Are Shock Collars Legal in Your State? What the Law Says
Short answer: we found no ban. The long answer is a pile of tether rules.
On this page
We found no US federal or state law banning shock collars. That’s the boring truth, and the one most “are shock collars legal?” pages bury under a lot of maybes.
Here’s the version with receipts: what we found in official texts, what’s only a proposal, and what we couldn’t read yet. Not legal advice; check your local bylaws.
The Short Version
- Federal: We found no federal law on training collars. The APHIS Animal Welfare Act factsheet says “Pets owned by private citizens are not regulated,” so the Animal Welfare Act isn’t where pet-collar rules live.
- States: We found no state that bans selling or using shock collars.
- What states do regulate: a handful restrict choke, pinch and prong collars on dogs that are tethered. That’s a tether rule, not a ban on the tool.
- Proposals: New York has seen a sale ban bill and a trainer-licensing bill. Neither is law.
The Tether Rules (Not Bans)
These laws are about dogs tied up outside. They don’t ban the collar on a walk. Read each one as “you can’t use this to tie a dog up.”
| State | What the statute says | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| California | A dog on a running line, pulley or trolley “shall not be tethered … by means of a choke collar or pinch collar” (Health & Safety Code 122335) | Running-line tethers |
| Connecticut | Tethering with a “choke collar, prong-type collar, head halter or any other collar, halter or device that is not specifically designed or properly fitted for the restraint of such dog” is prohibited (Sec. 22-350a) | Tethered dogs |
| Nevada | A person shall not restrain a dog “using a prong, pinch or choke collar or similar restraint” (NRS 574.100, subsection 2) | Dogs restrained under that section (exceptions apply) |
| Pennsylvania | For an unattended, tethered dog, “a choke, pinch, prong or chain collar” counts toward a presumption of neglect (18 Pa.C.S. 5536) | Unattended tethered dogs |
| Rhode Island | It’s a violation to “Tether a dog with a choke-type collar, head collar, or prong-type collar” (4-13-42) | Tethered dogs |
| Washington | “A dog shall not be tethered by means of a choke, pinch, slip, halter, or prong-type collar” (RCW 16.52.350) | Tethered dogs |
Two things stand out. First, nothing in these texts names shock collars at all. Second, Connecticut and Rhode Island include head collars in the list, so even some gear sold as gentle can trip a tether rule.
What’s Proposed, Not Law
- New York A10700 (2021-2022): would have prohibited the sale or distribution of any electric shock dog collar in the state, with a civil fine up to $500 per violation. The bill page shows one action: referred to consumer affairs and protection on 09/09/2022. The bill page shows no later action, and that legislative session has ended; we haven’t confirmed its formal status beyond that. Not law.
- New York S7723 (2025-2026): would have the state agriculture commissioner set licensing and education standards for dog trainers, using “non-aversive, evidence-based, and positive reinforcement techniques.” The bill page shows it referred to the Agriculture committee, most recently on 01/07/2026. Proposed, not law.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
If we haven’t read the official text, it’s not in the table. Some tether laws in other states, and city or county ordinances, aren’t here because we couldn’t open the primary source. We’d rather leave a gap than guess.
Know of a local rule? Send us the link to the ordinance itself and we’ll read it.
Canada
Not verified for this draft. We couldn’t open the primary Canadian provincial texts, so we’re making no Canadian legal claims here. The Canadian rundown, Quebec’s prong ban and the Montreal bylaw included, lives in Are Shock Collars Legal in the US and Canada?. Provincial tether and bylaw checks are still open.
Legal Isn’t the Same as Recommended
A law tells you the minimum. It doesn’t tell you what works. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statement says aversive methods should not be used in dog training, and recommends only reward-based methods.
Legal means nobody’s stopping you. It doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
For the research behind that, read Shock Collars Don’t Teach. Here’s What the Research Says.
What to Do Instead
You were sold a tool, and it was legal to sell it. Now you know better. Here’s the upgrade:
- Teaching your dog to come back: A Recall That Works Without a Remote
- Pulling on walks: Stop Leash Pulling Without a Prong
- Hiring help: How to Spot a Trainer Who Uses Pain (Before You Pay Them)
Your dumb questions
Are shock collars legal in the United States?
As far as we could find, yes. There’s no federal ban on them for pet dogs, and we found no state law banning their sale or use. A New York bill to ban sales was referred to committee in 2022 and shows no later action.
Which states ban prong collars?
None that we found ban them outright. Several states restrict choke, pinch or prong collars on dogs that are tethered: California, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Washington. Pennsylvania treats them as a neglect factor for unattended, tethered dogs.
Is there a federal law on dog training collars?
We found none. The USDA’s Animal Welfare Act factsheet says pets owned by private citizens are not regulated under the Act.
My state isn’t on your list. Does that mean it’s fine?
It means we haven’t read the official text yet. Counties and cities add their own rules. Check your local code, and treat this page as a starting point.
If it’s legal, is it recommended?
No. Legal is the floor. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior says aversive methods should not be used in dog training.
The receipts
- Animal Welfare Act factsheet (USDA APHIS) · U.S. Department of Agriculture
- RCW 16.52.350: Tethering of animals · Washington State Legislature
- Rhode Island General Laws 4-13-42: Tethering of dogs · Rhode Island General Assembly
- Health and Safety Code 122335 (dog tethering) · California Legislative Information
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 435 (Dogs and Other Companion Animals) · Connecticut General Assembly
- NRS 574.100: Restraining dogs and using outdoor enclosures (Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 574) · Nevada Legislature
- 18 Pa.C.S. 5536: Tethering of unattended dog · Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Assembly Bill A10700 (2021-2022) · New York State Assembly, 2022
- Senate Bill S7723 (2025-2026) · New York State Assembly, 2026
- Position Statement on Humane Dog Training · American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, 2021
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