Queen Anne's County, MD Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Section 9-12 of the Queen Anne's County Code puts cats under the same registration rule as dogs and ferrets. In unincorporated Queen Anne's County, including Kent Island, a person cannot own, keep, or harbor a cat four months old or older without a current Queen Anne's County registration. Registration is permanent and remains with the animal for life, and it cannot be moved from one animal to another. Before the county issues it, the owner or custodian must produce a valid rabies certificate from a licensed veterinarian, and the animal must have an implanted microchip unless the Commission waives that requirement. Registrations are sold through the Animal Services Center or any location the County Commissioners designate. When a cat changes owners, the new owner can obtain a transfer registration if the cat holds a valid county registration and a current rabies vaccination at the time of transfer.

A person found in violation of civil or criminal animal cruelty charges by a court, or in violation of § 9-21 by the Commission, cannot register an animal in the county for three years from the date of violation.

Community cats sit outside this system. Section 9-1 defines a community cat as a free-roaming cat who might be cared for by one or more residents of the immediate area, known or unknown, and says the cat does not have to be feral. A community cat caregiver, someone making a good faith effort at trap-neuter-return, is not the owner, custodian, harborer, controller, or keeper of the cat. Trap-neuter-return means humanely trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating for rabies, eartipping, and returning community cats to their original location. Eartipping removes the 1/4-inch tip of the left ear under anesthesia, supervised by a licensed veterinarian. Community cats are also carved out of the animals-at-large rule in § 9-17 and the public nuisance definition in § 9-19. The Animal Services Center accepts community cats only if the cat is under four months of age, severely injured, or part of a TNR program, and under § 9-23 caregivers can reclaim impounded community cats without proof of ownership and without fees for the purpose of trap-neuter-return.