Snohomish County, WA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Altered, microchipped fee
- $15/year (SCC 9.04.040(2)(c))
- Altered, no chip fee
- $25/year
- Senior + microchip fee
- $10/year, age 62+
- Dangerous dog chip rule
- Mandatory (SCC 9.10.040(3)(c))
- Licensing authority
- Snohomish county auditor
Summary
Microchipping is not required for an ordinary pet in unincorporated Snohomish County, but the county rewards it: an altered dog or cat with a microchip costs $15 to license instead of $25, per SCC 9.04.040. A dog declared dangerous under SCC 9.10.040 must be microchipped as a registration condition.
(2) The annual fees for dog and cat licenses are established as follows:
(a) Altered dog or cat - $25.00;
(b) Unaltered dog or cat - $50.00;
(c) Altered and microchipped dog or cat - $15.00;
(d) Senior citizen (62 or older) owned altered dog or cat - $20.00;
(e) Senior citizen (62 or older) owned altered and microchipped dog or cat - $10.00;
(f) Service Dogs $15.00;
(g) Law enforcement agency dog license - No charge;
(h) Replacement of license tag - $5.00.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through legislation passed August 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
040(2) sets the county's pet-licensing fee schedule administered by the licensing authority, the Snohomish county auditor. An altered dog or cat costs $25 a year; an unaltered one costs $50. Getting the animal microchipped in addition to altering it drops the fee to $15, and a senior citizen (62 or older) with an altered, microchipped pet pays only $10. Replacement tags run $5. This is a financial incentive built into the general licensing chapter, not a mandate, so most owners can skip the chip and simply pay the higher fee.
The calculus changes once a dog is declared dangerous or potentially dangerous. 040(3) requires the owner of a declared dangerous dog to obtain an annual $250 certificate of registration within 15 days of the declaration, and one of the listed conditions the owner must prove, alongside a locked enclosure, $250,000 in liability insurance, and county licensing, is that the dog has been microchipped. This makes microchipping effectively mandatory for that narrower category of dogs, even though it stays voluntary for the general pet population. 060, with a $10 late fee after expiration.
Violations & Fines
General licensing violations under SCC 9.04.010 are carved out of the misdemeanor provision in SCC 9.12.020(2)(a); they are instead handled through the civil penalty and notice-of-violation process in SCC 9.12.090, which assesses $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second, and $500 for each violation after that, payable within 15 days. Failing to microchip a dangerous dog as required by SCC 9.10.040(3)(c) is a separate registration failure that can trigger confiscation of the dog under SCC 9.10.090(2)(a)-(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to microchip my dog or cat in Snohomish County?
Which pets must be microchipped by law?
What happens if I don't license my microchipped pet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Snohomish County
Compare Snohomish County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.