Austin, TX Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

City Code Sec. 3-2-5(H), part of the Proper Care of Animals section, applies to animals at least four months of age that are not wildlife or livestock. It defines a MICROCHIPPED ANIMAL as one implanted with a registered identification microchip, and it makes the owner responsible both for having each animal in their possession microchipped and for maintaining a current registration with a microchip registration company. If contact information changes, including a new address or phone number, the owner has 30 days to update it with the registration company.

When ownership of a microchipped animal changes, the previous owner has 30 days to make sure the microchip is no longer registered in their name, and the new owner has 30 days to re-register it with their own address and phone number. This sits alongside the shelter-side microchip rules in Sec. 3-1-28, which lets the city manager implant a microchip in any impounded or dangerous animal, and Sec. 3-1-22(3), which bills owners for that implantation as part of impound fees. If the health authority finds an owner out of compliance with the Sec. 3-2-5(H) microchip requirement, its only listed response is to hand out educational materials.