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
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| 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 |
| Belgium | Enacted | 22 APRIL 2022. - Decreet tot wijziging van de wet van 14 augustus 1986 betreffende de bescherming en het welzijn der dieren en het decreet van 13 juli 2018 tot wijziging van de wet van 14 augustus 1986 betreffende de bescherming en het welzijn der dieren in het kader van de zesde staatshervorming (1) (1) Zitting 2021-2022 |
1 January 2027 | electronic collars (cats and dogs) | use, sale, trade, everyone | invisible fence connected electronic collars |
Open source
Belgische Staatsblad
https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/decreet/2022/04/22/2022040935/staatsblad
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| 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 | In motion. 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) | Failed | A6985 / S7723 (2025–2026). A6985 enacting clause stricken 20 Feb 2026; S7723 remained in Senate Agriculture; neither passed before adjournment | Failed may return in 2027 | 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 | None | Trainer-licensure bills requiring non-aversive / positive-reinforcement standards. Did not become law. May be reintroduced in 2027. Separate historic sale-restriction ideas (e.g. older Rosenthal shock-collar sale bill) were not enacted in this session either. | 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.