Dallas County has no dedicated cat ordinance. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 826 mandates rabies vaccination for cats over four months. Dallas County HHS oversees rabies control; cities run licensing, TNR, and nuisance enforcement.
Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 826 and Texas Administrative Code Title 25 Chapter 169, every cat over four months must carry a current rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian. Dallas County Health and Human Services serves as the local rabies control authority, coordinating bite reports, quarantines, and rabies testing through the state lab. Counties cannot impose stricter pet rules in incorporated areas, so cat licensing, leash exemptions, trap-neuter-return programs, and nuisance feeding rules vary by city. Dallas, Irving, Garland, and Mesquite each operate distinct cat policies, including community-cat TNR partnerships with rescue groups.
Unvaccinated cats trigger Class C misdemeanor citations under Chapter 826, with fines up to five hundred dollars. Bite incidents force ten-day quarantine at owner expense; chronic noncompliance can lead to impound and additional municipal penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Irving, TX
Irving Ch. 22 restricts amplified sound that disturbs the peace. Loudspeakers and amplifiers are prohibited when they create unreasonable disturbance. Quiet ...
Irving, TX
Irving Ch. 22 makes unreasonably loud animal noise a per se violation. The owner, controller, or caretaker is responsible. Licensed animal facilities are exe...
Irving, TX
Irving restricts overnight parking of oversized vehicles and trailers in residential areas. Standard passenger vehicles may park overnight on streets where n...
Irving, TX
Retaining walls at or below grade are excluded from fence height measurements. Walls exceeding 4 feet require engineering. Building permits are required for ...
Irving, TX
Irving prohibits the sale, use, and possession of fireworks within city limits per city ordinance and Texas state law for municipalities. Consumer fireworks ...
Irving, TX
Irving property owners must trim tree limbs blocking sidewalks. The city trims limbs over city streets as needed. Dead or hazardous trees on city property ar...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Dallas County.
See how Irving's cat rules rules stack up against other locations.
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