Types of Dog Bite Laws by State
Statutory strict liability states
- Most states impose statutory strict liability for dog attacks, making the owner of a dog legally liable to a victim who was bitten. In the United States. A dog does not get “one free bite” in a statutory strict liability state, the prior behavior of the dog is not an issue, and it is unnecessary to prove that the owner or handler was negligent.
| Alabama Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maine Massachusetts Michigan |
Minnesota Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Utah Washington (state) West Virginia Wisconsin |
“One-bite” States
- A “one-bite state” (also referred to as a “one free bite” state) adheres to the ancient “one-bite rule.” This rule acts as both a shield and a sword, in that it shields dog owners from liability for some dog bites, while it imposes liability (acts like a sword) for other dog bites.
| Alaska Arkansas Hawaii Idaho Kansas Maryland Mississippi Missouri Nevada |
New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Oregon South Dakota Texas Vermont Virginia Wyoming |
Dog Bite Law Resources
Dog Bite Law
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