Tracy, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- free-roaming cat cared for by a registered caregiver
- Licensing status
- exempt from City licensing
- At-large status
- exempt from the general at-large nuisance rule
- Feeding requirement
- must register as a caregiver first
- Registering agency
- Animal Services
Summary
Tracy exempts free-roaming "community cats" from licensing and its at-large nuisance law, but anyone who feeds one must first register as a community cat caregiver with Animal Services, which can attach its own conditions to that registration.
"Community cat" is any free roaming cat that is cared for by a registered community cat caregiver; a community cat may or may not be feral. Community cats are exempt from any licensing requirements required under this chapter. "Community cat caregiver" is a person who registers with Animal Services as a community cat caregiver to provide food to community cats. A community cat caregiver is not the owner of a community cat. ... It shall be unlawful for any person within the City of Tracy to intentionally provide food, water, or other forms of sustenance to a community cat, unless the person registers as a community cat caregiver with Animal Services. Animal Services may impose certain conditions and requirements for a person to register as a community cat caregiver. ... This section shall not apply to community cats, as described in Article 6 of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Article 6 of Chapter 5.08 defines a "community cat" as any free-roaming cat, feral or not, cared for by a registered community cat caregiver, and Section 5.08.450 exempts community cats from any licensing requirement elsewhere in the chapter. A community cat caregiver is defined as the person who registers with Animal Services to provide food to community cats, explicitly not the owner of the cat. Section 5.08.460 makes it unlawful for anyone in Tracy to intentionally give food, water, or other sustenance to a community cat without first registering as a caregiver, and Animal Services may impose conditions and requirements on that registration.
This carve-out interacts directly with the City's general at-large rule: Section 5.08.230, which otherwise declares it a nuisance for any animal, poultry, or household pet to run at large on a public street or trespass on another's property, expressly states that it does not apply to community cats described in Article 6. In effect, a registered caregiver's community cats can roam and be fed without violating the at-large nuisance law or needing a City license, so long as the caregiver stays registered and follows Animal Services' registration conditions; an unregistered person doing the same feeding is in violation of Section 5.08.460.
Violations & Fines
Feeding a free-roaming cat in Tracy without registering as a community cat caregiver is unlawful under Section 5.08.460. Losing or failing to maintain that registration removes the Section 5.08.230 at-large exemption and the Section 5.08.450 licensing exemption, exposing the cats and their caregiver to the City's ordinary nuisance and licensing enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed stray cats in my Tracy neighborhood?
Do community cats need to be licensed in Tracy?
Can a community cat be impounded for running at large in Tracy?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
California rules heatmap·Compare Tracy to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Cat Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle cat rules.