Dogs in Bonn: Dog tax, off-leash areas and rules

Dog tax in Bonn

First dog

€162 per year

Second dog

€210 per yearApplies to each dog when two dogs are kept.

Further levels

One dog 162 euros; two dogs 210 euros each; three or more dogs 264 euros each (§ 2 Abs. 1).

Listed breed

€840 per yearDangerous dog (so-called fighting dog): 840 euros if one is kept; for two or more, 1,140 euros per dog (§ 2 Abs. 1); dogs considered dangerous in principle include, among others, Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier and their crossbreeds (§ 2 Abs. 3).

Reductions and exemptions

According to the city's page, the bylaw does not provide for an exemption. On application, a reduction for recipients of ongoing assistance with living costs under SGB XII and people with equivalent income (one dog 24 euros; with two dogs an additional 162 euros for the second; with more than two dogs an additional 210 euros each for the second and every further dog). For dogs from the Bonn Albert Schweitzer animal shelter there is, on application, a subsidy towards the costs of keeping the dog (conditions on the city's page).

Registration

Within two months of taking the dog in (city's page).

checked on 29 October 2026

Off-leash areas in Bonn

There are several off-leash areas in Bonn where dogs may run without a leash; when leaving the off-leash area, the dog must be put back on the leash.

Official overview

checked on 28 October 2026

Leash in Bonn

Separate city rules (e.g. green space bylaws, hazard prevention or dog ordinances) not checked; the rules of the federal state apply.

Leash rules in North Rhine-Westphalia

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.