North Carolina Dog Bite Laws

North Carolina has a dog bite statute, but it only covers certain situations; other cases follow traditional common-law rules.

North Carolina dog bite law at a glance

What North Carolina law says

• G.S. 67-4.4 makes owners of dangerous dogs strictly liable for injuries and property damage.
• G.S. 67-12 makes owners who knowingly let a dog run at large at night liable for damage.
• Bites must be reported, and the biting animal confined for 10 days (130A-196).

Strict liability vs. the one-bite rule

The statute imposes liability only in the situations it lists. Outside those situations, injured people rely on the common law: showing the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous (the "one-bite" rule) or that the owner was negligent.

Dangerous dog rules in North Carolina

• A dangerous dog killed or severely injured a person without provocation, or was designated potentially dangerous and then engaged in listed behavior (G.S. 67-4.1).
• Dangerous dogs must be confined when unattended and leashed and muzzled off the property; transfers require written notice (67-4.2).
• Violations are Class 3 misdemeanors; an attack causing over $100 in medical treatment is a Class 1 misdemeanor (67-4.3).

Deadline to file a claim

Justia's 50-state survey lists 3 years as the general personal injury deadline (statute of limitations) in North Carolina. The clock usually starts on the day of the bite. Different deadlines can apply to claims against a government agency or on behalf of a child, so confirm the deadline for your situation with a licensed attorney.

What to do after a dog bite

1. Get medical care, even for a small puncture; bites can become infected.
2. Get the owner's name, contact details and the dog's rabies vaccination status.
3. Report the bite to local animal control or the health department; many places require it so the dog can be observed for rabies.
4. Photograph the injuries and the location, and write down witness names.
5. Keep medical bills and records of missed work, and talk to an attorney before signing anything from an insurer.

If you own a dog that has bitten someone, follow any confinement order from animal control, keep the dog's rabies vaccination current, and consider working with a trainer or behaviorist. Leash rules are covered in North Carolina leash laws.

Sources

1. Michigan State University Animal Legal & Historical Center: North Carolina dog laws
2. Justia: Dog bite laws, 50-state survey
3. Michigan State University Animal Legal & Historical Center: Dog bite strict liability statutes