Leash rules: Hesse
Where do dogs have to be on a leash? This is what the official source says for Hesse, with the date checked.
sourcedchecked on 29 October 2026
Summary
Dangerous dogs, at certain places, set by the municipality
The rule
Under § 9 of the Hessian Dog Ordinance, dangerous dogs must be on a leash (at most two metres long) outside the enclosed property or the home; exception: dogs with a positive temperament test. All dogs must be on a leash (§ 9 Abs. 2) at assemblies, parades, folk festivals, markets, trade fairs and other events with crowds, in restaurants and pubs and on public transport, and on properties that the municipality designates specifically (for example parks, green spaces, pedestrian zones); outside the enclosed property, dogs may not be left to run unsupervised (§ 1 Abs. 1 Satz 2).
Open points
Which properties each municipality has designated is set out in the municipal ordinance; forest and nature conservation law not checked.
Source
More sources
checked on 29 October 2026
Leash rules in the other federal states
- Baden-Württemberg
- Bavaria
- Berlin
- Brandenburg
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Lower Saxony
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Thuringia
Dog rules Hesse: all six topicsLeash rules in all federal states
No guarantee
As of: 29 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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