International Canine Legislation Action Committee · Living reference
| Jurisdiction | Status | Legal instrument | Effective date | Devices covered | Scope | Exceptions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales (UK) | Enacted | Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (Wales) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/943 W.97), under Animal Welfare Act 2006 | 24 March 2010 | Electronic collars (defined as collars designed to administer an electric shock) on dogs and cats | Use (attach, cause to be attached, or be responsible for animal wearing one) | None of practical significance recorded | First UK ban. Secondary legislation route. Industry legal challenge unsuccessful. Penalties: up to 51 weeks imprisonment and/or level 5 fine. |
Open source
legislation.gov.uk
|
| Netherlands | Enacted | Besluit houders van dieren (Animals Keepers Decree) under Wet dieren (Animals Act); ministerial letter Kamerstuk 28286 nr. 1041 (4 April 2019) | Prong/pinch: 2018; electric devices: full effect ~2020–2022 | Pinch/prong collars (objects with sharp spikes/prongs); electric stimulation devices (shocks, electromagnetic signals or radiation causing pain) | Primarily use. Sale not fully prohibited by the same instrument; major retailers have delisted voluntarily. | Narrow, tightly limited exceptions contemplated for certain state/security working dogs in highly exceptional circumstances | Ministerial decision that devices cause serious unavoidable welfare harm. Retail platforms (e.g. bol) have gone further than the use ban. | Kamerstuk 28286 nr. 1041; Besluit houders van dieren |
| Germany | Enacted | Tierschutzgesetz § 3 Nr. 11 | Long-standing (current framework well established; case law including BVerwG) | Electronic training devices (Telereizgeräte) and devices that by direct electrical action significantly restrict behaviour or force movement causing not inconsiderable pain/suffering/harm | Use | Only where specifically permitted by federal or state regulations (narrow) | Embedded in general animal welfare prohibition on avoidable pain. Practical effect is a ban on electronic training collars. | gesetze-im-internet.de (Tierschutzgesetz) |
| Austria | Enacted | Tierschutzgesetz § 5(2)(3)(a), BGBl. I Nr. 118/2004 | 1 January 2005 | Electric and chemical training devices; spike/prong collars | Use; also placing on the market, acquisition and possession in relevant respects | Limited / none of practical significance for ordinary training use | One of the earlier comprehensive European bans. Strong model for market-side restrictions as well as use. | RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (ris.bka.gv.at) |
| Switzerland | Enacted | Tierschutzverordnung 455.1, Article 76 (under Tierschutzgesetz) | 1 September 2008 | Spike, pinch and electronic collars; equipment causing pain, fear or major injury | Use (and related controls under the ordinance framework) | Limited | Clear ordinance-level prohibition. Useful model for precise device definitions. | fedlex.admin.ch / admin.ch |
| Denmark | Enacted | Animal welfare regulations (Bekendtgørelse framework), including measures from 2009 onwards | From 2009 (core measures) | Remote-controlled and automatically operating electric devices; sharp prong collars | Use, advertising and sale | Limited | Includes advertising and sale – stronger market reach than pure use bans. | Relevant Danish Bekendtgørelser on animal welfare / training equipment |
| Sweden | Enacted | Djurskyddsförordningen 2019:66, 2 kap. 16 § | Current framework (2019 regulation consolidates position) | Equipment that gives an animal an electric shock intending to control behaviour (e-collars on dogs not permitted regardless of intensity) | Use | None for behavioural control of dogs; veterinary TENS-type use distinguished | Jordbruksverket guidance confirms position. Clear regardless-of-intensity rule. | Djurskyddsförordningen 2019:66; Jordbruksverket guidance |
| Norway | Enacted | National animal welfare rules prohibiting e-collars | Established ban | Electric collars | Use | Limited | Part of consistent Nordic pattern of restriction. | Norwegian animal welfare legislation (to be filed in full text by Legislative and Policy Group) |
| Finland | Enacted | Animal Welfare Act 693/2023 | 1 January 2024 | Electric and spike collars | Use and sale | Limited | Recent primary legislation covering both use and sale – strong modern model. | Animal Welfare Act 693/2023 |
| England (UK) | Stalled | Draft Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023 (under Animal Welfare Act 2006) – did not complete parliamentary process | Proposed ~February 2024 – not enacted | Hand-controlled electronic shock collars (draft scope) | Intended: use (draft) | Draft detail would need re-examination if reintroduced | Announced intention; draft prepared; timed out before 2024 election. Subsequent ministerial answers: evidence under review; next steps to be set out. Secondary legislation vulnerable to loss of parliamentary time. | Draft 2023 Regulations and Defra documents; Hansard / TheyWorkForYou |
| Scotland (UK) | Partial | Scottish animal welfare framework and secondary legislation relating to electronic collars (status and scope require confirmation from current official text) | Debated and regulated from about 2018 onward; current legal effect to be confirmed | Electronic collars (exact prohibited uses and remaining permissions to be confirmed) | Use under Scottish welfare rules — secondary sources disagree on whether this amounts to a full ban | To be confirmed from current Scottish statutory instruments and guidance | Useful UK comparator beside Wales (clear ban) and England (stalled draft). Do not describe Scotland as a completed nationwide ban until the Legislative and Policy Group has the current primary text. Keep under review. | Scottish Government / legislation.gov.uk — electronic collar and animal welfare materials |
