Des Moines, IA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Cats six months and older
- License expires
- December 31 each year
- Community cat exemption
- Unowned, sterilized, vaccinated, ear-tipped
- Late penalty begins
- April 1 each year
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor or municipal infraction
Summary
Des Moines requires an annual cat license for cats six months and older, and allows sterilized, vaccinated, ear-tipped community cats with no owner to roam free without a license.
The owner of every cat six months old or over...shall annually obtain a license as provided in this article. Community cats shall be allowed as free roaming cats if all the following are met: (1) no person owns the cat, (2) cat has been assessed by a veterinarian and deemed healthy, (3) cat has been spayed or neutered, (4) cat has been vaccinated for rabies...(5) cats must be ear tipped by the veterinarian making the health assessment and after determining the cat is spayed or neutered, has been properly vaccinated, and has no known owner.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Every cat six months or older must carry an annual city license (Sec. 18-92), issued through the city clerk after proof of rabies vaccination, with a penalty added each April 1 for unpaid licenses (Sec. 18-99). Des Moines also runs a formal 'community cat' program: an unowned cat that has been vet-assessed healthy, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped may roam free without a license and is not treated as at-large (Secs. 18-109(a), 18-103(b)) unless the chief humane officer finds it a nuisance. Letting a required rabies vaccination lapse is a misdemeanor or municipal infraction under Sec. 18-101.
Violations & Fines
Owning an unlicensed cat, letting a required rabies vaccination lapse, or removing another owner's license or spay/neuter tag is a misdemeanor or municipal civil infraction under Sec. 18-101, punishable by fine under Sec. 1-15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license for my cat in Des Moines?
Can I legally care for a feral cat colony in Des Moines?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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