Arvada, CO Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Arvada City Code § 14-43(b)
- Accepted ID
- collar tag, microchip, or similar ID
- Must show
- owner's name, address, phone number
- Cat licensing
- not required, unlike dogs
- Max fine
- $2,650.00 (§ 1-5)
Summary
Arvada requires every cat to wear an identification tag on its collar or harness, or to carry a surgically implanted microchip, or a similar form of ID, under City Code Section 14-43(b). The tag or microchip must list the current owner's name, address, and phone number, a separate requirement from the dog-license tag rule in the same section.
(b)It shall be unlawful for the owner or custodian of any cat to fail to cause the cat to wear an identification tag affixed to the cat's collar or harness, or to have an identification microchip surgically implanted into the cat, or to wear some other similar type of identification. Such tag or microchip shall clearly set forth the current owner's name, address, and telephone number.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Council Policy Manual: Supplement 1 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-43 of the Arvada City Code splits identification duties between dogs and cats. Subsection (a) requires dogs to wear their current dog-license tag on a collar, chain, or harness. " Whichever method the owner uses, the tag or the microchip's registered record must "clearly set forth the current owner's name, address, and telephone number," so a microchip alone only satisfies the ordinance if it is registered with current, accurate contact information. Because the requirement offers three alternatives, tag, microchip, or "some other similar type of identification," a cat owner is not required to license the animal (Arvada has no cat-licensing program under Section 14-42, which covers only dogs) but is still required to make the cat traceable back to its owner.
Unlike the dog-tag rule, which is tied to the annual Foothills Animal Shelter license renewal, the cat identification duty in subsection (b) stands on its own and is not linked to any city licensing fee or renewal cycle. An unidentified cat picked up by animal management is handled through the Chapter 14 impoundment process in Sections 14-201 through 14-208, where lack of identification can make it harder for an owner to reclaim the animal before the shelter's redemption deadline.
Violations & Fines
Failing to identify a cat under Section 14-43(b) is punishable under the chapter's general penalty, Section 14-7, capped at the Section 1-5 limits: up to a $2,650.00 fine, up to 364 days in jail, or both. Each day the cat goes without a tag, microchip, or comparable ID can be charged as a separate continuing offense under Section 1-5(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my cat need a microchip in Arvada?
Do I need to license my cat with Foothills Animal Shelter?
What happens if my unidentified cat is picked up by animal management?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arvada
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Microchipping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle microchipping.