AL · Strict liability
Alabama dog bite law
Alabama holds a dog owner liable when you are legally on their property, or when the dog chases you off it. It is not a free-for-all public-place statute.
- Liability
- Strict liability (on the owner’s property)
- Statute
- Ala. Code §§ 3-6-1, 3-6-3
- Deadline to file
- 2 years · Ala. Code § 6-2-38
- Bites only?
- Injuries more broadly
If the bite happened on a sidewalk, in a park, or at a store, Alabama may require a negligence or one-bite showing instead of the property statute. Location is the first fact that matters.
Photograph the wound the day it happens. Alabama’s two-year clock is typical, but animal-control records and the owner’s insurance information disappear faster than the deadline does.
Exceptions insurers will mention
Provocation. If the owner did not know the dog was dangerous, recovery may be limited to actual expenses.
Compare the national split in strict liability vs one-bite, and confirm your clock on statute of limitations.
Similar liability rules
This page is general information, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for a lawyer licensed in your state. Statutes change. Confirm the current rule and your deadline with counsel before you rely on a date.