDC’s advisers wrote that if signs of rabies develop in the confined dog, the bitten person’s post-exposure prophylaxis should begin and the dog should be euthanized and tested ². The CDC asks providers to make that call through a risk assessment ⁴, so the decision to start or wait belongs to a doctor or the health department, not the owner. See a doctor after any bite, and do not wait for day 10 if you are told to start treatment.

A stray, or a dog whose owner does not want it, is handled differently. The 2008 recommendations allow such a dog to be confined and observed for 10 days or euthanized right away and tested ², and the CDC says a stray suspected of rabies should be euthanized and tested immediately so the result can guide the victim’s care ¹. The first steps for the victim are in what to do after a dog bite.

Home quarantine or shelter: who decides

The local authority decides, and vaccination is the usual dividing line. A dog with a current rabies vaccination can often stay home; an unvaccinated dog usually goes to a shelter, veterinary clinic or approved kennel. The state files show the range:

Connecticut. The animal control officer must quarantine the dog for 10 days, and the State Veterinarian or a designee examines it on day 10. A dog with a current vaccination may stay home if the premises are adequate; an unvaccinated dog goes to a pound, veterinary hospital or approved kennel ⁹. See Connecticut.
Texas. The default is a state-licensed quarantine facility chosen by the local rabies control authority. Home confinement needs an approved secure enclosure, a vaccinated dog, checks on the first and last days, and a dog that was not a stray ⁷. See Texas.
California. The 10-day isolation is mandatory statewide, in a place the local health officer approves ⁵. State guidance treats a shelter as the ideal and allows home quarantine under local ordinance only when the rabies risk is low, for example a healthy, vaccinated dog that was provoked ⁶. See California.
Massachusetts. The animal inspector issues a written 10-day order whatever the dog’s vaccination status, usually for confinement at home, and only the inspector can release the dog ¹³. The state’s owner instructions say the order is not proof of a bite ¹⁴. See Massachusetts.
Wisconsin. An officer must order the quarantine when there is reason to believe a dog bit a person. A dog with a valid vaccination certificate may stay home; otherwise it goes to an isolation facility within 24 hours, and a veterinarian examines it on the first day, the last day and one day in between ¹⁰. See Wisconsin.

Home quarantine is not ordinary home life. In the District of Columbia, a veterinarian or official examines the dog on the first and last days, and the owner may not release it, move it out of the District or dispose of it during the period ¹¹. Massachusetts allows leash walks by an adult ¹⁴.

Unvaccinated and medically exempt dogs

A dog without a current rabies vaccination is still observed for 10 days, but it is more likely to be held away from home and to need a vaccine afterwards. Delaware keeps an unvaccinated dog at a veterinarian, kennel or approved facility at the owner’s expense, and it stays there past day 10 until a veterinarian vaccinates it ¹². Connecticut requires vaccination on day 10 ⁹.

Since January 2026, Illinois treats a dog exempted from rabies vaccination for medical reasons as unvaccinated after a bite ¹⁵. See Illinois and Delaware.

A different, longer quarantine applies when a dog is the one exposed, for example bitten by a rabid raccoon. Under the 2016 Compendium, an unvaccinated dog or cat exposed to rabies is euthanized, or vaccinated within 96 hours and quarantined for 4 months, down from 6 months in earlier editions; an overdue but previously vaccinated animal gets a booster within 96 hours and 45 days of observation ³. That rule is about protecting the dog’s household, not about a person’s bite.

Who pays for the quarantine

In nearly every state file, the owner pays. Texas puts the reasonable costs on the owner ⁸, Delaware and Connecticut charge boarding at a facility to the owner ¹² ⁹, and Ohio allows confinement at a pound, shelter or kennel at the owner’s expense ²⁰. Illinois adds a $25 public safety fine at the end, on top of the exam, vaccination and microchip ¹⁵.

Arkansas is an exception for strays. Its rules make the owner pay confinement, veterinary and transport costs ²⁴, but the statute puts the expense of confining a stray on the person bitten ²⁵. See Arkansas.

No state publishes a standard fee. Boarding at a shelter or clinic is priced locally, so ask the facility for its daily rate in writing. These costs are part of the owner’s side of a bite, alongside the steps in my dog bit someone; the bitten person’s medical costs are a separate matter covered in dog bite settlements.

States without a fixed 10-day rule

Two states set no fixed period at the state level. Hawaii has never had rabies start within its borders; instead of a 10-day bite rule, its health director may order a biting animal seized, held and tested if rabies “cannot be excluded” ¹⁶. See Hawaii.

Idaho’s rule, as amended effective July 1, 2026, requires a healthy biting dog to be managed under a veterinarian’s or official’s supervision but no longer sets a number of days ¹⁷. Cities fill the gap: Boise requires veterinary confinement for 10 to 15 days ¹⁸. See Idaho.

