Gretna, LA Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- General microchip mandate
- None in Gretna's code
- Governing section
- § 8-53(i)(3)
- Trigger
- 3rd+ verified nuisance complaint in 12 months
- Ordered by
- Mayor's Court administrative hearing officer
- Paired remedies
- Neutering/spaying, animal-count limits, contempt
- Noncompliance
- Contempt under § 8-53(i)(4)
Summary
Gretna's code does not require pet owners to microchip their animals generally. The only mention of microchipping is a discretionary remedy: under Code section 8-53(i)(3), a Mayor's Court hearing officer may order it after a third or subsequent verified animal-nuisance complaint against the same animal within twelve months.
(i)In cases where a violation notice has been issued upon a third or subsequent verified nuisance complaint and a public nuisance is found to exist, the administrative hearing officer may order:(1)A reduction in the number of animals kept by an owner, or require whatever reasonable restrictions in the keeping of animals he may deem necessary to eliminate or mitigate a public nuisance;(2)Neutering/spaying of the animal;(3)Microchipping;(4)Other reasonable penalties including contempt for failing to timely comply with an order or judgment;
Full Breakdown
00 fine if upheld. Only at that third-or-later stage, once a public nuisance is found to exist at hearing, can the administrative hearing officer reach for the remedies listed in subsection (i): reducing the number of animals an owner may keep, imposing other keeping restrictions, ordering the animal neutered or spayed, ordering it microchipped, or holding the owner in contempt for failing to timely comply with the order. Microchipping never appears as a standalone requirement anywhere else in Chapter 8; it is one option among several a hearing officer can select case by case, alongside neutering, animal-count limits, or contempt for noncompliance.
The animal may also be impounded pending the hearing, with the owner responsible for the Gretna Animal Shelter's impoundment fees. This structure, including the microchipping remedy, was adopted whole by Ordinance No. 4984 on July 12, 2023, and is heard in the Gretna Mayor's Court.
Violations & Fines
Microchipping is a hearing officer's remedy, not itself a fineable offense; it can only be ordered after a third or subsequent verified nuisance complaint within twelve months. An owner who fails to comply with a microchipping order can be held in contempt under Section 8-53(i)(4), and the owner bears the hearing's cost if found in violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Gretna require pets to be microchipped?
When can Gretna order my pet to be microchipped?
What if I ignore a Gretna microchipping order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gretna
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