Pasco County, FL Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)

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.