Others set 10 days but allow changes. Ohio’s quarantine is ten days or longer if the local board of health decides more time is needed, and the dog is not released until it has a current rabies vaccination ¹⁹. California lets a dog held under veterinary observation in a shelter or animal hospital go after 5 days if a veterinarian examines it and certifies no signs of disease ⁵. In Missouri no statute fixes the period, and the state health department decides whether to order quarantine, impoundment or testing ²³. See Ohio and Missouri.

The table below lists each state’s period and its main rule, from the state files:

Rabies observation after a dog bites a person (state files reviewed October 2026)
State	Observation period	Rule
Alabama	10 days	A dog that bites a person must be quarantined for 10 days under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, or as the health officer directs.
Alaska	10 days	State regulation requires a vaccinated dog that bites a person to be observed for 10 days.
Arizona	10 days	An unvaccinated dog or cat that bites a person is quarantined for at least 10 days from the day of the bite, in the county pound or, at the owner's request and expense, a veterinary hospital.
Arkansas	10 days	A dog or cat that bites a person is confined for 10 days by a veterinarian, the owner or the public pound.
California	10 days	A dog that bites a person must be isolated and observed for 10 days, in a place and manner the local health officer approves; this is mandatory statewide.
Colorado	10 days	The health department serves notice on the owner to confine a dog that bit a person, at the owner's expense, on the owner's premises, at a shelter or another designated place, for the period the state sets.
Connecticut	10 days	When a dog bites or attacks a person, the animal control officer must quarantine it for 10 days; on day 10 the State Veterinarian or a designee examines it.
Delaware	10 days	The owner of a dog that bit a person must keep it in strict quarantine for at least 10 days from the bite.
District of Columbia	10 days	After DC Health notifies the owner, a dog that bit a person must be quarantined for 10 days, whatever its vaccination status, on the owner's premises, or where DC Health designates at the owner's expense; it may not be given a rabies vaccine during that time.
Florida	10 days	A dog, cat or ferret that bites a person is confined and observed for 10 days from the bite.
Georgia	10 days	Under the state Rabies Control Manual, a dog, cat or ferret that bites a person should be confined and observed for 10 days whatever its vaccination status, with no vaccines given during that time.
Hawaii	No fixed state period	Hawaii has never had rabies start within its borders, and its quarantine program is aimed at dogs and cats arriving from elsewhere.
Idaho	No fixed state period	Under the state rule as amended effective July 1, 2026, a healthy dog that bit a person, vaccinated or not, must be managed under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian or a person designated by the Department of Agriculture, the health district or the Department of Health and Welfare.
Illinois	10 days	The biting animal is confined under a veterinarian's observation for at least 10 days from the bite, until a veterinarian examines and releases it; the Administrator can shorten the period.
Indiana	10 days	A dog that bites a person is confined and observed for at least 10 days under the supervision of the state veterinarian, a licensed accredited veterinarian or another person the health officer names, at the owner's expense.
Iowa	10 days	When the local board of health learns an animal has bitten someone, it must order the owner to confine it as the board directs.
Kansas	10 days	An owned dog that bites a person must be observed for signs of rabies for 10 days, at the owner's home, a veterinary premises or a licensed shelter, as the local health officer or KDHE decides.
Kentucky	10 days	The local health officer may quarantine a dog, cat or ferret that bit a person for up to 10 days, or order it destroyed and tested for rabies instead.
Louisiana	10 days	A dog that bites a person must be confined for at least 10 days, or killed and its head sent to the state laboratory for rabies testing; no rabies vaccine should be given during observation.
Maine	10 days	A healthy owned dog that bites a person must be confined and observed daily for 10 days from the bite, whatever its vaccination status.
Maryland	10 days	The owner of a dog, cat or ferret that bit a person must quarantine it for at least 10 days after the bite, in a place and manner approved by the local health officer or the state Public Health Veterinarian.
Massachusetts	10 days	After investigating, the animal inspector issues a written order placing the dog under a 10-day quarantine, whatever its vaccination status.
Michigan	10 days	Michigan's rule requires a biting animal to be handled under the national Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control.
Minnesota	10 days	A dog, cat or ferret that bites a person must be confined and observed for 10 days, or euthanized and tested for rabies.
