SB164 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Randy PriceSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: Animals, limitations of liability for activities of bovines provided to owners
Summary: SB164 creates liability protections for bovine owners by limiting claims for injuries from inherent risks of bovine activities, with required warning signs and specific exceptions.
What This Bill Does
The bill says an owner of bovines is not liable for injuries caused by the inherent risks of bovine activities. People generally cannot sue the owner for such injuries, but exceptions apply if the owner fails to post a warning sign, acts with willful or wanton disregard, or knows about a dangerous propensity of a specific bovine and does not warn people. Owners must post a clearly visible warning sign near bovine activity areas, stating the liability limitation. The act does not apply to certain provisions in other Alabama law, and it takes effect January 1, 2025.

Who It Affects
Bovine owners who conduct activities with bovines (they gain liability protection for inherent risks, with specified exceptions).
People who interact with or are injured around bovines (their ability to sue is limited, with listed exceptions).

Key Provisions
Defines key terms: bovine (buffalo, bison, cattle, oxen); bovine activity (care, handling, showing, boarding, riding, etc.); bovine owner; inherent risk of a bovine activity.
Liability limitation: a bovine owner is not liable for injuries caused by the inherent risks of a bovine activity.
Exceptions: the limitation does not apply if the owner posts and maintains a warning sign; or if the owner acts with willful or wanton disregard; or if the owner knew of a dangerous, non-obvious propensity of a specific bovine and failed to warn.
Warning sign requirement: owners must post a clearly visible sign near where bovine activities happen, with black letters at least 1 inch tall, warning that owners are not liable for injuries from inherent risks.
Sign content and placement: the sign must include the warning and be placed near stables, corrals, or arenas where bovine activities occur.
Effective date: the act becomes effective January 1, 2025.
Relation to other law: Section 2 clarifies the act does not apply to Article 2 of Chapter 15 of Title 35.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Animals; Civil Procedure