Dog bite law by state
Who pays for a dog bite depends on where it happened. In 22 jurisdictions a statute makes the owner liable without proof that they knew the dog was dangerous; 16 have a statute that does this only in some situations; 13 still use the one-bite rule and negligence. Each state has two pages: the law for people who were bitten, and the dangerous-dog law for owners.
51 jurisdictions, 102 state pages
| State | Liability rule | Deadline | Owner's side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Partial§ 3-6-1 drops the knowledge requirement only for bites on the owner's property; elsewhere you must prove knowledge or negligence. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Alaska | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; owners are liable if they knew of a dangerous tendency (Hale v. O'Neill, 1971) or were negligent. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Arizona | Strict liabilityA.R.S. § 11-1025: owner liable for bites in public or where the victim was lawfully present; § 11-1020 covers dogs at large. | 1 year | Dangerous dog law |
| Arkansas | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; owner strictly liable only if they knew or should have known the dog was vicious, else negligence. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| California | Strict liabilityCivil Code § 3342 makes the owner liable for bites in public or lawfully on private property, without proof of known danger. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Colorado | PartialStatute removes the knowledge requirement only for bites causing serious bodily injury or death, and only for economic damages. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Connecticut | Strict liability§ 22-357 makes the owner or keeper liable for any damage the dog does, unless the victim was trespassing or teasing it. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Delaware | Strict liabilityOwner or keeper liable for any injury or loss the dog causes; exceptions for trespassers, criminals and teasing. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| District of Columbia | PartialOwner's lack of knowledge is no defense if the dog injured you while at large; otherwise one-bite rule and negligence. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Florida | Strict liability§ 767.04 makes owners liable for bites without proof of prior viciousness; a “Bad Dog” sign defense covers victims 6 and up. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Georgia | PartialOwner liable if they knew the dog was dangerous; a local leash-law violation replaces that proof (O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7). | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Hawaii | One-bite ruleHRS § 663-9 (1980) removed the need to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous; you must still prove negligence. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Idaho | Strict liabilityIdaho Code § 25-2810(11) (2016): owner or custodian liable for unprovoked injury to a non-trespasser; no prior bite needed. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Illinois | Strict liabilityAnimal Control Act § 16: owner or keeper liable for an unprovoked attack on a peaceable person lawfully present. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Indiana | PartialStrict liability only for bites of on-duty public servants (IC 15-20-1-3); others need scienter or negligence. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Iowa | Strict liabilityIowa Code § 351.28: the legal owner is liable for any attack or attempted bite unless the victim's unlawful act contributed. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Kansas | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; owner liable if they knew of the dog's dangerous propensity or were negligent (Berry v. Kegans, 1966). | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Kentucky | Strict liabilityKRS 258.235(4) makes the owner (incl. keeper or harborer) liable for damage the dog causes; fault reduces the award. | 1 year | Dangerous dog law |
| Louisiana | Strict liabilityCivil Code art. 2321 makes dog owners strictly liable unless provoked; the victim must show an unreasonable risk of harm. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Maine | PartialOwner or keeper liable without fault if you were off their premises (7 M.R.S. § 3961(2)); on their premises, negligence. | 6 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Maryland | PartialOwner presumed to know the dog was dangerous (rebuttable); strictly liable only if the dog was running at large. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Massachusetts | Strict liabilityOwner or keeper liable for any damage the dog does (G.L. c. 140, § 155) unless the victim was trespassing or teasing it. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Michigan | Strict liabilityMCL 287.351: owner liable for an unprovoked bite in a public place or lawfully on private property; bites only. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Minnesota | Strict liabilityMinn. Stat. § 347.22: owner, keeper or harborer liable when the dog attacks or injures a peaceable person lawfully present. | 6 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Mississippi | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; you must show the owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous propensity (Poy v. Grayson). | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Missouri | Strict liabilityOwner or possessor strictly liable for unprovoked bites in public or where lawfully present (RSMo § 273.036, 2009). | 5 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Montana | PartialMont. Code Ann. § 27-1-715: owner liable for unprovoked bites regardless of knowledge, but only in incorporated cities and towns. