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

Dog tax in Cologne

First dog

€174 per year

Second dog

€174 per yearEvery dog costs the same.

Listed breed

No separate rate – the general rate appliesThe bylaw does not set a higher rate for dangerous dogs; it taxes every dog kept at 174 euros (§ 3 Abs. 1).

Reductions and exemptions

On application 60 euros per year (only for one dog) when receiving ongoing assistance with living costs or basic income support under SGB XII; tax-free, among others, rescue dogs with a recognised test and dogs taken in for the first time directly from the animal shelters named in the bylaw (first 24 months).

Registration

Within four weeks of taking the dog in; dogs from your own litter within four weeks after they turn six months old.

checked on 28 October 2026

Off-leash areas in Cologne

In the city's green spaces all dogs must be on a leash, except in the designated off-leash areas; this exception does not apply to dangerous dogs and dogs of certain breeds.

Official overview

checked on 28 October 2026

Leash in Cologne

The city has its own rules for green spaces; the rules of the federal state also apply.

Leash rules in North Rhine-Westphalia

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.