Georgia Dog Bite Law

How dog bite liability works in Georgia

Georgia sits between the strict-liability states and the pure one-bite states. Its dog bite statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7, reaches anyone who owns or keeps a vicious or dangerous animal and injures an unprovoking person through careless management or by letting it go at liberty¹. The Georgia Supreme Court reads that as a restatement of the common law: the injured person must prove the dog was dangerous and that the owner knew it³.

The statute's second sentence is what makes Georgia different. Since a 1985 amendment, proof that a city or county ordinance required the dog to be on a leash or at heel, and that it was not, is enough to prove vicious propensity³. The same amendment changed “shall be liable” to “may be liable” to make clear that liability rests on negligence, not strict liability³. In practice, most Georgia bite claims turn on two questions: did the owner know of an earlier attack or attempted bite, and was a local leash law broken?

Knowledge does not require a first bite. In Steagald v. Eason, 300 Ga. 717 (2017), the court held that snapping at two people a week earlier could put the owners on notice, and it disapproved an older Court of Appeals rule that the dog must have done the very same act before³. Barking and growling alone are usually not enough³.

Landlords are treated separately: since Tyner v. Matta-Troncoso, 305 Ga. 480 (2019), the statute does not reach a landlord who neither owns nor keeps the dog⁵. Compare neighboring Florida and South Carolina, or see the national table.

The Georgia dog bite statute

A person who owns or keeps a vicious or dangerous animal and, by careless management or by letting it go at liberty, injures someone who did not provoke it may be liable in damages¹. Vicious propensity can be proved by showing that a city, county or consolidated-government ordinance required the dog to be on a leash or at heel and that it was not¹. Otherwise the injured person must show the owner or keeper knew of the dog's dangerous tendency, an element the courts read into the statute³. The leash sentence does not apply to domesticated fowl or livestock¹.

• Law: O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7 (Liability of owner or keeper of vicious or dangerous animal); last changed 1985: “shall be liable” became “may be liable”, and the leash-ordinance sentence was added
• Injuries covered: Any injury the dog causes (bites, knock-downs, chases)
• Where: Anywhere
• Who is liable: The owner, or a keeper or harborer
• Damages: All damages, under the ordinary rules

Other ways to prove liability

Georgia courts treat § 51-2-7 as a restatement of the common-law scienter rule: the plaintiff must prove the dog's dangerous nature and the owner's or keeper's knowledge of it³. The knowledge needed is of “at least one incident that would cause a prudent person to anticipate the actual incident”, and an attempted bite can be enough³. A claim may also run against the owner of the property where the bite happened under the premises statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1, but it too needs evidence of the dog's vicious propensity known to the property owner^24,5. The leash-ordinance route works like negligence per se: if a local ordinance required a leash and the dog was loose, the owner's knowledge of its propensity is immaterial⁵.

Defenses owners raise

Provocation

The statute covers only a person “who does not provoke the injury by his own act”¹. Provocation therefore defeats a § 51-2-7 claim outright, rather than merely reducing the award.

Other defense

No notice of danger. Georgia law presumes dogs harmless “regardless of breed”, so an owner with no reason to know of an earlier attack, attempted bite or similar incident is not liable under the knowledge route; barking and growling alone usually do not give notice³.

Other defense

Comparative fault. A jury that finds you partly to blame (for example, for reaching toward a strange dog) reduces your damages by your percentage, and you recover nothing at 50% or more⁴.

Trespassing

The civil statute has no written trespass exception¹. Under the dangerous-dog law, though, a dog cannot be classified as dangerous or vicious for injuring someone who was trespassing, abusing the dog or committing a crime against a person¹⁵.

Police dogs

A dog cannot be classified as dangerous or vicious for acts done while a law enforcement or military officer is using it in official duties¹⁵. That rule governs classification only; the civil statute has no police-dog exception¹.

Shared fault

Modified comparative fault (barred at 50%) (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33).

