Burlington, NC Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

The microchip requirement lives inside the dangerous dog permit process, not as a standalone pet rule. Once the Animal Services Director declares a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous under Section 6-22, the owner must apply to the Animal Services Department for a confinement permit within five business days of the final determination, or the dog must leave the city. Section 6-22(d)(2) lists the permit criteria in order: item a requires current rabies vaccination under G.S. 130A-185; item b requires the dog to be spayed or neutered unless a licensed veterinarian certifies the procedure would endanger its life; item c is the microchip requirement itself, that the dog be implanted with a microchip and that chip be registered with the Animal Services Department; item d requires the department to inspect the confinement premises under G.S.

67-4.2 and subsection (f); item e requires a nonrefundable application fee; item f requires annual renewal with all requirements met again; and item g sets the fee amount by the council's schedule of fees and charges. All permit conditions, including the microchip implant and registration, must be satisfied within thirty days of approval under subsection (e). If ownership of a declared dog is later transferred, subsection (k) requires the owner to notify Animal Services of the transfer and the new owner to meet every permit requirement again, carrying the microchip registration forward to the new owner's name.