Franklin County, NC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Franklin County Animal Services
- Rabies vaccination
- Required for cats 4 months and older (Sec. 6-38(a))
- Tag requirement
- None for cats; keep certificate instead (Sec. 6-40)
- At-large ban
- Unlawful for any animal, including cats (Sec. 6-7(a))
- At-large penalty
- $100.00 civil penalty per violation (Sec. 6-81(a))
- Rabies violation penalty
- Set by state law (Sec. 6-82)
Summary
In unincorporated Franklin County, every cat four months or older must have a current rabies vaccination, and while cats skip the metal tag dogs must wear, owners must keep the vaccination certificate on hand as proof under Sec. 6-40. Sec. 6-7 also bars letting any cat wander stray or at-large; Animal Services can confiscate a loose cat and issue a $100 civil penalty.
(a)It shall be unlawful for the owner of an animal to permit such animal to be wandering stray and to be at-large. ... (a)It shall be unlawful for an owner to fail to provide current inoculation against rabies for any of the owner's dog(s) and cat(s) that are four months of age or older. ... Cats are not required to wear the metallic tag referred to in section 6-39(a) of this article, but the owner of a cat must maintain the rabies vaccination certificate(s) as written evidence to prove that the cat has a current rabies inoculation. ... (a)Except as otherwise provided, any person who violates any provision of this ordinance shall be fined a civil penalty of $100.00.
Full Breakdown
Franklin County's animal ordinance (Chapter 6) treats cats the same as dogs for rabies control. Sec. 6-38(a) makes it unlawful for an owner to fail to provide current inoculation against rabies for any dog or cat four months of age or older, and Sec. 6-38(b) defines a vaccination as current only when two shots have been given within a 12-month period followed by adequate boosters, administered by a licensed veterinarian or certified rabies vaccinator. Unlike dogs, which must wear a metallic tag under Sec. 6-39, cats are exempt from the tag requirement: Sec.
6-40 instead requires the owner to keep the rabies vaccination certificate as written evidence of current inoculation, and an animal services officer can demand to see it under Sec. 6-5(d). Separately, Sec. 6-7(a) makes it unlawful for the owner of any animal, including a cat, to permit it to be wandering stray or at-large. An animal services officer may confiscate a loose cat and impound it at a county animal shelter under Article III. Redemption within three days of notice requires paying the redemption fee, boarding fee, and any rabies-vaccine cost under Sec.
6-68(a) and (c), with fees doubling on a second impoundment and tripling on a third under Sec. 6-68(c)(1)-(3); a fourth impoundment forfeits the cat to the shelter for adoption or humane destruction. The code has no separate feral-colony or trap-neuter-release provision; feral and owned cats are governed by the same at-large and rabies rules above.
Violations & Fines
Letting a cat wander at-large violates Sec. 6-7(a), an Article I offense: Sec. 6-81(a) sets a $100.00 civil penalty per violation, escalating to Class 3 misdemeanor exposure under Sec. 6-81(d) if criminal charges are pursued, with each day a separate offense. Failing to vaccinate a cat or produce its certificate violates Article II (Secs. 6-38, 6-40); Sec. 6-82 enforces those rabies-control violations in accordance with the penalties set out in state law rather than a county-set fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my cat need a rabies tag in unincorporated Franklin County?
Can I let my cat roam outside in unincorporated Franklin County?
What happens if Animal Services picks up my at-large cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin County
Compare Franklin County to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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