The jury sets your percentage of fault and the judge reduces the award by it; at 50% or more you receive nothing⁴. Because § 51-2-7 is a negligence statute, not a strict-liability one, apportionment applies to dog bite claims in the ordinary way^3,4. The jury also weighs the fault of others, including people not sued, and each defendant pays only its own share⁴.

How the five fault systems compare: provocation, trespass and shared fault.

Georgia dog bite statute of limitations

2 years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33)

A personal injury suit must be filed within two years after the right of action accrues, normally the day of the bite². A claim against a city needs written notice to its governing authority within six months, with the amount sought⁷; claims against a county must be presented within 12 months⁸, and tort claims against the state need written notice within 12 months⁹.

Children. A child bitten before turning 18 has the same two years after the 18th birthday, so until age 20⁶. For county claims, a minor has 12 months after the disability ends to present the claim⁸.

Work out your own date with the dog bite claim checker, or compare deadlines in every state.

Damages

Compensatory damages cover medical costs, lost income and noneconomic harm such as pain and suffering¹¹. Under SB 68, signed April 21, 2025, for bites on or after that date medical damages are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care, and if you have health insurance the jury may see both the billed amounts and the amounts actually paid¹¹. SB 68 also limits how lawyers may argue a dollar figure for noneconomic damages; it does not cap compensatory damages¹¹. Punitive damages need clear and convincing proof of willful misconduct, malice, wantonness or “entire want of care” showing conscious indifference, and are capped at $250,000 unless the defendant intended harm or was impaired by alcohol or drugs¹⁰.

Landlords and property owners

A landlord who has handed over possession is not liable for a tenant's negligence, only for defective construction or failure to repair (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14)¹². In Tyner v. Matta-Troncoso (2019), a tenant's two dogs escaped through a gate whose latch the landlord had not fixed; the Georgia Supreme Court held that § 51-2-7 does not apply to a landlord who neither owns nor keeps the dog, and that even a repair claim fails without evidence that the landlord knew the dogs had shown aggression⁵. Knowing that a tenant keeps pit bulls was not enough⁵. More: landlord liability.

Insurance

We found no Georgia statute that limits insurers' use of dog breed in homeowners or renters underwriting. The owner of a dog classified as vicious must carry at least $50,000 of liability insurance covering injuries and property damage the dog causes¹³.

More on coverage, breed exclusions and renters policies: dog bite insurance.

The leash-ordinance shortcut

The second sentence of § 51-2-7 lets an injured person prove vicious propensity by showing that a local ordinance required the dog to be leashed or at heel and that it was not¹. Courts have put it plainly: if a dog running at large in violation of a local ordinance bites someone, the owner's knowledge of its propensity to bite is immaterial⁵. Whether it applies depends on the city or county code where the bite happened and what that ordinance required at that spot. The shortcut is also limited to owners and keepers. In Tyner, the Court of Appeals had used it against a landlord, and the Georgia Supreme Court reversed, holding the statute does not reach someone who neither owns nor keeps the dog⁵.

Steagald v. Eason and the “first bite” label

In 2011 a neighbor visited a home where the owners' adult son had just brought his dog. On its first day there the dog snapped at the homeowner and at the visitor's husband; about a week later it bit the visitor's arm and leg³. The trial court and the Court of Appeals threw out the case, finding no evidence the owners knew the dog was dangerous. The Georgia Supreme Court reversed in 2017, calling the “first bite rule” label “more than a bit misleading” and holding that a jury could treat the snaps as attempted bites that put the owners on notice³. The court also disapproved Hamilton v. Walker (1998), which had required the dog to have done the same act before³.

Bite reports and quarantine

O.C.G.A. § 31-19-4 makes the owner or custodian of any animal that has bitten a person responsible for notifying the county board of health and confining the animal under that board's rules; a person bitten by an animal reasonably suspected of being rabid must notify the board immediately¹⁴. Owners of dogs already classified as dangerous or vicious must also tell the local dog control officer within 24 hours of any attack on a human²¹.

