Cecil County, MD Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

Section 142-13 of the Code of Cecil County lays out additional requirements that apply once a dog has been declared dangerous under §142-12. Within 90 days of that declaration, the owner must have the dog implanted with a microchip by a licensed veterinarian for permanent identification, register the chip with the microchip company, and supply the corresponding microchip number to the Animal Care and Control Authority. That is the only place in Chapter 142 that mandates a microchip outright; ordinary pet owners are not required to chip their animals.

Two related but narrower provisions touch microchips elsewhere in the chapter: §142-24H requires every breeding dog and cat in a licensed commercial kennel or cattery to carry a registered microchip, and §142-30C offers dog owners a discounted annual license fee if their dog has been spayed or neutered or carries a registered microchip, giving general owners a financial incentive rather than a mandate. An Animal Care and Control Officer may also enter the property where a declared dangerous dog is confined, with the owner's permission or a court-authorized warrant, to check compliance with §142-12's confinement rules, which the microchip requirement supports by making the dog's identity verifiable.