Nassau County does not require cat licensing countywide, but Chapter 80 cruelty and nuisance provisions apply, and several incorporated villages impose at-large or trap-neuter-return registration rules on free-roaming cats.
New York Agriculture and Markets Law authorizes municipalities to regulate cats but does not mandate licensing. Nassau County Code Chapter 80 covers cats under cruelty, abandonment, and public nuisance provisions. Several Nassau villages, including Garden City and Rockville Centre, prohibit allowing cats to roam unsupervised on neighboring property. Trap-neuter-return colonies must be registered with the Nassau County SPCA in participating villages. Owners abandoning cats outdoors face misdemeanor charges under Ag and Markets section 355. Indoor confinement is encouraged by NCDOH due to rabies vector exposure on Long Island.
First-offense nuisance fine of up to two hundred fifty dollars, plus possible Ag and Markets misdemeanor for abandonment or repeated cruelty findings.
Nassau County, NY
Nassau County Code Chapter 71 (Dogs) and Nassau County Police Ordinance 11 require all dogs off the owners premises to be leashed. Leash length is limited to...
Nassau County, NY
Nassau County Code 71 prohibits feeding of wildlife in county parks and preserves. NY ECL prohibits feeding deer and bear statewide. Feeding stray cats is ge...
See how Nassau County's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.