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 time¹⁴. The local rabies authority decides where: the owner's home, a veterinary hospital or an animal control facility, depending on local rules¹⁴. If the animal shows signs of rabies, it is euthanized and tested and the bitten person is notified¹⁴. County boards of health set the detailed rules (O.C.G.A. § 31-19-1)¹⁴.

Dangerous-dog hearings, euthanasia orders and criminal penalties are covered on Georgia dangerous dog law.

Questions about Georgia dog bite law

Is Georgia a one-bite state?

Mostly, but the label misleads. You must usually prove the owner knew of the dog's dangerous tendency, though an attempted bite or similar incident can be enough³. If a local leash ordinance was broken, you do not need to prove knowledge at all^1,5.

Can I sue if the dog was in its own yard?

Yes, if you can show the owner knew the dog was dangerous and managed it carelessly^1,3. The leash-ordinance shortcut helps only if the local ordinance required the dog to be restrained where it was¹. A guest bitten on the property may also have a premises claim against the property owner, which still needs evidence of the dog's known propensity^24,5.

My dog bit someone in Georgia. Will it be put down?

Not for a single bite in most cases. The dog is usually observed for 10 days¹⁴, and it may be classified as dangerous or vicious after a hearing you can request within 7 days¹⁶. Mandatory euthanasia applies when a dog has seriously injured people on more than one occasion¹⁸. See my dog bit someone.

How long do I have to sue for my child's dog bite?

A child's own claim can be filed until two years after their 18th birthday⁶. Claims against a city still need written notice within six months, so do not wait if a city dog or city property is involved⁷.

Does the owner's homeowners insurance pay?

Georgia law requires insurance only for dogs classified as vicious, at $50,000 or more¹³. For other dogs, coverage depends on the owner's policy; see dog bite insurance.

Official contacts

Sources

1. O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7 (liability of owner or keeper of vicious or dangerous animal), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Checked 17 October 2026.
2. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 (injuries to the person), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Checked 17 October 2026.
3. Steagald v. Eason, 300 Ga. 717, 797 S.E.2d 838 (2017), Supreme Court of Georgia. Checked 17 October 2026.
4. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 (reduction and apportionment of damages), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Checked 17 October 2026.
5. Tyner v. Matta-Troncoso, 305 Ga. 480, 826 S.E.2d 100 (2019), Supreme Court of Georgia. Checked 17 October 2026.
6. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-90 (tolling for minors), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Checked 17 October 2026.
7. O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5 (notice of claims against municipal corporations), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
8. O.C.G.A. § 36-11-1 (presentation of claims against counties), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
9. O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26 (Georgia Tort Claims Act notice), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2021). Checked 17 October 2026.
10. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1 (punitive damages), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2021). Checked 17 October 2026.
11. SB 68 (2025), Act 9: civil practice and damages revision, adding O.C.G.A. § 51-12-1.1, Georgia General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
12. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14 (out-of-possession landlord), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Checked 17 October 2026.
13. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-27 (certificate of registration for classified dogs), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
14. Rabies Control Manual, Eighth Edition (December 2024), incl. O.C.G.A. ch. 31-19, Georgia Department of Public Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
15. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-21 (definitions: dangerous dog, vicious dog, serious injury), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
16. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-23 (classification, notice and hearing), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
17. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-25 (court-ordered euthanasia), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
18. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-26 (euthanasia after repeated serious injury), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
19. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-29 (restraint of classified dogs; penalties), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
20. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-1 (minimum standards; local ordinances), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2017). Checked 17 October 2026.
21. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-28 (owner notices; transfer; moving), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2021). Checked 17 October 2026.
22. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-30 (confiscation), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
23. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-32 (penalty), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
24. O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1 (duty of owner or occupier to invitees), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Checked 17 October 2026.
25. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-24 (impoundment), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
26. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-31 (no local government liability), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
27. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-33 (dogs classified before July 1, 2012), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2021). Checked 17 October 2026.