Madera County, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cat licensing
- Optional, not required
- Dog licensing
- Mandatory at 4 months
- Governing chapter
- Madera County Code Ch. 6.04
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Cat licensing is optional in unincorporated Madera County, unlike the mandatory license and vaccination scheme that applies to dogs.
The owner of each dog age four months or older in the unincorporated area of the county shall license the dog and have the dog vaccinated at the time and in the manner prescribed by this chapter. Except as provided in Section 6.04.230, it is unlawful to own, keep or control any dog unless a license has been procured as provided in this chapter. It is unlawful for any person owning, harboring, or having the care, custody or possession of any dog to keep or maintain such dog in any place in Madera County, except as provided in Section 6.04.220, unless such dog has been vaccinated as provided in this chapter. Owners of cats in the unincorporated area of the county may, but are not required to, license cats in the same manner as provided in this chapter for the licensing of dogs.
(Ord. No. 479E, § 1, 6-21-16).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
In unincorporated Madera County, dog owners must license and vaccinate their dogs, but cat owners face no such mandate. County code makes cat licensing voluntary: owners may register a cat the same way dogs are licensed, but nothing requires it. This distinguishes cats from dogs, which must be licensed by four months of age and vaccinated against rabies. The rule applies only outside the cities of Madera and Chowchilla.
Violations & Fines
There is no penalty for failing to license a cat, since licensing is not required; unvaccinated or unlicensed dogs, by contrast, violate Chapter 6.04.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to license my cat in unincorporated Madera County?
Does Madera County regulate feral cat colonies separately?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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