Chelan County, WA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 7.40.060(b)(4)
- Microchip fee
- $100 per dog
- Applies to
- dangerous & potentially dangerous dogs
- Standard license fee
- $20 altered / $60 unaltered
- Enforcing agency
- Chelan County animal control authority
Summary
Unincorporated Chelan County does not microchip ordinary dogs, but Section 7.40.060(b)(4) makes microchipping mandatory for any dog classified dangerous or potentially dangerous under Chapter 16.08 RCW, and the owner pays a $100 registration fee to cover the microchip, its implantation, and registration.
(4) Mandatory microchipping of dangerous dogs and potentially dangerous dogs is required. Registration fees for potentially dangerous and dangerous dogs are one hundred dollars to offset the costs of the microchip, implantation and registration to be paid by the owners of potentially dangerous or dangerous dogs.
Full Breakdown
060 requires every dog four months or older residing in a designated urban growth area to carry a license, with fees of $20 a year for an altered dog and $60 for an unaltered one, kennel fees of $100 or $150, and a $10 late fee. 08 RCW. 015, and sets the $100 fee to offset the county's cost of the chip, its implantation, and the registration paperwork. Standard license fees are discounted 50 percent for senior citizens 62 and older and for owners with a significant disability, but that discount does not apply to the dangerous-dog fee, and police dogs are exempt from licensing fees generally.
08 RCW, not the county's local fine. 015 defines as the county's contracted provider or the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society when it holds that contract, issues the licenses and enforces the microchip requirement.
Violations & Fines
A general dog-licensing failure is a civil infraction of $250 per violation under Section 7.40.060(d)(1)-(2), with each day counting as a separate offense. But Section 7.40.060(d)(3) exempts a dangerous-dog owner's failure to microchip and register from that local fine, sending it instead to the penalty structure of Chapter 16.08 RCW.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chelan County require microchipping for all dogs?
How much does the dangerous-dog microchip registration cost?
What happens if I don't register my dangerous dog?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chelan County
Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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