Mississippi	10 days	A healthy dog, cat or ferret that bites a person must be confined and observed for 10 days in a manner acceptable to the local health officer, with no rabies vaccine given during that time.
Missouri	10 days	No Missouri statute fixes the observation period.
Montana	10 days	After a dog, cat or ferret bites a person, the local health officer must arrange for the animal to be observed for 10 days at an animal shelter, veterinary facility or other adequate facility.
Nebraska	10 days	A vaccinated dog is confined and observed by its owner for at least 10 days, as the rabies control authority requires, and is then examined by a veterinarian.
Nevada	10 days	Every dog, cat or ferret that bites a person must be quarantined and observed for 10 days, whether or not it is vaccinated, under a vet or a person the rabies control authority designates.
New Hampshire	10 days	A healthy, vaccinated dog that breaks the skin must be confined by the owner as local authorities require for 10 days, then examined by a veterinarian.
New Jersey	10 days	The local health department may order the owner to confine a dog that bit someone for at least ten days, at the owner's expense, at home or at a shelter or veterinary hospital named in the notice (N.J.S.A. 26:4-82).
New Mexico	10 days	A dog, cat or ferret that bites a person must either be destroyed and its head sent for rabies testing, or confined immediately at the owner's expense for a 10-day observation, at a place and in a manner the animal control officer designates and the health office approves.
New York	10 days	When a dog, cat or ferret has bitten a person, the local health authority may order it confined for 10 days, whether or not it is vaccinated, under conditions it sets and under the control of persons it chooses, which can include the owner.
North Carolina	10 days	A dog that bites a person must be confined immediately for 10 days at a place designated by the local health director, whatever its vaccination status.
North Dakota	10 days	A healthy dog that bites someone should be confined and held for observation for 10 days, with a veterinary exam at the start and the end.
Ohio	10 days	A dog that bites a person is quarantined for ten days, or longer if the local board of health decides more time is needed.
Oklahoma	10 days	After written notice, the owner must place a dog that bit someone in the preceding 10 days under a veterinarian's supervision for 10 days from the bite, at a vet or animal control facility.
Oregon	10 days	A dog that bites a person must be held for observation until the 10th day after the bite.
Pennsylvania	10 days	A dog that bites or attacks a person must be confined right away and isolated for at least 10 days.
Rhode Island	10 days	The animal control officer orders quarantine, strict confinement at home, or observation for as long as needed to rule out rabies.
South Carolina	10 days	The county health department serves notice on the owner of a dog, cat or ferret that bit or attacked a person to quarantine it for at least 10 days, at the owner's expense, on the owner's premises or at a shelter or other place named in the notice.
South Dakota	10 days	The Department of Health may serve written notice on the owner of a dog or cat that bit or attacked a person to confine it for at least ten days, at the owner's expense, at home, at a city pound or at another place named in the notice.
Tennessee	10 days	A dog that bites a person is observed for 10 days from the bite, whether or not it is vaccinated.
Texas	10 days	A dog that bit a person is quarantined until the end of a 10-day observation period, regardless of its vaccination status, in a state-licensed quarantine facility chosen by the local rabies control authority.
Utah	10 days	A healthy dog that bites a person must be confined and observed for 10 days from the bite, whatever its vaccination status, as local animal control ordinances specify.
Vermont	10 days	Any dog, cat or ferret that bites a person must be confined and observed for 10 days, whatever its vaccination status.
Virginia	10 days	At the local health director's discretion, a dog that may have exposed a person is confined under observation for 10 days at the owner's expense.
Washington	10 days	When a local health officer learns that a dog, cat or ferret has bitten a person, the officer may order a healthy animal "confined in a manner the local health officer considers appropriate and observed daily for at least ten days", with any illness reported.
West Virginia	10 days	Whoever owns or harbors a dog, cat or other domestic animal that bites a person must confine it at once for 10 days of rabies observation, whether or not it is licensed.
Wisconsin	10 days	A peace officer, local health officer, humane officer or similar officer must order a dog or cat quarantined when there is reason to believe it bit a person.
Wyoming	10 days	A dog that bites may be impounded by the sheriff or animal control and quarantined for at least ten days, or longer if the state health officer decides.

