Huntsville, AL Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $10 altered / $50 unaltered
- Lifetime license
- $35 (altered only)
- At-large enforcement
- requires magistrate's warrant
- Community cats
- exempt if ear-tipped/sterilized
- Enforcing agency
- Huntsville Animal Services (HAS)
Summary
Huntsville requires an annual $10-$50 cat license and bans letting cats become a nuisance or run at large, though sterilized 'community cats' registered under the city's TNR program are exempt from both requirements.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or any person having custody or control of any cat within the city to allow such cat to be a nuisance, cause destruction or damage to the property of another, or to run at large; however, no prosecution shall be commenced and no arrest made pursuant to this section except upon affidavit made before and warrant issued by a judge or magistrate of municipal court. This section is not applicable to community cats, or a community cat caregiver, as determined by the director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Every cat over four months old must be registered annually with Huntsville Animal Services and licensed for $10 if spayed/neutered or $50 if intact, per Sec. 5-41. Owners must keep the license tag affixed to the cat. Separately, Sec. 5-44(b) makes it unlawful for an owner to let a cat become a nuisance, damage another's property, or run at large, though prosecution requires a magistrate's warrant. Both rules exempt 'community cats', free-roaming cats that are ear-tipped, sterilized, and rabies-vaccinated under the city's trap-neuter-return program, from licensing, at-large, and stray provisions entirely.
Violations & Fines
Unlicensed or at-large cats can be impounded by Huntsville Animal Services; owners face a municipal court citation, redemption fees, and mandatory sterilization and microchipping before the cat is released.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do outdoor community cats need a license in Huntsville?
What happens if my cat is caught running at large?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
Compare Huntsville to another location·View the Alabama animal ordinances overview
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Madison County handle cat rules.