Canyon County, ID Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cats exempt from
- county at-large ban, § 03-05-15(4)
- Rabies shot required
- every 3 years, cats over 3 months old
- Reclaim fee, sterilized
- $15.00
- Reclaim fee, sterilized after impound
- $25.00
- Reclaim fee, unaltered
- $50.00
- Applies only in
- unincorporated Canyon County, Idaho
- Enforced by
- sheriff's animal control officers
Summary
Unincorporated Canyon County, Idaho does not restrict cats from roaming: county code exempts felines, domestic or feral, from its at-large prohibition. It does require rabies vaccination for cats over three months and sets tiered reclaiming fees, $15 to $50, for any cat impounded at the county shelter, with the lowest fee going to sterilized cats.
(7) Rabies Inoculation: It is unlawful to keep or harbor any canine or feline over the age of three (3) months in the county unless such canine or feline has been inoculated against rabies within the preceding three (3) years. ... (4) Animals At Large: It shall be unlawful for any animal(s) (except felines, domestic or feral), owned or possessed by an individual to be at large upon the roads, streets or alleys of the county or any public place of the county or upon any premises other than his own. ... (4) Impound (Reclaiming) Fees For Felines: Any feline may be reclaimed by the owner, subject to the fees described herein. The reclaiming fee shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00) if the owner provides satisfactory proof that the feline has been spayed or neutered. If the owner has the feline spayed or neutered after impoundment, the reclamation fee shall be twenty five dollars ($25.00). If the owner of the feline desires to have the animal returned to him/her without spaying or neutering the feline, the reclamation fee shall be fifty dollars ($50.00).
Full Breakdown
Canyon County Code § 03-05-15(4), Animals At Large, expressly excludes "felines, domestic or feral" from the at-large ban that covers dogs, livestock and other pets in unincorporated Canyon County. There is no county leash law, licensing requirement or feral-colony registration for cats. Separately, § 03-05-13(7) requires every cat and dog over three months old kept in the county to be inoculated against rabies within the preceding three years, and it is unlawful for anyone other than a veterinarian or the county animal shelter to keep an animal known to be afflicted with rabies.
When a cat does end up at the county shelter, § 03-05-19(4) sets reclaiming fees on a sliding scale tied to sterilization status: $15 if the owner shows proof the cat is already spayed or neutered, $25 if the owner has it sterilized after the impound, and $50 if the owner wants the cat back unaltered. The Canyon County sheriff's office, through its animal control officers under § 03-05-07, administers rabies enforcement and runs the county animal shelter. Because this sits in unincorporated county code, it does not reach Caldwell, Nampa, Middleton, Greenleaf, Melba, Notus, Wilder, Parma or Star, each of which sets its own animal ordinances for cats within city limits.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unvaccinated cat past three months of age violates § 03-05-13(7), enforced by the sheriff's animal control officers; there's no separate at-large fine for cats since felines are excluded from § 03-05-15(4). A cat picked up by the shelter cannot be reclaimed until the owner pays the applicable $15, $25 or $50 fee under § 03-05-19(4) plus any boarding costs incurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my cat roam free in unincorporated Canyon County?
How much does it cost to get an impounded cat back?
Does Canyon County's cat ordinance apply inside Caldwell or Nampa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Canyon County
Compare Canyon County to another location·View the Idaho animal ordinances overview
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