Riverside, CA Animal Ordinances: Mandatory Spay/Neuter (2026)
Key Facts
- Age threshold
- 7 months, dogs and cats
- Dog alternative
- Unaltered dog license
- Cat alternative
- Veterinarian sterility certificate only
- Senior exemption
- Female dogs 10+ yrs, males 12+ yrs (still licensed)
- Microchip duty
- All dogs/cats over 4 months, §8.21.030
- Enforcement trigger
- Only alongside another animal-code citation
Summary
Riverside requires every dog and cat over seven months old to be spayed or neutered under RMC §8.21.010: a citywide baseline separate from the pit-bull-specific mandate. Dog owners can instead obtain an annual 'unaltered dog license'; cat owners get no such license option and must sterilize or document infertility.
Requirement. No person may own, keep, or harbor an unaltered and unspayed dog or cat over the age of seven months in violation of this section. An owner or custodian of an unaltered dog must have the dog spayed or neutered, or provide a certificate of sterility, or obtain an unaltered dog license in accordance with this chapter. An owner or custodian of an unaltered cat must have the animal spayed or neutered, or provide a certificate of sterility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
010(A) sets a citywide baseline: any dog or cat kept past seven months of age must be altered, unless the owner produces a veterinarian's certificate of sterility or, for dogs only, obtains an unaltered dog license under this chapter. Narrow medical exemptions exist under subsection (A)(2) for an animal a licensed California veterinarian certifies would face a high likelihood of serious harm or death from the surgery due to age or infirmity, and for female dogs over ten years or male dogs over twelve (though those seniors still need an unaltered license).
6. 010(D)); the same notice duty applies to unaltered cat transfers. 010(E)). 030 layers on a separate universal duty: all dogs and cats over four months must carry an implanted microchip, reported to the Department, regardless of altered status.
Violations & Fines
Riverside enforces §8.21.010 selectively: §8.21.020(A) allows a citation for failing to spay or neuter only when the owner is concurrently cited for another violation, at-large, unlicensed, unvaccinated, unhealthy conditions, kennel/cattery violations, dangerous-dog findings, and more, and §8.21.020(B) then requires the animal be altered as part of resolving that violation, on top of whatever fine the concurrent offense carries under §1.01.110.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is spaying or neutering my pet mandatory in Riverside?
Can I get cited just for having an unaltered pet?
Do senior pets still need to be fixed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Mandatory Spay/Neuter in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle mandatory spay/neuter.