Blue Springs, MO Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Vaccination trigger
- Cats over 4 months old (§215.140)
- Vaccine duration
- 1-year or 3-year, per manufacturer
- Tag
- Issued by licensed vet; worn at all times
- Medical exemption
- Vet-signed documentation only
- Restraint duty
- Applies to cats too, at all times (§215.040)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 90 days jail (§100.080(A))
Summary
In the City of Blue Springs, Missouri, every cat over four months old must carry a current rabies vaccination and wear the veterinarian-issued tag proving it, under Section 215.140 of the City Code. The same Chapter also keeps cats under the citywide restraint duty in Section 215.040, so a cat running loose off its owner's property is legally at large just like a dog.
Section 215.140. Veterinarian Tag Required. ... No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog or cat or ferret over four (4) months of age within the City limits unless such animal has been vaccinated against rabies within the last twelve (12) months with rabies vaccine effective for annual vaccinations or within the last three (3) years if previously vaccinated with vaccine with an effective vaccination duration of three (3) years per the manufacturer's warranty and the recommendation of a veterinarian, and has been issued a receipt and tag from a licensed veterinarian as herein provided, which tag shall reflect the effective duration of the vaccination and which tag the dog or cat shall wear at all times. Proof of rabies vaccination status must be provided when requested by an Animal Control Officer. Rabies vaccination will not be required when deemed medically dangerous for the animal. Official documentation signed by a licensed veterinarian is required stating rabies vaccination is not medically possible for safety of the animal.
Full Breakdown
Section 215.140 bars anyone from owning, keeping or harboring a cat, dog or ferret over four months old within the City limits unless it has current rabies vaccination, either within the last twelve months for an annual-duration vaccine or within the last three years for a vaccine with a three-year manufacturer duration, and has been issued a receipt and tag from a licensed veterinarian showing that duration. The cat has to wear that tag at all times, and the owner must produce proof of vaccination status when an Animal Control Officer asks.
Rabies vaccination is excused only where a licensed veterinarian signs documentation that vaccination is not medically safe for that particular animal. Section 215.150 separately makes it unlawful to use one cat's tag on a different cat. Because Section 215.040's restraint duty covers cats as well as dogs, a cat found off its owner's property without a fence, leash or electronic containment is at large and can be seized under Section 215.210, and Section 215.070 requires an owner to confine a female cat in heat indoors so it cannot breed with or attract other animals. The Code does not set out a separate feral-colony or trap-neuter-return program; the vaccination and tag requirement is the operative cat rule.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unvaccinated or untagged cat past four months old, or letting a cat's rabies tag lapse, is punishable under the Code's general penalty, Section 100.080(A): a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, imprisonment of not more than ninety days, or both. Using another animal's tag on a cat under Section 215.150 carries the same general penalty, and an Animal Control Officer can impound an untagged, unrestrained cat under Section 215.210 at the owner's cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Blue Springs require a cat license?
Can my cat roam outside in Blue Springs?
What if my cat can't safely get a rabies shot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Blue Springs
Compare Blue Springs to another location·View the Missouri animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle cat rules.