Sioux Falls, SD Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Cats 6 months or older
- License term
- 1 or 3 years
- Fixed cat fee
- $5 (1yr) / $15 (3yr)
- Unfixed cat fee
- $25 (1yr) / $75 (3yr)
- Community cats
- Exempt from at-large impound
Summary
Every cat six months or older in Sioux Falls must carry a city license within 30 days of acquisition, while Humane Society-approved caregivers may trap-neuter-return feral community cats without impoundment for simply being at large.
(a) Each owner or keeper of a dog or cat of the age of six months or older shall, within 30 days of the acquisition of the animal or within 30 days of the time the animal becomes six months old, cause the animal to be licensed by the city. All applications for license certificates must be accompanied by a rabies immunization certificate and the appropriate fee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 90.075 requires an owner or keeper to license any cat six months or older within 30 days of acquisition or of the cat turning six months old, with the application accompanied by a rabies immunization certificate and the fee set in § 90.077. Separately, § 90.018's Community Cat Initiative lets a caregiver approved by the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society trap, neuter, vaccinate for rabies, eartip, and microchip a feral 'community cat' and return it to where it was trapped; § 90.002(c) exempts community cats from impoundment solely for running at large, and § 90.019 makes unapproved trap-neuter-return unlawful.
Violations & Fines
No license-specific fine is listed, so unlicensed cats fall under the Code's general penalty: up to a $500 fine and/or 30 days in jail, with each day a separate offense (§ 10.999).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to license my cat in Sioux Falls?
Can I care for a feral cat colony in Sioux Falls?
Will animal control impound a feral cat just for roaming?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
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