Pomona, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License trigger
- Cat over 4 months, or in city 30+ days
- License deadline
- Within 30 days of trigger
- License term
- 1 year, renewable up to 3 years
- Excess-cat fee
- $5/cat over 4, capped at $200
- Fee exemption
- Guide dogs and signal dogs
Summary
Pomona requires every cat over four months old, or kept in the city more than 30 days, to be licensed within 30 days under City Code Sec. 6-42. Households keeping more than four cats over eight weeks old must also register with the shelter manager and pay a per-cat fee under Sec. 6-49(1).
Persons owning; having an interest in; harboring; or having charge, care, custody or possession of any dog or cat over four months of age or kept within the city for more than 30 days shall comply with the requirements of this section. A dog or cat license shall be required for any dog or cat within 30 days after the dog or cat becomes four months of age or within 30 days after the dog or cat is brought into the city, if the dog or cat is over four months of age.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-42 requires an owner, harborer, or custodian of any cat over four months of age, or a cat kept in the city more than 30 days, to obtain a license within 30 days of the cat reaching that age or arriving in the city. The application goes to the shelter manager or license collector, the Inland Valley Humane Society and its deputies, with the license fee set by city council resolution; the license issues for one year but may run up to three years, with a permanent, non-transferable tag matching the license number.
The shelter manager keeps a register of each license, tag number, owner, and cat description, and unpaid renewal fees within 30 days of expiration draw late penalties. Guide dogs and signal dogs are exempt from the license fee, though an application is still required. Separately, Sec. 00 cumulative. A licensed cat kennel operated by a nonprofit adoption program is a separate track under Sec. 6-50, capped at 80 cats and requiring annual humane officer inspection.
Violations & Fines
Failing to license a cat within 30 days of it turning four months old, or within 30 days of bringing it into the city, violates Sec. 6-42 and, like other chapter 6 violations, is a misdemeanor or infraction at the discretion of the city attorney or district attorney under Sec. 6-2, or subject to an administrative citation from the shelter manager under Sec. 6-10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Pomona?
How long does a Pomona cat license last?
Can I own more than four cats in Pomona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
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