Greenville County, SC Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

County Code Sec. 4-14(d)(1) requires every dog over 3 months old to be identifiable by one of two methods: a collar and identification tag displaying the owner's current contact information, or a registered microchip with up-to-date owner contact information. The identification must be worn outdoors at all times, and owners are responsible for keeping the contact information on file current. Section 4-14(d)(2) makes clear that a rabies tag does not substitute for this requirement, stating that a rabies tag is not considered a valid form of identification for the purposes of this section and shall not satisfy the identification requirements outlined herein.

Microchips do double duty at the shelter. When a dog or cat is impounded without visible identification, Sec. 4-14(e)(2) lets the owner reclaim it by establishing ownership through, among other methods, a registered microchip linked to the owner, alongside veterinary records, dated photographs, or a municipal registration. The shelter or impounding agency may still require additional verification under Sec. 4-14(e)(3) if it has doubts about who the rightful owner is. Because the microchip option is written into the identification rule itself, a dog wearing only a chip and no visible tag is still in compliance, provided the registered contact information is current; a dog with neither a tag nor a chip is not.