Pasco County, FL Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Pasco County Code Sec. 14-100
- Who must be chipped
- Dogs/cats over 4 months sold, adopted, transferred, or returned after impound
- Registration
- Owner must register chip in national registry and notify Animal Services
- Field-release compliance
- Notice to Comply - microchip within 15 days
- Exemption
- Vet certifies microchipping would endanger the animal's health
Summary
Pasco County Code Sec. 14-100 requires that all dogs and cats over four months of age that are sold, adopted, transferred, or returned to an owner after stray impound be microchipped, with the owner registering the chip in a national registry and providing the number to Animal Services.
Sec. 14-100. Microchip required. (a) All dogs and cats over the age of four months sold, adopted, transferred, or returned to owner after stray impound in the county shall have a radio frequency identification devise (RFID) (microchip) implanted prior to sale, adoption, transfer, or return to owner. The owner or custodian shall register the microchip with the national registry associated with the implanted microchip and shall provide the microchip number and other identifying information to the department. (b) Dogs and cats that have been impounded by the department shall be implanted with a microchip by the department at the owner's expense prior to being released to the owner. If the animal was impounded and subsequently released to the owner by the impounding officer prior to being transported to the county shelter, the owner will be issued a Notice to Comply to have the animal microchipped within fifteen (15) days. (d) An exemption to this section is allowed if a licensed veterinarian certifies in writing that microchipping would endanger the animal's health.
Full Breakdown
Under Chapter 14, Article II, Division 4, Sec. 14-100 'Microchip required,' every dog and cat over four months old that is sold, adopted, transferred, or returned to its owner after a stray impound in the county must have a radio-frequency identification device (RFID/microchip) implanted before that sale, adoption, transfer, or return. The owner or custodian must register the microchip with the national registry associated with that chip and provide the microchip number and identifying information to the Pasco County Animal Services Department. Dogs and cats impounded by the department are microchipped at the owner's expense before release; if an animal was released in the field before transport to the shelter, the owner gets a Notice to Comply requiring microchipping within fifteen (15) days and proof signed by a licensed veterinarian.
Animals already microchipped must have their chip information recorded and kept current as a condition of release. The only exemption is where a licensed veterinarian certifies in writing that microchipping would endanger the animal's health. The 2024 amendment (Ordinance 24-23) extended the mandatory-microchip requirement to all dogs and cats returned to owners after stray impound, not just newly adopted animals.
Violations & Fines
Releasing or transferring a covered dog or cat without an implanted, registered microchip violates Sec. 14-100; the department will not release an impounded dog or cat to its owner until it has been microchipped and registered at the owner's expense (Sec. 14-103(h)(3)). Noncompliance is a civil infraction of up to $500.00 per offense under Sec. 14-33.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasco County require my dog or cat to be microchipped?
Will the shelter release my impounded pet without a microchip?
Is there any way to skip the microchip?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida animal ordinances overview
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