---
title: Tofino dog leash rules and off-leash areas
question: "Where can dogs be off leash in Tofino, and what are the leash rules?"
place: Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/tofino
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Tofino
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/dog-leash-rules/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/dog-leash-rules.json"
---

# Tofino dog leash rules and off-leash areas

**Question:** Where can dogs be off leash in Tofino, and what are the leash rules?

**Short answer:** In Tofino, a dog must be leashed, tethered or inside a vehicle, and under its owner's control, anywhere in the District. No official page names an off-leash area. Owners must pick up their dog's feces right away.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Tofino, https://tofino.ca)  
**Cost:** Fine for a dog at large: bylaw notice $50; municipal ticket $50. Impound fee: $50 for the first impounding plus $15 per day.  
**How long:** not applicable  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Services (office, ext. 706), 250-725-3229
- Phone: Bylaw Services (on-duty officer), 250-266-1674 (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily)

## Key facts

- **Leash rule:** Every dog in the District must be under the owner's control and leashed, tethered, or inside a vehicle. A dog may not run at large (off its owner's property and not held on a leash by a competent person).
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866, 2001 (consolidated), s. 8(a); s. 14(a); s. 2](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/15/)
  - Official wording: "All Dogs entering and within the Corporation of the District of Tofino shall be under the control of the owner or harbourer and be leashed, tethered or contained within a vehicle." … "No owner or harbourer of a dog or animal shall allow the dog or animal to run at large." … "attached directly to a person who is competent and of sufficient strength to ensure that the animal cannot break free from the leash"
  - Source: [Beaches, Beaches page, Keep Dogs On Leash](https://tofino.ca/our-community/parks-natural-spaces/beaches/)
  - Official wording: "on-leash dogs are welcome at all beaches"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Maximum leash length:** The Animal Control Bylaw sets no maximum leash length. In the cemetery only, a dog must be on a leash no longer than 3 metres.
  - Source: [Cemetery Bylaw No. 1086, Cemetery Bylaw No. 1086, s. 53](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/1169/)
  - Official wording: "No person owning or having custody, care or control of a dog shall allow the dog to be within the cemetery unless the dog is kept on a leash of a maximum length of three (3) metres."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Off-leash areas:** Not confirmed. No official text read names an off-leash area in Tofino.
- **Places dogs are not allowed:** None set. Tofino's bylaw names no places where dogs are banned.
- **Cleaning up:** The owner must immediately remove any feces the dog leaves in a public or private area, whenever the animal is off the owner's premises, and dispose of them sanitarily.
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866, 2001 (consolidated), s. 8(b)](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/15/)
  - Official wording: "The owner of every animal, at all times when such animal is off the premises of the owner," … "immediately remove or cause to be removed any feces deposited by such animal in a public or private area and dispose of the feces in a sanitary manner."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine, dog at large or off leash:** Bylaw notice: $50 ($40 if paid within 14 days; $60 if paid 61 days or more after delivery). Municipal ticket: $50 ($25 if paid within 7 business days of issue).
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1107 (consolidated), Schedule A (Animal Control Bylaw 14(a))](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/163658/)
  - Official wording: "Animal Running at Large 14(a) No $50 $40 $60 n/a"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 1088 (consolidated), Schedule 6](https://tofino.civicweb.net/filepro/document/1426/Municipal%20Ticket%20Information%20System%20Bylaw%20No.%201088%20(Consolidated%20Version%29.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Running at Large 14(a) $50.00" … "Fines as set out in all Schedules with the exception of Schedule 7 are reduced by 50% if the fine is paid within 7 business days of the date of issuance of the Municipal Ticketing Information."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** District of Tofino Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866, 2001
  - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866, 2001 (consolidated), s. 1](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/15/)
  - Official wording: "District of Tofino Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866, 2001"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under the [Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866](<https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/15/>), every dog in the District of Tofino must be under the owner's control and leashed, tethered or inside a vehicle. "Under control" means in the direct and continuous charge of a competent person who keeps the dog leashed or harnessed at all times. A dog may not run at large, meaning off its owner's property and not held on a leash by a competent person.

## Good to know

- No official text read names an off-leash area. The District's beaches page says dogs on a leash are welcome at all beaches.
- The animal bylaw sets no maximum leash length. In the cemetery only, the leash may be no longer than 3 metres.
- The bylaw names no places where dogs are banned.
- Owners must immediately remove any feces their dog leaves in a public or private area when off the owner's premises, and dispose of them sanitarily. The ticket is a bylaw notice of $50 ($40 if paid early; $60 if paid late) or a municipal ticket of $50.
- Dog at large: a bylaw notice is $50 ($40 if paid within 14 days; $60 if paid 61 days or more after delivery). A municipal ticket is $50 ($25 if paid within 7 business days of issue).
- An impounded dog also costs $50 for the first impounding plus $15 per day.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866 (PDF)](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/15/)

## Related questions

- [Tofino dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/dog-licence.md)
- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/how-many-pets.md)
- [Tofino rules for aggressive and dangerous dogs](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/dangerous-dogs.md)
- [Tofino bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Ucluelet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ucluelet/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Port Alberni](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/dog-leash-rules.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/dog-leash-rules.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control and Licensing Regulation Bylaw No. 866, 2001 (consolidated) (PDF), District of Tofino](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/15/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Beaches, District of Tofino](https://tofino.ca/our-community/parks-natural-spaces/beaches/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Cemetery Bylaw No. 1086 (PDF), District of Tofino](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/1169/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1107 (consolidated) (PDF), District of Tofino](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/163658/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 1088 (consolidated) (PDF), District of Tofino](https://tofino.civicweb.net/filepro/document/1426/Municipal%20Ticket%20Information%20System%20Bylaw%20No.%201088%20(Consolidated%20Version%29.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Tofino. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/dog-leash-rules/_