Orange County requires dogs four months and older within OC Animal Care jurisdiction to be microchipped before or at the time of license issuance, ensuring lost pets can be returned quickly to owners.
Under OC Animal Care policy and Title 1 dog licensing rules, every dog presented for license must be microchipped, and the chip number registered with OCAC. Owners must update registration when contact information changes. Shelters scan all stray animals upon intake. California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31108 separately requires shelters to scan and attempt return before adoption. Penalties for unmicrochipped licensed dogs include holds at adoption and reduced reclaim windows after impound. Veterinarians, mobile clinics, and shelter events offer low-cost chipping.
Dogs impounded without a microchip can incur additional fees of fifteen to thirty dollars at reclaim plus required chip implantation before release.
See how other cities in Orange County handle microchipping.
See how Costa Mesa's microchipping rules stack up against other locations.
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