Boone County, KY Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- General pet microchip law
- None; not required countywide
- Mandatory case
- Vicious animals kept after conviction
- Governing section
- § 91.99(H)(1)(a)
- Paired requirements
- Neuter, license, register with Animal Services
- Impound benefit
- Chipped pets get mail notice, § 91.15(G)
Summary
Boone County, Kentucky does not require every dog or cat to be microchipped. The only mandatory-microchip rule in Chapter 91 applies to an animal a court has declared "vicious": under § 91.99(H)(1)(a), keeping the animal after conviction requires it to be "neutered, microchip implanted for identification purposes, licensed and registered with Animal Services."
In addition, the court shall order one of the following: (1) That the following regulations be followed as a condition of the owner retaining ownership of the animal: (a) The vicious animal shall be neutered, microchip implanted for identification purposes, licensed and registered with Animal Services.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2025-20, passed 6-17-25; and State legislation current through KRS 2025).
Full Breakdown
Outside the vicious-animal context, Boone County's animal ordinance treats a microchip as useful evidence of ownership rather than a universal mandate. 15(G) provides that when "any microchipped animal or animal whose owner is known is impounded in the animal shelter," Animal Control must notify the owner by certified mail, personal delivery, or by leaving notice at the owner's residence within three business days, which speeds reunification for chipped pets but does not itself require chipping. 20(B). 99(H)(1) conditions, the first of which requires that the vicious animal be neutered, microchip implanted, and licensed and registered with Animal Services. 17(A), is what lets Animal Services and law enforcement verify the animal's identity and monitor compliance with the accompanying enclosure, muzzling and reporting conditions.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate microchip fine because chipping is not required for ordinary pets. But failing to comply with a court-ordered microchip condition under § 91.99(H)(1) as part of a vicious-animal case violates the terms of that order, and under § 91.99(I) a repeat violation involving the same animal results in the court ordering the animal surrendered to Animal Control for euthanasia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is microchipping required for pets in Boone County, Kentucky?
Does a microchip help if my pet is picked up by Animal Control?
What other conditions come with the vicious-animal microchip requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boone County
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