| Northern Ireland (UK) | Draft | DAERA consultation on proposed Animal Welfare Policy Reforms — ban on specified aversive training devices (May–June 2026) | Consultation 5 May 2026 to 30 June 2026; legislation not yet made | Handheld remote-controlled electric shock collars (e-collars), choke collars and prong collars | Proposed ban on use on cats and dogs in Northern Ireland | Electronic containment fence systems and spray collars were considered but not proposed for ban in this package | Active UK proposal. Consultation closed 30 June 2026. Track secondary legislation and commencement. Council responses (e.g. Belfast) supported a use ban and preferred sale and possession powers as well. |
Open source
DAERA consultation document on proposed animal welfare policy reforms in Northern Ireland
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| France | Partial | Arrêté framework (2025 measures referenced) | 2025 (professional contexts) | Electric, prong and strangling collars in professional contexts | Professional use restrictions | To be confirmed in full text | Not a full civilian ban; relevant for professional standards track. Full text to be obtained and filed. | French Arrêté materials (to be obtained) |
| Quebec / other Canadian provinces | Partial | Provincial animal welfare or related rules | Varies by province | E-collars and/or prong collars (varies) | Varies | Varies | Provincial patchwork. Legislative and Policy Group to obtain specific provincial texts and add rows. | Provincial statutes / regulations (to be filed) |
| Australia (selected states/territories) | Partial | State and territory animal welfare legislation or professional standards | Varies | Varies (some local bans or professional restrictions) | Varies | Varies | Not uniform nationally. Specific instruments to be collected jurisdiction by jurisdiction. | State/territory legislation (to be filed) |
| Gibraltar | Enacted | Animals (Amendment) provisions | Recent (2025–2026 references) | Electronic, choke and pronged collars | To be confirmed from full text | To be confirmed | Small jurisdiction but useful for precise drafting. Full text to be obtained. | Gibraltar Animals (Amendment) materials (to be filed) |
| Slovenia | Partial | Zakon o zaščiti živali (Animal Protection Act), including later amendments restricting electronic training collars under the general welfare framework | Long-standing Act; check latest amendment (including any 2025 updates) for current wording | Electronic training collars under general animal-protection restrictions | Use under the Animal Protection Act (confirm sale, possession and exact device definitions from the current text) | To be confirmed from the current Act and implementing rules | European jurisdiction with restrictions rather than a simply stated all-device ban in secondary English sources. Keep on the table for monitoring; upgrade to Enacted only when the full current text is filed and checked. | Zakon o zaščiti živali (official Slovenian legal database) |
| Ireland | Draft | Ministerial decision (May 2024) to introduce a Regulation banning hand-held remote-controlled electronic shock collars on dogs and cats | Announced 7 May 2024; Regulation to follow (confirm commencement) | Electronic shock collars operated by hand-held remote control | Use on dogs and cats | Proposed grandfathering: existing users may register the individual dog and continue for that dog’s lifetime; anti-bark and boundary systems were excluded from the announcement | Important EU common-law jurisdiction moving on remote e-collars. Confirm whether the Regulation has been made and commenced before upgrading to Enacted. |
Open source
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine press release; ISPCA statement
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| Portugal | Draft | Parliamentary bill (projeto de lei) to amend Decree-Law 276/2001 regarding collars that cause unnecessary pain, injury or suffering | Proposed — not enacted | Electronic collars delivering shocks or electric vibration; strangling collars; collars with inward spikes | Proposed ban on commercialisation, possession and/or use | To be confirmed from final text if passed | Track only. Do not describe as Portuguese law until published in the official journal. | Assembleia da República bill documents |
| South Australia | Enacted | Animal Welfare Act 1985 (South Australia) — prohibition on using an electric device to confine or control an animal (commonly cited s 15 framework) | Long-standing | Electric devices used to confine or control an animal (electronic training collars) | Use to confine or control | Confirm any narrow research or prescribed exceptions from current Act and regulations | Listed with ACT and NSW as an Australian jurisdiction restricting electronic collars. Prong collars are not treated here as generally banned in SA. | Animal Welfare Act 1985 (SA); RSPCA / AVA secondary summaries |
