Hawthorne, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cat license required
- No, only dogs are licensed
- At-large ban
- Applies to cats via Ch. 6.08
- Impounded cat vaccination
- Mandatory, owner reimburses city
- Cat kennel threshold
- 4+ cats over 4 months
- Enforcing agency
- Bureau of Animal Services
Summary
Hawthorne does not require an individual license for cats the way it does for dogs, but cats are still covered by the citywide at-large ban and by mandatory rabies vaccination once impounded. Owners who let a cat roam loose off their property without confinement can be cited under the same nuisance-at-large ordinance that governs dogs.
No person owing or having possession, charge, custody or control of any animal shall allow the same to stray, or run, or in any other manner be, at large, or in or upon any public street, park, or other public place in the city or in or upon any unenclosed lot, land or premises... providing that the provisions of this section shall not apply where such animal is restrained by a substantial chain or a leash not exceeding six feet in length and is in the charge, possession, care or custody or control of a competent person.
Full Breakdown
Hawthorne Municipal Code Chapter 6.08, "Animals At Large," bars any person from letting an "animal" stray or run at large on any public street, park or unenclosed lot, and the Chapter 6.04.005 definition of "animal" ("any beast, poultry, bird, reptile, fish or any other dumb animal") sweeps in cats even though the ordinance text was written with dogs' leash length in mind. The at-large exception only applies where the animal is restrained by "a substantial chain or a leash not exceeding six feet in length" and is in the charge of a competent person, so a cat outdoors without confinement or a keeper is a violation.
Unlike dogs, Hawthorne's licensing chapter (6.12) never mentions cats: only "any dog over the age of four months" must be registered and tagged, so there is no municipal cat license, no metal tag requirement and no annual cat registration fee. The code does regulate cats in one other place: Section 6.20.010(C) requires the bureau of animal services to vaccinate every cat that is picked up or impounded with rabies vaccine at the owner's expense, and Section 6.20.030 requires any veterinarian who administers that shot to send the bureau a signed certificate recording the cat's breed, age, color, sex and vaccine lot number.
A "Cat kennel" is separately defined at Section 6.04.005 as a lot or structure where four or more cats over four months are kept for any purpose, which triggers the animal-establishment care standards in Section 6.24.015 rather than an individual pet limit. There is no trap-neuter-return or feral colony program written into the code.
Violations & Fines
Letting a cat run at large in violation of Chapter 6.08 is enforced as a code violation under the Title 1 general penalty, Section 1.20.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in county jail, or the city attorney may instead prosecute it as an infraction or an administrative citation under Chapters 1.23(A)/1.23(B). Each day the animal remains unconfined is charged as a separate offense. An impounded cat is held and vaccinated at the owner's cost before release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hawthorne require cat owners to get a city license?
Can my cat be cited for roaming the neighborhood?
What happens if animal control picks up my cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
California rules heatmap·Compare Hawthorne to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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