Grand Forks, ND Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Dogs and cats over 6 months old, City Code § 11-0102
- License fee
- Set annually by Grand Forks City Council resolution
- Rabies proof required
- Current vaccination certificate needed before license issues
- At-large hold
- 4 days impound, $35 redemption fee, § 11-0112
- Bite/rabies hold
- Extended to 10 days if bite or disease suspected
- Unredeemed animals
- Destroyed or transferred to Grand Forks Humane Society
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine per incident, City Code § 11-0128
Summary
In the City of Grand Forks, every dog and cat over six months old must carry a city license, and any dog or cat running loose in the streets, parks, public places or on another person's property is a public nuisance under City Code Section 11-0112. The Grand Forks Police Department and finance department run licensing and impoundment, and an animal picked up at large sits in the pound up to four days before the owner can redeem it.
No person, firm, association or corporation shall own, keep, or harbor a dog or cat which is over six (6) months of age without first having obtained a license therefor as hereinafter provided; provided, however, the City of Grand Forks shall not be required to obtain a license for any dogs owned by the city and used for law enforcement purposes. ... Any dog or cat running or being at large in any of the streets, public ways, public places, parks, or upon the private premises of any other person than the owner or keeper of such cat or dog, within the City of Grand Forks shall be deemed and be considered to be a public nuisance ... and shall be ... impounded in a suitable place provided by the city. ... If within four (4) days of impounding, the owner shall claim the dog or cat, said owner shall pay to the city at its finance department the sum of thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for the taking or impounding of said cat or dog.
Full Breakdown
The license fee is set by resolution of the Grand Forks City Council and is higher for an unaltered dog or cat unless the owner shows a veterinarian's certificate of spaying or neutering, per Section 11-0104. Before the finance department will accept a license fee, Section 11-0105 requires the owner to present a current rabies vaccination certificate; vaccination must begin between three and six months of age with a booster one year later. The license runs from January 1 each year, or six months after the animal's birth, and a lost tag can be replaced for a three-dollar duplicate fee under Section 11-0109.
A dog or cat found at large in the streets, public ways, parks or on someone else's property is impounded by the city under Section 11-0112; the owner has four days to redeem the animal by paying a thirty-five dollar fee to the finance department, and licensing must be current before release. If the animal shows signs of rabies or has bitten someone hard enough to break the skin, the hold extends to ten days so it can be observed. An animal not redeemed within four days may be destroyed or turned over to the Grand Forks Humane Society. Dogs and cats inside an officially designated leash-free dog park are exempt from the at-large rule under Section 11-0112(5).
Violations & Fines
Keeping an unlicensed dog or cat over six months old, or letting one run at large, exposes the owner to impoundment plus the thirty-five dollar redemption fee under Section 11-0112. Section 11-0128 sets the general penalty for violating the licensing and animal-control article at a fine of up to one thousand dollars per incident, and counterfeiting a city tag or misusing one issued for a different animal is a separate offense under Section 11-0119.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in Grand Forks?
What happens if my dog or cat is caught running loose?
How long can the pound hold my pet if it bit someone?
Is my dog exempt from licensing in the leash-free dog park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Forks
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