Sampson County, NC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum vaccination age
- 4 months old
- Tag requirement
- Worn at all times off owner's property
- Bite/scratch quarantine
- 10 days
- Standard impoundment hold
- 72 hours excluding weekends/holidays
- First civil penalty
- $50, rising to $200
- Enforcing agency
- Sheriff's Office / County Health Director
Summary
In unincorporated Sampson County, owners must keep every cat currently vaccinated against rabies once it turns four months old and must keep a valid rabies tag on its collar or harness whenever the cat is off the owner's property. An untagged cat found off-property can be impounded immediately by the Sheriff's Office.
d. Vaccination required. It shall be unlawful for an owner or keeper to fail to provide current vaccination against Rabies (hydrophobia) for any dog, cat or ferret four (4) months of age or older. ... ... h. Unlawful for dog, cat or ferret not to wear Rabies tag. It shall be unlawful for any dog, cat or ferret owner or keeper to fail to provide the dog, cat or ferret with a collar or harness to which a current Rabies tag issued under this section is securely attached. The collar or harness, with the attached tag, must be worn at all times the animal is off its owner’s property. i. Untagged dog, cat or ferret subject to impoundment. In addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, a dog, cat or ferret may immediately be impounded in accordance with the provisions of this section if it is found off its owner’s or keeper’s property not wearing a currently valid Rabies tag.
Full Breakdown
Sampson County Code Sec. 4-1-04.A places rabies control for dogs, cats and ferrets under the Sheriff and the County Health Director, who enforce Part 6 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes locally. Paragraph d requires current rabies vaccination for any cat four months of age or older, with the schedule in paragraph e requiring the first two doses twelve months apart and boosters per the manufacturer's schedule. Paragraph g requires the county to issue a numbered rabies tag and certificate on vaccination, and paragraph h makes it unlawful for the owner or keeper to fail to keep that tag securely attached to a collar or harness worn by the cat at all times it is off its owner's property.
Paragraph i allows immediate impoundment of a cat found off-property without a currently valid rabies tag, in addition to any other penalty. Paragraph q separately authorizes seizure of any cat that is lost, stray, unwanted, or not wearing a valid tax or rabies tag, and paragraph j makes it unlawful to switch a rabies tag between animals. Impoundment runs 72 hours excluding weekends and County holidays under paragraph a, and a cat that bites or scratches a person must be quarantined 10 days at the shelter, a veterinary hospital, or the owner's home if an Animal Control Officer determines the home setting is safe.
There is no separate county cat license fee apart from the rabies tag system; the tag issued on vaccination serves as the county's registration record for the animal.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 4 draws a civil penalty under Sec. 4-1-07.B: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second within twelve months, and $200 for a third or subsequent offense in that period, plus abatement costs due within seven days of the notice of violation. The same conduct is also a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by up to $100 and up to 20 days imprisonment if the fine is unpaid within 30 days. The Sheriff's Office and Animal Shelter enforce these rules and may appeal impoundment decisions to the County Manager within three business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sampson County require a separate cat license in the unincorporated area?
What happens if my cat is found outside without its rabies tag?
My cat scratched a neighbor. What does the county require?
Can the county declare a rabies quarantine that affects my cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sampson County
Compare Sampson County to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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