Carrollton, TX Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Rabies vaccination required at
- 4 months of age, § 91.021(A)
- Registration deadline
- 30 days after acquiring cat, § 91.021(E)
- Registration validity
- 1 year, or 3 years with 3-yr rabies shot
- Tag requirement
- Worn at all times off owner's property
- Nonresident exemption
- Cats kept under 60 days, § 91.021(E)
Summary
Every cat four months or older in Carrollton must be rabies-vaccinated and registered with the city within 30 days, wearing its registration tag whenever it is off the owner's property. The code has no separate feral-colony program; the DCO handles registration and enforcement.
(A) Any person owning a dog or cat that is four months old or older within City limits must have such dog or cat vaccinated for rabies. (B) Any person owning a dog or cat that is four months old or older within city limits must register such dog or cat with the city as herein provided. ... (E) Application for a registration shall be made within 30 days after obtaining a dog or cat over four months of age, after locating a dog or cat over four months of age within the City, or from the time a dog or cat reaches four months of age, whichever comes earlier. ... (G) Dogs and cats must wear city registration tag at all times when off the premises of the owner.
Full Breakdown
021 of Chapter 91 governs cat (and dog) registration. Subsection (A) requires rabies vaccination for any cat four months or older within city limits, and subsection (B) separately requires registration with the city. Applications go to the DCO by mail or in person and must include the owner's name, phone number and street address, a description of the animal, the fee, and a valid rabies vaccination certificate under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 826. Under subsection (D), the registration fee is paid annually unless the owner proves a three-year rabies vaccination, in which case the registration itself is valid for three years.
Subsection (E) sets a 30-day deadline to register a cat over four months old, running from acquisition, from the cat first being kept in the city, or from the cat turning four months, whichever is earliest; nonresidents keeping a cat in the city under 60 days are exempt. Once approved, the DCO issues a durable, numbered tag under subsection (F) that must be fastened to the collar or harness, and subsection (G) requires cats to wear that tag at all times when off the owner's premises. The DCO keeps tag records for three years under subsection (H). 044, including sterilization requirements after repeat impoundments.
Violations & Fines
Failing to vaccinate, register or tag a cat as required by Section 91.021 is enforced as a Chapter 91 offense: a misdemeanor under Section 91.072 punishable by a fine of up to $2,000.00 under Section 10.99(A)(2)(e), with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. An unregistered or unvaccinated cat impounded by the DCO cannot be redeemed until the owner pays registration and vaccination fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age does a Carrollton cat need to be registered?
Does Carrollton have a feral cat colony registration program?
How long is a Carrollton cat registration valid?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carrollton
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Carrollton to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle cat rules.