Nevada Dangerous Dog Law

What happens in the first 10 days

A bite that breaks the skin is a reportable condition under Nevada's health regulations. Doctors and other health care providers must report it to the local health authority or its rabies control agency within 24 hours¹². Animal control then investigates: it confirms the report, gathers the facts and decides what happens to the dog¹³.

Any dog, cat or ferret that bites a person must be quarantined for 10 days, even if its rabies shots are current¹³. The dog is kept in an enclosure or under restraint that prevents contact with people and other animals, under a vet or someone the agency designates¹³. Counties decide where. Washoe County allows home quarantine for some vaccinated dogs, but not for a dog that was running at large or is behind on vaccination; those dogs go to the county shelter or a vet hospital¹⁵. A dog that falls ill must see a vet at once, and the owner pays all quarantine and vet costs before the dog is released¹³. Nobody may destroy a biting dog's head without the agency's permission, because it is needed for rabies testing¹⁴.

Police dogs and service animals can be observed without confinement if the bite happened on duty and the dog is vaccinated¹³. See the national dog bite quarantine guide.

When is a Nevada dog "dangerous" or "vicious"?

NRS 202.500 uses two classes¹.

• Dangerous: without provocation, on two separate occasions within 18 months, the dog behaved so menacingly that a reasonable person would defend against substantial bodily harm, while it was off the owner's premises or not confined in a cage, pen or vehicle. A law enforcement agency may also declare a dog dangerous if the owner used it to commit a crime.
• Vicious: without provocation, the dog killed or caused substantial bodily harm to a person, or it kept up dangerous behavior after a law enforcement agency told the owner it was dangerous.

A dangerous finding does not require a bite. A single unprovoked attack that seriously injures someone is enough for a vicious finding¹.

The statute protects some dogs outright. "Provoked" means tormented or caused pain, and a dog cannot be found dangerous or vicious for defending itself against someone who provoked it or against someone committing or attempting a crime¹. Breed alone can never be the basis¹.

Who decides, and how do you challenge it?

NRS 202.500 sets out definitions and penalties but no hearing procedure¹. Notice comes from a law enforcement agency, and county and city animal ordinances supply the process for declaring a dog and appealing. Deadlines to contest a finding are set locally and can be short, so check the ordinance named in any notice you receive.

What the owner must do

State law imposes no registration, insurance or enclosure rules on the owner of a declared dog¹. The legal consequence is notice: once an owner has actual notice that the dog is vicious, keeping it for more than 7 days, or transferring it to someone else, is a misdemeanor¹. A misdemeanor carries up to 6 months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both¹⁷. Local ordinances can add conditions, such as confinement or insurance.

Under NRS 687B.383, a homeowners or renters insurer may refuse, cancel or surcharge coverage because a particular dog is known or declared dangerous or vicious, even though it may not act on breed¹¹.

Can the dog be put down?

Nevada's statute ties court-ordered euthanasia to the felony. When a known vicious dog's attack causes substantial bodily harm, the judge may order the dog humanely destroyed in place of or on top of the owner's sentence¹. The rabies rules also allow a biting dog to be euthanized and tested without quarantine if it is too ill, shows signs of rabies, or is too aggressive to handle safely¹³. Local ordinances may give animal control further powers. See euthanasia laws by state.

Criminal charges if the dog bites again

If substantial bodily harm results from an attack by a dog known to be vicious, the owner or keeper is guilty of a category D felony¹. That means 1 to 4 years in state prison and a fine of up to $5,000¹⁷. The key word is "known": the felony is aimed at owners who kept the dog after learning what it had done. See dog bite criminal charges.

Breed laws

Since AB 110 took effect in 2013, no county or city may adopt or enforce an ordinance that deems a dog dangerous or vicious based solely on breed^1,18. Any older breed rules in local codes are unenforceable to that extent. See breed-specific legislation.

For the bitten person's side, see Nevada dog bite law.

Rules for a declared dog in Nevada

Nevada rules in brief

Reporting. A bite that breaks the skin by a dog, cat or other rabies-susceptible animal is a reportable condition in Nevada¹². A health care provider who treats it must report it to the local health authority (or the rabies control authority it designates) within 24 hours, by phone during business hours¹². Animal control then investigates each report¹³. In Southern Nevada, the health district tells people bitten by a pet to call the local animal control agency right away¹⁶.

Euthanasia. When a known vicious dog's attack causes substantial bodily harm and the owner is convicted, the judge may order the dog humanely destroyed in place of or on top of the criminal sentence¹. Separately, a biting dog may be euthanized and tested without quarantine if it is too ill, shows signs of rabies or is too aggressive to handle safely¹³. Counties and cities set their own seizure and appeal rules.

Criminal penalties. Knowingly keeping a vicious dog more than 7 days after actual notice, or transferring it, is a misdemeanor¹. If a dog known to be vicious attacks and causes substantial bodily harm, the owner or keeper commits a category D felony: 1 to 4 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000^1,17.

Breed rules. Since AB 110 (2013)¹⁸, no dog may be declared dangerous or vicious based solely on breed, and no county or city may adopt or enforce a breed-based ordinance¹.

Compare states: dangerous dog laws by state, bite quarantine rules, euthanasia after a bite. If your dog bit someone, start with what happens next.

Sources

1. NRS 202.500, Dangerous or vicious dogs: Unlawful acts; penalties, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
2. Wright v. Schum, 105 Nev. 611, 781 P.2d 1142 (1989), Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University. Checked 17 October 2026.
3. NRS 41.141, Comparative negligence, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
4. NRS 11.190, Periods of limitation, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
5. NRS 11.250, Disabilities preventing running of statute, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
6. NRS 41.036, Filing tort claim against State or political subdivision, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
7. NRS 41.035, Limitation on award for damages in tort actions, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
8. NRS 41.032, Acts or omissions of officers, employees and immune contractors, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
9. NRS 42.005, Exemplary and punitive damages, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
10. NRS 41.740, Damages for killing or injuring a pet, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
11. NRS 687B.383, Insurance decisions based on breed of dog prohibited, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
12. NAC 441A.020, 441A.040, 441A.225 and 441A.230, Animal bite reporting, Nevada Legislature (State Board of Health regulations). Checked 17 October 2026.
13. NAC 441A.415 and 441A.425, Investigation and quarantine of animals that have bitten persons, Nevada Legislature (State Board of Health regulations). Checked 17 October 2026.
14. NAC 441A.420, Rabies control authority powers, Nevada Legislature (State Board of Health regulations). Checked 17 October 2026.
15. Frequently Asked Questions: Animal Bites and Reporting, Washoe County Regional Animal Services. Checked 17 October 2026.
16. Rabies, Southern Nevada Health District. Checked 17 October 2026.
17. NRS 193.130 and 193.150, Punishment of felonies and misdemeanors, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
18. Statutes of Nevada 2013, ch. 121 (AB 110), p. 426, Nevada Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.