Jefferson County, MO Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

150, County Animal License Required, states that no dog or cat shall be permitted within the unincorporated areas of Jefferson County unless the animal is licensed and the license fee is paid, and that a County Animal License constitutes a presumption of ownership. Transient animals, defined elsewhere in the chapter, are exempt from the licensing requirement but only for 30 days. 040 as all members of Felis domesticus, male or female, three months of age or older, so kittens under three months fall outside the licensing definition.

170: the fee schedule sets $10 for each annual vaccination per animal and $30 for each three-year vaccination per animal, with the license period running alongside the vaccine's effectiveness period. 210 authorizes the Animal Control Division to impound any cat not wearing a valid, unexpired County animal license and rabies tag, and any cat not securely confined while in heat, whether or not the animal is otherwise licensed. Because Chapter 215's definitions restrict COUNTY enforcement to the unincorporated area, a cat kept inside Arnold, Festus, De Soto, Hillsboro or another incorporated city falls under that city's own animal code instead.