Chesapeake, VA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Sec. 10-62 makes it unlawful to own a dog or cat four months or older, or run a kennel or cattery, without a City license, unless the animal belongs to a releasing agency registered annually with local animal control. Licenses run by the calendar year and are the only license tax on dogs and cats the City imposes. 00 for a pet shop. The Treasurer may demand a veterinarian's certification of sterilization before granting the lower rate; without it, the animal is taxed at the intact rate.

Renewal is due between December 1 and December 31 each year; an animal reaching four months or a new resident's animal must be licensed within 30 days. Sec. 10-64 puts the burden on the owner: a cat not wearing a current license tag is presumed unlicensed in any proceeding, and the owner has to prove otherwise. Giving false information to get a license is a class 4 misdemeanor under Sec. 10-62(f). Cats are also folded into Chesapeake's at-large ban. Sec. 10-42 makes it unlawful for any cat to run at large, meaning off the owner's property and not confined by a fence, chain, or leash, and Animal Services may impound a loose cat exactly as it would a dog. 00 within a 12-month period.