Baytown, TX Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Sec. 14-9(a) requires the owner of any dog or cat kept within Baytown's corporate limits to have the animal implanted with a microchip and registered with a microchip registry. For an animal under four months old, Sec. 14-9(b) gives the owner 30 days after the pet turns four months to get it chipped and registered. Sec. 14-9(d) then makes ongoing compliance an owner duty: if contact information changes, the owner must update the microchip registry within 30 calendar days; if ownership changes, the prior owner must de-register the chip within 30 days and the new owner must re-register it in their own name within 30 days.

Sec. 14-9(c) lists affirmative defenses, including residency in the city for fewer than 30 days, an animal under four months old, an animal held for sale by a retail pet store or for adoption/rescue, ownership by a government agency or veterinarian, or a written medical exception from a licensed veterinarian. Every animal processed through or held at the city shelter must be microchipped before release to an adopter or returning owner under Sec. 00 microchip fee set by Sec. 14-176 added to the adoption or impoundment charge.