Stanislaus County, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cat license
- Voluntary, not required
- License benefit
- Spay/neuter voucher
- Feral colony exemption
- § 7.08.100(B), 6 conditions
- Caretaker duty
- Trap & spay/neuter cats over 7 weeks
- ID requirement
- Ear-notch/tip altered ferals
- Enforcing agency
- Stanislaus Animal Services Agency
Summary
Stanislaus County does not require cat owners to license their cats. Section 7.54.070 makes it voluntary, unlike the mandatory four-month dog license. Owners who buy one qualify for a spay/neuter voucher through the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency. People who feed and manage barn or feral cat colonies can register as caretakers under Section 7.08.100(B) and avoid being classified as the cats' legal owner.
A cat owner may voluntarily obtain a license for their cat. If the cat owner voluntarily purchases a cat license, then the cat owner shall be eligible to receive a voucher for the spay/neuter identification program operated by SASA.
Full Breakdown
SASA, the joint powers agency the county formed in 2009 with the cities of Modesto, Patterson, Ceres, Waterford and Hughson, administers both programs. 20. 100(A) otherwise defines "owner" broadly enough to sweep in anyone feeding a cat for fifteen consecutive days. To keep the exemption, a caretaker must register with SASA; feed the colony regularly, including weekends and holidays; trap all cats over seven weeks old and have them spayed or neutered; test trapped cats for feline leukemia and FIV, isolating or humanely euthanizing those that test positive; mark altered cats with an ear notch, tip, or tag; and have every trapped cat vaccinated per state and local law.
Meet all six conditions and the caretaker is not treated as an "owner" under Title 7, so the licensing, rabies-vaccination, and impoundment provisions that apply to owned animals do not attach to the colony. Fail to register or skip the trap-neuter-vaccinate steps, and county code reverts to treating the caretaker as an ordinary owner subject to the full Title 7 owner obligations.
Violations & Fines
There is no penalty for skipping a voluntary cat license. The exposure is on the caretaker side: anyone who feeds barn or feral cats without registering with SASA and completing the trap-neuter-vaccinate steps in Section 7.08.100(B) is treated as the cats' owner under Title 7 and can be cited for whatever owner obligation goes unmet, an infraction under Chapter 7.48 capped at a $300 fine, enforced by SASA officers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Stanislaus County?
How do I register as a feral cat colony caretaker?
What happens if I don't register my feral cat colony?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stanislaus County
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