Reporting the bite starts the quarantine

The quarantine begins with a bite report, and in many states reporting is a legal duty. In Texas, anyone who knows of a bite that could transmit rabies must report it to the local rabies control authority ⁸. North Carolina requires both the bitten person and the dog’s owner to notify the local health director immediately, and a treating physician within 24 hours ²¹.

Medical providers often have their own deadline. Since March 20, 2026, Ohio health care providers and veterinarians must report a dog bite within 24 hours ²⁶. Massachusetts physicians and hospitals report within 24 hours to the town’s inspector of animals ²⁷, and Delaware requires a report to the Division of Public Health within 12 hours ¹². California makes every dog bite to a person reportable to the local health officer ⁵ ⁶.

Breaking a quarantine order

Ignoring a quarantine order can bring a fine, seizure of the dog and in some states a criminal charge. Connecticut sets a $250 fine and seizure ⁹. In Wisconsin, refusing the order is punishable by a $100 to $1,000 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both ¹⁰. Texas makes refusing to quarantine a Class C misdemeanor ⁸, and North Carolina makes disobeying a confinement order a Class 2 misdemeanor, with the dog seized at the owner’s expense ²¹. North Carolina’s health officials also told local directors in December 2025 to favor confinement over euthanasia ²².

Owners usually cannot sell, give away, move or euthanize the dog during the period without permission ¹⁵ ¹². A quarantine is separate from a dangerous-dog case, but a bite report can lead to one; see dangerous dog laws, the dog bite euthanasia laws guide, and your state’s dangerous-dog page, such as the Texas dangerous dog law page. For every state’s full rule, start from the state list.

Questions

Can my dog be quarantined at home after biting someone?

Often, yes, if the dog is vaccinated and the local authority approves. Connecticut lets a dog with a current rabies vaccination serve the quarantine at home if the premises are adequate⁹, and Wisconsin allows home quarantine for a dog with a valid vaccination certificate¹⁰. Texas starts from a licensed quarantine facility and allows home confinement only under strict conditions⁷.

Does a vaccinated dog still have to be quarantined after a bite?

In most states, yes. The CDC's guidance applies the 10-day observation to any healthy dog that exposes a person¹, and states such as Texas and the District of Columbia require it whatever the dog's vaccination status⁷¹¹. Vaccination mainly affects where the dog is held.

What happens if the dog dies or gets sick during quarantine?

The CDC tells veterinarians to report illness during the 10 days to the local health department at once, and to euthanize and test an animal that shows signs of rabies¹. If signs appear, CDC's immunization advisers say the bitten person should start rabies post-exposure treatment².

Can I give my dog away or put it down during the quarantine?

Generally not without permission. Illinois bars the owner from hiding, selling, giving away or euthanizing the dog before release¹⁵, and Delaware requires written permission to move, give away or euthanize it¹². In Missouri, giving away or moving the dog before release is a class A misdemeanor²³.

How long does a dog bite quarantine last?

Ten days from the bite in almost every state. Ohio allows the board of health to extend it¹⁹, and California lets a dog held under veterinary observation in a shelter or animal hospital be released after 5 days if a veterinarian certifies it healthy⁵.

Sources

Rabies: Information for Veterinarians, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked 16 July 2025.
Human Rabies Prevention, United States, 2008: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (MMWR 57(RR-3)), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked 23 May 2008.
Announcement: Release of National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians' 2016 Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (MMWR 66(5):148), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (via PubMed Central). Checked 10 February 2017.
Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Guidance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked 10 September 2026.
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 17, § 2606 (Rabies, Animal), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
Investigation, Management, and Prevention of Animal Bites in California, California Department of Public Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
25 Tex. Admin. Code § 169.27, Bite Incidents, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 826 (Rabies Control Act), Texas Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-359, Control of rabies. Quarantine, Connecticut General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
Wis. Stat. § 95.21, Rabies control program, Wisconsin State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
22-B DCMR § 203, Rabies and Animal Bites, D.C. Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances. Checked 17 October 2026.
3 Del. C. ch. 82, subch. I, Rabies Control, Delaware General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
330 CMR 10.00: Prevention of the Spread of Rabies, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Checked 17 October 2026.
Protocol for Domestic Animal that Bites / Scratches a Person or another Domestic Animal (owner instructions, 2025), Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Rabies Program. Checked 17 October 2026.
Illinois Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5, Illinois General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
Hawaii Administrative Rules ch. 11-156.1, Communicable Diseases (§ 11-156.1-42 Rabies), Hawaii State Department of Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
IDAPA 16.02.10, Idaho Reportable Diseases, § 610 Rabies (as amended July 1, 2026), Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Checked 17 October 2026.
Boise City Code § 5-1-10, Rabies vaccination; quarantine, City of Boise (American Legal Publishing). Checked 17 October 2026.
Ohio Rev. Code § 955.261, Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Checked 17 October 2026.
Ohio Adm. Code 3701-3-29, Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Checked 17 October 2026.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-196, North Carolina General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
Rabies confinement for dogs, cats, and ferrets and rabies updates (memo to local health directors, Dec. 19, 2025), North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. Checked 19 December 2025.
RSMo § 322.140, Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Checked 17 October 2026.
Rules Pertaining to Rabies Control, 007.49.24 Ark. Code R. 001 (effective Nov. 28, 2024), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
Arkansas dog laws: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-19-102 and 20-19-301 to -307, Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law. Checked 17 October 2026.
Ohio Rev. Code § 955.61, Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Checked 17 October 2026.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 12Z (reports of dog bites), Massachusetts Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.

Dog Bite Quarantine: The 10-Day Rule, Home vs Shelter, and Costs