Kitsap County, WA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Microchip mandate
- None; county records chip only if present
- Governing section
- KCC 7.08.030(b)(5)-(6), license contents
- Enforcement benefit
- Chip lets authority skip formal impoundment
- Redemption cost
- Microchip fee charged if impounded
- Jurisdiction
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
Summary
Kitsap County does not mandate microchipping every cat or dog, but if a pet is chipped, the county's license procedure requires the license to record the microchip implant and its identification number, and impound redemption fees under the animal code separately cover any microchip fee charged.
(b) Contents of License. The license shall contain the following: (1) Date of issuance and date of expiration; (2) A serial number; (3) Type of animal, its name, age, color(s), sex, breed/mix, distinguishing characteristics, and whether the animal is spayed or neutered; (4) The name, address, and telephone number of the owner of the animal; (5) Permanent identification number or marking, such as microchip implant, if applicable; (6) The corresponding microchip identification number, if applicable.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
Kitsap County's animal code does not create a stand-alone requirement that every dog or cat be microchipped. Instead, KCC 7.08.030(b), which governs the contents of a cat or dog license issued under KCC 7.08.010, lists what the license must contain, including in subsection (b)(5) a "permanent identification number or marking, such as microchip implant, if applicable," and in subsection (b)(6) "the corresponding microchip identification number, if applicable." The phrase "if applicable" in both subsections shows the county records a microchip when one exists rather than compelling every owner to implant one.
The county auditor, the animal control authority, or their authorized agents issue the license and are responsible for capturing this information under KCC 7.08.030(a). Microchipping still matters for enforcement: under KCC 7.14.030(1), the animal control authority may return an at-large animal to a known owner without formal impoundment if it can determine ownership through "license, microchip or other methods," and KCC 7.10.010(e)(1) lists a microchip fee among the charges an owner must pay to redeem an impounded pet, alongside impound, vaccination, boarding, and any medical-care costs and license fees.
Because a microchip is one of the identifiers the animal control authority relies on to skip a formal impound, an unchipped and untagged loose pet is more likely to be processed through the full impoundment and holding-period system in KCC 7.10.010(f) rather than returned directly to its owner. This rule applies only within unincorporated Kitsap County.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate civil infraction or misdemeanor in Title 7 for failing to microchip a pet, since the county does not require it. However, an unchipped animal that goes at large loses the fast-track return option in KCC 7.14.030(1) and is more likely to be formally impounded under KCC 7.10.010, exposing the owner to impound, boarding, and license fees before redemption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kitsap County require me to microchip my dog or cat?
Does microchipping help if my pet gets loose in Kitsap County?
Will I be charged for a microchip if my pet is impounded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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