Catoosa County, GA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Catoosa County has no general microchip mandate for cats or ordinary dogs; instead, the microchip requirement is tied specifically to dogs the county has formally classified as vicious under Article III of chapter 14. Once a dog control officer classifies a dog as vicious following the notice and hearing procedure in § 14-79, and unless the owner is barred under § 14-83(e) or (f), the owner must obtain a certificate of registration. Section 14-83(c) lists what that certificate requires: a secure enclosure the dog cannot escape, warning signs posted at every entrance to the property, a microchip containing an identification number and capable of being scanned injected under the skin between the dog's shoulder blades, and proof of at least $50,000.00 in general or specific liability insurance covering injury or property damage the dog causes.

The certificate, and with it the microchip requirement, is not one-time: § 14-83(g) requires the certificate to be renewed every year, and at renewal a dog control officer verifies the owner is still complying with the article, including the microchip and insurance. Failing to renew the certificate within ten days of the renewal date or the dog's initial classification date is itself a violation of the article. No more than one certificate of registration may be issued per domicile, and the owner of a vicious dog may not transfer, sell or donate the dog to anyone except a governmental facility or veterinarian for euthanasia.