Bayonne, NJ Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Under Bayonne City Code Section 5-27.6, added September 21, 2022 by Ordinance No. O-22-30, a feral cat's left ear must be earmarked once it is spayed or neutered, and earmarked again once vaccinated. The same section then directs that, if possible, a licensed veterinarian insert an electronic animal identification device (EAID) into the feral cat in accordance with professional medical standards, and that the registered caregiver be named as the EAID contact. This chip requirement dovetails with Section 5-27.7, which tells an Animal Control Officer who traps an earmarked or otherwise marked feral cat to scan for an EAID; if one is found, the officer contacts the registered caregiver, and if the caregiver cannot immediately retake custody, the cat is returned to its colony.

If no EAID is found, the Health Department steps in to place the cat properly in a colony. The program is administered jointly by the Animal Control Officer and the Health Officer, who between them handle caregiver registration, colony inspections, and complaint response under Section 5-27.10. Caregivers must also report biannually, by June 30 and December 31, to the Health Department on colony population, deaths, births, and permanent placements under Section 5-27.4. Because the EAID mandate is qualified with 'if possible,' it functions as a strong program requirement rather than an absolute universal mandate, but caregivers who fail to comply with the article's requirements, including recordkeeping and reporting duties tied to the chip and ear-mark identification system, risk losing their registered caregiver status and having the colony's cats seized.