Dog Bite Laws by State: Liability and Insurance Requirements
Every state answers two questions differently: who pays when a dog bites, and what the owner of a designated dangerous dog must do afterward. 19 states condition keeping a designated dangerous dog on liability insurance or a surety bond. Each state page links the official statutes.
This site is not legal advice. These summaries can go stale as statutes change — personally check your state's law through the official links on each state page, and confirm anything important with a licensed attorney in your state.
| State | Liability rule | Insurance requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Mixed (statute + common law) | $100,000 — conditional |
| Alaska | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Arizona | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Arkansas | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| California | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Colorado | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Connecticut | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Delaware | Strict liability | $100,000 — conditional |
| Florida | Strict liability | $100,000 — conditional |
| Georgia | Mixed (statute + common law) | $50,000 — conditional |
| Hawaii | Mixed (statute + common law) | "$50,000 minimum (court can set higher)" — conditional |
| Idaho | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Illinois | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Indiana | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Iowa | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Kansas | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| Kentucky | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Louisiana | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Maine | Strict liability | $100,000 — conditional |
| Maryland | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Massachusetts | Strict liability | $100,000 — conditional |
| Michigan | Strict liability | amount set by statute — conditional |
| Minnesota | Strict liability | $300,000 — conditional |
| Mississippi | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| Missouri | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Montana | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Nebraska | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Nevada | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| New Hampshire | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| New Jersey | Mixed (statute + common law) | amount set by statute — conditional |
| New Mexico | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| New York | Mixed (statute + common law) | up to $100,000 (court's discretion; no floor set) — conditional |
| North Carolina | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| North Dakota | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| Ohio | Strict liability | $100,000 — conditional |
| Oklahoma | Strict liability | $50,000 minimum — conditional |
| Oregon | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Pennsylvania | Mixed (statute + common law) | $50,000 — conditional |
| Rhode Island | Mixed (statute + common law) | $100,000 — conditional |
| South Carolina | Strict liability | $50,000 — conditional |
| South Dakota | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| Tennessee | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Texas | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | $100,000 — conditional |
| Utah | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Vermont | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | No statewide requirement found |
| Virginia | One-bite (owner knowledge) rule | $100,000 — conditional |
| Washington | Strict liability | $250,000 — conditional |
| West Virginia | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
| Wisconsin | Strict liability | No statewide requirement found |
| Wyoming | Mixed (statute + common law) | No statewide requirement found |
How to read this table
Strict liability means the owner pays for bite injuries even if the dog never showed aggression before, subject to exceptions like trespass or provocation. The one-bite rule means an injured person generally must show the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Insurance requirements listed here are statewide statutes and almost always apply only after a dog is formally designated dangerous — cities and counties can add their own rules, and homeowners or renters policies have their own breed positions regardless of state law.
General information, not legal advice. Compiled from the official statutes linked on each state page, verified 2026-07-13. Laws change — confirm details with the linked statute or a licensed attorney in your state.