Owners of “dangerous” dogs in Jersey no longer have to hold third-party liability insurance after the only insurer offering the cover to the UK and Channel Islands withdrew its policy.
The requirement was removed on Saturday 7 November, following discussions between the parishes, government and States vet.
It comes after Dogs Trust announced earlier this year that it was ending its policy covering dangerous breeds, saying demand had doubled, leading to a significant increase in claims.
Jersey residents who owned an XL bully-type dog had been legally required to have insurance following a law change in 2025. This was among a handful of measures introduced to toughen rules around dangerous breeds.
The UK government subsequently scrapped its third-party liability insurance requirement, with Jersey now following suit.
However, Jersey’s government has stressed that removing compulsory cover does not remove an owner’s responsibility for their dog’s actions.
“Owners remain responsible for ensuring their dog does not cause injury, loss or damage to people, animals or property,” it said.
“Where a dog causes harm, the owner may still be held civilly liable and may be required to compensate those affected for any injury, loss or damage incurred.”
Owners could therefore still face compensation claims if their animal injures someone, harms another animal or damages property, despite insurance no longer being compulsory.
The Dogs Law (Jersey) Amendment Order 2026 was made by Environment Minister Mary Le Hegarat on Friday 6 November and took effect from Saturday 7 November.
People applying for a dog licence must still declare whether their animal is a dangerous dog and, if so, provide its dangerous dog registration number.
The government said its webpage on banned dogs had been updated to reflect the change.
