Leash rules: Berlin
Where do dogs have to be on a leash? This is what the official source says for Berlin, with the date checked.
sourcedchecked on 28 October 2026
Summary
General
The rule
Since 1 January 2019 a general leash requirement has applied throughout the city, except in designated dog exercise areas and off-leash areas. Owners with a certificate of competence can have their dog exempted; even then the leash remains compulsory, among other places, in public green spaces, forest areas not opened for dogs, on sports grounds and campsites, in allotment gardens, stairwells, pedestrian zones, public transport and stations, at events with crowds of people and for bitches in heat. For dogs that were already kept before 22 July 2016, the general leash requirement does not apply, but the leash requirement at these places does. Listed dogs must always be on a leash in public.
More details from the source
- Exceptions
- Dog exercise areas and off-leash areas; exemption with a certificate of competence; dogs kept before 22.07.2016. Dogs may not be taken onto children's playgrounds, into swimming pools, to public bathing spots or onto marked sunbathing lawns.
Open points
The FAQ does not state the leash length.
Source
Land Berlin, berlin.de (Senatsverwaltung, Verbraucherschutz): FAQ Hundegesetz
checked on 28 October 2026
Leash rules in the other federal states
- Baden-Württemberg
- Bavaria
- Brandenburg
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Hesse
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Lower Saxony
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Thuringia
Dog rules Berlin: all six topicsLeash rules in all federal states
No guarantee
As of: 28 October 2026. The official text alone is authoritative. Source and date checked per row.
Not legal advice. We summarise the rules in plain language. This is a guide and does not replace information from the competent authority.
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