Riverside, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

In unincorporated Riverside County, Ordinance No. 630 sets specific cat rules. Section 3 makes it unlawful for any person who owns, harbors, or keeps an unspayed or unaltered cat four months of age or older to allow or permit that cat to be or remain outdoors in the unincorporated areas — in effect requiring sterilization before a cat is allowed outside. The Director of Animal Services is authorized to take steps to mitigate feral cat populations, which may include spay and neuter services. Cat licensing itself is optional: under Section 4, an owner may obtain a cat license and tag upon presenting a veterinarian's certificate of vaccination and paying the optional fee, valid for the period of immunity shown. However, Section 13 makes microchipping mandatory for all cats over four months of age, with the owner required to provide the microchip number to the Department and report changes of ownership or address. Section 12 requires owners of unaltered cats to have them spayed or neutered or to provide a certificate of sterility. Cat trapping is regulated by Section 15: a person may not set or maintain a cat trap unless a clearly visible sign is posted, trapping may not continue more than ten days in a thirty-day period, and a trapped lactating female cat must be released immediately.