| New Zealand | Partial | Animal Welfare Act 1999; Code of Welfare for Dogs 2018 | Code of Welfare 2018 framework | Prong collars treated as non-compliant under the Code of Welfare practice standards | Practice standards under the Animal Welfare Act | Confirm exact enforceable wording and any residual permissions from MPI / Code text | Useful Pacific jurisdiction. Keep Partial until the Legislative and Policy Group files the Code sections relied on. | Code of Welfare for Dogs 2018; Animal Welfare Act 1999 (NZ) |
| Mexico City (CDMX) | Draft | Dictamen approved by the Comisión de Bienestar Animal of the Congreso de la Ciudad de México amending the Ley de Protección a los Animales de la Ciudad de México | Commission approval reported 2024; confirm final enactment and commencement | Choke collars; spiked or pointed collars; electric discharge devices; ultrasonic devices; other instruments capable of causing physical or emotional harm | Commercialisation, distribution and use within Mexico City | To be confirmed from the final published text | City-level Latin American activity beyond Colombia. Not a national Mexican ban. Confirm final law text before calling Enacted. | Congreso de la Ciudad de México / media reports of the dictamen |
| New Jersey (United States) | Draft | Assembly Bill A4207 (New Jersey Dog Trainer Licensure Board) and companion A4206 (requires licensure of dog trainers) | Introduced 19 February 2026 — referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee; not enacted | Not a direct ban on tools. Would define professional standards by reference to 2019 APDT, CCPDT and IAABC joint standards / LIMA, which still allow aversive tools as a last resort | Would regulate who may practise as a licensed dog trainer in New Jersey | As provided in the bills (provisional and temporary permits, experience pathways) | Primary active US concern for ICLAC. Freezing 2019 standards into state licensure would legitimise continued use of prong and shock devices under a professional banner. Group opposition letter and supporting evidence file in preparation. |
Open source
New Jersey Legislature bill pages for A4207 and A4206
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| New York (United States) | Draft | Pending trainer-licensure and related proposals in the 2025–2026 session (including measures such as A 6985 / S 7723 and separate sale-restriction ideas for electric shock collars) | Pending — not enacted | Would move professional standards toward non-aversive / positive reinforcement frameworks; separate proposals have targeted sale of electric shock collars | State-level regulation of trainers and/or sale, depending on final text | To be confirmed from current bill text | Track alongside New Jersey. Confirm current bill numbers and committee status before quoting in public letters. | New York State Assembly / Senate bill search |
| Massachusetts (United States) | Draft | House Bill H 2342 and Senate Bill S 1459 (194th General Court) — dangerous-dog behaviour plans | Pending (reported favourable progress in 2025; confirm current status) | Would exclude electric, prong and choke collars from court-ordered dangerous-dog behaviour modification plans | Court-ordered rehabilitation plans for dogs designated dangerous — not a general statewide sale or use ban | To be confirmed from current bill text | Important partial US model: tool restrictions in the highest-risk behaviour context. Not a general ban on ownership or ordinary training use. | Massachusetts Legislature bill pages for H 2342 and S 1459 |
| Rhode Island (United States) | Partial | RIGL §4-13-42 and related tethering provisions (expanded by 2024 legislation) | Tethering rules long-standing; 2024 expansion | Choke, head or prong-type collars when used for tethering | Tethering / restraint outdoors — not a general ban on training use while supervised | Tethering context only | Useful US partial restriction. Do not describe as a statewide ban on prong collars for training. | Rhode Island General Laws; Animal Legal & Historical Center tethering table |
| Connecticut (United States) | Partial | CGS §22-350a (tethering provisions) | Framework from about 2010; later amendments | Choke, prong-type and certain other collars when used for tethering | Tethering to a stationary object or mobile device | Tethering context only | Partial US restriction via tethering law, not a general training-tool ban. | Connecticut General Statutes §22-350a |
| Hawaii (United States) | Partial | State tethering / animal control provisions restricting pinch or prong-type collars in tethering contexts | Cited in state tethering summaries (confirm current statute section) | Pinch or prong-type collars in tethering contexts | Tethering / restraint — confirm whether any wider training restriction exists | Confirm from current Hawaii Revised Statutes | Often listed with Rhode Island as a US state that restricts prong-type collars in tethering law. Verify primary text before broader claims. | Hawaii Revised Statutes; Animal Legal & Historical Center |
| San Francisco (California, United States) | Draft | City-level proposals and draft ordinance language on electronic shock collars (sale and use) | Draft / under local consideration — confirm whether an ordinance is currently in force | Electronic collars that deliver electric current to change behaviour, including anti-bark devices (as defined in draft language) | Sale and use within the city (if enacted as drafted) | To be confirmed | Local US activity is real but often overstated in secondary sources. Confirm current San Francisco municipal code before marking Enacted. | San Francisco Board of Supervisors / Animal Care and Control materials |
Owned by the Legislative and Policy Group of the International Advisory Council. For advocacy use.