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Nebraska | Strict liabilityNeb. Rev. Stat. § 54-601: the owner is liable for bites to anyone but a trespasser; deliberate provocation bars a claim. | 4 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Nevada | One-bite ruleNo civil dog bite statute; owners answer in negligence. NRS 202.500 covers dangerous and vicious dogs only as a crime. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| New Hampshire | Strict liabilityOwner, keeper or possessor liable for any damage the dog causes (RSA 466:19) unless the victim was trespassing or in a tort. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| New Jersey | Strict liabilityN.J.S.A. 4:19-16 makes the owner liable for bites in public or lawfully on private property, without proof of knowledge. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| New Mexico | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; owner liable if they knew or should have known the dog was vicious, or under negligence. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| New York | PartialStrict liability by statute only for medical costs caused by a dog already declared dangerous; otherwise scienter or negligence. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| North Carolina | PartialStrict liability only for a dog that was already a "dangerous dog" (§ 67-4.4); otherwise owner knowledge or negligence. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| North Dakota | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; Sendelbach v. Grad (1976): owner knew or should have known of danger and failed to use ordinary care. | 6 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Ohio | Strict liabilityR.C. 955.28 makes the owner, keeper or harborer liable for any injury the dog causes, with trespass and teasing exceptions. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Oklahoma | PartialOwner liable without fault in towns with city mail delivery (4 O.S. § 42.1); rural bites use one-bite and negligence rules. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Oregon | PartialOne-bite rule and negligence; ORS 609.115 adds strict liability for economic loss once a court finds a dog potentially dangerous. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Pennsylvania | PartialOwner or keeper must pay the victim's medical costs (3 P.S. § 459-502(b)); other damages need scienter or negligence. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Rhode Island | PartialStrict liability on the highway or outside the owner's enclosure (§ 4-13-16); inside it, the one-bite rule applies. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| South Carolina | Strict liability§ 47-3-110 makes the owner or keeper liable for a bite or attack in public or lawfully on private property; no prior-bite proof. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| South Dakota | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; owners are liable in negligence, and a known dangerous propensity proves it (Gehrts v. Batteen, 2001). | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Tennessee | PartialStatute removes the knowledge requirement off the owner's home or farm; on that property the one-bite rule applies. | 1 year | Dangerous dog law |
| Texas | One-bite ruleNo civil dog bite statute; owner liable if they knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, or was negligent. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Utah | Strict liabilityUtah Code § 18-1-1: owner or keeper liable for any injury the dog causes; comparative fault reduces the award. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Vermont | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; the owner or keeper is liable only if they knew or had reason to know the dog was dangerous (Martin, 2014). | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Virginia | One-bite ruleNo civil dog bite statute; owner liable if they knew of the dog's dangerous propensity or failed to use ordinary care. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Washington | Strict liabilityRCW 16.08.040 makes the owner liable for bites in public or on private property with consent; other injuries need proof of fault. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| West Virginia | PartialW. Va. Code § 19-20-13 makes owners liable without proof of knowledge only when they let the dog run at large. | 2 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Wisconsin | Strict liabilityWis. Stat. § 174.02: owner, keeper or harborer liable for any injury the dog causes; double after a prior scarring bite. | 3 years | Dangerous dog law |
| Wyoming | One-bite ruleNo dog bite statute; owner liable if they knew of the dog's dangerous propensity or were negligent (Borns v. Voss, 2003). | 4 years | Dangerous dog law |
Why the same bite can be worth suing for in one state and not the next
Under the old common-law rule, a dog owner answers for a bite only if they knew, or should have known, that the dog was dangerous. Most states have replaced that rule with a statute, but the statutes differ: some cover only bites, some any injury a dog causes; some protect only people in public places or lawfully on private property; a few limit what the victim can recover. Deadlines run from one to six years. The full comparison sets the rules side by side, and the claim checker applies your state's rule to your facts.