Elk Grove, CA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- EGMC § 8.03.080
- Microchip required
- before license issued
- Exemption option
- annual fee set by Council resolution
- First-offense fine
- up to $100 (Ch. 1.04)
- Enforcing agency
- Elk Grove Animal Control
Summary
Elk Grove requires every dog or cat presented for a City license to be microchipped. Under EGMC Section 8.03.080, the applicant must submit a veterinarian's certificate confirming both a current rabies vaccination and a microchip implant before the City issues the license. Owners can instead pay an annual exemption fee set by City Council resolution.
A. As a condition for the issuance of a dog or cat license, all applicants for such license shall procure and deliver a certificate issued by a duly licensed veterinarian, certifying that each dog or cat to be licensed has been administered an anti-rabies vaccination and has had a microchip inserted prior to the issuance of said license for the current license period. B. The owner of a dog or cat may receive a microchip exemption for their animal upon payment of an annual microchip exemption registration fee as established by resolution of the City Council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937385; v2 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
EGMC Section 8.03.080 makes microchipping a licensing precondition, not a free-standing offense. The rule folds into the City's broader dog and cat licensing chapter, EGMC Chapter 8.03: applicants file a written application under Section 8.03.020 listing the animal's breed, age, and rabies certificate, then attach a collar tag under Section 8.03.040 that must be worn whenever the animal is outdoors and unconfined. An Animal Control Officer can demand the tag and receipt at any time; refusing to show them is itself unlawful. Owners who do not want the implant are not barred from licensing: Section 8.03.080(B) lets them pay an annual microchip exemption registration fee set by City Council resolution instead of chipping the animal.
Licensing carries limited free tiers: City-owned agency dogs, two altered cats or dogs owned by a senior over 65, feral or community cats, and service animals are licensed without a fee under Section 8.03.010, though the microchip or exemption-fee condition still applies to any animal not exempt from licensing altogether. Lost tags cost a City Council-set replacement fee to reissue under Section 8.03.050. Elk Grove Animal Control processes applications and enforces the chapter, working alongside the companion Chapter 8.04 rabies-control provisions.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Sections 8.03.010 through 8.03.080, including licensing without the required microchip certificate or exemption fee, is an infraction enforced under EGMC Chapter 1.04: a fine up to $100 for a first offense, up to $200 for a second violation of the same provision within 12 months, and up to $500 for each further violation in that period. A third violation in 12 months converts the offense to a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Elk Grove require my dog or cat to be microchipped?
What happens if I license my pet without a microchip and without paying the exemption fee?
Is any pet exempt from Elk Grove's licensing fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elk Grove
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How other cities in Sacramento County handle microchipping.