Off-Leash Dog Parks and Dog Beaches in Sydney: The Rules

Last checked: 22 October 2026. Every rule below links to the NSW law, council, park trust or transport page it comes from. Greater Sydney is split into many local councils, each with its own off-leash areas and times, so read the signs at the park and check your own council’s list (how to find it). The state is reviewing its companion animal laws, so some rules below may change (OLG).

The short answers

• Where can my dog be off the leash? Only in a declared off-leash area. Every NSW council must provide at least one (NSW Office of Local Government). Everywhere else in public, your dog must be on a leash (Companion Animals Act 1998, section 13).
• Are there dog beaches? A few, such as Sirius Cove in Mosman, Rowland Reserve at Bayview and a trial area at the south end of Mona Vale Beach, some only at set times. Many beaches ban dogs, Bondi included. More below.
• Can dogs go on trains? No, not on trains, Metro or their stations. Buses, ferries and light rail may take a pet in a box, basket or carrier if the driver or crew agree (Transport for NSW).
• Does my dog need registering? Yes, and microchipping, both by 12 weeks of age. Registration is a one-off $84 (OLG, registration fees).
• What are the fines? $330 on the spot for a dog off the leash outside an off-leash area or in a playground, and $275 for leaving the poo (Companion Animals Regulation 2018, Schedule 1).

The NSW rules in every council

From the Companion Animals Act 1998:

• On a leash in public: “an adequate chain, cord or leash”, held by a competent person (section 13). The Act sets no length.
• Off the leash only in an off-leash area, with no more than 4 dogs per person (section 13).
• Never, leashed or not (section 14): within 10 metres of children’s play equipment, or of anything provided for preparing or eating food (roads and footpaths don’t count, and outdoor cafe areas are the exception below); school grounds and child care centres, unless the person in charge says yes.
• Never where the council has banned dogs with signs (section 14): some sports and recreation areas, beaches and bathing areas, shopping centres and wildlife protection areas.
• Cafes: your dog can join you in an outdoor dining area on a leash, on the ground and not fed, but the cafe decides whether you use its tables. This doesn’t apply to dangerous, menacing or restricted dogs (section 14A).
• Pick up the poo straight away (section 20), and keep a collar and tag with your dog’s name and your address or phone number on it whenever it’s off your property (section 12).
• Restricted dogs, such as pit bull terriers (OLG), must be muzzled and leashed outside their enclosure, with someone over 18 (OLG). Dangerous, menacing or restricted dogs can never be off the leash in public (Waverley Council).

On-the-spot fines, which council rangers can hand out (Regulation, Schedule 1; City of Sydney): $330 for off the leash outside an off-leash area or in a banned place ($1,760 for a dangerous, menacing or restricted dog); $275 for not picking up (up to $880 in court, says the OLG); $180 for no collar and tag. An unregistered dog can bring a $330 fine (OLG).

Registration and microchip

From the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG):

• Microchip by 12 weeks, or before sale. The seller arranges it and should give you the number to look up on the NSW Pet Registry before you buy (OLG, microchipping).
• Register on the NSW Pet Registry by 12 weeks, or as soon as the dog becomes yours, whichever comes first. This has applied since 1 July 2024 (OLG), so ignore older advice that says 6 months. Pay online or at your council.
• Fees from 1 July 2026: $84, paid once, covering your dog for life in NSW (OLG); $37 for eligible pensioners; $0 for a desexed dog from an eligible council pound, shelter or approved rehoming group. Late fee: $25 after 28 days.
• Not desexed by 6 months: a once-only $198 more. If your vet advises against desexing or says to wait, ask your council about an exemption (OLG).
• Restricted or declared dangerous dog: a $247 permit every year, through your council (OLG).

Find your council’s off-leash list

Enter your address in the OLG’s Find your local council map, then search that council’s site for “off-leash”. Many areas are timed or shared with sport, so check the hours. For example:

• City of Sydney: 50 parks on its off-leash list and map. It says dogs are welcome in more than 400 of its parks and open spaces, but not in playgrounds, sports courts or enclosed sports ovals.
• Inner West: more than 46 off-leash areas (Inner West Council).
• Northern Beaches: 30, plus the Mona Vale Beach trial (Northern Beaches Council).
• North Sydney: every council park and reserve is off-leash except bushland, playing fields during organised sport, St Leonards Oval, Cremorne Reserve, Clark Park, Ancrum St Park and the Coal Loader (North Sydney Council).
• Randwick: 17 off-leash areas, open at any time of day. No dogs on its beaches or rock pools, even on a leash (Randwick City Council).

Where to go: parks

• Sydney Park, Alexandria: off the leash at all times, with “extensive off-leash areas with a paddling pool for dogs”. Not in the wetlands, Alan Davidson Oval, cycling centre, playground or barbecue areas.
• Centennial Parklands: over 30% of the open space is off-leash. Dogs can run outside Grand Drive and on sports fields not in use, except Tramway Oval and Kippax Lake Field. Leash on inside and on the Grand Drive circuit, on roads and paths, and within 10 metres of ponds. No dogs in the Bird Sanctuary or York Road Bushland.
• Rushcutters Bay Park: harbourside, off the leash 3:30pm to 10:30am. Not on Reg Bartley Oval or in Waratah Playground.
• Enmore Fenced Dog Park: fenced, off-leash at any time. Leash on before you go in and after you leave (Inner West Council).

