El Cajon, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Impound of animal found at large without ID
- Authority
- Animal control department, chief of police
- Fee
- Set by city council resolution, on file with clerk
- Waivable
- Department may waive if owner objects
- Repeat impounds
- Redemption fee increases each impound
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 6.26.030 / § 1.24.010
Summary
El Cajon does not require pet owners to microchip animals citywide, but the animal control department can make it a condition of getting an impounded pet back. Under Municipal Code Section 6.20.070(C), a dog or cat picked up running at large without identification can be chipped by the shelter before release, on top of the standard redemption fee, unless the owner objects and the department agrees to waive it.
Upon redemption of any lawfully impounded animal found at large and without identification, the department may require the owner to pay for the implantation of microchip identification in addition to other redemption fees. The department retains discretion to waive this requirement if the owner objects to the microchip implantation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4940073; v10 updated 2026-06-09).
Full Breakdown
20 governs what happens once El Cajon's animal control officers seize a dog or cat running at large. 060, unless redeemed sooner. 070(A) requires the owner to show legal photo identification and pay the applicable redemption fees, set by city council resolution and kept on file with the city clerk rather than fixed in the code itself. 070(B) then layers on an escalating charge: each successive impound draws a higher fee, and that increase attaches to the owner, not to the specific animal, so a repeat offender pays more even for a different pet.
070(C) is the microchip clause: when the impounded animal was found at large without any identification, the department may require the owner to pay for a microchip implant in addition to the redemption fees, but it keeps discretion to waive that requirement if the owner objects. 080 if those were never issued. There is no ordinance mandating that every resident chip a pet before it is ever off-leash; the microchip requirement only surfaces reactively, after an unidentified animal has already been picked up.
Violations & Fines
Animal control officers may cite under Penal Code Sections 853.6 through 853.8 per Section 6.26.010, and a person who refuses to identify themselves can be arrested by El Cajon police under Section 6.26.020. Keeping a dog in violation of Title 6, including redemption noncompliance, is a misdemeanor under Section 6.26.030, subject to the general penalty clause, Section 1.24.010: up to a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail, or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100, $200, then $500 for repeat violations within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Cajon require all pets to be microchipped?
Can I refuse the microchip and still get my dog back?
What happens if my pet is impounded more than once?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Cajon
California rules heatmap·Compare El Cajon to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Microchipping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Diego County handle microchipping.