Commerce City, CO Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Rabies vaccination required by
- 6 months of age
- Distemper revaccination
- Annually for 5 years, then biennial
- Tag requirement
- Worn on collar/harness at all times
- New-resident grace period
- 30 days
- Estrus confinement
- Required, no contact with other animals
- Enforcement
- Strict liability, civil infraction or misdemeanor
Summary
Commerce City treats cats as regulated animals under Chapter 4 of the Revised Municipal Code: every cat six months or older must carry current rabies and distemper vaccinations with a tag on its collar, an unspayed female in heat must be confined away from other animals, and animal control agents enforce both rules as strict-liability civil infractions.
Cat: All domesticated or feral members of the genus Felis, male or female. ... No person shall own, keep, possess, harbor or maintain ... any unspayed female dog, cat or other animal that is in the state of estrus (heat) unless such animal is confined in a building or enclosure in such a manner that the animal cannot come into contact with other animals, except for planned breeding. ( ... a)Rabies. ... No person shall keep or possess within the city any dog, cat, or ferret that has not been vaccinated against rabies or for which proof of such vaccination is not provided.(1)Every owner of a dog, cat, or ferret six (6) months of age or older shall have such animal vaccinated against rabies. Such vaccination shall be re-administered prior to the manufacturer's listed expiration date for the vaccine use. ... (3)The owner shall cause to be attached to the collar or harness of the vaccinated dog, cat, or ferret a metal tag serially numbered to correspond with the vaccination certificate number and bearing the year of issuance. The owner shall ensure that such tag is worn by the dog, cat, or ferret at all times.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-1001 defines "Cat" as all domesticated or feral members of the genus Felis, male or female, so the vaccination and confinement rules below reach barn cats and free-roaming colony cats the same as house cats. Sec. 4-3000(a) makes it unlawful to keep a cat that has not been vaccinated against rabies once it reaches six months of age, requires revaccination before the manufacturer's listed expiration date, and requires the owner to attach a metal tag serially numbered to the vaccination certificate to the cat's collar or harness at all times.
New residents get thirty days after moving into the city to comply. Sec. 4-3000(c) adds a parallel distemper vaccination requirement by six months of age, revaccinated annually for the first five years and every other year after that. Separately, Sec. 4-2006 bars keeping an unspayed female cat in heat unless she is confined in a building or enclosure so she cannot contact other animals, with an exception for planned breeding. None of this creates a cat license (Commerce City licenses hobby breeders and commercial kennels, not individual pet owners), and it does not authorize a feral colony program; a "feral" cat is simply a cat under the ordinance's definition and its owner or caretaker is bound by the same vaccination duty.
Violations of Chapter 4 are strict liability under Sec. 4-1002: the animal control agent does not need to prove the owner knew of the violation.
Violations & Fines
Failing to vaccinate a cat against rabies or distemper, or letting a tag lapse, is a civil infraction under Sec. 4-1002 unless the section labels the conduct "unlawful," in which case it is a misdemeanor prosecuted in municipal court. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense. An animal control agent can also impound an animal found in violation, and the owner bears any resulting boarding and veterinary costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Commerce City require a license just to own a cat?
Are feral cats treated differently under the ordinance?
Can I keep an unspayed female cat that is in heat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Commerce City
Compare Commerce City to another location·View the Colorado animal ordinances overview
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