Some City of Sydney parks are off-leash only early and late: Victoria Park, Broadway, 6pm to 8am; Redfern Park and Beare Park, 4:30pm to 9:30am.

Dog beaches and the harbour

Councils can ban dogs from beaches with signs (section 14). Waverley Council, which covers Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama, bans dogs from beaches and intertidal areas, and Mosman Council from all public beaches except the ones it names. Where dogs can go:

• Sirius Cove, Mosman: off the leash on the beach and in the water all day on weekdays, and before 9am and after 4pm on weekends and public holidays. Same at Spit West and Spit East reserves (Mosman Council, page last updated August 2023).
• Rose Bay Foreshore, Woollahra: off the leash at all times between Dumaresq Reserve and Percival Park. Since May 2026, Robertson Park and its beach at Watsons Bay, between the yacht club and the ferry wharf, are off the leash 3:30pm to 10:30am, except during organised public events, and Camp Cove Reserve at all times. Woollahra still bans dogs from Camp Cove, Double Bay and Kutti beaches themselves (Woollahra Council).
• Rowland Reserve, Bayview: off the leash 24 hours a day, including the tidal sand flats next to it. Toilets, water and bins.
• Mona Vale Beach (south) trial: runs from 14 October 2025 to 13 October 2027. During daylight saving, 5:30am to 10am and 5pm to 9pm; the rest of the year, 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm. No dogs at other times or on the rest of the beach. Leash on along the two paths down from South Mona Vale Headland.
• Greenhills Beach, Cronulla: off the leash 4pm to 10am in daylight saving, 3pm to 10am the rest of the year. Enter at Gate 5, with the leash on going in and out. Not for dangerous, menacing or restricted dogs (Sutherland Shire Council).

National parks and the Botanic Garden

Dogs aren’t allowed in most NSW national parks and reserves. Dogs stress native animals, and fox baits can be fatal to dogs, says the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

A few regional parks near Sydney allow dogs on a leash, such as Wolli Creek and Rouse Hill, and dogs are welcome in all NSW state forests (NPWS). For walks that do take dogs, see dog-friendly walks in Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney allows no animals except assistance animals in a harness and police dogs (Royal Botanic Garden).

Trains, buses and ferries

From Transport for NSW:

• No pets: trains, Metro, their stations, and coaches.
• With permission: buses (the driver), ferries (the crew; stay out of the enclosed cabin if there’s an outdoor area), light rail (staff) and taxis (the driver, if the car suits).

Your pet must stay in “a suitable box, basket or other container”, so only a dog that fits in a carrier can ride. Accredited assistance animals can use all public transport. In October 2026 a petition asked for a trial of pet-friendly train carriages, but until Transport for NSW changes its rules, the list above applies (ABC News, 9 Oct 2026).

Walking more than four dogs

State law sets the limit for everyone, dog walkers included: no more than 4 dogs per person, on or off the leash (Companion Animals Act, section 13).

What to bring

• A leash, even for an off-leash area: Waverley Council asks you to leash your dog before you leave one.
• Poo bags. The City of Sydney has free bags in most parks but says it’s best to bring your own.
• Water. On hot days, walk early or late; see heatstroke in dogs.

Ticks: the University of Sydney’s vet hospital says paralysis ticks are a significant risk to Sydney dogs, can be active all year, and advises year-round prevention plus daily checks of the head, ears, neck, under the collar, between the toes and under the tail (University of Sydney). If you find a tick, call your vet. Go now if your dog is weak or wobbly in the back legs, vomits, coughs, gags, struggles to breathe or its bark changes, even after the tick is out. See how to check your dog for ticks and the dog first aid kit.

Snakes: RSPCA NSW advises keeping your dog on a lead outdoors, especially in summer, and if a snake bites it, taking it to a vet immediately (RSPCA NSW).

Puppies: ask your vet when your puppy is ready for busy dog parks; see bringing home a puppy.

Off-leash manners

Off the leash still means under control. If your dog rushes at, attacks, bites, harasses or chases a person or animal, that’s an offence even in an off-leash area (section 13 and section 16): a $1,320 on-the-spot fine (Regulation, Schedule 1), or up to $11,000 in court (OLG). Practise recall, and read dog park etiquette before your first visit.

Dog parks in other Australian cities: Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

FAQs

Can I take my dog on the train in Sydney? No. A small dog in a carrier can go on buses, ferries and light rail if the driver or crew agree (Transport for NSW).

Can dogs go on Bondi Beach? No. Waverley Council bans dogs from its beaches. Its nearby off-leash spots include the south end of Dickson Park in Bondi, and the middle of Marks Park in Tamarama from 4:30pm to 8:30am, except while Sculpture by the Sea is on (Waverley Council).

What if my dog runs off? Mark it missing on the NSW Pet Registry, once its microchip is linked to your account (OLG, lost pets). In Centennial Parklands, call the rangers on 0412 718 611. Then report the lost or found dog free on FurFam: your report gets its own page to share.

Know a Sydney off-leash spot or dog beach we missed? Tell us.