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Arlington County, VA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Vaccination trigger
Cats 6 months and older, past 14 days
Legal basis
County-declared rabies emergency, § 2-8.1
Vaccine standard
USDA-licensed rabies vaccine required
Cat licensing
No separate cat license tax in Chapter 2
Feral colonies
No TNR/colony program in this chapter

Summary

Arlington County makes it unlawful to keep a cat six months or older for more than 14 days without a USDA-licensed rabies vaccination. The requirement is tied to a rabies emergency the County declared in 1982 and that stays in force until the District Health Officer determines it no longer exists.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Arlington County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

§ 2-8.2. Rabies Vaccination of Cats. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor or have in his custody or control a cat six (6) months old or older, for longer than fourteen (14) days unless such cat has been vaccinated with a rabies vaccine licensed for use by the United States Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Biologics Section. This section shall remain in effect for as long as the medical emergency declared by § 2-8.1 remains in effect. (Ord. No. 82-40, 11-6-82)

View official code

Full Breakdown

Chapter 2, Article II covers cats through the rabies-control provisions rather than a separate licensing scheme like the one that applies to dogs. 1 declares a rabies emergency in Arlington County that is deemed to exist until the District Health Officer determines, based on medical evidence, that the emergency no longer exists. 1 emergency remains declared. Unlike dogs under § 2-7 and § 2-12, the Code does not impose a separate cat license tax, tag, or collar requirement, and Chapter 2 has no provision creating a managed feral colony or trap-neuter-return program.

Rabies enforcement authority for both species sits with the officers defined in § 2-4, which includes police officers and Animal Control Officers, and the broader impoundment and euthanization procedures in § 2-9 for animals suspected of rabies or that have bitten a person apply to cats as they do to dogs, including a confinement period of up to six months at the owner's expense for an animal bitten by a suspected rabid animal.

Violations & Fines

Keeping an unvaccinated cat six months or older past the 14-day grace window in § 2-8.2 is a Code violation while the § 2-8.1 rabies emergency remains declared. The chapter does not set a separate fine for this section, so the general Code penalty in § 1-6 applies: a fine up to $2,500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with continuing violations treated as separate daily offenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Arlington County require cats to be licensed like dogs?
No. Chapter 2 sets a dog license tax and tag requirement in §§ 2-7 and 2-12, but has no parallel licensing section for cats. Cats are instead regulated through the rabies vaccination mandate in § 2-8.2, which applies once a cat turns six months old.
Do I have to vaccinate my cat against rabies?
Yes. Section 2-8.2 makes it unlawful to keep, harbor, or control a cat six months or older for more than 14 days unless it has been vaccinated with a USDA-licensed rabies vaccine, and the rule stays in force for as long as the rabies emergency declared under § 2-8.1 remains in effect.
Can I keep a colony of stray or feral cats in Arlington County?
Chapter 2 does not create a feral-colony registration or trap-neuter-return program, so no local ordinance authorizes or regulates colony caretaking. The applicable Chapter 2 obligation that does reach any cat you keep, harbor, or control past 14 days is the § 2-8.2 rabies vaccination requirement.
What happens if my cat bites someone?
The general impoundment provisions in § 2-9 apply to cats as well as dogs. At the discretion of the Director of the County Health Department, an animal that has bitten a person can be confined under observation for 10 days, unless it shows active rabies symptoms or dies first, or a seriously sick or injured animal may be humanely euthanized with its head sent for evaluation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Arlington County

Trash & Recycling: Recycling RulesSome RestrictionsDog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsChickens & LivestockSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Water RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsWildlife Rescue PermitsSome RestrictionsBreed RestrictionsSome RestrictionsMicrochippingLight RestrictionsExotic PetsHeavy RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage TreesSignificant RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree TrimmingSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Weed OrdinancesSome RestrictionsTrash & Recycling: Recycling RequirementsSome Restrictions

All Arlington County rules

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