San Benito County, CA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 13.01.023(E)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Vaccination interval
- Every 3 years
- Licensing required
- No, unlike dogs
- Enforcement
- County/Hollister animal control
Summary
Unincorporated San Benito County requires cats allowed to roam public streets or run at large to carry a current rabies vaccination, renewed at least every three years under the county code.
No person owning, having an interest in, harboring, or having the care, charge, custody or possession of a cat shall allow or permit such cat to go on the public streets in any manner, or to go free and run at large in or upon any place outside of incorporated cities in the county, unless such cat has been vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine approved by the health officer at intervals of not over three years.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: current through Ordinance 1078).
Full Breakdown
San Benito County Code § 13.01.023(E) bars anyone owning or harboring a cat from letting it go on public streets or run at large anywhere outside the incorporated cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista unless the cat carries a current anti-rabies vaccination administered by a licensed provider and renewed at intervals of no more than three years. The section sits within the county's broader dog-and-cat vaccination chapter, which also bars bringing a dog or cat into the county from an area where rabies has been present within the last six months. Unlike dogs, cats are not required to be licensed or leashed under this chapter.
Violations & Fines
A cat found roaming unvaccinated outside the incorporated cities can be treated as a code violation; officers may require proof of current rabies vaccination or refer the case for enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cats need to be licensed like dogs in San Benito County?
Does the cat vaccination rule apply inside Hollister?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Benito County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Benito County to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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