Dog Licenses and Dog Rules in Laguna Beach

The rules for dogs in Laguna Beach come from three places: the city’s animal services, a licensing site the city links, and the county for Emerald Bay. They fit on one page.

Dog licenses

Dogs in Laguna Beach must be licensed, and the city says licenses last one, two or three years. The licensing site adds that every dog four months or older needs one within 15 days of being acquired or of your move into the city. The same licensing site covers Laguna Woods.

Emerald Bay is the exception. It sits outside the city. Residents there license with Orange County Animal Care and Control, whose licensing line is 714-935-6848.

How to apply

1. Collect a current rabies certificate. It must show the vaccination dates, the vaccine maker and product name, and the veterinarian’s signature.
2. If your dog has been spayed or neutered since its last license and you want the lower fee, bring proof, such as a signed statement or invoice from your vet. For the senior discount, you need proof of your age.
3. License online or by mail through PetData, the site the city’s license page points to. PetData’s customer line is 833-991-0935.
4. Or go in person to the animal shelter at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. A dog with a rabies deferment must be licensed at the shelter, not online or by mail.

Your license cannot run past the date your rabies vaccination expires. Renewal is due within 60 days of the old license expiring.

Fees

As of October 2026, PetData, the licensing site the city links, lists these fees, effective August 24, 2025:

	1 year	2 years	3 years
Spayed or neutered	$24	$48	$72
Not spayed or neutered	$96	$192	$288
Age 65 and over, spayed or neutered	$12	$24	$36

A late fee of $17 applies, and a replacement tag costs $5. PetData says the higher fee for an unaltered dog is meant to encourage sterilization.

Leash rules

City law requires a leash at all times in Laguna Beach, beaches included. The exception is the city’s Dog Park.

On the sand, dogs are allowed all year, with a summer limit. From June 15 to September 10, dogs may be on the beach only before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. The rest of the year they may come at any hour. Dogs are banned every day at Thousand Steps Beach. The dog-friendly places guide lists each beach with its note, including stretches where you should read the posted sign, and the county wilderness parks that bar dogs. Main Beach follows the city rule like the rest.

Beaches close overnight, and the hours vary. The city says beaches north of Aliso Creek close from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., beaches south of it from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Thousand Steps from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The Dog Park

The city’s Dog Park is at 20672 Laguna Canyon Road, east of downtown. It has a two-acre fenced area, a smaller area for small breeds, a drinking fountain and benches. It is open every day except Wednesday, from 6:00 a.m. until dusk. Street parking is in front.

It usually closes during and after significant rain and stays closed while the ground is wet. The city posts those closures on its home page and its social media. The Friends of the Laguna Beach Dog Park run their own website for the park.

The animal shelter

The Laguna Beach Animal Shelter is at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road. The shelter’s phone is (949) 497-3552, and it is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with play yard hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The shelter’s own site says it houses animals rescued by the animal services officers of Laguna Beach and Laguna Woods, and that it holds every abandoned animal for seven days so an owner can claim it. Volunteers started it in 1975 through the group now called PUP Laguna Beach. The city funds it, and donations support veterinary care.

If you find a stray without a tag that carries contact information, call Animal Services at (949) 497-0701. The city says it picks the dog up, takes it to the shelter and scans for a microchip. If you lose a dog, the city says the shelter is where most owners call first.

Other rules and numbers

• Barking: the city suggests talking to the owner first. If it continues, file a complaint at (949) 497-0701.
• Cars: the city says leaving a pet in an unattended car is dangerous and, depending on the situation, against local and state law.
• Coyotes: the city’s Animal Services page links to coyote information.
• New to town? The first 30 days guide lists the other tasks for a new address.