Davis County, UT Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- cats 4+ months old
- Fee
- $5-$15 per year depending on sterilization
- Ear-tipped cats
- exempt from license tag requirement
- Tag duration
- up to 3 years, matches rabies certificate
- Ownership change
- must notify department within 30 days
Summary
Every cat over four months old in unincorporated Davis County needs a county license tag showing current rabies vaccination, under Section 6.12.010. Sterilized, microchipped cats cost as little as $5 a year, ear-tipped community cats are exempt from licensing, and cats must wear their tag and collar at all times.
Every person possessing, harboring, keeping, or having control or custody of a dog and/or cat over the age of four months shall secure a county license from a veterinarian or from the department and, as a condition of obtaining the license, shall show proof of a current rabies vaccination which shall have been administered by a licensed veterinarian. Except as provided for in Section 6.12.020 Exemptions For Licensing, all dogs and cats at least four months of age or older must have a current license tag. A license tag may be issued by the department for any period of time up to three years, coinciding with duration of the current rabies vaccination as documented on the rabies certificate. A license tag is not valid during any time period when the animal is unvaccinated or for which the rabies vaccination has expired. In order to obtain a license tag or renew a license tag for a dog or cat, a current complete rabies vaccine certification must be provided to the department along with any and all applicable fees for the license tag. The license tag may be obtained either from the department or a veterinarian. Only rabies certificates signed by a veterinarian and license tags approved for issuance by the department shall be valid. It shall be unlawful to transfer any tag, issued under this section, from the animal for which such tag was issued to another animal.
Full Breakdown
010 requires anyone possessing, harboring or keeping a cat four months or older to obtain a county license tag from the Animal Care Department or a veterinarian, conditioned on a current rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian. A tag can run up to three years, matching the vaccination's duration, and becomes invalid the moment the underlying rabies vaccination lapses. Owners must notify the department within 30 days of any change in ownership, address or phone number. Fees, set by the Board of County Commissioners, are lower for sterilized and microchipped cats: the consolidated fee schedule lists $15 for an unsterilized cat's one-year license, $5 for a sterilized/microchipped cat's one-year license, $10 for a three-year sterilized/microchipped license, and $10 for a lifetime senior-owner license on a sterilized cat.
A $5 transfer fee and $25 late fee also apply, and a lost tag can be replaced for $6. 020 exempts ear-tipped cats entirely from the tag requirement, recognizing surgically marked community and feral cats maintained under trap-neuter-return programs, along with cats visiting the county 30 days or less per year with proof of home-jurisdiction registration, and cats owned by government agencies. 010. 120, and escalate to the County Commissioner overseeing the department if unsatisfied.
Violations & Fines
An unlicensed or untagged cat four months or older is presumed unvaccinated and can be impounded under Section 6.20.010, with redemption requiring payment of impound fees, daily board charges of $15, and any applicable license fee. Removing a tag from a licensed animal is separately unlawful under Section 6.12.040, and operating an unlicensed cattery or breeding operation without the Section 6.12.050 permit can draw a citation under the county's general Class B misdemeanor penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do community or feral cats need a Davis County license?
How much does a Davis County cat license cost?
What happens if my cat's tag isn't visible?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis County
Compare Davis County to another location·View the Utah animal ordinances overview
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