XL Bully Law From 1 November 2026: Children Under 12 Must Not Be Left Unsupervised With Banned Dogs
From Sunday 1 November 2026, owners in the UK must not leave a child under 12 in close contact with a banned dog in a private place, such as a home or garden, without adult supervision. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the rule is a new condition on the Certificate of Exemption that allows an owner to legally keep a banned breed, including XL Bully types.
Defra said children will be better protected from dangerous dogs in the home under the measure, which it said will reduce the risk of serious injury in domestic settings while allowing exempted dogs to stay with families where supervision is in place. The change was announced to Parliament on 9 June 2026 and takes effect today, 1 November 2026, across the arrangements described below, with Scotland’s own guidance stating the same 1 November date for its exempted dogs.
What changes on 1 November for homes and gardens
The new condition covers close contact in a private place, not only being alone in a room. Defra’s wording is that owners must not let a child under 12 be in close contact with a prohibited dog in a private place, for example a home or garden, without adult supervision. Scotland’s guidance adds that an adult aged 16 or over must be present whenever a child is with an XL Bully or any other banned breed, and that the adult does not have to be the certificate holder.
That distinction matters for families sharing care. A grandparent, older sibling aged 16 or over, or another supervising adult can meet the supervision requirement, but the certificate holder remains responsible for the exemption conditions. The rule applies to banned breeds generally, not only to XL Bullies, because it is attached to the exemption system for all prohibited types.
Quick Reference Summary Table
| Item | What applies from 1 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| New rule | No child under 12 in close contact with a banned dog in a private place without adult supervision |
| Where it applies | Private places, for example a home or garden |
| Legal basis | New condition on the Certificate of Exemption under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 framework |
| Banned types covered | Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, XL Bully |
| Supervising adult | An adult aged 16 or over must be present (Scotland guidance) |
| Possible enforcement | Dog seizure and prosecution; Defra reports up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine for breach of the new condition, while Scotland guidance states up to £5,000 and/or six months |
| Other exemption rules unchanged | Neutering, microchipping, lead and muzzle in public, secure housing |
The five banned types and why XL Bullies dominate the debate
The UK bans five types: the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. The first four have been covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 for decades, while the XL Bully was added in England and Wales in stages ending on 1 February 2024, when owning one without a Certificate of Exemption became illegal.
Reports put the number of XL Bully exemption certificates at around 57,000 by the end of 2024 and around 61,000 in later coverage, so the exact live total is not stated as a single verified figure here. The scale explains why a change framed around all banned breeds is reported mainly as an XL Bully story. Most exempted banned dogs in homes are XL Bullies, and most of the recent public debate has centred on that type.
Exemption conditions owners must still meet every day
An exempted dog must be neutered and microchipped, kept on a lead and muzzled in public, and kept in a secure place from which it cannot escape. The owner must be over 16, show the Certificate of Exemption when asked by a police officer or council dog warden, and notify the Index of Exempted Dogs of a change of address or the dog’s death.
Those conditions continue alongside the new child-supervision rule. Defra also said the third-party public liability insurance requirement for exempted banned breeds was removed from 1 July 2026, after the only available provider withdrew from the market. That change does not remove the other conditions, and it does not alter the new supervision requirement.
The wider UK policy picture has moved quickly in recent days, from nearly 1,000 Channel crossings in two days after a three-week pause to high-street pressure shown in TG Jones store closures affecting around 150 Post Offices. Against that backdrop, the dog rule is a narrow, household-level change with a clear start date and a clear test: is a supervising adult present.
What counts as a breach, and what happens next
Failure to comply with an exemption condition can lead to enforcement action, including seizure of the dog and prosecution under existing powers. For the new condition, Defra-linked reporting states owners may have their dogs seized, face up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine. Scotland’s official guidance frames the penalty for breaking exemption rules as a fine of up to £5,000, up to six months in prison, or both.
Owners should not treat those two framings as interchangeable, because they come from different official summaries of the same framework. The safest reading is the one Defra itself published for the new condition, checked against the official guidance for the nation where the dog is kept. Defra’s June announcement set out the 1 November start date and the exemption-certificate mechanism, while Scotland’s exemption guidance confirms the 1 November supervision rule and the age-16 adult requirement.
Animal welfare groups have long advised supervising young children around all dogs, not only banned breeds. Defra made the same point in its announcement, saying young children should be supervised around all breeds. The new law does not create a general supervision rule for every dog, but it turns supervision into a legal condition for banned breeds in private places.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rule apply only to XL Bullies? No. It applies to all banned breeds kept under a Certificate of Exemption, including the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully, although XL Bullies dominate reporting because of their numbers.
Does an adult have to be the certificate holder? No, according to Scotland’s guidance. An adult aged 16 or over must be present, and that adult does not have to be the certificate holder.
Does the rule apply in a garden? Yes. Defra and Scotland guidance both describe private places including homes and gardens.
What happens if an owner breaks the rule? Enforcement can include seizure of the dog and prosecution. Defra-linked reporting states up to six months in prison and an unlimited fine; Scotland guidance states up to £5,000 and/or six months.
Have the other exemption rules changed? No. Neutering, microchipping, lead and muzzle in public, and secure housing remain in place. The insurance requirement for exempted breeds was separately removed from 1 July 2026.
